《Level 0 Master》 Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Vol 1 ¨C Episode 1

Notes: [Brackets represent onlinements.] Italics represent inner thoughts and inner dialogue in the real world. Bold represents inner thoughts and inner dialogue within the game. Bold and italics represent sound effects. . . . Prologue [Wow.] [What a close game! So great!] MOBA is a genre of games in which yerspete against one another by making teams and controlling their heroes. Among the several top games in the world, one game has attracted the attention of thousands of people. Knowing the members of the Blue Team was only natural: Blue Star, Dark Wolf, Loney, Ishia, and Rebellion. That was why they were the members of the professional team, ¡°Virgo¡±peting against the best in the world beyond Korea. In the close game that they yed, the Purple Team, standing on the opposite side, also had to be famous and strong. Who was their opponent who wonst year¡¯s world championship? It was an unknown team, surprisingly. No, that was not the correct word. They were only amateurs who yed games well. They stood at the lower end of the second level in the hierarchy system of this game, which consisted of six levels in total. It was true that they yed well among amateurs, but their level was that of a school representative; they were not strong, professional gamers. Could a school baseball team match up with a major league team? No. Could a local ser team y in the Premier League? No. So this match could not be seen as a game, either. That¡¯s what they thought... but it became a close game within just 35 minutes. How could such a thing happen? Was this a miracle of God? No, this was just the mischief of the devil¡ªthe ¡°Devil Commander,¡± the only challenger in the Purple Team. He was also a master out of office, having dered that he would make his debut by winning first ce at the open recruitment contest of the X Group team which would be established a weekter. That one person was making everything possible since the start of the game. Apparently, each member of the Virgo team overwhelmed the members of the Purple Team. However, that one person, the Devil Commander, suppressed Dark Wolf at the same jungle position and further matched the game bnce by shaking all the battlefields in the rest of the map. He was the only genius who suppressed the power of the five talented people. [Wow! So great! Too fantastic!] [Devil Commander¡¯s team is going to win the championship this year if he takes out those four professional guys, won¡¯t they?] This was thement of a person who was watching the game online. He was attacking the pride of the leader of team Virgo, Ishia, whose name was Jung Keunsuk. ¡°Damn. Against just amateurs, I lowered my guard too much.¡± Keunsuk ground his teeth and then leaped up from his seat suddenly. He sat down after he shook his head once and straightened his posture. The other four members were relieved at that sight. All right, Keunsuk blew his top. Just when his excitement reached the extreme, he became terribly cool after having taken such an action. That was the habit of Jung Keunsuk, the captain of their team, the so-called ¡°Order.¡± His judgment andmand power after such an action became twice as strong as usual. Devil Commander, you¡¯re a monster too, but let¡¯s have a real match between pros. The world¡¯s strongest team could not lose in this kind of ce, even though they messed up by lowering their guard in the beginning. Keunsuk¡¯s eyes shone sharply. Upon watching the opponent¡¯s movements and calcting the entire situation of the map, he shouted, ¡°Everyone run to Duke!¡± ¡°Duke¡± was a giant monster with the title of a duke that existed north of the center of the battlefield. It was hard to catch it, but, once a member finished it off, they would gain a powerful buff and plenty of money and experience points. It was prey that could change the tides of a close match in an instant. Both sides could not intend to hunt it in the midst of a bitter confrontation. The enemy team installed a ward item that illuminates the area around Duke for 2 minutes and 52 seconds. The remaining duration is 8 seconds... The arrival time is about 10 seconds if we run there right now. Keunsuk¡¯s brain was spinning fast. The time it took to leave the enemy¡¯s field of vision after their ward ran out... The enemy team¡¯s moving route for organizing a small buff mob at the bottom and the minions below it... The time it took for the enemy to rush back to the center immediately after feeling that something was wrong... The time needed to hunt with their items and their level... These were all variables that were assumed in an instant, and conclusions were drawn within a few seconds. This was the true strength of themander of the strongest team in the world. ¡°We can hunt first and then get out in a few seconds. The path to victory is clear.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± All members of Virgo ran with certainty under hismand after discarding their arrogance andxity. Their opponent, who aimed for small gains, went to the lower side of the map. Of course, the strongest in the world was the strongest. At the moment they got serious, team Virgo was a totally different level from those amateurs. They are strong, but they also made mistakes as they lost concentration. At this time, it¡¯s standard procedure for the field of vision around Duke to be maintained all the time. This standard procedure was born with reason. However, many things are overlooked in that moment. And... They thought they saw the road to victory. The demon behind the monitor was just calcting back to the original thought of Keunsuk... Once the Devil Commander calmed down, all variables on the battlefield had to be considered. They intentionally installed the ward illuminating the field of vision to show the decreasing time and did not refill it. Moreover, they went to the opposite side of the map as if they were aiming for something else. People who followed this stereotyped standard procedure were the prey of free creativity. ¡°Everyone run! No hunt buff! Don¡¯t clear the minions!¡± They went right away without finishing what they meant to do. But the Purple Team arrived a little faster than the Virgo team predicted. The Purple Team attacked the Virgo team who had already consumed considerable physical strength and skill due to their fierce battle with Duke. It was Sungjin¡¯s idea to guide the enemy by using Duke as bait. This principle was exined in the book, the Art of War by Sun Tzu, ¡°The art of war is deceit. If you want to guide your enemy ording to your will, then let theme by themselves by using something else as bait.¡± ¡°How?¡± There was no way this rear attack should have happened at the time. Keunsuk screamed at the surprise attack as if a hacking program were stealing things from hisputer. This was not possible. They couldn¡¯t havee at this time even if they ran back immediately after cleaning up the buff mob and minions at the bottom of the map. Was this guy really a demon? ¡°Calm down! Keunsuk. Duke hasn¡¯t been killed yet. As it¡¯se to this, let¡¯s just grab it and aim for a double-suicide with the power of the buff. Then the initiative after the resurrection will be in our hands due to the difference of gold and experience points between our teams.¡± Loney¡¯s words revived the team at once. That was just another power of the strongest team in the world. Loney, whose real name was Gyuhyun, was silent at times but also showed a temper. He suggested a secret scheme to turn the tides even when the cool-headed order, Keunsuk, didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Okay. I will hold off until thest attack.¡± It was the jungler, ¡°Dark Wolf,¡± Jisung, who had the animal senses to actually carry it out. Attacking and defending each other under a surprise attack was aplex situation where someone would hit the opponent, hit Duke, and hit both at the same time with an AOE. In that situation, Dark Wolf looked at the decreasing health bar of Duke with a ferocious look. Two more seconds... He would deal thest hit if he used a spell to drain Duke¡¯s health after 2 seconds. The attack power of ten people... Pration power... Spell power... Order pration power... Speed of attack... Skill damage... Skill figures... Fatal blows... Resistance power... Defense power... Regenerative power... Passive skills... In a situation where all kinds of variables were tangled up, Dark Wolf¡¯s intuition read the timing of the spells like second nature. This was a 6th sense beyond calction, an insight given to those who continuouslypeted with numerous strong teams on a global stage. Even in a situation where they were strategically challenged, they imed victory through their tactical capacity. Team Virgo was the strongest in the world because such a thing was possible. Their name, ¡°Virgo,¡± referred to the constetion of protection and good luck. The goddess of victory protected Virgo by countervailing the devil¡¯s maneuvers. But... 1.85 seconds... No, 1.78 seconds... After considering the fatal blow that had just been dealt to Duke, the devil readjusted the time. By calcting all the variables again, the devil attacked the goddess who had given Team Virgo their intuition. The devil¡¯s teeth bit into and swallowed the shining star that was born to win. The time when the devilunched his attack was 0.22 seconds earlier than Dark Wolf¡¯s. ¡°Game over!¡± [Wowaaaaaaaa, the steal was a sess!] [Purple got it!] While the crowd cheered, the Purple Team surrounded team Virgo and used the buffs gained from killing Duke to finish them off. The game ended there. The members of Virgo were nkly looking at their monitors that showed the defeat message. ¡°We lost...¡± ¡°Devil Commander... Let¡¯s meet again... after your debut.¡± ¡°They are so intriguing! Damn. Today¡¯s game was a practice match anyway. I¡¯ll give you a taste on the real stage.¡± Devil Commander. What was his real name, and what did he look like? The members of team Virgo all ground their teeth while imagining someone who was probably celebrating behind theirputer screen. Cho~~op. Everyone¡¯s guess that the victorious leader would be cheering was incorrect. The owner of the ID, ¡°Devil Commander,¡± was licking his lips in regret. If this were a formal event, their real talent would havee out. His name was Cha Sungjin. He was a sophomore in high school who was 185cm tall and in pretty good shape. He was slightly rebellious and had a rough, wolfish hairstyle. His baritone voice contained sharp charisma, and he had strong muscles that were gained through martial arts rather than bodybuilding. He was indeed a nice guy who would stir up the hearts of all girls with both intellect and wildness. There were countless books about fighting andbat in his room. There were books on martial arts, such as Textbook of Kendo, Textbook of Judo, Martial Arts for Grappling & Self-Defense as well as books about military and war history, such as The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Six Secret Teachings, Three Strategies of Huang Shigong, The War Theory and The Second World War History. Next to the bookcase, there was a wooden sword showing many traces of use, and there were also a lot of books that seemed to have nothing to do with fighting: National Theory, Capital theory, World Geography Encyclopedia, Earth Science and so on. It was true. His enthusiasm for gaming allowed him to dig into the basic principles of other subjects as well. Beyond military strategies, the real game epassed geography, politics, economy, culture, and so on. Traces of use could be found on all of the books in the living room and in the other rooms. Just then, someone sent him a private message. [There is one thing that guarantees a lot of money... Would you be willing to y with a surrogate rank? A surrogate rank was a method of match-fixing done by a master who would raise the rank of another person¡¯s ount for pay. The ie was not bad. Sungjin¡¯s response to the message was to immediately close it. ¡°Don¡¯t spoil the game. These bastards,¡± he swore out loud at the opponent beyond the monitor. There are seven days left? He looked at the picture of him and his parents on one side with a faint look in his eyes. In the picture, his father held a champion belt, and his mother and he as a child were proudly standing by his side. Both of them died, and the past was the past, but this was a memory that remained precious in his heart. * * * Jab. Straight. Hook. The sandbag shook. The man stretched out his fist. His muscles gained through endless training moved without stopping, and sweat flowed down continuously. Nevertheless, the man moved without stopping. His lower body, which was trained through jogging, also moved around continuously, and his muscles showed how impressive the man¡¯s body was. But the truly impressive thing was in the other point. In order to aplish what he pursued without any distracting thoughts, his concentration was unwavering. The man who had a goal to be a champion had the same tenacity of a man with a dream. Young Sungjin looked at his father with pride. So cool... he thought. He looked at his father¡¯s back and thought that that¡¯s what a man with a dream should look like. It was from his father that Sungjin learned about concentration and effort. Sungjin¡¯s father was a boxer. As the poprity of boxing in Korea was not very high at that time, his father¡¯s life was never easy even though he was a top-ranked fighter. Nevertheless, his father continued boxing. And... The brush moved slowly over the hwasun-paper. It moved as smoothly as a stream of water; there were no breaks in the action. The soft and unstoppable momentum was hard to do and needed more concentration rather than brute force. ¡°Well.¡± His fatherid down the brush and nodded. He was good at both literature and martial arts. The words that his father wrote on the hwasun-paper meant that both literature and martial arts were mastered at the same time. This was also the motto of his family that produced many military attaches during the Chosun Dynasty. His father was a boxer but also a ¡°calligrapher.¡± The level that he learned under his grandfather, who had copsed but was a strict Confucian schr, far exceeded the level of ordinary amateurs. That feral body with solid muscles in the ring created an atmosphere simr to that of an old ssical schr when he held a brush and wrote serenely. Although boxing was his real dream and calligraphy was done only for spiritual training between exercises, his father still concentrated on it. Others said it was a strangebination, but Sungjin thought it was really cool. When he was exercising and writing, his father, who was focusing on his mind and working seriously, was wonderful. His mother used to nag his father asionally. ¡°Oh, pity me! I, who was married to your face, was deceived. I heard you would have me live in luxury, but I can¡¯t buy even a bean sprout now.¡± This was usually said on the day that the bills were due. ¡°I am sorry. Please wait a little more.¡± His father was always gentle at home, even though he was fierce in the game. No, he was even old-fashioned beyond that. Under the influence of his grandfather, a Confucian schr, his father always used honorifics to his mother. He believed that a husband and wife should be honored with respect. As he did calligraphy during his breaks, he said, ¡°A real matchmaker should be trained in spirit and body.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that more than a thousand times!¡± Whenever she did that, his father tried to appease her, but his mother snapped, and the atmosphere became so bad that Sungjin worried for them. His father was cool when he was engrossed in training. But his mother, who was pressed by money, looked tired. There was always the question in his mind, whether it was okay for his dad to just to be cool if he made his mother suffer. But the time came for his efforts to bear fruit finally¡ªhe finally earned the qualification a world champion challenger. It happened when Sungjin was in the second grade of elementary school. ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time really. I will give you the champion belt, so please wait a little more,¡± his father said. ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve gone through so much trouble up till now, so it is about time that you seed...¡± his mother replied. On this day, his motherughed without any nagging and treated his father brightly. ¡°It is you who has suffered from all these hard times, so much so that your pretty hands have be like this...¡± His father stroked his mother¡¯s wrinkled hand. ¡°If I get the championship prize, let¡¯s eat your favorite grilled beef ribs and get a pretty dress. Is there anything else you want to do?¡± ¡°Just win, that¡¯s all.¡± Even though she said it like that, she was alsoughing. Three days before the game, a stranger came to the house. With his ck suit and sunsses on, he opened up a box full of money in front of his father. There was another box beside it. ¡°Mister, how much money do you make being a champion in this country? Moreover, is there any assurance of winning against the champion? We¡¯ll give you a much better offer.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the offer?¡± ¡°Please lose the match in the 3rd round of tomorrow¡¯s game. Then this box is yours.¡± Sungjin on the side opened his eyes upon seeing the huge amount of money. He was young but smart. Many things that could be done with that money were immediately calcted. They could pay off all of their debts, and his mother¡¯s worries would disappear at once. He could also buy many products that he could only look at through the store windows, and his father would be able to do everything he promised to his mother. He already knew how much that money could change their lives. ¡°What you¡¯ve said, I will pretend that I didn¡¯t hear it. So go back.¡± His father got angry quietly. ¡°If you refuse our offer, you will regret it.¡± ¡°You should be ashamed of yourself to try to bribe a sacred game with money. Go back immediately.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know how much this is?¡± ¡°I told that I do not need it. Or would you rather go back after calling the police?¡± His father¡¯s eyes were on fire. Even though his words were courteous, behind them was the dignity of a tiger crouching down quietly. The man shivered and packed up his bag. Sungjin knew the weight of what his father rejected. It would be afortable and rich life indeed. Nevertheless, he refused. he refused without any hesitation. He had been suffering, but he still refused. He did not sell out his dreams to money. He did not shake in front of the offer of a peaceful life. Sungjin was heartbroken at that amount of pride. A man should be like that, Sungjin thought. ¡°I am sorry... to hear that.¡± The man put away the money box and left quickly. His mother muttered in a low voice at the side, ¡°But with that money... I could repay all our loans... I could also save up money for school tuition of our child...¡± ¡°Honey. Please quit. They are swindlers gambling illegally...¡± ¡°Who said that? It¡¯s just, with all that money...¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± his father said sharply and strongly. This was so rare that his mother immediately closed her mouth. ¡°Dad. Mom. Don¡¯t fight. There will be a championship game soon.¡± The rtionship between the two, which seemed to get better for a change, had gone sour again, and Sungjin had be depressed. His father, who was proud even in front of money, was wonderful. But his mother, who suffered from money, understood and felt sorry. Neither side wasfortable. He just wanted his father to be a champion so that both of them would be happy. But the really bad thing happenedter. The day before the game, his father was attacked by unknown mobsters. ¡°Dad! Dad!¡± ¡°Honey!¡± Sungjin shouted beside his father who had a cast at the hospital. ¡°They did it, Dad!¡± There was no evidence. He could not find out who was in the mask. There were no such things as CCTV. There was only a confident belief. ¡°The ribs were broken, and the left-hand joint was broken. You have to take a break.¡± The doctor said that participating in the game was absolutely not possible. ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Sir. Is there anything else that can be done? Tomorrow¡¯s game is my lifelong dream. I¡¯ve been living on that till now.¡± ¡°I understand, but it¡¯s too much for your body.¡± ¡°But¡ª!¡± ¡°This can¡¯t be cured in a day even with modern medicine,¡± the doctor dered indomitably. His father dropped his head. Sungjin was felt so bad seeing him this way. His father, who always seemed magnificent, seemed to be tiny and pathetic today. Even though he pursued his dream earnestly, and he was confident in winning, he still ended up broken in the face of violence. What were all his father¡¯s efforts for? Was this the oue of not epting dirty money? He was upset... but he still had to forfeit the game. His father hit the floor as he left through the doors of the hospital. ¡°F*ck it! Damn it! You f*cking f*ckers! I¡¯ll... how can I do it!¡± Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Vol 1 ¨C Episode 2

Notes: [Brackets represent onlinements.] Italics represent inner thoughts and inner dialogue in the real world. Bold represents inner thoughts and inner dialogue within the game. Bold and italics represent sound effects. . . . It was the first time Sungjin heard his father curse. That was something big. ¡°Aw... I expected you to be released. Those bad guys...¡± his mother med them with tears in her eyes. Dad... Next to her, Sungjin was so sad and angry that he was at a loss. This was all so miserable and unfair to him. He could not imagine what his father was going through. He hated those guys who broke his father¡¯s dream. ¡°No... I will not end this way.¡± His father stopped and turned back at the front door of the hospital. ¡°Honey... What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I am going to fight in the match with painkillers,¡± his father dered as he puffed out his chest and raised his head. The light in his eyes had revived... ¡°Honey, that¡¯s too much. The doctor already told you.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s unreasonable, but I can¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°Honey, your body is most important, even though we have no money, no money. Please...¡± ¡°I know. The body is ahead of money. But, there is one thing ahead of that. This is the first andst chance I¡¯ll have when considering my age.¡± In fact, his father¡¯s age had already passed over his peak a little. ¡°But...¡± ¡°Honey, please understand. My dream is my life.¡± ¡°Dad... you are suffering from too much pain right now,¡± Sungjin dissuaded, but his father did not give up his decision. ¡°Don¡¯t say any more! Just watch what this father can do!¡± His father saying so was robust as if he was not injured at all. Even though his body was obviously injured, his fighting spirit was stronger than usual. His eyes were more intense. Sungjin felt his heart pounding. He really worried if it was okay. But, this pounding heart was not caused only by anxiety. There was something else making him excited. It was the day of the big match. His father was repeatedly knocked down by his injuries and adverse effects of the painkillers. The opponent was the current champion, and he was a really strong and vicious man who used fouls to try to win. But against such an opponent, while being injured, his father stood up again and again till the end. However, in the 12th round, where loss was certain, he knocked out his opponent with 10 seconds left to spare. He foiled the plot of those cowards who defiled the game with money and overcame the man who tried to win through fouls. Finally, he won by oveing everything with his own ability and strength. He aplished his dream without running away. ¡°Honey! Sungjin! I¡¯m the champion now!¡± The champion belt was shining on the two hands of his father. ¡°You did it... you really made it! You... are so great!¡± his mother cried loudly. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re so awesome! Wasn¡¯t it hard?¡± ¡°Hahaha, Of course, it was hard. But, Sungjin...¡± His father stroked Sungjin¡¯s head with his big hand. His father exined in an imposing yet caring voice, ¡°A man must be brave in front of his dream. You may face times when you are sick or in pain or wish to give up. But life will have real value when you ovee all of those things. The champion belt was shining more brilliantly than any jewelry Sungjin had ever seen. ¡°Money, victory and reputation can have their real meanings after that.¡± Sungjin shouted with a pounding heart, ¡°I will live like Dad!¡± ¡°Really? How great my son is!¡± His father fell to the ground after smiling hard, and Sungjin waited for his father to get up. He intended to nag his father to show him how he could live and have such indomitable will like his father. He wished to hear more stories than ever. But he wouldn¡¯t be able to hear any more stories from him. His father was brought to a hospital because he had a cerebral hemorrhage and fell into an eternal sleep. But the words left by his father were eternally buried in the heart of Sungjin. He also decided that he would find his own game like his father and be the best at it. And without sumbing to any cowardly tricks, he would win fairly and shine like his father. He firmly decided on his dream. This was the moment that a young boy became a man, embracing his dream. His mother, however, had a hard time raising him alone. She eventually fell sick three yearster and was hospitalized. Sungjin worried as he held his mother¡¯s hands. ¡°Mother. You worked too hard... How did this happen?¡± ¡°This is not the time for me to be lying here.¡± ¡°Take a break. You¡¯re going to face big troubles if you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have your dad, so I have to make money.¡± ¡°Mother, I am okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say okay. I know best. Don¡¯t you have a hard time facing those kids who make fun of you for having no dad?¡± ¡°No! Never!¡± Indeed, no kids teased him because he would beat them up if they said anything wrong. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. He left so early... How can the two of us live...?¡± Sungjin couldn¡¯t tell anything by his mother¡¯s sigh. He really respected his father. He also decided to follow his dream gantly as his father did. But it was not so simple when considering his mother¡¯s hardships. ¡°However, Sungjin, I do not resent your father either. When we lived together, I resented so much because he did not make money from boxing... Your father... who became a champion by standing firmly in his dream to the end... Only now can I say such nice things. He was so honest and hard-working.¡± ¡°Mother...¡± ¡°So don¡¯t worry about me. Keep going if you have a dream, don¡¯t worry about me. It¡¯s worthwhile for me to take care of you.¡± ¡°Mother...¡± ¡°I know best, so why wouldn¡¯t I know my child? You took after your father. Live as you are. Your happiness makes me happy too.¡± ¡°Mother...¡± His mother hugged Sungjin as he was about to cry. He had hesitated in his admiration of his father up till now, but her words pushed his forward. Sungjin made up his mind to dedicate his victory trophy to his mother. But he did not have the chance to do so because his mother suffered a heart attack and passed away. She was so weak due to being overworked. She passed away because she was trying to support her husband and cheer up her son. Sungjin made a solemn vow that he would work towards his dream and follow his father¡¯s example. He would use his mother¡¯s support and his own desire to work hard. And the time hase. My parents! Please wait a while longer! Sungjin smiled slightly. He found his own game. My legend starts from now. The team X Group had a n tounch a new pro gamer team in seven days. Sungjin would join and defeat numerous strong yers one by one till bing the world champion finally. Fairly, bravely and consistently... I mustpete in games and win without resorting to any trickery except for what¡¯s avable in the game. How many people are disappointed at sports games being fixed or by referees being bribed and falsely calling fouls? I will keep my sportsmanship. I will y games honestly and be courteous to my opponents and finally reward to the fans who support me... I will win persevere like my father. No, beyond him. Just then, a new message popped up on the monitor. What the hell... Sorry... Sungjin¡¯s face changed from anger to pleasure. [You want to debut as a pro? Come to the world stage. I will fight with all my might from the beginning. Let¡¯s y against each other again.] He smiled slightly at the opponent¡¯s challenge. [Tch, that is just what I wanted.] [You promised. Come without being defeated by amateurs along the way.] [Of course.] They promised this to each other But the next day, Sungjin was shocked by something he never would have imagined. [The Ministry of Gender Equality has enacted the Game Control Law for minors following the Poisoning Control Act. In it, the total game time of a minor is managed, and the gamepany gives 6% of the total sales to the management fund controlled by this ministry. It is also impossible for minors to engage in e-Sports.] Seeing the news on the Inte and from the TV, even he was at a loss as to whose opinion caused the destruction ofmon sense and standard procedure... These guys, what the hell are they thinking? The real fundamental source of various school problems had to be a poor upbringing at home and schools only focusing on entrance exams while neglecting everything else. But yet, they are ming it on video games. Moreover, is it right to crush someone¡¯s dream just to fulfill their greed and desire for power? Oh, my God! No matter how good the Ministry of Gender Equality is, how can they do this? Damn... What about the trophy he promised to dedicate to his parents? The support of the many fans who cheered him on in his matches and asked him to be a pro to participate in better games? His life-long dream? The promise he made with his rival to make it to the world stage? His dreams were about to be destroyed. He visited the home page of the X Group team immediately and saw the notice of pre-match cancetions and an indefinite postponement of the establishment. Tch, who epts this kind ofw? Fair game rules must be kept. However, such rules where the powerful people trample on others cannot be tolerated. He uploaded posts online about this situation and made a petition tobat it. He showed reports that contained objective analysis data about sales, exports, etc. This showed that only foreignpanies could get benefits if the game industry in Korea enforced thisw. This raised the awareness of gamers online, and Sungjin collected 300,000 signatures in an instant. Some members of the National Assembly flinched at that news. But... ¡°Tch. The resistance of 300,000 idiots? This is the predicted rebellion.¡± Sunwoo Dukjo, the minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality, picked up the phone while sneering. Of course, she started this because she had a countermeasure. ¡°Secretary, please arrange a luncheon with Pastor Cho, Pastor Lee, Chairman Yang, and Chairman Chung.¡± The next day, the Korean Holy Christian Association, Korea Shepherd Society Meeting, Parent Association, and Poisoning Psychiatric Associationmenced fire altogether. [We condemn video games leading children down impious roads with the gathered strength of 10 million believers.] [We strongly support the government¡¯sw in managing video games that prevent children from studying in the name of 20 million parents. It needs to extend the shutdown system to 24 hours...] [Scientifically speaking, as a professor of psychiatry, the brains of children who have yed a lot of games are changed like those of animals... they be like those of drug addicts, and they¡¯re violent and impulsive...] ¡°Apart from the others, the professor¡¯s thesis would prove to be totally bogus in the US. Would that be okay?¡± the secretary advised in anxiety while watching the TV announcement. ¡°Anyway, the school parents and voters don¡¯t want the truth. Stopping kids from ying video games satisfies their illusion that their children will study more. It is enough to console them by saying that the errant children were a result of games and not a failure of their home education.¡± ¡°I... I see.¡± The secretary agreed with her out of fear rather than respect. They did things ording to their interest without thinking of the people that they deceived, even though they know it is a lie. He was afraid that the minister didn¡¯t even have a conscience. In the presence of the Ministry of Gender Equality driving the overwhelming vote, the signatures were not even a considerable thing to the parliamentarians. Thew was reviewed and realized with lightning speed. Most parents agreed because their children seemed to study more if they couldn¡¯t y video games, and the public opinion was also on their side ordingly. They were criticized only online. As a result, the current teams began to review their maintenance rather than resume function. The world champion, Virgo, wasn¡¯t an exception. ¡°Coach... are we disbanded?¡± ¡°I have been informed from the mother group that it was impossible to go up against the government and that they would disband.¡± ¡°Then what do we do? I nned to pay the operation charge of my mom with the prize money of this game.¡± The heart of the coach, who knew the circumstances of a crying Gyuhyun, was torn. Theck of understanding by the adults should not have stepped on a child¡¯s dream and home in this way, but the reality did not make sense. ¡°I am sorry. I can¡¯t do anything against thew.¡± They, whom Sungjin told he would see in the world stage again, became jobless in a day. Dreams, efforts, the time of five yers and the hearts of countless people who cheered together for them were thoroughly trampled. At that time, the minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality smiled as she heard that the bill had been passed. ¡°Hmph. We will now prepare for the political funds to go even further. Secretary, what percentage of sales did the gamepanies offer?¡± ¡°They would like to make apromise within a range of 3%.¡± ¡°4%! No less than that.¡± ¡°Minister, the funds made with only 3% reach 300 billion won. At 4%, some marginalpanies will escape to foreign countries or go bankrupt, and that will result in arge number of unemployed people.¡± Her secretary asked her not to be greedy, but Sunwoo Dukjo asked for 4% as if she didn¡¯t care. ¡°What is the problem?¡± the minister asked. ¡°So the unemployed...¡± ¡°It was already checked. Up to 4%, more funding is gained even though the total size of the Korean game industry gets smaller. So it¡¯s 4%.¡± The breath of the secretary was stopped at that moment. Sunwoo Dukjo was never an idiot. She was rather smart andpetent. She had a political sense of knowing what kind of lies could move voters, and she had the guts to carry it out and the power to figure out how to rip people off for more money. She only had an interest in how much money could be secured. She didn¡¯t care whether other people would be jobless as a result or not, nor whether the country would decline or not. She had the typical mental state of a sociopath. In psychology, a sociopath only thought about their own interests without empathy for others¡¯ pain. Her secretary feared how many people would be trampled on in the future if she made a bigger move. No need to submit the report that the unemployed wille from the pro-gamers club. The dreams of some children were trampled on... She¡¯d be dumbfounded upon me telling her such things... He felt miserable today because he worked under such a woman. * * * Sungjin ground his teeth in front of his monitor. Tch... Those guys of the Ministry of Gender Equality... Damn. He knew well that they would use extortion funds even though they talked about protecting young people. He saw through their borate lie. The first round was over. How should he tackle the second round? Damn, I will follow the shining legend of the world champion even by going abroad! Sungjin shouted inwardly, but his mood was very bad. It was not easy to go abroad for him, but would all the other Korean teams do that? Many of the world¡¯s strongest teams were Korean. If any of them disappeared due to this bill, he would easily win the games without those strong yers. That was not smart. It was great to be a world champion by winning against the hard-liners without assuring victory through fighting openly and squarely... The Ministry of Gender Equality half-crossed his dream. What do I do? However, even while shouting pompously, he was only just a student of high school who was defeated by the absolute authority of the Ministry of Gender Equality. Then a new message popped up in the game window on his screen. [Devil Commander, you know the recentw of the Ministry of Gender Equality?] It was Dark Wolf of the Virgo Team. [Of course.] [We were also disbanded. The return match on the world stage is now impossible.] [Will you also give up? I will go abroad.] [Great! But I cannot go abroad and leave my family here. Even though I don¡¯t know what I can do... I cannot help wanting to find another way.] Their conversation stopped for a while as Sungjin couldn¡¯t find the words to soothe him. Thirty secondster, Dark Wolf messaged again. [However, let¡¯s y the game like we promised before] [Hoo... It was the worst these days, but that sounds good.] [Let¡¯s do it even though there isn¡¯t a grand stage or prize money.] They shared the same burning desire within their souls without having to type it out. [Okay... What time?] [A week from now. And for this game, I invited the other pro-team, Elion, which would also be disbanded. After they heard, they said that they might be interested. They agreed that 4 people, except for yer who ys the same position as you, would join as your temporary members.] Elion was a teampeting against the best in Korea. Even though they temporarily joined Virgo, adding them meant that Virgo wanted to win against Sungjin while ying with other talented yers. [Hmph. They are members who will not let you down.] [Take each other in and prepare. We¡¯ll also prepare.] [Okay.] The country broke their dreams. However, the boys decided to y, even though there wasn¡¯t a reward... Preferably, they decided to y more purely because there was no reward. One weekter, ten adventurers sat down in front of theirputers. They checked theirmunication connections in their headsets to make sure it was working. [Let¡¯s do this.] [Okay, let¡¯s finish up thisst game.] [Thest game...] Before changing to a private channel, Gyuhyun was about to cry in the public chat with ten other people. [Hey, why must you make us feel sad?] [Sorry.] Even though the burning atmosphere declined for time being, nobody med him. Although they were different in using the prize money, they all felt the same pain due to their dreams being stepped. Damn those guys of the Ministry of Gender Equality! Sungjin also felt down once again. [Sorry, friends. Please forget what I said just now. Let¡¯s concentrate on the game.] [Okay, let¡¯s do. Let¡¯s make a great memory.] [Since we¡¯ve been put down, let¡¯s y this game honestly.] [Good!] They finally started the game. The first rule was to ban each team from using three select champions in the game. Even if there were more than 100 selectable champions, the number of main champions was limited. The tricky fight had already begun from which champion was banned. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Vol 1- Episode 3

What team Virgo did was ban Sungjin¡¯s three main champions, and then they picked up one of the remaining main champions first. It was simply a strategy against Sungjin. Hmph. I can feel your determination. Good! Sungjin smiled even though he felt a de pointed at the back of his neck. He felt that this would be a really good match. This would be a valuable match that no one in the world would know about. Even the ministry of Gender Equality and Family can¡¯t hinder us. I will y with all my might... ¡°You, with the name of Devil Commander.¡± Hm? Such a strange voice rang in his ear. It was too formal a tone to think that someone among these members spoke. Above all, this voice was very different¡ªit was elegant, graceful, and soft. It was clearer and brighter than that of lightly quivering crystal ss. But there was also a strength under its softness, and an image of a woman having an iron hand in a velvet glove popped into his brain immediately. ¡°ording to the ritual hidden under the shadow of God, destroying all the seals will open the door to the Other World, and you cane here by walking along a path straight to the source.¡± Strong light filled Sungjin¡¯s room the next moment. He closed his eyes reflexively. * * * In a world not found on Earth called ¡°Valha,¡± maids admired the beauty of a person standing before them. Their splendidly flowing golden hair was like a waterfall swallowing the sun, and their emerald-colored eyes had the same freshness of a forest. Their pale, clear skin and bright red lips were full of natural forces that made all make-up an unnecessary thing, and their elegant eyebrows glistened as if they were sprinkled with pearl powder. Their sharp nose held much pride, and the presence of raised breasts like peakspleted this ssic beauty. Just like the famous painting of an era where elegance and grace were brought together, the aura of nobility flowed naturally all around this beauty. Their calm smile and soft eyes were a pure as a lily¡ªher name was Ereka di Violdi Sevrantina, princess of the Kingdom of Sevrantina located on the outskirts. She smiled wistfully while looking at the dress before her. Every night, she saw, touched and fixed this dress after a day of work. She went to bed happily imagining a day when she would marry a man who she loved while wearing the dress she made herself. Oh, it was a dream. May would be better because the flowers would be in full bloom and white, billowy clouds would fill the clear sky. It would be best to walk in a garden with a respectable man having a caring and good-natured personality while apanied by bands of celebration. Then she would wear her dress instead of her armor for the first time. She would respect and serve him, and he would love and care for her. An oathful kiss in the presence of an officiating priest... the man in the illusion approached her slowly. Her full lips and the man¡¯s thick lips ovepped slowly. Temperature, love, and the vows of the two people were exchanged. Everyone was blessed to witness this moment. Oh, what am I thinking? She touched her cheek in shame. Still, the thought was so happy and sweet. Although she was busy keeping the vacant abode of her father now, she always dreamed of meeting a good man someday. I was so... happy, even in my imagination. I was eager to love and be loved... I¡¯ll make food for him, and I¡¯ll make clothes for him. In his firm arms, I¡¯ll give birth to his child, and I¡¯ll be happy every day with the person I love. The maids saw the princess who touched the dress with a shy smile, crying breathlessly behind her. Princess... Princess Ereka did not only make dresses for herself. As she said, ¡°Love with a good man is a woman¡¯s dream,¡± she would always gift these handmade dresses to her subordinates at their weddings. ¡°Your Highness... this precious thing... this is something you should wear... inferior people like us...¡± ¡°You have always been working hard in the pce, haven¡¯t you? Marriage is a once in a lifetime moment. The time when a woman must shine the most. Take it as my gift.¡± With best wishes that the happy days of a glittering wedding are continued afterward, she gave them the handmade dresses. The princess who was buried in the king¡¯s political affairs was also a girl who dreamed and was happy when she gave dresses as gifts. The day when such a grateful princess would wear her own dress... hase finally. Ding. Ding. A bell rang, and Ereka¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± She changed her dress, but the dream that she had always wanted didn¡¯te true. No, it could never be done. Today¡¯s opponent is not the kind, good, wonderful man she had always dreamed of, but a gitious and scary demidevil instead. This country was divided into two groups, and they were fighting. The faction of Princess Ereka imed Merciful Rulership, and that meant that the powerful ruling elite, the hero ss, had to protect and care for the weak people, or the extra ss. On the contrary, the faction of Riad, the Blood King, imed Divine Birth Privilege, meaning that people were living property by God¡¯s will, and it was the right of the ruling ss to use them as they saw fit. Against the invasion of the Blood King who sacrificed the people to the Magic Sword, Ereka fought hard on the behalf of thete king, but only this castle remained after being defeated. As ast attempt, Princess Ereka opened a forbidden ritual paper sealed in the royal obituary. It was the ritual paper to summon a powerful demidevil from the Other World that was hungry for blood and sex. The princess was going to sacrifice herself in this ceremony, and offer herself up as a pure and beautiful maiden to his lust. Poor princess! She¡¯s so pretty! We¡¯re so sorry that she had to wear armor and wield spears and shields to protect us... Her beauty is now being sacrificed... How can the gods abandon such ady? The maids sighed. Count Rittier beside her bowed his head and said in an unarousing voice, ¡°Your Highness, will you change your mind now? How can you offer your noble body as a sacrifice to a demidevil? Of course, Your Highness has to be the most beautifuldy in the kingdom. But can¡¯t we deal in quantity instead of quality by choosing some of the women from the extra ss who have some level of beauty?¡± The words changed the atmosphere around Princess Ereka. Her shyness went away, and she stood up proudly and scolded him with a solemn face. ¡°Don¡¯t say that again. The king¡¯s mission is to protect the people, and the knights that you swore to protect are the weak too. How can we gain strength at the expense of the people?¡± There was not an inch of disorder in her eloquent words. There was only truth. ¡°I know... but... some sacrifices to protect the whole... can¡¯t be avoided...¡± ¡°I am the sacrifice, and I¡¯m the only one.¡± A little while ago, she was definitely the girl who dreamed of a romantic love affair. But she was the protector of the people who discarded all ordinary wishes and eximed that she was sacrificing herself. Both sides were her truth, and what she finally chose was a royal princess who abandoned herself to protect all. She was a hopeful girl who really wanted to be loved, but she was working hard to be a ruler. That was Ereka. Earl Rittier couldn¡¯t say anything more. A little girl beside him spoke after him. The girl looked like an elementary school student. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll help you too! I¡¯ll deal with the demidevil!¡± A handful of hair shook in the middle of the brown girl¡¯s head; it looked like a tail. Those big brown eyespared to her small face showed wisdom, and they looked like a puppy iming to protect its owner. She was still small and cute, but she looked like she would be a great dog someday. Now, her tail was shaking. Fear of the demidevil, whom she said that she would help, filled her whole body. But even though she was afraid, she tried hard to convince herself to help the princess so that she wouldn¡¯t have to suffer alone. In spite of her fear, she was eager to engage her opponent first. ¡°I¡¯ll use the badger game with you together!¡± Princess Ereka hugged Jenna even though she was equally nervous. ¡°Jenna, you¡¯re already doing a lot of work just by staying on the battlefield and fighting. Thest thing I¡¯d want is for you to have to deal with the demidevil. It¡¯s such a terrible thing for a woman! You must stay out of it.¡± If there were any other way, they would never have held such a ritual in the first ce. ¡°I¡¯m a level 4 wizard, too! Plus, I am the head maid of the royal family!¡± Jenna eximed as she tried to make herself taller by standing on her tippy toes. She was one of the two heroes left on Ereka¡¯s side. She was also the heir of the Allencia family that had been serving as the head of the Royal Maids for generations. However, Ereka saw Jenna as a cute and talented child. ¡°I know, Jenna, but you¡¯re 12 years old now. A badger game against him... is not a child¡¯s job.¡± ¡°Princess...¡± With tears in her eyes, Jenna turned her head to the side. Then she showed a worried face and muttered in a low voice, ¡°Why not? Look at how many perverts there are in the world!¡± ¡°What? Jenna? What did you just say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so worried about Your Highness.¡± Jenna looked at Ereka with tears in her eyes again. ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve already set my dreams as a girl to the side since I chose the royal road.¡± Ereka¡¯s hands trembled even though she wasforting Jenna. Actually... Still... She kept dreaming while she made her dresses. Now, she was busy in fulfilling the king¡¯s mission, but someday she would meet a good man and leave the country in his arms. She dreamed she could be happy. But it was time to throw away that dreampletely. I will be trampled on by the demidevil. I will be vited. What kind of humiliation will I be subjected to? ... ¡°Ahhhh...¡± The demidevil dug deep wounds into her white flesh like a carving knife, and she groaned painfully. ¡°Good. Try to hold back your scream just like that,¡± he said with satisfaction. ¡°Groans that are forced out make me more excited.¡± Ereka¡¯s arms and legs were tied up in chains, and the demidevil was satisfied with teasing her. Even though she tried not to lose her pride, tears flowed from Ereka¡¯s eyes due to an inevitable sense of humiliation. The demidevil licked it with a flick of his tongue. ¡°Yet. It¡¯s sweet and delicious. Cry more.¡± Then his hand clenched her breast roughly. ¡°We¡¯re bound by a contract with each other. So give in to me.¡± Ereka trembled in shame and fear. This was what it was like to be a mistress of a demidevil. From now on, my life will be painful and difficult, far from being loved as a woman, and even the minimum amount of dignity will not be left. I seriously wanted to avoid this if I could, but even more so, I couldn¡¯t let others do it. I¡¯m afraid, but I can¡¯t let other people get trampled on. ... ¡°Come on, Jenna. Wait by my side. Listen to me.¡± As she was pushed aside, Jenna mumbled inwardly again, ¡°Oh, Princess.¡± What do you know? I¡¯ll take care of it. She was only 12 years old... But as the head of the Royal Maids, she was also in charge of the royal family¡¯s ¡°nights,¡± and an early education had already been given to her. Only the princess didn¡¯t know about it. Ereka stood in front of the ritual circle. ¡°Let me look for thest time. Am I beautiful enough to captivate the demidevil? Am I dressed properly?¡± The maids in charge of makeup answered, ¡°You¡¯re perfect, Your Highness. Please stand tall. Just do as you¡¯ve practiced, please.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. I¡¯ll start, then.¡± She began to recite ancient ritualistic words and sprinkled powders mixed with ground gold and silver. [You, the one named Devil Commander.] The magic circle responded, and the air in the hall fluctuated. Tch, immense pressure. Even though she managed to recite the ritual words, under all the pressure, Princess Ereka had mixed feelings of fear and anticipation at the same time. ording to the transmission, the demi devil from the Other World was a fearsome, absolute being hungry for blood and sex. This power could surely save this country against the Blood King, but at the same time, it could also be disastrous. She had to bind her body to him with a contract when he was first called out so that no more sacrifices could be offered. This was truly a dangerous gamble. ¡°Come here!¡± Light streamed out of the magic circle. A boy who knew what pain was, who knew what being trampled on felt like, and a girl who kept the weak from the pain of being trampled on¡ªthey met like this. * * * Sungjin opened his eyes and checked the surroundings. This was a totally different scene; he wasn¡¯t in his room like before. He was in a wide and magnificent hall, and the ground was full of strange patterns like a magic circle. In front of him, there was a girl in a see-through dress that had holy innocence at the same time. She stood ritualistically, with an aura of mixed elegance and eroticism at the same time. Her beauty was likely to attract many men. ¡°I¡¯m going to say hello to you, my demidevil of the Other World.¡± Listening to a clear voice like a crystal bell, Sungjin realized it was an unknownnguage. He could somehow understand anguage that he didn¡¯t know. It was magic. ¡°I¡¯m Ereka, Princess of the Kingdom of Sevrantina in Valha. Wee to the long road beyond the walls of the dimension.¡± So... did this girl summon me? It was a truly embarrassing situation, but Sungjin tried to keep hisposure. In times like this, one has to keep a cool head to make the right decision. Even so, he could not fully control the turbulence of his mind. Judging from the current situation, it seemed that he was summoned to this world where real magic existed. Others can be tricked by a set facility on earth, but only magic exins why I can understand anguage that I¡¯ve never heard before. Unaware of his simmering heart, Princess Ereka continued, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you for a contract based on the old ritual and oaths.¡± Once again, anguage with magical powers began to germinate from her. The magic circle lit up and authenticated the moment of the ¡°holy contract.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be your bride, so please be my sword.¡± Whileying her hand on the valley between her breasts, she expressed that she would offer her pure body up to him. Ereka smiled, and the curvature of her smooth body gave rise to a fragrance that made even the flowers shy. She wanted to avoid his gaze in shame, but she couldn¡¯t. I just have to do as I practiced¡ªmake sure that the demidevil feels like conquering me, the princess thought. It was possible to rape a noble princess at one¡¯s beckon, so she had to make the demi devil agree to that desire. I¡¯m really afraid. Her legs trembled under her dress because she wished to run away. The opponent had a strong and hard body with a wild look and a manly face. He must be a fierce, blood, and sex-hungry beast. But if he helps me to protect the people of thisnd, then he will be a benefactor to me. It is my duty to give my body and heart to respond to his every desire. I will prepare to serve him with all might from now on... In bed... or anywhere else... and do whatever he asks. Sungjin replied to the girl¡¯s proposal that was full of hidden fear and dignity. ¡°No need!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t need a face with that much makeup on! Bring me back to where I was before right now!¡± These were Sungjin¡¯s first words to Princess Ereka. * * * Sungjin was angry. What kind of corruption is this? Ten people had raised their individual skills to the highest level for a whole week just for this moment, and it was finally time topete! This was a moment of purepetition between them, in spite of the interference of the Ministry of Gender Equality andck of understanding of the world! It was thest game between the former world champions, but this one-sided summoning threw everything off. The royal princess of this different world, who pretended to be polite in her speech but actually had a lot of arrogance in her mannerisms, seemed to be worse than the minister of Gender Equality. She was confident that she could control her opponent at her disposal. She had dazzling beauty and the status of the princess, so she must have always had support and eptance. However, no one had the right to kidnap another person and ruin the promise between men. ¡°Huh...? makeup... how... disrespectful...¡± Her hands trembled. I wore clothes and makeup, something that I didn¡¯t do before and even got my posture corrected. I tried so hard to look pretty, but I can¡¯t believe all this wasn¡¯t needed... Blood flowed from her torn pride. ¡°Disrespect? You called me in, and did this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to dedicate myself as your bride.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need that.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Ereka¡¯s face was distorted. She felt sad and miserable and wished to cry loudly. But she couldn¡¯t cry because she decided to be the ruler of this country, not a princess who could cry her heart out. Her father wouldn¡¯t cry about this. I¡¯m going to put up with it... he is sure to be the fierce and strong demidevil of the Other World. I have to try to appease him into signing a contract. If I fight with him, it will bring about a crisis more serious than the Blood King to the people. She forced a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t summon you for trivial matters. I prepared so much in return, so please listen.¡± Sungjin snorted coldly at the sight. This is worse. How dark is it beneath the mask of pure beauty? Had it not been for a woman, his fists would have gone out already. ¡°I don¡¯t need that.¡± ¡°You have to listen to me first. Then, we can discuss next.¡± ¡°Hah. What do you want?¡± Sungjin replied coldly because he didn¡¯t know how to go back home. ¡°Speak as you like. Even though I¡¯m still going back.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Hiding her trembling hands behind her, Ereka continued. It was necessary to make the demidevil of Other World understand the present situation. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Vol. 1 ¨C Episode 4

¡°We call this world Valha. Your ce is called the fantasy world.¡± ¡°Valha, and?¡± Sungjin also knew the name. This was where heroes went after death in Norse mythology. In a Norse-type utopia, it was said that they fought during the day time under the main god, Odin, and they were resurrected to enjoy banquets at night. ¡°Our world started from gods who loved games between heroes. They created six sses of heroes first and a battlefield to enjoy watching the games between them.¡± ¡°How...?¡± Battlefield. Hero. Game. Sungjin had instinctively be interested in those familiar words even though he was still angry. Ereka, who noticed his reaction, quickly continued. ¡°After enjoying the fights, the godsbined those countless battlefields to create this world. They made the heroes fill up the world through birthing children, and they also made and attached morends and extra sses to each battlefield. If anyone won in a battle, they would allow him to rule all of them.¡± ¡°Then, does that mean that the heroes have superhuman powers andpete in the battlefield for dominion over thend and the people?¡± ¡°Yes, the winner takes everything and is given stronger Heroic Power by the gods. The loser, on the other hand, is resurrected outside the battlefield, promising to do the following. Therefore, the fight has been going on. Take a look at this for yourself. That¡¯s better than words.¡± Ereka invoked the prepared Video Stone. The three-dimensional fantasy contained in it was reyed. An old knight stood proudly in the stormy winter wind. He, showing a bare upper chest, was taller than Sungjin, and hisrge muscles were as strong as rocks. The power of winter did not dare intrude upon his body. But he was not strong. That¡¯s why everything was rtive. How could the human body that was made with blood and flesh deal with steel spears? The soldiers around him speared at him simultaneously, and ten spears pierced his naked body at the same time. Flesh was split open, and blood flowed, but it all belonged to the soldiers. ¡°Iron Faith!¡± This was a skill that embodied the steel beliefs he held as a knight. The body, strengthened by the power given by God, transcended steel. The spears which were thrown out with all their might bounced off of his body, and his hands with the power of an ox grabbed them and broke them in half. This was a knight, one of the six heroes created by Valha¡¯s creation gods. A strong defense that could repel even steel spears and a strong force that could smash boulders¡ªthis was a ss given to Rittier. Hmm. This is kind of cool, isn¡¯t it? Sungjin¡¯s interest was piqued. The game he had yed on earth was a match he yed with data on a screen. Although the individual¡¯s hand on it was genuine, they could not helppeting only in the limited framework provided by the program. Inparison, thepetition here was real. This was not a character made up of data, but a battle of heroes with real special talents. Another video shed before his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s good, Rittier. But how long will your Heroic Power remain in front of this number?¡± The woman in a purple costume beckoned in front of Rittier. Following the gesture, hundreds of skulls carrying half-moon swords rose from the ground and encircled Rittier. ¡°Ha! No matter how manye, this body won¡¯t back down!¡± the old knight shouted loudly and wielded a sword. One, two. Ten, Twenty. Even in front of a crowded army, the old knight did not step back. When hundreds came, he cut down the hundredth one, and when a thousand came, he cut the thousandth one. Even in the midst of death, the courage of the knight shone. Even though ten fell down, the strength of the skulls was not reduced. Even though a hundred fell down, the strength of the skulls was not reduced. A new army rose from the ground. In proportion, the courage of the knight and the supply ability of the army werepletely equal. It was an endless war of attrition However, sweat drops began to form on the body of the old knight, and the woman stood arrogantly. It was obvious which side had an advantage in the ability to sustain such a miraculous feat. The sword of a skull soldier grazed Rittier¡¯s body, and blood sttered for the first time. ¡°Huh. Have you already run out of Heroic Power? I thought you¡¯dst a little longer,¡± the woman sneered. ¡°Heroic Power¡± was a miraculous power given by God. With it, heroes could have defensive power stronger than steel, and they could raise skulls and use them as soldiers. Such things could only be done because of their skills formed under that power. In other words, the hero ss was not any different from the extra ss whenever they exhausted this power. Just then, the sky howled. Woorr~ Kwang~ Woorr~ Kwang~ White light struck down through the sky, and a huge hammer fell as it¡¯s shadow covered the ground. The resounding thunder was the world¡¯s dedication to the dignity of the war god. This was Thor¡¯s hammer from mythology¡ªthe reemergence of Mjolnir. It was a young wizard who aplished this miraculous feat. But who apanied him was one who had inherited the power of a ¡°Shaman.¡± They could carry out the requests of the gods. A hammer swooped down to the ground, and lightning strikes devoured the skulls and the woman at the same time. The earth was broken into pieces, and they flew everywhere. The trees were burnt and shattered. A severe blow changed all the terrain features and created a huge pit. ¡°Mjolnir.¡± In response to the girl¡¯s yell, the old knight ran through the empty space in a moment. Even holding a big sword, his speed was more than 12 meters per second, which was beyond the human limit The knight¡¯s sword cut the purple woman¡¯s wound with lightning again, and the game was finished in a moment. ¡°Hmm. This is definitely cool.¡± Sungjin frankly admitted that he was interested. So splendid forces with special talents given by god crashed into each other. It was a real fight where everything was possible without being limited to the programming in a game. It was a sport because you could be resurrected after the battle, but it was a real match except for that. This seemed to be much more fun than the game on hisputer. The prizes weren¡¯t just money or honor, but thend, the people, and the power over the country itself. This was a different level of intensity. His instinct as a matchmaker was already seething. ¡°Then... would you like to sign a contract with me and stand on the battlefield as the representative of our country?¡± Ereka asked cautiously, but Sungjin shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s quite tempting, but it¡¯s not enough.¡± You¡¯re saying that this body is short as a reward... Ereka bit her lips slightly because the words ¡°no need for all that makeup¡± echoed in her mind. Then, how many women does he need? Although she was determined to offer herself up, she could not do that to the people. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared abundant wealth and fame, and high status. As for wealth, I will give half of the gold, jewels, and artwork owned by the royal family as well as the title of the queen¡¯s husband and the Grand Duke. It¡¯s the second highest position in every protocol in the kingdom.¡± ¡°Haah. I don¡¯t need that.¡± Sungjin only raised his eyebrows when he received the suggestion of money and status. That had nothing with the games that he pursued. ¡°What else do you want?¡± ¡°Games! The blood-boiling games and strong opponents.¡± The two videos she just showed to him were pretty cool, but he couldn¡¯t feel the force of the world champion ss from them. A real special talent far more spectacr than the game was present, but the unique soul of the world champion ss was not shown in. ¡°The Blood Ruler now threatens the kingdom.¡± Ereka suppressed her voice, bing as cold as possible. I see. ording to the legend, the demidevil of the Other World is hungry for blood and sex. For sex, I am sacrificing this body, and blood will be given by fighting. That is what it is. The fight was scary for her. If it wasn¡¯t for the sake of protecting the people, she would have put away her armor and weapons for all of her life. But the fight itself was great fun for the demidevil. She was physiologically repulsed, but what could she do? He was so powerful. A new video yed. A red beam shot straight out at a flying bird. The bird fell down to the ground in aplete lump of charcoal immediately. The turret, the source of the beam, prevented enemies from approaching. There was a human wall in front of it, even though it was already a single fortress. It was Rittier now armed with full-body armor, even though he had repelled steel spears and defeated hundreds of soldiers. His two legs standing firmly against the earth were like Titan from ancient mythology. Again, hundreds of soldiers stood in the way between him and the turret; the dense transverse formation was built wlessly. And behind that, Jenna stretched out a triple magic square under her feet and embodied Thor¡¯s hammer in the sky. The moment when the enemy approached, its power would burn everything with lightning. She had built up a momentum that no enemy could break through. ¡°We must defend here.¡± Desperate resistance, that¡¯s what it was called. How manyrge forces were there against them? It was windy in the forest, and the wind was grey rather than clear. Unswervingly strong lightning burned the earth, and the leaves crumbled to the ground. It was supposed to be green in May, but it was all brown. The wind was a harbinger of the fire, a battalion of troops carrying death. The true nature of the military made the old knight ready to buckle down. There was only one woman who emerged from the forest, but she was not an ordinary woman. Her dark red curly hair, which reached her chest, was like a garden full of roses, and her plump skin and voluminous body released primordial energy. Her huge yet firm chest was overwhelming, and her arrogant smile showed both brutality and elegance. The blood-red armor covered only her private areas, but its overflowing spirit made its appearance more dignified than obscene. Each step she took shook the ground and destroyed its surroundings. The grey souls floating around the blood-red magic sword in her hand shed mournful cries and curses. ¡°You can¡¯te any further! Blood Ruler Riad!¡± ¡°What a joke!¡± Riad drew her big sword in the air at once. The air split and a shock wave created a deep hole shaped like a cone in the ground. Rittier had both legs firmly on the ground but was eventually pushed back. The soldiers standing together were caught up in the wave and were blown away. The impregnable defense line began to crumble in a moment. ¡°Mjol... nir!¡± Jenna invoked her Ultimate, saying that she couldn¡¯t lose. Thor¡¯s hammer ripped through the sky and hit forcefully. The earth was turned upside down, and the forest was burnt. The view was filled up with smoke, and Rittier jumped in at that chance. ¡°Blood Shield.¡± The smoke subsided after a while. And... the Blood Ruler walked out aloofly without any ashes on her body. ¡°That¡¯s just so loud. Anyway, that¡¯s probably level 4. Whatever you borrow, the power in there is about that level...¡± And Rittier was... his body was divided into five pieces was left to fall into the pit. ¡°Woah... Woah... Woah...¡± Jenna trembled with fear. ¡°The weak must sumb.¡± The Blood Ruler ignored the turret as if it were only tickling her and approached callously before she cut a trembling Jenna in half in one blow. Her little body was sliced, and the red magic sword swallowed up the spouting blood. Seeing their miserable defeat again, Princess Ereka sped her hands. The Blood Ruler, Riad is too strong an enemy... A tyrant who came back with that sword and is trampling on everything... a truly fearful tyrant. ¡°The woman you¡¯ve just seen is the strong Blood Ruler Riad threatening the kingdom. She is my older sister.¡± ¡°Huh, older sister? Is this a fight for the throne?¡± ¡°Yes, I am the sessor of my father, but she has already taken all thends except for this castle by force. And all the heroes except for the two beside me here are already on her side.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care for that testament, but your opponent is truly great. Yeah, this is real. You said, ¡®Blood Ruler¡¯? She¡¯s strong, I can feel it.¡± Sungjinughed and said that his hands were itchy. He could feel the spirit. He felt the same spirit from the members of the Virgo team, the world champions he had faced. The Blood Ruler was single-handedly giving out the energy that all five of them exuded together. How much better an opponent she would be if she had team members! The enemy was real even though the reason for the fight was a power struggle for the throne in a humble family. He wanted topete, and his blood boiled. His nerves were on edge as if he were running headlong towards a summit. Ereka was sure that the transmission was sessful by watching him writhe in anticipation. The demidevil is hungry for blood and sex. It could be a disaster if he surpasses the Blood Ruler, but I should control the poison with another poison. ¡°If this is not enough, there are more legendary beings.¡± ¡°Ho?¡± ¡°The Blood Ruler is strong but the strongest only in the periphery. There are many others in the center beyond her. Moreover, there are the Four Devas over there who have been the strongest since the beginning of time.¡± ¡°The Four Devas...¡± ¡°Yes. The Four Devas are said to have been given power from God since the beginning. There is a myth that whoever defeats all of them will be the Arc Master and be a new god who can reshape the world as he pleases... but they¡¯ve never been defeated.¡± They were champions who didn¡¯t allow even a single victory to their challengers. ¡°Only two people, who were the strongest men in history and given the title of ¡®Kaiser¡¯ by aplishing the greatness of central unification, challenged, but they were utterly defeated. The Kaiser¡¯s death caused the empire to copse. It was said to be a mythical sh that was shrouded in mystery, and it was a different level from the central battle.¡± ¡°Arc Master.¡± Sungjin¡¯s heart beat violently as if it had now reached its zenith. The one who has the power of the world champion team is only the strongest yer in the periphery and only the second in the league? Sungjin thought. Basically, there were monsters of a higher level in the center, in the first league. Moreover, there were four champions who¡¯ve been reigning since the beginning? Those who conquered the world challenged them and were defeated. Wasn¡¯t that so cool? Was there any other battleground that was so great as to write such a brilliant legend? Forgetting his anger, Sungjin admitted the seething desire for the match. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll forget the past. I¡¯ll challenge the road to the Arc Master. As the first step, I¡¯ll also jump into the battlefield here.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ereka was barely relieved. Rittier and Jenna, who had been watching with a close eye, were all relieved. Princess Ereka seeded in appeasing the demidevil of the Other World. ¡°I¡¯lle back once I finish the game I promised in my original world.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you now that that¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no ritual to send you back.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± Did they kidnap him without his consent? The eyes of Sungjin became fierce for a moment. He began to like this world, but Princess Ereka, not so much. ¡°Well, all right. I will skip that now because it¡¯s irreversible.¡± ¡°Then before we sign, please put your hand here in the presence of God and register his existence formally in front of the God of this world. Then if you put your name on it and swear the contract in front of the ¡®Eye of God,¡¯ the promise will be an absolute thing that neither side can break.¡± Even though the demidevil from the Other World was fierce and always hungry for blood and sex, his contract in front of the divine stone, called the ¡°Eye of God,¡± couldn¡¯t be broken. No one in this world has ever gone back on their oath, as the punishment is death if it is broken. That was the trump card prepared by Ereka when she attracted this being that was more dangerous than the Blood Ruler. It was a restriction line to keep other people from being touched by the demdevil¡¯s lust. ¡°Sign first. I am going to check.¡± The stone of God that Ereka pointed out was a watermelon-size crystal on which a pupil pattern was engraved. Sungjin put his hand on it. This was a significant moment, where the beginning of a new shining legend was to be written by him in this world. Everyone including Ereka watched the scene breathlessly. It was the moment where various information about the demidevil was finally revealed, even his name that was not asked for yet. What¡¯s his level? Princess Ereka was level 6, Rittier was level 5, and Jenna was level 4. That was all they had now. How much power the demidevil had would change the situation in the future. If he¡¯s level 8... The wall of awakening and non-awakening presented between level 8 and level 7 were vastly different. This was not the same as the difference between other levels. If splitting hairs, the difference between level 4 and level 3, where the Ultimate skill was formed for the first time, wasparable to that, but of course, the higher, the better! It would be better if his level was 9 or 10, anything beyond level 8. Finally, the voice of a woman sounded out with an unfeeling, mechanical tone. [Checking new target. Updating status information. Name: Cha Sungjin ss: Unknown Heroic Power: 0 Level: 0 Retention Skill: 0 Calibration capacity: 0 Attack power: 0 Defense power: 0 Spell power: 0 Resistance power: 0 Speed: 0 That¡¯s all. Would you like to register as a new member of Valha?] ¡°Le... Le... Le... Level 0?¡± Ereka wentpletely rigid. ¡°Level... 0?¡± Rittier twisted his face. ¡°Huh? You are Level 0?¡± Jenna¡¯s knife tail stretched out. The demidevil from the Other World, who was called out with all kinds of resolutions, was only level 0. Did that mean that he was the same as the extra ss without any Heroic Power who existed to serve the hero ss? Why the hell did they want to use him? Where could they even use him? Their summoning was aplete failure. The demidevil they pulled out was absolutely useless. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Vol. 1 Episode 5

She had to think back to all his first words. ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Useless thing.¡± Even if there were hundreds of extras and so on, Jenna, the weakest of the three, could wipe them out on her own. Ereka sank, the feeling of herst hope shattered. It¡¯s over. Thest-ditch n was for naught, and the Blood Ruler will now be unstoppable. Sungjin¡¯s shining legend was on the verge of ending before it even started. There was no way to get back to the earth now. * * * Chapter 2 No one spoke for a while. Where was the enormous pressure one would feel after summoning a demidevil? Where did the fear of the demidevil go? This was really a shock. How could the presence of a legend summoned through a ritual of prohibition be so weak? ¡°Hey, you bastard! How dare you be such a low level!¡± Rittier was ready to explode, and Ereka stopped his fist before he could swing. ¡°Stop it. It is our responsibility for having summoned wrongly anyway.¡± Even though Ereka was dumbfounded by the demidevil being level 0, she still held onto moral principle. ¡°Was your name Sungjin? I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t talk to you. We don¡¯t have a way to send you back, but we¡¯ll be looking for a ce for you to live in the country.¡± Sungjin sent a cold look towards the princess. She changed her tone and abandoned him as soon as him being level 0 was revealed. Hmph. I already knew that that polite and innocent attitude in the beginning was pretentious. Everyone was shocked, but he still kept his cool-headedness. In fact, he was considering from the start that his own level might be 0. It would be so convenient if he were to suddenly open his eyes to new powers just because he came to another world. In addition, he expected their attitude to change so much. If he didn¡¯t pay attention, he would end up in a country workhouse. He began to act immediately because he knew that he was gambling from now on. In this game of poker, he had to make the opponent, who had a full house card, give up by using his bluff card. Even a little bit of uneasiness could not be expressed. ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. Do you think that your level is all about power?¡± Ereka was momentarily dumbfounded by his confident attitude even though he was level 0. The extra ss was only made up of the underdogs who were subject to protection. They were not the ones who could stand and do something on the battlefield. ¡°Then what else do you have?¡± Even though she asked with doubt, she was shaken by how confident he looked. The level of Heroic Power, which represented a hero¡¯s strength, was the only screening criteria. A body with unpolished beauty, a confidentugh, a fierce and cold look¡ªnothing was characteristic of the vulnerable people, the extra ss. On the contrary, none of the hero-ss men were so proud and arrogant in front of her, the princess. Whether she liked it or not, such a man was the first. Is he really... weak? He¡¯s the demidevil of Other World. Is there any other power other than Valha¡¯s Heroic Power? ¡°Can you show me something?¡± Magic like Jenna, sword skills of a knight like Rittier or any other skill would be okay. Knight, warrior, archer, assassin, wizard, supporter¡ªthese were the first six sses. Being any of these, or the unique sses that emerged after those, would be good in the princess¡¯s eyes. Even having a special talent as a demidevil of the Other World would be fine. As long as the skill was strong, something like archery or using a small-loop de would be okay too. ¡°This right here.¡± Sungjin pointed to his brain. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s in here. This is my strength.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°My resource.¡± ¡°What...?¡± ¡°Even if someone fights with the same forces, the result depends on how they fight.¡± An excellent brain. He studied strategy and tactics, and he had been training in games. When it came to the minute control of characters, the world top yers were never behind him in terms of how fast their hands were. Unless they were supermen, their reflex speeds were about the same. Still, what made Sungjin special was his ability to read a game, read the thoughts of the opponent, predict and induce movements, and prescribe all kinds of variables. That was the secret to help him win against the world champion, Dark Wolf, in battle. ¡°I left all my other powers on earth.¡± Actually, there was nothing to bring. ¡°But this brain is still the same. The important thing is not my level, but whether I can win a fight against the Blood Ruler or not, right?¡± ¡°Resource? You¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to ovee the power of the Blood Ruler with that alone?¡± Ereka, who had expected some powerful and special talent, was dumbfounded again. Of course, the fight oue between those of the same level depended on how they fought each other. She didn¡¯t ignore the power of strategy at all, but that¡¯s only when the ones fighting were simr to each other. What power did the ¡°resource¡± of this level 0 extra ss have? How could it break through the overwhelming gap between him and the Blood Ruler? If the sheep fought well, could it beat the tiger? ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t listen anymore. There is no need to talk with an extra. I beg you to expel him now.¡± Rittier gave a look saying that he would kill if he could do as he wanted. ¡°Do as you want! But you will have to deal with my resource as the enemy next time if I leave this castle now.¡± Sungjin¡¯s warning was chilly, and Ereka hesitated. Is he the demidevil from the Other World or just a level 0 extra? Or is it that... the demidevil became level 0 after crossing over to here? Is his resource really that powerful? Sungjin walked out without hesitation until Ereka finally called to him. ¡°Wait a minute. Can you prove the power of your resource?¡± ¡°If you want to test it, I¡¯ll take it.¡± No one else saw the smile of victory grace the sides of Sungjin¡¯s mouth. ¡°If you¡¯re so confident, can you ovee a power gap that¡¯s twice as much?¡± ¡°That sounds fun.¡± ¡°Even if it is a bad situation?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ereka changed her posture. ¡°Okay, then I am applying for a duel with you before the contract. Miss Jenna here is an excellent level 4 wizard for her age. But...¡± She pointed to herself. ¡°To the fullest extent of this body, I inherited the power of a level 6 knight from my father. It wasn¡¯t enough to protect the country, but I still have twice as much Heroic Power as Jenna. Would you take Jenna on your team and beat me in the duel?¡± Level 4 plus Level 0 gives Level 4 power. Thebat capability of Extra is just nothing. That¡¯s themon sense of this world. No, thew. However, if he can create a miracle that makes 4+0 greater than 6, I will admit that Sungjin has a different power. ¡°I¡¯m telling you in advance, I¡¯m a knight, and I¡¯m proud of having a high resistance to magic.¡± Even with the same level of Heroic Power, the efficiency of the sses was totally different. A knight, especially a high-level knight, was hard to defeat for a wizard. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be the one to win.¡± Against the confident answer, Ereka reached out and then a spear appeared. She drew upon her Heroic Power, and in the next moment, she hit the ground and threw the spear out into the woods outside. ¡°Glorious Strike!¡± The earth rang and splintered around her feet, and the shock waves stretched over a couple of trees. ¡°Ho, you can pierce a tree at a distance.¡± ¡°Not just one.¡± At the same time, five trees fell in session. ¡°And that¡¯s one of my general skills. The body of a level 0 is surely weaker than that tree. Would you like to y this game?¡± She might well be a pure, paternal girl. However, the Heroic Power in her was seeded by the former powerful king. In her nature, she disliked fights, but she was never weak. Still, Sungjin remained calm. ¡°Just decide the time.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a single foundation of power, but you¡¯re so full of confidence.¡± ¡°Certainly, if a man is brought up well by his parents, nothing is unattainable with the right amount of desire.¡± Ereka stiffened for a moment and nodded at his confident, in spite of his level. ¡°I see. We¡¯ll have a duel tomorrow when the sun rises. If your ¡®resource¡¯ is really that great, then you cane up with a way to break through this gap overnight.¡± ¡°Are there any conditions that you want to add?¡± Jenna asked. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Miss Jenna.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± ¡°Please do work hard to verify Sungjin¡¯s resource.¡± ¡°Will I have a mock battle with you on a team with that guy?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s a serious duel, not a routine practice. So please do your best to follow his lead! That¡¯s the only way to verify if his resource is real or not.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what Princess wants!¡± Jenna replied briskly as her knife tail straightened. Ereka, who gave Jenna an order, saw Sungjin again. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning. Please arrange a ce for him to stay for the night.¡± ¡°Please leave it to us.¡± The maids bowed. ¡°Your Highness. A duel against a mere extra... that¡¯s too much,¡± Rittierined again, but Ereka shook her head. ¡°If we check it out, it¡¯ll make sense. Don¡¯t say anything now.¡± ¡°I will obey you if you say so...¡± Ereka took Rittier and left. Sungjin smiled at Jenna slightly. ¡°You said that you are a level 4 wizard. There¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know about this world, so I have a few questions to ask you. Will you answer them sincerely?¡± Jenna¡¯s innocent eyes seemed to get bigger. I¡¯d like to feed poison to you for abusing the princess verbally, but... you are the only man who has the potential to be the princess¡¯s strength at this moment. Her knife tail was shaking gently; it was like the tail of a little devil. And it¡¯s not toote to decide on how to treat you after knowing whether the power of your ¡®resource¡¯ is real or not. She grinned like a child. ¡°I was ordered to follow yourmand. Therefore, you can ask me anything.¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s move to afortable ce.¡± ¡°But are you really going to take me up against the princess? No matter how hard I try, I¡¯m absolutely not a match for the princess.¡± Are you doing this because of something you really believe in? she asked in her mind. ¡°All you have to do is follow me.¡± Sungjin dered victory. The truth was, he needed to start collecting information about the battlefields and the various rules of this world. One could say that he bit off more than he could chew by epting this duel. But he¡¯d rather face the danger of death, rather than be insulted and have to work doing menialbor. As she said, he was weaker than a tree with his level 0 body. Tomorrow¡¯s game will determine where his bluff will lead him. Then let¡¯se up with a n. He only had one night. There wasn¡¯t much time to collect information or analyze and formte alternatives. Most of all, no matter how simr it was to the game on the earth, this was apletely different ce. There were still a lot of things he didn¡¯t know. * * * Chapter 3 The next morning came. ¡°How was he all night?¡± Ereka asked the maids. They had visited Sungjin¡¯s room along with Rittier. ¡°That¡¯s... he asked Jenna a few questions and saw the Video Stones¡¯ records of past battles; then he inspected the battlefields and went straight to bed. He got up just now.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t make a n during the whole night?¡± ¡°No, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. He managed toe up with a n that would make Jenna beat me with only that? Maybe he pretended to sleep...¡± ¡°We can¡¯t tell you for sure, but we think that he got a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough if he is bluffing or actually talented.¡± Fighting spirit burned all throughout Ereka¡¯s body. She never thought of letting him go. Most of all, he was a demidevil who verbally abused her from the first meeting. She was curious. If the demidevil from the Other World was actually capable, how could he fall asleep under such a circumstance as being level 0. Everyone said that if her level was a little higher, she could beat the Blood Ruler. She alsomented on this fact. Other variables in battle only mattered when the two opposing forces were of the same level. That was the truth. But this demidevil imed that that was only an excuse. One man could have so much hope? I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll verify that. After the meal, Sungjin greeted Princess Ereka who was waiting for him. ¡°You¡¯re here. Then shall we go have a duel? There will not be another chance, so I hope you show all of your strength.¡± ¡°The same to you,¡± Sungjin replied. ¡°Miss Jenna, please follow Sungjin¡¯s lead from now on.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± Jenna came flittingly and stood next to Sungjin. Rittier looked at them with a discontented face. Even just a duel between an extra and Your Highness caused dishonor in itself. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the battlefield.¡± They set off. Sungjin looked around as he headed toward the battlefield. The trees were so dry as if the season in Valha was winter. The air was cold and dry as well. The battlefield was a unique space base on what he judged yesterday. It was small and reached the temple, and it was separated from the daily areas of everyday life. It was just a little world that was built only for the battles between heroes. All fights in there were real. But when the battles were over, the dead were resurrected, and the world was restored to its original form for the next battle. It was a game map that God made. A battleground where the real battle could be done as a game. The reality transcends the game because it was ¡°real.¡± However, there were many simrities in the rules. Each battlefield had its own unique terrain. It was controlled by whoever ruled the mostnd, and there were neutral monsters. It was very simr to a few MOBA games in that puppet soldiers reced the minions, and these soldiers could be created as an army of both sides. In addition, there was a turret that automatically attacked approaching enemies. It was also simr in that crystal, instead of gold, could be earned by capturing puppet soldiers or neutral monsters, and you could equip items from Valkyrie in the base camp. It wasn¡¯t exactly the same, but it was definitely a MOBA genre. But there were differences too, and these differences contained many disadvantages. The disadvantageous difference was just in the level system. In the game on earth, yers started at the same level. But in Valha, yers started with different levels from the beginning. Naturally, this was in favor of the princess absolutely and very disadvantageous to him. Another disadvantage was ¡°artifacts.¡± The variety of items that could be used with crystals was more diverse than any other games. It was possible to implement any ordinary-level items in this world if the adequate amount of crystals was paid. But there was an exception. There was a unique artifact. Only its owner was able to use it on the battlefield because he had his own powerful ordinary items and his own origin transmission. And... ¡°Do you really think you can beat the princess by using me?¡± Jenna asked in a low voice beside him. ¡°I¡¯m sure she will forgive you of your mistakes if you beg her now.¡± Actually, she would not forgive him. ¡°The princess¡¯s Heroic Power is twice as much as mine. And her magic-resistance power is so high that it¡¯s ipatible with me, a wizard. You look down on her for her having lost to the Blood Ruler. But, the opponent was just too strong.¡± ¡°Moreover, she has the ¡®Shield of all People¡¯ artifact that was inherited from the former king. The moment she uses it, her resistance power gets stronger.¡± Princess Ereka¡¯s artifact increased physical defense and magical resistance power. It could not bepared with ordinary items that could be bought with the same crystals. It only widened the gap between them more. ¡°I¡¯ll bring us victory, so you just do as you¡¯re ordered.¡± ¡°Wow. Okay. I will do my best because it is a match. That¡¯s all.¡± Okay, I can decide after seeing if he¡¯s real or fake. I¡¯ll watch him clearly. Jenna stopped asking more questions. Doing your best because it was a match... ¡°I like that,¡± Sungjin said with a slight smile. * * * Both sides entered the waiting room through the temple, and an unemotional, mechanical tone signaled the start of the match. [Both sides will be transformed into the battlefield after 10 seconds. Please prepare. 10... 9... 1... 0.] After the countdown, the door of the waiting room was opened. There was arge battlefield instead of the temple, a miracle only possible by God. An expressionless Valkyrie wearing a winged-helmet was in charge of implementing the game items. The Valkyrie stood right in front of the entrance, while the puppet soldiers were created at a set speed in the magic square next to it. In front of the magic square, there was a turret, which was thest line of defense and there was a passageway reaching the opponent¡¯s camp beyond it. There was a dry, winter forest on the side where neutral monsters existed. This was simr but different terrain to the game map that Sungjin used to y in on earth. But that was okay. Stepping on the ground where ¡°real air¡± was, Sungjin purely admired the ¡°real soldiers¡± and ¡°real weapons.¡± The battlefield here was real indeed; there were no such things as a program constraint on movement. What existed here were only thews of physics, and the game did not have any limits where you could go. It was a real battleground where he could really do anything, a battle in which he could truly unfold all the things he had trained for. From text to 2D, from 2D to 3D, and from 3D to a usible virtual reality someday¡ªhumans will continue to develop technology on earth to resemble the real thing. But here, this ¡°reality¡± was present from the beginning. There were special talents, miracles, magic, arms of legend, and even monsters from myths that were not on earth. Hu-hoo. I¡¯m excited. It was truly fortunate that he was summoned to this world, despite the promise he couldn¡¯t keep. This stage for his shining legend was far more majestic than the final gamepetition on earth. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Vol. 1 Episode 6

First fight. I will win by being smart. ¡°Jenna, I¡¯ll exin the n now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Princess Ereka reconfirmed the terrain she chose on the opposite side of the ce where Sungjin was exining his n. There is one path and only two turrets, one in the center and another in the base camp. There were neutral monsters in the forest, but they were not worth engaging while leaving the puppet soldiers behind. A map of honest struggles in a 1:1 fight. This was fit for a duel, and there was no room for variables. What could a level 0 do on this map, where it was impossible to take even a detour to attack the enemy¡¯s base camp? It was cruel to choose a map that blocked him from using his resource. But I can¡¯t fight against the Blood Ruler if I can¡¯t ovee this impossible condition. Entering the battlefield, Ereka shouted aloud, ¡°Virtus Sessio!¡± Her inner Heroic Power was let free as she spoke the spell aloud. Golden manaparable with the sun enveloped her body in a ze of brilliance. The heart of a girl who dreamed of love was sealed deep. She became a knight determined to fight and win. But her figure was rather beautiful. Her smooth skin was fresh and clear, and the protective gear that focused on convenience and brevity of motion showed her curves without a hindrance. She didn¡¯t need thick and blunt armor. That was why the golden Heroic Power, which covered her entire body, had a defensive power that went over the castle walls. Blond hair that shone brighter than the sun¡¯s rays reflected off of her tinum armor, and spirits of wind hovered around her, scrambling to offer praise. Her steps were imposing, and her spear and shield were firm. The holy virgin standing on the battlefield embraced her nobility and proud beauty. If Sungjin was an ordinary person, he would be more awe-inspired, but if he were truly the demidevil, he would go crazy with desire. Ereka pushed her way through vigorously, scattering her pure and glorious holy beauty along the way. * * * Princess Ereka faced Jenna at the most important ce of the battleground, which was just at the center where the turrets of both sides were facing each other. Puppet soldiers of both sides marched with a mechanical walk along the road. ¡°I can¡¯t see him.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying... He is only conducting me from a safe ce,¡± Jenna replied as her knife tail stirred. Her ears were fitted with Wind Spirit Stone earrings to convey a long distance conversation. ¡°That¡¯s a wise judgment.¡± Ereka raised her spear high. She would have caught him with a skill shot at the moment he appeared before her, even if he was backed up by a turret. Unlike Jenna, who had some defense capability as a level 4, Sungjin who was level 0, would be a one-hit kill. I don¡¯t expect your resource to be great, but I¡¯ll watch. Her spear pierced an approaching puppet soldier. In fact, the puppet soldiers had thebat power of elite soldiers, a ss that civilians had to train professionally for more than three years in order to achieve. But they were powerless in front of Ereka. In response, Jenna also raised Thor¡¯s hammer and fired lightning bombs. Lightning energy bombs the size of watermelons hit the puppet soldiers one by one. But their force was not equal at all. Jenna was just hiding herself behind the turret and using her range to hold out, while Ereka was in front of the turret and was ughtering soldiers within range as soon as they approached. Even time was not on the former¡¯s side. The princess had the artifact, ¡°Shield of all People,¡± even if both sides had the same amount of crystals. Compared to the usual magic-enhancing items that Jenna would implement, the resistance power that the Shield of all People granted was overwhelming. Victory was promised to the princess. I can¡¯t see where the hell this resource is. Princess Ereka breathed a sigh of disappointment. ¡°Please give him my message. If he doesn¡¯te up with any tricks by the time Ie back, it¡¯s over.¡± The turret and Jenna¡¯s cautious movements no longer served as a defense line, if Ereka had the Shield of all People. It would be over if Ereka pushed her way through and cut everything down. ¡°Y¡ªYes! I¡¯ll tell him.¡± What the hell is he doing? Jenna¡¯s knife tail made a question mark. Sungjin didn¡¯t exin the details of the n to her. He simply delivered a very basic policy of holding out with the turret and gathering crystals to strengthen her spell power. That was just a standard procedure that anyone would do. But this was really marginal. The situation couldn¡¯t be held out any longer if Princess Ereka came back. This is nonsense, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll do as you told me, but I¡¯ll charge you with insulting the princess when this is over... It was obvious that the princess would forgive due to her soft heart, after all. She returned to the base camp to strengthen her spell power once more. And then the duel entered a new aspect. The energy of burning lightning was poured out, and high-temperature rays were stretched out. These rays created a fire that even the monsters wouldn¡¯t dare to approach. But the holy virgin, holding her shining shield high, walked proudly through it without a doubt in her victory. Lightning hit the shield, but it died away helplessly. The rays hit her armor, but they couldn¡¯t even give her a minor-degree burn. This was obviously an advance, but it had more pressure than the advance of a military tank. The figure raising her spear proudly before was like the goddess of war herself that ruled the battlefield. Jenna, feeling no longer manageable, turned her back and ran away. Even though she was a child, she had the speed of the wind and a body that had already transcended human limitations. But the swiftness of the princess chasing her was like a gale. In an instant, the distance between the two became nothing, and the spear that cut down through the air signaled the end of the game. This blow ended the duel. From the beginning, there was no room to do anything in front of the overwhelming level difference. At that moment, a curtain of ice was formed and blocked the attack. Ereka¡¯s powerful spear smashed against the curtain and destroyed half of it, but her attack couldn¡¯t reach Jenna. ¡°What?¡± Ereka was momentarily embarrassed by the implementation of the skill that Jenna couldn¡¯t have done. Who did that? ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°I came just in time.¡± Sungjin appeared from the forest and smiled. ¡°Your level is 0. How can you... is that a separate power of the Other World?¡± Ereka, wondered, soon realizing the secret of what had just happened. ¡°It¡¯s an item. The Scepter of the Frost Queen. How did you get it?¡± ¡°Of course, I bought it with crystals,¡± Sungjin replied. ¡°I mean, how did you get the crystals?¡± Ereka felt that one of the absolutews was shaken. Cracks hade into the physical world made withmon sense. Such a thing could not happen. The puppet soldiers were hunted by her and Jenna. There were neutral monsters in the forest, but a level 0 extra couldn¡¯t hunt. ¡°Jenna said you were operating safely from your base camp!¡± ¡°I might have said a safe ce, but I didn¡¯t say base camp. The forest is safe as long as it¡¯s a blind spot in your mind.¡± ¡°Tch. But you at level 0 couldn¡¯t have been able to hunt monsters in the forest!¡± ¡°I implemented a hunting trap with the crystals given in the beginning.¡± ¡°Trap...?¡± She had never thought that. The only things that could be implemented with crystals were arming equipment, potions for consumption, Wind Spirit Stones formunication, or Vision Stones for securing vision, and so on. That¡¯s all I thought about, but did he really use a hunting trap? It was the Valkyrie of the battlefield who gave out any items for the proper amount of crystals, as long as it wasn¡¯t an artifact. The hero ss hunted monsters with their skills and Heroic Power originally because they didn¡¯t think of using traps that were implemented by hunters of the extra ss. The destruction ofmon sense¡ªthis was a brilliant idea that simply outmaneuvered the opponent. ¡°How can...¡± Once they caught the weakest giant wolf and increased their crystals and got better equipment, then, even a level 0 would have been able to hunt a little bit. The result was the Scepter of the Frost Queen. This was notparable to the Shield of all People, but it was an advanced magic item with its own Heroic Power of ice. Sungjin shook the scepter again. ¡°Ice Shackle.¡± As he spoke, an ice storm wound around Ereka and tied her feet. ¡°That¡¯s only for a few seconds!¡± An item of such power could not work against Ereka¡¯s own resistance power, and so she used her Heroic Power to push free of the curse of ice. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± But Sungjin¡¯s smile of victory was caught in his mouth. There was a triple magic square under Jenna¡¯s feet who had just turned back, and a pleasant voice uttered an incantation. A pattern of lightning swirled quickly¡ªit was Thor¡¯s huge hammer that covered the sky and hid the sun. Its real name was Mjolnir. ¡°Mjolnir!¡± The deafening thunder was already a shock wave rather than a sound. The heated air current rushed through the wind. But what was truly feared was Thor¡¯s hammer itself that descended as burning white light enveloped it. The shock wave broke the earth, and lightning burnt everything. The trees were charred in an instant, and the rocks were broken and splintered. The ckened soil rose with the storm so that the sandstorm blocked all views, and the tearing roar even paralyzed your hearing. This was the Ultimate of a level 4 wizard, the best skill of Jenna, a lightning wizard. Everything in the area was devastated. The center hit down by the hammer¡¯s head was simply annihted. The sandstorm subsided slowly. And... In it, Ereka stood like a burnt body beside her spear which was like a stick now. Even the knight ss, having very high resistance power, couldn¡¯t withstand an Ultimate spell. ¡°That was a great linked attack,¡± Ereka praised from the bottom of her heart. She would have either rushed into the middle of casting and cut it off or dodged it by stepping out of the range of Jenna¡¯s Ultimate, Mjolnir. But Sungjin tied her feet with the magic power of ice so that both were impossible. A great n that proved to be equipped with items by hunting neutral monsters, overturned themon sense that a level 0 couldn¡¯t do anything on the battlefield. I have to admit that he has a different power from the general extra ss. ¡°But that¡¯s all it was.¡± She gathered the Heroic Power throughout her whole body, and her wounded body was restored to its original condition in a single breath. Even the dust on her armor was blown away in a single shot. Her weapons once again shone with their natural light of brilliance and authority. The majestic beauty of a holy virgin standing tall in the middle of the ruin was wless. ¡°That kind of blow would consume only a certain amount of my Heroic Power.¡± If Sungjin had the twice power, he could have ended the game. But Jenna being level 4 in the end, would not be enough. ¡°You can¡¯t win!¡± The gap was not so small as to be overturned by a blow. One¡¯s level was the absolutew that ruled this world. It was a unique indicator of one¡¯s ss. If he could break it by just one single fresh idea, they could not have kept thisw for thousands of years. ¡°Wow. Even my Ultimate can¡¯t win, even though it can harm her a bit. What do we do now,¡± Jenna asked Sungjin. ¡°Once...¡± Sungjin¡¯s secret n was, ¡°Run away!¡± It was just a retreat, the 36th stratagem. ¡°How long do you think we can run?¡± Ereka quickly chased after the two who were running hard into the woods. The deficit in power she received after being hit by Mjolnir had recovered shortly. Sungjin waved the Scepter of the Frost Queen hurriedly and tried to slow her movements, but that didn¡¯t bother Ereka. That scepter, a consumable item, had a limited number of uses as it had a powerful effect. If my memory is correct, I can use it three more times, maybe four more times. It was only a nuisance to dodge, but it couldn¡¯t be treated as a threat to Ereka. The only thing to be wary of was when it was linked with Jenna¡¯s Mjolnir, but one¡¯s Ultimate needed a long time to charge before it could be used again. The Scepter of the Frost Queen would be consumed before it could recharge, and she could surely knock them down. I don¡¯t know if there are four more uses of the Scepter of the Frost Queen... but that can¡¯t be expected because he can¡¯t have collected so many crystals. Maybe it was thest one, or maybe he bought another one by hunting at high speed. But she was still rxed. Was this situation really that urgent? Sungjin used up all the scepters three times in a row. A little gap was made, but it was only ast resort. Ereka went after them again shortly, and they couldn¡¯t do anything afterward. They got caught in an instant. Ereka, who approached from the center of the forest, finally aimed her spear. ¡°You may not have anything more. It was a good resource, but you should realize that the gap between level 4 and 6 is too big to ovee.¡± ¡°Hoo. You only think that I do not have anything more,¡± ¡°You are bluffing.¡± ¡°If you think it¡¯s a bluff, why don¡¯t you try it out? You¡¯re only a few steps away.¡± Jenna, beside him, held her hammer without saying a word and was prepared to use the General skill. But Ereka was confident that Jenna¡¯s attack would not be a big threat to her. ¡°I¡¯m going to do so.¡± There was no use in taking more. There was no reason to give Jenna time to recharge her Ultimate. Ereka made a bold dash and stabbed her spear with force, and Sungjin and Jenna were pierced immediately. An... illusion? Ereka was embarrassed. They talked a little while ago. But, they were phantoms... A virtual phantom implemented so borately and so realistically that she could not even see it herself? Miss Jenna doesn¡¯t have such a skill. She¡¯s got it as an item, but... The scene of them running away and talking was perfectly real. But did she also have a high-ranked item following the Scepter of the Frost Queen? That¡¯s impossible... No. That was not it. Ereka confirmed the Video Stone embedded beneath the ground where the two phantoms had disappeared. This was a simple recording item that captured the actual image made in front of the stone and yed. It was cheaper than the item of the phantom system that made a fake fantasy real. It has been running until now... From when did I start to follow this phantom? The answer was... From the... the beginning? The two hid when they were blinded by the shock of Mjolnir, and she only tracked down the prepared phantoms. The reason why the Scepters of the Frost Queen were used out one after another during her first chase was because she blew them up when she was inside the shooting range from the ambush site, not because she was embarrassed. But... how did they do this with the Vision Stone for recording actual behavior? Maybe... when they inspected the battlefieldst night, they foresaw the development of the present situation and they recorded their actions together! But what about the natural conversation? He... he even predicted the timing!? That¡¯s ridiculous. Knowing that she would catch up with him at that point and say that... that¡¯s impossible. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± At Sungjin¡¯s words, Jenna tilted her knife tail. ¡°Hmm? What?¡± ¡°Ahh. That¡¯s what I told the princess.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you talking with her through the Wind Spirit Stone?¡± ¡°No, but this is about the time that she¡¯s thinking about it.¡± Sungjin smiled slightly. ¡°Eh? How do you know that?¡± ¡°Ah, she¡¯s so simple that she¡¯s easy to read.¡± The tracker¡¯s speed, the escapee¡¯s speed, the variable speed along the terrain of the path, the time change due to items, and the timing of their conversation pattern ¡ªif youbined and calcted all these variables, this was only so so. But I didn¡¯t do this just to show off my abilities of predictability. ¡°Start.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jenna shot up the lightning bullets as he had asked. ¡°Lightball!¡± Dozens of small lightning balls having good range soared high into the sky. The power of each one was at a normal level, but Jenna¡¯s general magic had the advantage of having a good range, and she could shoot dozens of balls at the same time. It was useful, but it was not a threat to Princess Ereka even if she were to be bombarded by them. It¡¯s supposed to be... Watching the lightning energy that didn¡¯t even target her, Princess Ereka felt an unknown fear. The demidevil brought her here with a sophisticated trick. Was it because he was bored? ng. The ice trap tied her legs again... the Touch of the Frost Queen, a disposable instation item that slowed down the movement speed of approaching enemies temporarily. It was hidden underground. It was just a cheap damage level 0 item that slowed down movement, but its sound became a horror now. Lightning fell all over the forest here and there, and in the next moment, mes soared through the entire forest. Jenna also forgot to shake her knife tail when she saw the scene that her blow created. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s all fire... even though the trees are dry because it is the winter... you¡¯ve oiled the trees here and there all over the forest, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve done it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen oil embodied with crystals on the battlefield.¡± This admiration wasn¡¯t just acting. It was real. ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t do such a thing even in the game I yed on earth.¡± Sungjin smiled slightly. The use of geography was the basis of military discipline, and it was natural in games. However, it was possible to apply different applications depending on the location. The principles that have reached their source are applied freely after breaking down stereotypes. That¡¯s the secret of his victory. The idea that daily items like oil could be recreated was beyond themon sense of the hero ss here, who were busy re-creating magical items and artifacts. But Sungjin was not tied to one frame of the game even though he was a gamer! Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Vol. 1 Episode 7

Ereka stopped breathing in the fire. I have to get out of here. Her Heroic Power was not infinite; she had a limit, especially if she continuously received this amount of toxic gas and heat. As she had already been beaten by Jenna¡¯s Mjolnir once, her power was exhausted. It was dangerous to withstand more. However, it wasn¡¯t possible to use a Return Stone to go back to the base camp while being attacked. She had no choice but to flee, so she ran with a high defense. It was because of her Heroic Power that she was able to run constantly even when she stopped breathing. But her power had been consumed. It¡¯s okay. Once I get back to the base camp, I¡¯ll recover. Then the victory will surely be mine. Sungjin used up all the cards he had prepared. He stabbed at her weak point with a hunting trap first, then attracted her with a surprising prediction that was then followed by a fire attack beyondmon-sense. Even though they were three amazing consecutive hits, she could escape from this fire, though her power was heavily consumed. This was level 6 knight. In addition to that, there was the artifact¡ªthe Shield of all People. Her high defense power and resistance power still remained unbroken. If she returned and had a match again after her recovery, she could definitely win. As she ran, she paused for a moment. Wait a minute. If I follow this straight path... She noticed that the road to the entrance of the base camp was less fierce than the others. It was as if he cared smoothly about herfortable escape. A coincidence? Did the demidevil do this? I won¡¯t be cheated anymore. She ran away, choosing the most fire-prone area as an escape route. Now I¡¯ve caught him off-guard. I won¡¯t y to his tune anymore. Once I am out of the burning forest, I can teleport to the base camp with the Return Stone. I will gain victory this way. The crumbling trees, toxic smoke blocking the view, hot mes¡ªEreka ran out of the forest by breaking through all of them bravely. The bare ground, along with the clear sunlight and fresh air, weed her. ¡°Mjolnir!¡± The sound of thunder tearing through the sky was not just a roar. The sound was the utterance of the absolutew of this world. This was abination of spell power, reinforced with crystals obtained by killing puppet soldiers and destroying turrets. The gap that couldn¡¯t be broken between a level 4 and a level 6 was broken here. This is the power of the demidevil from the Other World... his resource, which remains intact even though he has left the immediate battle... Looking at the thunderstorm that filled her vision, Ereka closed her eyes and lowered her spear and shield. This was her defeat. * * * Chapter 4 After the match, Ereka woke up and recounted her defeat in the waiting room. ¡°Now, I have to admit that his resource was strong, and I¡¯ll renew the contract to what it was.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only been defeated by a one-time trick! It was not a fair duel. Please don¡¯t bow down to that f*cking extra!¡± Rittier implored. ¡°Please be careful of titles. One has to admit when they¡¯ve been defeated.¡± ¡°How could such a trick work again? It cannot be epted for Your Holy Highness to be insulted by the mere extra ss.¡± ¡°Stop! I won¡¯t listen to your protest anymore.¡± As Ereka¡¯s spirit got stern, Rittier was forced to shut his mouth. Then Ereka loosened her face slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t like him either...¡± The demidevil of Other World was hungry for blood and sex, but she was still determined to ept everything and serve. She even wore an awkward dress and greeted him with embarrassing makeup. ¡°I don¡¯t need all that makeup!¡± Shiver. Her hands trembled as she recollected Sungjin¡¯s first words again. Her self-esteem as a woman did disappear even though she gave up happiness as a woman. But still, she wanted to point a spear at him and shout, ¡°Take your words back right now.¡± ¡°But... if I can protect the people of thisnd... I¡¯ll be able to thank him. So please don¡¯t say anything,¡± Ereka finally responded. ¡°Your Highness... due to myck...¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking aboutck, then Ick the most. Let¡¯s go greet him now.¡± Ereka ended the conversation and headed to the side of the waiting room where Sungjin was. Jenna, who returned to the waiting room after the victory, waved her knife tail while looking at Sungjin. ¡°Brother, that was great. I¡¯ve never seen such a fight.¡± Sungjinughed like a beast that had just ripped the carotid artery off of a game. ¡°Heroic Power is a powerful force indeed. But anyone who is tied to the stereotype that Heroic Power is everything in a fight...¡± Sungjin clenched his fist. He alluded to crushing a level 6 knight within his palm. ¡°...wouldn¡¯t possibly know that there are other powers in the world. Moreover, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use it.¡± The princess absolutely had more Heroic Power. But everything else in the battlefield, from traps and small objects like oil to climate conditions and the terrain of forest, was the force of Sungjin having a ¡°free idea.¡± ¡°Wow. Now, are you going to lead us to victory over the Blood Ruler?¡± Jenna asked with glistening clear, big eyes. Sungjin smiled softly to Jenna. The princess was unfriendly at the time he was forcibly abducted here, but Jenna was innocent was cute. She was ordered to follow hismand with sincerity because it was a duel, and she was verymendable at following him. ¡°It depends on the princess.¡± Jenna made up her mind. This man... is genuine! Anyway, her precious princess would be killed by the Blood Ruler if the situation hadn¡¯t changed. They said that a drowning man would grasp at straws, but they managed to find a rope. Let¡¯s catch this. Let¡¯s catch this without fail. ¡°Well... Hey, Brother.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Jenna¡¯s knife tail stood upright, and she held his hand firmly. ¡°I beg you... please help the princess win. Then I¡¯ll be the opponent of your desire.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sungjin was stunned by the words ¡°opponent of desire.¡± ¡°I heard you liked such a thing. You can do whatever you want. So please help the princess win.¡± ¡°A child like you shouldn¡¯t say such things that you don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I know enough!¡± Jenna shouted as her tail trembled. ¡°I heard that it¡¯s very painful and difficult. But I¡¯m alright though.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because Princess said that she would protect my hometown.¡± Unfortunately, she left some information out, so it sounded like the princess threatened to leave Jenna¡¯s hometown unprotected if Jenna left her side. Do you know what I mean? I, a hopeful girl trailing the princess, am going to put myself out there to help the princess! If you¡¯re a man, say yes. ¡°Your hometown?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a home of orphans where I grew up.¡± Jenna took out pictures one by one from her inside her shirt. There were smiling children, ady and a small house that was poorly painted with crayons. ¡°This is me. This is the director. This is Senna. This is Yena. This is Luna. This is Markey. This is Nicky. This is Jackie!¡± ¡°This... you want to protect them?¡± Sungjin asked. ¡°Yes. I left them when I was found to be a hero and moved up to the capital, but they¡¯re still precious family members.¡± Her knife tail, which pretended to tremble by fear, hesitated for a while. She was born as an illegitimate child and abandoned until she was called to the capital. Her and her family saw many dirty parts of the world as lower ss people, but they loved each other. I¡¯m sorry to all of you... She didn¡¯t want to use her memories of them as a bargaining chip. But she thought all of them would understand because the person who had saved them all from an epidemic was the princess. If she was affectionate and able to move Sungjin¡¯s desire by this story, then that was fine... Sungjin stroked her hair. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve got what you said.¡± Contrary to his friendly touch, his eyes burned with anger. She threw her body at him as a bargain for ambition, not for love. Even though the princess was disdainful so far, he was able to tolerate her. But what was she doing to this innocent child by taking her family hostage? He already saw how dirty the Ministry of Gender Equality could be, and now, a child before him was driven to sell herself for power. Anger shot up inside him. ¡°You are considering it, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jenna asked. ¡°I am,¡± Sungjin replied simply. The matches in this world were very attractive, but the princess aroused anger beyond contempt. For now, I have no choice but to shake hands with this woman toy the foundation for the Arc Master. This was just business, that¡¯s all. Even so, what should I do with this poor child...? All right, I¡¯ve decided. Sungjin smiled slightly. Ereka¡¯s face stiffened as she identally overheard the conversation between the two in front of the waiting room door. Because I¡¯m not good enough... little Jenna! Even the demidevil should have a minimum line... How could he do such a thing to a child! Do I really have to hold that man¡¯s hand in order to deal with the Blood Ruler...? But I will tell him clearly. I cannot give Jenna to him. She opened the door with force. ¡°Congrattions on your victory.¡± ¡°Ahh. It was a fun fight.¡± They exchanged harsh eyes that could never be seen as members on the same team. ¡°I saw and felt Sungjin¡¯s resource. Will you please fight with the Blood Ruler as a member of our country?¡± ¡°It depends on the conditions.¡± ¡°I will give you half of the royal treasure trove and the status of the Grand Duke, and I will dedicate my body to you as your bride.¡± ¡°You say that you are willing to embrace yourself even without love?¡± Such a sarcastic question. ¡°Love is the work of the people. I don¡¯t need it,¡± Ereka replied emphatically. ¡°Oh, yes. You may not need it, but I¡¯m sorry. With only that, that is not good enough for me.¡± ¡°What else do you need?¡± ¡°Half the country, and I¡¯ll take Jenna.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Half of the country. And this little girl.¡± Ereka¡¯s face red at once, and her hands trembled. I can endure it if he treats me as he wants. I am even willing to offer myself as a reward for keeping the people safe. But half of the country? However much he may covet women, he wants half of the country too? And Jenna too? If he¡¯s willing to touch one child, what¡¯s keeping him from touching a hundred!? ¡°That¡¯s absolutely impossible! This country was handed down to me by my father. I can¡¯t give you even one inch, let alone a half!¡± She swore to keep it and to fight against her elder sister, the Blood Ruler. She made up her mind to say goodbye to her days as a girl who dreamed of love to live as a knight on the battlefield. She could not give her people to the demidevil of the Other World now. ¡°Oh, really? As you wish. I don¡¯t care if I don¡¯t have to work with you.¡± Sungjin went on his gut impulse. He already asked and heard from her about Ereka¡¯s situationst night. She lost to the Blood Ruler in session, and only one estate near the castle was left. She would fall into a special status as a prisoner because she would have no territory if she lost again. Originally, it was prohibited by God to hurt opponents of the hero ss outside of the battlefield. But the treatment of prisoners was decided by the captives. It was obvious that the treatment would be death. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be paid in advance. I will be paid for my sess after defeating the Blood Ruler. I¡¯m risking the same thing. Is the reward for saving what will be destroyed not reasonable enough?¡± Sungjin asked. ¡°That makes sense, but...¡± ¡°The choice is up to you.¡± ¡°...¡± While watching Ereka in agony, Sungjin felt no pity. At the moment when he joined the Ereka¡¯s team, he was destined to be a prisoner if he lost. But there was no kind of recognition for an ambitious woman who was so greedy that she couldn¡¯t give an inch of her country. ¡°I see. I¡¯m admitting that you have the right to ask for half of the country.¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± Rittier shouted. Ereka waved her hand to silence Rittier. ¡°But I can¡¯t give up this country either. So let¡¯s do it like this.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°We fight as one team until we defeat the Blood Ruler, and we y the final game againter. You can have some heroes on your team, and you will y with them, and I¡¯ll stand with Jenna and Sir Rittier.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°The victor will have the whole country.¡± Ereka looked directly at Sungjin. I¡¯m not going to let anyone be trampled on by the Blood Ruler and the demidevil of the Other World. This is what she stood by. She chose to stand on the battlefield and give up her love for growing flowers and cooking. She even wore armor over her nice-looking body. Due to the series of defeats, sheined that she did not receive any talent as a soldier despite her inheriting Heroic Power from her father. Her determination to hold a shield to protect everyone was pure, but the truth was that she tried hard to learn martial arts instead of dancing. She might have even overdone it. But by the reason, her determination to keep carrying out the impossible was stronger than natural talent. ¡°I will definitely defend my country by beating you,¡± she proimed without a sense of how beautifully she shone at this moment. ¡°Good! You¡¯ve said something that I lie for the first time! I¡¯ll take this whole country,¡± Sungjin responded. ¡°I will take care of your retirement money when you are deported,¡± Ereka retorted. ¡°I¡¯ll make a ce for you as a maid when you are taken prisoner.¡± ¡°How... how dare you!¡± ¡°Stop it please, Sir Rittier. We will see all when we win the final battle.¡± Ereka endured the insults despite her trembling body. You don¡¯t want an ordinary maid. You¡¯re such a perverted demidevil. You don¡¯t want a regr maid who only cleans or cooks. His tendency to capture and humiliate women was evident. I will defeat and banish this man after defeating the Blood Ruler. She made a firmmitment, and Sungjin also looked at her coldly. What he pursued on earth was a fair and interesting game. That made him feel proud of himself, and it amused his fans. But he could add one more thing this time. A poor little child¡¯s life could also be saved, one whose life was almost trampled on by power. He won¡¯t let this kid feel as sorely as he did. ¡°Then would you like to sign a contract?¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s work together for a while.¡± But there was a cold atmosphere between the two that showed that they wouldn¡¯t work well together. They were just ¡°strange bedfellows,¡± an alliance that would definitely break apart. Only Jenna swung her knife tail between them. Uh... why is the atmosphere like this? The n to give him the one-plus-one including her seems to have failed. Where did it go wrong? He doesn¡¯t like the princess, even though they look to be about the same age, and he doesn¡¯t like me, a little kid, either. Does he only like older women? Or Is he gay? Should I have figured out his preference first? But it was toote to settle. ¡°And now, let¡¯s make a formal contract in front of the Eye of God...¡± Both sides were about to sign a strange contract, while their minds were still against one another. They had the hidden idea in their minds that the other would be next after the Blood Ruler. Just then¡ª ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s an urgent message!¡± A soldier came running from the other side and kneeled in a hurry. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a big fire in the city!¡± ¡°Tell me more.¡± ¡°The fire started from the east, and it spread quickly. Even though the soldiers tried to extinguish the fire for themselves, it was beyond their ability. What¡¯s worse, the nearby wells are almost dry, so they had to go to the river far away in order to fetch water.¡± ¡°My God!¡± Ereka¡¯s face changed. The east side of the city was a ce where the poorest extras lived. That was a ce where people lived in small houses regardless of the number of housemates. She knew of that well because she took care of it specially. ¡°Please wait for the contract! For the time being.¡± Ereka ran right away, leaving behind those words. Using Heroic Power to run ahead, she shouted, ¡°Sir Rittier! Miss Jenna! Everybody follow me! Mobilize all the soldiers!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± Sungjin caught Jenna trying to run after Rittier. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± ¡°Yes. Brother? We must put the fire out first.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I caught you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also help you. Do as I say!¡± Sungjin decided to cooperate first, leaving his feelings for the princess aside. Helping in such a situation is the least I can do. ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯ll follow your word.¡± Jenna stood still, dangling her knife tail around. Does this man also have a special method to help this situation? ¡°Come with me!¡± Sungjin headed for the city with Jenna. As they climbed the hill, the east side of the city was swallowed up by the fire as reported by the soldier. It was just like a painting of hell. People were running away in fear, devastated at their burned-out houses. Those who tried to pour buckets of water on their fire did so in vain. The screams of those who couldn¡¯t get out rang out, and countless pain, despair, and loss hung in the air. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 8

Sungjin¡¯s brain coolly calcted before the ferocious disaster; that was the only way to find ¡°the best solution.¡± ¡°Jenna, break through first with your magic from there to over there.¡± ¡°What? Bre... Break? Not extinguish the fire by fetching water?¡± Her knife tail circled into a question mark. ¡°Trust me.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll believe you!¡± Jenna straightened her posture. When she seriously recited the magic spell, the Heroic Power within her spread out and took control of the air. She was a level 4 wizard, even though she looked young. Thunder rang throughout the sky, and lightning tore through the ground. Lightning burst and devastated the houses in a sh. The people had already fled long ago, so there was no more loss of lives. ¡°Oh! I see! Now I¡¯ve got it!¡± Her knife tail stood upright, turning into an exmation mark. Sungjin wanted to cut off the path of the fire. Wind, theyout of the buildings, the people¡¯s condition, the shape of the fire¡ªconsidering all of them, he made Jenna¡¯s strength destroy the points where the fire could be cut off as much as possible. Thebination of a girl who had Thor¡¯s particles and a cold, high-speed calction, beat the pulse of a runaway fire. ¡°The fire has slowed down, fortunately.¡± Her knife tail shook with joy. ¡°Oh... but those who couldn¡¯t get out...¡± Her knife tail stopped again. What can I do? I must save the people. Further damage was prevented, but those who were still in the fire could not be saved. The people isted within the smoke were dying. However, if one ran into for the rescue, they would die together with them. Just then¡ª ¡°I will protect everyone. Shield of all People!¡± A clear voice reverberated like a heaven bell, and the golden re expelled the hell mes covering the city. This was a resolution of protection, the decision of devotion built up by a girl who abandoned her happiness and chose to be a knight, even though she was born as the first beauty of the kingdom. The light of salvation, covering one part of the city, enveloped the people in mes. That was just the Ultimate of Princess Ereka¡ªthe Shield of all People. It was a shield of light that covered everyone within its range. Even the mes of hell could not dare to invade. The girl, who raised the shield high in the center of the ming hell, nobly stood alone as a beacon of hope. ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°You dide!¡± Ereka smiled at the cheers of the saved people. ¡°Everybody! Run outside. This power doesn¡¯tst forever.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± The people who had been trapped and isted in the fire fled quickly. Watching them, the princess did not move an inch into the fire. Sungjin looked on with a warmer look than he had before. the scene with a look which the cold force was decreased somewhat. Well, she at least knows that she has to keep her facade up in front of the people. It was eptable that she did not look on with folded arms and say, ¡°The work of the lower ss must be taken care of by themselves. How can this noble body work for them?¡± Actually, it was another thing for her to use her power to save people, even though she got that power easily. Being rich didn¡¯t mean giving to charity was amon thing. Sungjin and Jenna went down the hill to head for the site. All the people escaped in the meantime, and Ereka put down the shield finally. ¡°That was good,¡± Sungjin praised her from the bottom of heart this time. ¡°I¡¯ve done what I must do... Ah.¡± Ereka fell backward without answering more. ¡°Huh?¡± Sungjin caught her reflexively. ¡°Princess!¡± Jenna eximed with her knife tail pping about. ¡°What happened? Did she overwork herself!¡± ¡°She exhausted her Heroic Power.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so fussy, Miss Jenna.¡± Ereka straightened her posture with a cold p to Sungjin¡¯s hand. ¡°But...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be all right after a break.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s dangerous to use up all your strength. The former king passed way by having done so.¡± Ereka patted Jenna gently, who even cried. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°You promised.¡± Beside them, those who escaped from the site of the fire were also happy to see each other safe and sound. They were exhausted, but it was a relief just to be out of that hell. Just then, a woman¡¯s frightened scream burst from one side. ¡°My baby! Where¡¯s my baby!¡± Ereka stood up right away. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°My baby! My young baby is in the house! Oh my God. I thought my husband took our baby out of the house, but he thought I did... aah...¡± The couple, who was busy running away from a hectic fire, confirmed the facts btedly and cried out. ¡°Where is your house?¡± ¡°Ra Avenue, 40th Street,¡± the husband. Who could take the risk of jumping back into that fire? Ereka saw the location they pointed to. It was where one would have to go deeply into the fire covering the east. Sungjin¡¯s quick brain finished calcting while listening to their conversation. It was too dangerous to save a baby. It was almost impossible for the human body to reach the house where the woman spoke of and return. What was worse, the people who had Heroic Power had exhausted their energy because of their relief efforts. Unfortunately, it was a situation where two people would die to save one. Up to here? It was pitiable, but there was no way. Then, Ereka picked up a bucket of water and poured it on herself. ¡°Princess?¡± Jenna called out in surprise, but Ereka jumped into the fire without responding. ¡°Princess! No! You don¡¯t have Heroic Power!¡± There was no response, as she disappeared inside. ¡°Uh... Princess! What are you doing?¡± Jenna was at a loss and shuddered. Even though she imed to be smart, she was really just a child. Sungjin looked at the figure in a daze for a moment. ¡°Ah... A woman who is so reckless...¡± After a brief recitation, he shouted at the soldiers, ¡°Get the city map over here right now! One having as much detail as possible!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± In the meantime, Ereka ran through the fire. Ha... if my Heroic Power had just a little bit more... This fire wouldn¡¯t be so scary if some of her power remained. Now her whole body was hot and breathless. The pirs copsed one by one, and the roof fell down. She ran away by side-stepping them narrowly. Ra Avenue, 40th Street... There it is. She found the child who was lost in the corner of the burning house. Its body was already burned by the heat around it, and it couldn¡¯t breathe well, but it seemed to be alive. Good luck. I was not toote. She held the child firmly in her arms and made her way back through the road. A wall next to her fell down on her again. ¡°Haah. Haah...¡± She side-stepped it narrowly and ran. She was out of breath, and the view before her became blurred, and her sense of direction began to fail. Which way is out? That way or this way. Still... I must go so... so much more... Feeling distracted by smoke and fire, Ereka staggered. The water poured on her body had already evaporated a long time ago, and the scorching heat had corroded her fine skin. Her body was not different from a normal human being when she exhausted her Heroic Power. I jumped in with the determination to save someone... Was it too much? She couldn¡¯t die in the fire like this. She had a lot to protect for herself. ¡°Right...? Left...?¡± If I fall, the baby in my arms will also die. At that time, a burning pir fell down. She ran one more step forward in a hurry and evaded it. She fell down, feeling dizzy in her head and fatigued in her legs. The oxygen in her body was too low. No... I must get up... But she could not summon power into her hands. What is thest thing that I can do well? Even though she held up the shield to protect all the people, were her abilities still too weak? Can¡¯t I even protect this kid...? The strong hand of a man lifted her up at that moment. ¡°You¡¯re...!¡± She, feeling it was Sungjin, tried to move away, but the resistance of her exhausted body was weak. ¡°Come on,¡± Sungjin spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡± ¡°You should rely on me at a time like this,¡± Sungjin spoke strongly. ¡°Hmph...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t ask for a price with this kind of thing.¡± Sungjin ran out while holding her in his arms. ¡°Waaa... ah!¡± Jenna, who was worried, leaped while shaking her knife tail. ¡°Your Highness!¡± All the people gathered around and shouted in relief. ¡°Let me go.¡± Ereka got out of his arms immediately and handed the baby over its mother who was waiting for it. ¡°Fortunately, it is still breathing. I¡¯ll call a healer for you.¡± ¡°Your Highness... Your Grace... thank you... Ahhhhhh... my baby... my baby...¡± Ereka smiled when she saw the baby being embraced in the weeping mother¡¯s arms. It was so lucky to be alive. ¡°Because of us, Your Highness... we¡¯re such trouble...¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big trouble. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Ereka stood smiling even though she was about to copse. ¡°Ha, that¡¯s sheer bravado...¡± Sungjin said lowly. Ereka turned and stared at Sungjin beside her; she rxed her gaze slowly. ¡°First of all, thank you for saving me.¡± ¡°It was nothing. I only just came right when you were reaching your limit.¡± ¡°You still saved me.¡± Ereka expressed her gratitude undauntedly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it without a fool having to run in,¡± Sungjin retorted. The baby couldn¡¯t be saved; there was no error in this calction. If a human jumped in, it was perfectly right to say that he would fall on the way. The only thing was that the initial data was wrong. There was a fool who ran in regardless of their life. Sungjin only filled in the part of the equation needed to make the rescue n a sess. He didn¡¯t deserve to be thanked. There was an awkward atmosphere between the two. ¡°Let me ask you a question.¡± It was Sungjin who opened his mouth first. ¡°Go ahead, please.¡± ¡°I understand that you saved people with your Heroic Power.¡± One who ims noble blood may turn away, but a realistic and ambitious person must not disregard the assets that provide tax andbor. She, whom he hated, might have the wisdom of not treating the people poorly for her own profit. But... ¡°It was too reckless for you to jump in to save a baby at the time when your Heroic Power was exhausted, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I admit it was dangerous.¡± Ereka looked away. ¡°But... I was too eager to save the baby.¡± All she could think of was the moment where she saw a mother crying over her possibly dying child in the fire. ¡°However, the people are tax sources, they don¡¯t have any meaning when you¡¯re in danger because of them.¡± That was what Sungjin couldn¡¯t understand. The only way to enjoy wealth and power was when you had your life. Some people risked their lives thinking they won¡¯t die, but that was only when they could gain a lot in return. It was not like an ¡°ambitious, royal woman¡± to risk her own life to save a baby of the lower ss. Ereka answered the question calmly, straightening her back, and narrowing her eyes. ¡°No. The most precious thing in my royal pce is the happiness and well-being of the people.¡± That sounded just like the word of a politician back on earth, but, this was a girl who jumped into a fire to save a baby, the royal maid who gave up her dream as a girl and sacrificed herself to the country. She was a knight who held a shield of defense while discarding the pleasure as a royal maid. The words of this girl contained the weight of truth. Those were the words she inherited along with the artifact¡ªthe Shield of all People¡ªfrom her beloved father. ¡°You said the peace of the people. Do you really want that?¡± ¡°Want it... that may be a little different.¡± When she was nine years old, her father was bleeding to death. He was dying. Her father was called a sage king and protected the people as the king of this country. He taught her martial arts as a knight and the duty of a king, while strictly saying that she must seed him. It was all her fault. She ran away saying that she couldn¡¯t do it anymore and that she was forced to. She went out of the royal castle and entered a dangerous ce by mistake. ¡°I prefer to y with dolls and a dress rather than armor...¡± she said loudly. She went to a ce that she was prohibited from going to and said,¡± I hate my father! I hope he disappears!¡± And then... her father came to the rescue and got hurt like this instead of her. ¡°Father... Father... Don¡¯t die. You can¡¯t die!¡± The injuries and deaths outside of the battlefield are not reversed even after the battle has ended. That was why God forbade fights between heroes outside of the battlefield. But the Xenogenic people, which were born from far-off ruin, sometimes came across the border and dealt surprise attacks. And injuries from the Xenogenics were not affected by the recovery magic. ¡°Ereka...¡± her father called out in a warm voice, but the light was fading in his eyes. ¡°No... Don¡¯t die because of me!¡± Her father was so badly injured in trying to protect her from the Xenogenics. ¡°Waa... Waaah... Father! You said you¡¯d retire when I grew up and go back to being a painter! You said it was your childhood dream, but you had to put it off because of your duty as a king! So you can¡¯t die like this.¡± Her father hugged her, but his hands were losing strength. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Ereka... I have no regrets in my life... even though I threw away what I wanted most...¡± Her father had a small smile on his mouth despite the blood flowing out continuously. ¡°I was able to protect you and the people of this country who are the most precious...¡± ¡°Father! Father!¡± ¡°But... you¡¯ve always been fond of dancing, cooking, dolls, and such things... since you were a kid... Keeping the country safe for you is the same as... making a deer live like a lion.¡± He had no regrets in his own life as a king. But at thest moment, the former king was a father, and he wanted his daughter to find her own happiness. ¡°The throne... will be handed over to the most outstanding one among the other heroes... You go to a peaceful foreign country and take the treasures. Find happiness as a woman... there... Rittier will have wardship over you... Be free... my dear daughter...¡± ¡°Father... Father!¡± Ereka hung onto him closely as tears fell, but there were no more responses. ¡°Dad...¡± Ereka began to wail, but still, the dead did note back. Ereka became aplete orphan from that day. And, her elder sister returned unexpectedly the next day when Ereka thought she was alone in this world. At first, Ereka was truly pleased with her sister¡¯s return. She had known only through stories that her sister disappeared when she was a child. She thought that she would live in peace with her sister. But... Her sister was not the kind sister that she imagined. She held a magic sword in her hand and sacrificed the people as prey andmitted tyranny. The happiness of the people, whom their father had cherished, was trampled on, and their faces were filled with pain instead ofughter. What could she do? Her sister was much bigger and scarier than her. She couldn¡¯t dream of the happiness that she wanted when bing a ruler. However, if this condition continued, everything that their father had kept safe would copse. Ereka was in agony. In the meantime, the state funeral was over. The next day, Rittier found Ereka in the treasure warehouse. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s time to go to another country.¡± Ereka, 9 years old, turned back with tears in her eyes. ¡°No... I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°Father... has kept this country... and the people... I¡¯m going to keep them as well.¡± There were treasures cherished by the former king behind her¡ªjewels and precious metals, works of art that had been handed down for generations in the royal family. And... clumsy portraits of Ereka, painted by the former king himself. From the age of one to the present, nine paintings were painted yearly. Thest one was only an uncolored sketch. ¡°But, Your Highness.¡± Wiping away her tears, she said with a stiff face, ¡°I have already told all my friends who yed with me, too.¡± ¡°I told them, ¡®I¡¯m going to protect all the people on behalf of my father in the future. I can¡¯t y together with you guys because I have to study and train hard to be a ruler...¡¯¡± She picked up the only shield that her father used, leaving all the other treasures behind. She defended the country by first expelling her sister, citing her father¡¯s old testament that said the true sessor was her. A few yearster, her sister, who liberated the magic swordpletely, returned. Ereka kept what her father had left behind until the pre-purchased vassals betrayed her. She kept the happy smiles of the people. That was why the people praised her as, Knight Princess Ereka. Although they didn¡¯t know her dream as a girl, which was buried under the name of a knight, and they didn¡¯t know that she kept dresses in her closet despite always wearing armor, she still protected the people. ¡°As my father did, I also threw away what I wanted most in order to protect the most precious things.¡± The day she took out her old dress, she decided to be a sacrifice to the demidevil. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Vol. 1 ¨C Episode 9

Friends who yed together, those who were kind to her, thisnd and the people that her father loved¡ªshe threw away the rest for these precious things. A little bit of Heroic Power came back and blew off all the soot on her body. Her golden hair and emerald eyes sprinkled, their brilliance undisturbed under the sun and clear sky. She really didn¡¯t want to be queen. She didn¡¯t like fighting. She had to give up the happiness she wanted. She kept moving away from her desired road. She didn¡¯t have any natural talent and aptitude required for this... Still... There was nobody except for herself. She was the only one who could fight against the evil trampling on people. Therefore, she decided to hold on and cheer up. ¡°I threw away the happiness I dreamed of in my younger days, but I don¡¯t regret it.¡± Since that day where she swore by holding her father¡¯s shield, she dedicated her life to the royal road without being shaken. That was why her resolution that was restated now, even though it was said calmly, had reverberated strongly once again. ¡°That is so that other people can be happy instead.¡± This was worthwhile and meaningful, even though she was tired, sick and in pain. While watching other people¡¯s happy smiles, she felt joy. Her smile, saying it was enough for her, was sorrowful but noble. She held out her spear to Sungjin and dered, ¡°So I will fight to the end against the Blood Ruler who sacrifices the people as prey to the magic sword. I could also give myself to you for nothing, but I would still keep the people from bing victims of your lust. That way, they can be bound up with each other¡¯s loved ones. I am thanking you for today¡¯s matter. But I can¡¯t yield at all.¡± With the demidevil having such a fearful resource, it would only be right for him to give up a sexy woman to make the most out of his power in the political sense. But not even a single person could be sacrificed in the pursuit of the royal road; all she could give in return was herself. ¡°If you want a price for saving a life, please end it with me.¡± ¡°Ha... is that so?¡± Sungjin sighed deeply as he realized that there was no lie in her defenses. It was the resolve that she had kept in the midst of a hard time. He could now understand what kind of mistake he made. If their first impression was not so bad and he was not so angry about the broken promise between hispetitors, then he would have known earlier. I lost in this. Sungjin conceded the defeat. He dreamed of bing a world champion. He dreamed of the glory of victory. Although the highest level in this world was called an Arc Master, this was only a dream of greater victory and glory. To keep going continuously without sumbing to the oppression of the Ministry of Gender and Equality meant that he would pursue his dream. That could be said to be a cool ambition. But... the princess in front of him... She had already been devoted to protecting as many people¡¯s lives and dreams as possible a long time ago. She created a way to save a life while risking hers even though Sungjin¡¯s calction said to give up. The weight of the sacrifice she had made was much heavier. This girl fought to protect the lives of all people while he pursued his own honor and glory. ¡°Love is for the people, not for me.¡± Her words, which were not of a heartless royal maid discarding love for ambition, were the dedication of a girl who gave up her own happiness for that of others. This was his defeat. ¡°I see. I must have misunderstood you,¡± Sungjin replied calmly. ¡°What kind of misunderstanding did you have?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll withdraw the old conditions for borrowing my strength in the fight against the Blood Ruler. I will show you another proposal.¡± ¡°What if you say it¡¯s a new offer?¡± Ereka tilted her head slightly. ¡°After defeating the Blood Ruler, I have only the right to stake half of this country on my next victory, and all the rights for an actual ruler will remain with you.¡± ¡°What? Why...? ¡°If you don¡¯t understand, you can y a final game between us after the battle with the Blood Ruler. But even if I win, you should keep on governing thisnd.¡± Ereka blinked a few times. ¡°That is very hard to understand. Why are you suddenly switching?¡± Sungjin¡¯s conditions made no sense at all when you considered his behavior thus far. Was he the demidevil who wanted to take half of the country to steal away all the women? ¡°I told you, I misunderstood you. In fact, I was very angry at the fact that you kidnapped me and made me break my promise to some people without asking me. Afterwards, I heard that you would give me your body, and I had the impression that you were a woman who would do anything to take the throne.¡± ¡°Such...¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t true. You¡¯re a princess who seeks the royal road to protect people, and I¡¯m a matchmaker who seeks a great victory.¡± He wanted a victory that he could be proud of. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be nice if my victory took away the people¡¯s guardian from them.¡± She was literally a hardened edelweiss flower on a cliff, saying that she would live to protect the people while giving up her love and happiness as a girl. He had already experienced how horrible it was to be trampled on by the powerful Ministry of Gender and Equality. He would rather die than to do the same thing to a girl like this. No matter what strong enemy he met with, he only burned for a fight even more. So he decided to step aside from this pitiful and beautiful flower. ¡°So that¡¯s...?¡± Ereka thought over Sungjin¡¯s words slowly. She came to think again whether the impression she had of Sungjin was really right. Sungjin said he misunderstood her. But... as for herself? Did she only consider the transmission process and summon without considering the other¡¯s situation and seeking consent? When he pointed out that it was the same as a kidnapping, she was distracted for a moment. She thought of it as only an extension of the summoning magic, and it was done so naturally. But should she have thought about it more in the sense of summoning an actual body and not just its other self? ¡°Let me ask you, what is the name of the game hindered by me summoning you?¡± ¡°Well. Okay. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Sungjin decided to exin it all and take this opportunity to clear up their misunderstanding. ¡°In the world where I was, there was a kind of sport wepeted in.¡± There were kids who were purely fighting each other for their dreams and who were also trampled over. Even though their paths were cut off, they made a promise to fight with all their might without any prizes or honor, just for the sake of finishing the game. Ereka¡¯s face was changed by Sungjin¡¯s exnation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Now I know what I have done.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. The past is in the past.¡± Sungjinughed everything away. ¡°But, if I don¡¯t make up for my mistakes...¡± ¡°It is okay because you introduced me to a better battlefield than the one in my original game.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Well, those guys will be okay with me breaking my promise if I say that it was to save a kid like you,¡± Sungjin said mischievously. Ereka turned her head, blushing slightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Then shall we sign on this condition?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Jenna, who was watching them, curled her knife tail up into the shape of a small heart at the two people who became friendly with one another. This is different from the original n, but the results are good anyway. But this guy... No, Brother. As he had saved the life of the princess, Jenna decided to raise his title to ¡°Brother.¡± I can¡¯t tell what a woman¡¯s taste is. It was great that he understood the princess¡¯s desire to protect her poor people, but her tastes remained unknown in the end. He is a man too? That is not a problem. I¡¯ll be grateful If he is fighting together with her. Jenna decided not to argue about the minor weaknesses of her newpanion. The fire of that day resulted in less damage than it would have given its original size. Ereka rushed to open the royal warehouse, and she handed out relief supplies and made temporary residences for those who lost their homes. The people praised Ereka, who opened up all of her privatend in the royal castle for them, saying, ¡°She is our princess.¡± And Sungjin, who watched it all, signed a contract gaining only what he needed to keep the game going. He would gain so little... but this was the first time the two became a team. * * * Chapter 5 That night, Sungjin was guided to a new bedroom. The bed where four people could sleep was reallyrge and colorful, but it only took up a fraction of the entire room. Moreover, there was a famous painting on the wall and an imposing statue on the other side, which ordinary people could not dream of seeing. ¡°Hey, this room...¡± ¡°As for the guest¡¯s quarters in the royal castle, this is the best one now. Please kindly understand.¡± Ereka bowed her head, saying, ¡°I beg your pardon.¡± ¡°No... I meant this is too good.¡± It was Sungjin¡¯s honest appreciation of the room bigger than his own. ¡°That¡¯s too much. You are one of the VIPs who will save this country. And also, staying in the best condition is the shortcut to victory. Don¡¯t refuse, please.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take it with gratitude.¡± Sungjin epted because he could no longer ignore his heart. ¡°And if you want anything at night, please pull the strap by the bedside. Then a maid wille at once.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what that string was?¡± Looking at the straps by the bedside, Sungjin admired them. He heard that the nobleman had enjoyed it in the past, and now he was going to use it. I will not call at night, if possible. They will be tired, too. ¡°Good night! And... if...¡± Ereka trailed off. ¡°If what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long night... if you need someone with you in the bed...¡± the princess said in a whispering voice, her whole face dyed red across her cheeks. ¡°At that time, please call me, not a maid... I¡¯ll... my body... I¡¯ll dly...¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t need that. Absolutely not!¡± Sungjin cut her right off. ¡°But I heard that... men...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a man who asks for such a thing as a price. Do such a thing with your lover. Don¡¯t say that to me again.¡± Sungjin drew a clear line because he didn¡¯t know what else this princess would be up to. The purity of a woman must be kept for her lover. That was what Sungjin believed. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Ereka bowed politely and stepped back. What a strange man... When a hero-ss man stayed as a guest, it was basic etiquette for the host to prepare a woman for him. Of course, it was natural to prepare a more distinguished woman if he was higher in status. There would be some differences; tyrants ordered whatever they wanted, and sage kings would give the rightpensation to those who wanted that job. But... he understands the feelings of a woman. Women who specialized in such things said that they would not have done this if they were able to meet their real lovers. As she knew that, she said that she would take care of him without asking anyone else to entertain him. But he didn¡¯t ept such a thing, instead saying, ¡°Do that with your lover.¡± Far from being the demidevil of lust, he was really a kind man. Then... I¡¯ll have to entertain you in other ways. * * * Ereka went to the kitchen with Jenna. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m going to prepare some food that Sungjin will eat tomorrow.¡± ¡°Wow, great! Please do a good job!¡± ¡°But this is Sungjin¡¯s first timeing to this world, and he doesn¡¯t know what kinds of foods and what region of foods he likes. I¡¯ll prepare a buffet for breakfast. Everyone, let¡¯s cheer up.¡± ¡°Yes! Princess!¡± While Sungjin was sleeping, the kitchen was busy. Ereka was lost in thought as she was cooking some meat in a frying pan. Whenever I have breaks between political affairs, I can¡¯t give up my hobby of cooking. It¡¯s fun to see those who like to eat, eat her food. The manughed satisfactorily while eating the food she had prepared. ¡°That¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Would you like some more?¡± ¡°Yes, but now I have something else to eat first.¡± Then the man got up and approached her. ¡°What is that something else?¡± ¡°You.¡± Then Sungjin hugged her and kissed her. ck! Ereka dropped the spat. As if a stone had fallen into ake causing a stir, a red blush slowly stretched across her cheeks. I¡ªI¡ªI¡ªI don¡¯t know what I¡¯m thinking! It was only an imagination. It was an imagination that she had while saying ¡°maybe someday,¡± as she heard the maids talk about romantic love. But this time... Sungjin¡¯s face, which was always blurry, was very clear in this daydream. I don¡¯t have such a rtionship with Sungjin. Sungjin said before that there was no need for her toe to him at night. He was just an ally helping to deal with the Blood Ruler. That was just a daydream just now. It¡¯s just that... it¡¯s just that, he¡¯s the only guy around her now. ¡°Oh, Princess, you dropped it.¡± Jenna picked up the spat. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Mhm. Your wee.¡± Jenna was pping her knife tail gently. ¡°By the way, Princess, you¡¯ve got your wish.¡± ¡°What wish?¡± ¡°Serving breakfast to your favorite guy! You¡¯ve always wanted to do it.¡± ¡°Je... Miss Jenna. You¡¯ve misunderstood. It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Oh, a misunderstanding?¡± ¡°Yes, surely a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like Brother, Princess?¡± ¡°No, of course, I¡¯vee to respect him. But... what I told Jenna was a story of love between lovers. This is just tending to a guest, which is rare, so it¡¯s something else.¡± ¡°Wow... is it really something else?¡± ¡°Yes. Very, very, very much different.¡± ¡°Huhum. It is a different thing. The other thing is between lovers.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. Understand? Don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jenna smiled and left for the warehouse to carry in the next ingredient. Ereka pressed down on her throbbing chest. Miss Jenna... she¡¯s a kid, so... she doesn¡¯t know anything yet. How easy it is to say that Sungjin is good! I know it¡¯s just the bias of a child, which doesn¡¯t mean much. As Jenna went out of the kitchen, she called the maids. She was not a child at all. She stood with a hammer pressing into the ground and gave a stern look. She was a scary boss. The maids stood in front of her in a state of high spirits. ¡°Were there any requests from the guest to bring a woman in?¡± ¡°None.¡± ¡°Any requests to bring a man in?¡± ¡°That didn¡¯t happen either.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The end of Jenna¡¯s knife tail straightened. I¡¯ve been sneaking around, and I know that Princess is attracted to him. How about Sungjin, on the other hand? It must be about time... He must have been a high ss in his original world. Jenna had never seen a man of such a high rank abstain from the desires of life. ¡°Well...¡± one of the maids started. ¡°Tell me,¡± Jennamanded. ¡°I heard something by chance behind the pir. When Your Highness asked him to tell her if he needed her, he refused and said, ¡®I don¡¯t do it without there being love.¡¯¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± The maid bowed her head in a hurry, and Jenna¡¯s knife tail changed into a question mark. Really? No, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a guy like that who exists. They don¡¯t even exist in novels. That must be an excuse. Sungjin¡¯s moral sense was unique among the hero-ss men in this world. Hero-ss men bragged about their privilege and naturally handled extras as they wanted. The princess was naive, but not me. Maybe... Impossible?! I see him as a colleague, but it is different if he deserves to take the princess or not. I¡¯m going to check him out thoroughly. I won¡¯t allow anybody unless that man can make the princess happy. Jenna clenched her fists. It was morning. When they finished cooking, therge dining room was full of food. The sweet smell of appetizing aromas stimted their senses. Ereka smiled with pride. ¡°Thanks, everyone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± ¡°Are you all tired? Go take a break, please.¡± Ereka fixed her hair, saying she was slightly dizzy due to cooking all night. Rittier frowned at her. ¡°Your Highness, you are doing too much for an extra.¡± ¡°You still say that even after having seen his character and ability?¡± ¡°Since he came to Valha, he should be governed by Valha¡¯sws. He¡¯s an extra now. You¡¯ll lose your prestige if you get close to him.¡± ¡°Sir Rittier.¡± Ereka¡¯s voice got strong. ¡°Why do you act rudely to a guest who did not ask for anything other than a stepping stone for the next match? I can¡¯t condone any more. Let¡¯s have a separate breakfast today.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Your present face at the reception of Sungjin has already been rude in itself. You now have time to reflect on yourself!¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°This is an order.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Rittier was forced to get up and leave. Sungjin woke up, the fragrance of flowers filling up his room. ¡°Brother~~! Get up!¡± With a jubnt yell like a puppy¡¯s barking, a ticklish yet pleasant thing came to his cheek at this time. ¡°Ah. Jenna?¡± When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Jenna, who was clinging to him tightly and rubbing her tail on his cheeks. ¡°Yes! Brother!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah... by the way...¡± Sungjin was embarrassed by their closeness, not just because of his cheeks being rubbed. Jenna¡¯s leg, which waspletely over him, kept on touching his vital parts, causing him to form a tent in his pants. He pushed Jenna aside, refraining from that strange stimuli. ¡°Ha-ha. I have already awaked. Stop, please!¡± ¡°Are you up now?¡± Beside the bed, Ereka greeted him with a sunny yet meek manner. There was a vase beside her that was skillfully decorated with various colorful flowers. However, it was his first time being awoken by beautiful girls instead of an rm clock. ¡°By the way, did you prepare those flowers?¡± Sungjin asked. ¡°Yes. I wanted to decorate the ce where you stayed.¡± Ereka¡¯s face and a calm smile was more beautiful than the flowers. Well... she does have a bright face if she smiles. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Vol. 1 ¨C Episode 10

Sungjin realized something a littlete. When he took off the colored sses, she was truly noble, yet colorful and yet elegant. Even though she seems to have no awareness of her own beauty. ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s no need to do this.¡± ¡°Are you allergic to flowers?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that you, the princess, don¡¯t have to entertain me like this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s the least I can do to repay you, who will also risk your life against the Blood Ruler.¡± ¡°Uh. No, you don¡¯t have to do that at all.¡± Ereka leaned down and went close to Sungjin¡¯s face. ¡°Please admit it.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, ye... yes.¡± Cool and calm was Sungjin¡¯s motto, but his eyes widened at that moment. There was a body of fine white skin and graceful, curved eyshes right in front of him. In addition, her breasts under her clothes seemed perfect in shape, and that was clearly visible by the angle. Her scent had a mysterious freshness and sweetness that created an even stronger presence than the flowers. He was silent for a moment in the face of such an intense attack on his instincts. ¡°Thank you, Sungjin.¡± Ereka stood up again and smiled brightly. My mind really reached through to him. ¡°Uh, well,¡± Sungjin replied. His silence was not a sign of consent, but rather a silence that came from a state of ¡°enforced appreciation.¡± Sungjin gave up because he could not make up an excuse. This is what happens when I am enchanted. It was an amazing thing that could be made naturally without skill. Watching the two, Jenna¡¯s tail turned into a pointed devil¡¯s tail for a moment. It was a short moment, but a rough estimate was calcted nheless. First of all, it¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw the princess make such a bright face. Maybe I should allow him to have her after all? With a princess and a small devil by his side, Sungjin smiled curiously. It was a real luxury to be awakened every morning in a fancy bedroom by a beautiful woman and a cute girl. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a meal in the hall. Pleasee after washing up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sungjin nodded with a light heart. Ten voices greeted him as he came out of the room. ¡°You¡¯re up!¡± They were maids all waiting in a row. Looking at the women politely bowing with their hands held before them, Sungjin scratched back of his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do all this.¡± ¡°Is it too much? The honored guests of Your Highness are also our honored guests. That is our duty of the royal family.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Sungjin gave up trying to tell them to stop because this was their workce. ¡°Okay. Then show me to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir. I¡¯ll take you.¡± Twenty minutester, Sungjin marveled at the spectacr dishes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to entertain me like this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what suits your taste, so I prepared several dishes first. I will follow your wish and prepare proper meals in the future. Please help yourself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother! If any food is left over, then the people in the castle and I will clear them away!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sungjin noticed that some of the dishes had many tes. They must have been favorite dishes for the workers of this castle As he learned more, he found out that this royal girl was deep-hearted. ¡°I¡¯ll eat with gratitude...¡± Sungjin gratefully picked up the dish just in front of him. A fresh vegetable sd, properly smoked salmon, nameless fish egg and pickled onion were mixed in his mouth, and they danced around splendidly. That¡¯s great! It wasn¡¯t just the appetizers that were good. There were so many dishes whose levels were on par with top-ss hotel chefs. Moreover, all the dishes were kept in the best condition. They all were so fresh and likely to have been cooked just before he arrived. Some high-end restaurants on earth could imitate this somewhat, but it would be impossible to reach this amount of perfection. Sungjin noticed that the secret was the dish. The best food on a magic te. Is this the level of a royal family? ¡°Brother! Princess is great, isn¡¯t she? She prepared them the whole night hoping that you would enjoy them.¡± ¡°Miss Jenna, why would you say that!¡± Cause you won¡¯t do it, so I¡¯ll do it instead. Jenna sighed inwardly. ¡°No, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve worked hard. Thanks a lot! All of them are delicious,¡± Sungjinmented. ¡°Thank you!¡± She avoided his eyes because her heart fluttered at hispliment. It was not her first time hearingpliments of her food, but she was ten times happier when she heard it from Sungjin. That is why I had that useless daydream yesterday. It is unreasonable for Sungjin in the real world to ever hold my hands and say, ¡°I¡¯ll eat you next time.¡± ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve also prepared something for you! How about mine?¡± ¡°Oh, your stuff¡¯s good, too. This is yours, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oh, you recognized it correctly!¡± Sungjinughed. Among the colorful dishes, there was a fried egg having a crooked smile made with ketchup on it. How could he not recognize it? Eating good food... It¡¯s been a long time. Sungjin felt strange because it was the first time eating properly cooked food since his mother had died. It was markedly different from the usual lunch box at the convenience stores and the school cafeteria. Maybe that was why Ereka looked more beautiful, and Jenna looked more cute. I should just enjoy this without reading into it too much. Sungjin banished those worldly thoughts from his head, but the pleasant feeling still permeated his mind like a drizzle that slowly soaked through his clothes. A noble, colorful, kind and gracious royaldy, with a golden colorparable to the sun, sincerely prepared a meal for him. Moreover, a cute and lively child tried to please him as well. If a man is to be treated like this, that man will naturally be satisfied. Ereka smiled and touched her cheeks as she watched Sungjin eat happily. I¡¯m d you¡¯re eating well. Did she feel as though her dream of meeting a good man and making a harmonious meal had been realized? I am... really... despite me telling Jenna that it was not like that. If it was true, she might be very happy, but it was just a dream that could not be achieved. ¡°Please drink this.¡± Ereka held out an herbal tea as she tried to get rid of her previous thoughts. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sungjin took a sip. rgh! In contrast to the truly delicious dishes, the herbal tea was extremely bitter. At first, he thought it was poison, but it definitely wasn¡¯t because of how bitter it was. ¡°Why... why is this so bitter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a medicinal herb that¡¯s good for the body even though it¡¯s bitter. Drink it, please!¡± ¡°I¡¯s medicine. However, it¡¯s a bit too bitter.¡± The herbal medicine from his childhood was sweet whenpared to this. ¡°I prepared it for your body, not for the taste.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m still young and healthy, so I don¡¯t have to take anything like this.¡± When Sungjin went to put the cup down, Ereka held on to his arm. ¡°You should still drink it. You should take care of your health even when you¡¯re already healthy.¡± ¡°I see, but...¡± Jenna¡¯s knife tail fluttered at Sungjin showing weakness for the first time. ¡°Wow! Brother is just like me! Hehe, I really hate bitter medicine too!¡± ¡°Miss Jenna!¡± Her tail solidified at Ereka¡¯s quiet call. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be quiet.¡± ¡°And, Sungjin.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I see that you only ate the meat and barely any vegetables or fruits. That¡¯s very unbnced.¡± ¡°Well... I¡¯ve been practicing martial arts, and I¡¯ve done a lot of exercise. I have a strong body. I am still in a period of growth.¡± ¡°However, what you eat is also important. I¡¯ll take care of your diet thoroughly from now on.¡± ¡°On second thought, you, princess, don¡¯t need to take care of my meals!¡± Sungjin¡¯sughter wasn¡¯t genuine. ¡°No. I¡¯ll surely take care of this so that you can stay healthy.¡± ¡°He... that¡¯s...¡± ¡°Give up, Brother! Princess never stands down when she wants to do something.¡± ¡°No, still... the meal is okay, but would you reconsider this herbal drink? Please!¡± ¡°No!¡± Ereka said tly. He was really a thankworthy person. Therefore, she had to do what was best for him, what he really needed if she was to properly repay him. That was considered real sincerity. Convincing him to drink it, even though he didn¡¯t want to, was all for Sungjin. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of your health,¡± Ereka dered decisively but gracefully. She was not emitting Heroic Power, but Sungjin still felt an immeasurable amount of pressure. The force reminded him of a scene in his memory. The boxing father... didn¡¯t beat the little mother at the table. Sungjin scratched the back of his head. Uh. How do I put this... It¡¯s like, just like... It was a reenactment of his mother¡¯s nagging while she was still alive. For this... should I be d or sad? He thought she was a gentle girl trying to be queen. But that was a mistake. He could see the source of her determination to fight amidst her feminine nature. ¡°I¡¯ll help Princess because I don¡¯t want you to get sick either!¡± Jenna dered. When the two girls worried about him, Sungjin gave up because his brain couldn¡¯t find a way to refuse at all. It was a surrender. Nevertheless, it was an unusual defeat that made him feel happy. * * * Chapter 6 Countless heroesid down. They waited for the closed door in front of them to be opened. And beyond that door... was a bathroom with twenty virgin bodies hanging from the ceiling. Drip. Drop. Blood dripped continuously from the ceiling into the bath. The bathroom, where the smell of blood was mixed with the water taken from several herbs and petals, was filled with a rich yet dangerous sexual force. The woman in the middle of it was in her twenties with more red hair than blood. Her hair flowing in the water had a bright red glow, and she had a high, proud nose. Her long and slender eyebrows had vigor, and her red lips showed deadly temptation. Beneath that, her breasts were both ruinous and intense, and she had a sensational, smooth body. She stretched her legs over the water; hard muscles lurked under her smooth thighs. Blood droplets slid down along her thighs and were absorbed into her skin. Then her skin became more stic. This dangerous yet beautiful woman filled with overflowing vigor and deadly sexual force was Riad, the Blood Ruler. She stood up from the bath and held a big sword by her side. ¡°How am I today?¡± Riad asked, with a voluptuous and confident smile. When she whispered the true name of the magic sword she knew, the magic sword replied telepathically. ¡°You have be even more beautiful, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Huh-hoo. I suppose so.¡± She smiled contentedly. ¡°I will be stronger and more beautiful by sacrificing the weak. But that¡¯s not enough with just this country. I will consolidate my surroundings and then move to the center and make the continent my sacrifice.¡± ¡°It will be so, Your Majesty.¡± She got out of the bath and went out through the door naked without drying herself off with a towel. ¡°Behold, Your Majesty,¡± the prostrated heroes greeted in unison. ¡°Raise your heads.¡± The heroes raised their heads in hesitation. Despite being naked, Riad walked proudly through them without a trace of shame. In front of her spirit, the male heroes turned their eyes away. ¡°Do you desire my body?¡± ¡°How dare we?¡± Riad showed a cold smile as she looked at those who were bowing once again. ¡°Such a trifle. A group having no courage don¡¯t deserve to be embraced in my arms...¡± ¡°Pardon ourck, please.¡± ¡°I highly approve that you know your ce.¡± Riad sat on the throne, still naked. Heroic Power rose from her body and turned into a red armor that covered only the tender ces of her body. With the armor, Riad was still practically naked. On the other hand, Ereka¡¯s light armor revealed the curves of her body while still preserving its innocence. But there was no one who delighted in looking at Riad in this hall. The energy and vigoring from her body were too overwhelming to do so. ¡°Is there no change in the camp of the princess?¡± Nothing special,¡± the heroes answered immediately. ¡°Hmm. I thought after being driven into a corner, she would make a franticst-ditch effort in desperation. Has nothing really happened? Have you been monitoring her properly?¡± ¡°ording to our information, they tried to summon a high-level hero to confront Your Majesty. But it was said that the person who came was just a swindler of the extra ss.¡± ¡°A swindler. Ugh. How could she be cheated by an extra? That¡¯s pitiful.¡± ¡°Your Majesty doesn¡¯t have toe forward, it¡¯ll be easy to suppress the remnants, so please leave it to us.¡± It was a middle-aged man who prostrated closest to the Blood Ruler. He was a big, muscr man, and he spurted out extraordinary heat from his whole body. He was the knight of fire, Hwagrain, one of the three strongest knights in the kingdom apart from the Blood Ruler. ¡°Oh yeah. You want to do it?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please don¡¯t miss the moment of Awakening and go to the great temple instead. We¡¯ll carry out the suppression of the remnants.¡± Generally, your level will go up if you make a sufficient number of achievements on the battlefield. But the change from level 7 to level 8 was said to be the ¡°Awakening.¡± Even if one had enough achievements, leveling up was only possible through a ceremony that was held in the great temple during the Awakening time once a year. This also ovepped with ¡°Victory Day¡± where people could wage war on their ownnd. ¡°Are you greedy for the chance to make some aplishments?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s to keep Your Majesty from working too hard.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha ha! That¡¯s a in lie. But I like your attitude of trying to butter up the ruler. Ha ha ha!¡± It was just augh, but the whole hall fluttered. ¡°I¡¯m so d to hear that,¡± Hwagrain responded. ¡°But I won¡¯t allow it.¡± Riad stoppedughing. ¡°There are more variables in attacking than there are in defense. It is true that you three, each level 6, are stronger than the remnants of the princess, but there is no need to do a useless thing in my absence.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided.¡± The three knights bowed at the sternmand of the Blood Ruler. Their eyes were full of discontent, but they didn¡¯t have the courage to say even a word in front of her. ¡°But while I¡¯m gone, the princess may attack first...¡± ¡°Can they do that?¡± ¡°They¡¯re losing anyway. It is just about time that they make a franticst-ditch effort, isn¡¯t it?¡± The eyes of the Blood Ruler were sharp and calm. Unexpectedly calmness lurked beneath that sexual force and strong spirit. ¡°When ites, the three of you will defend, and then I will allow you to plunder everything left to the princess as a reward of winning.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± ¡°Of course, even up to her body and life.¡± The eyes of the three knights shed. Princess Ereka was the half-sister of the Blood Ruler, Riad. Even though it was a ¡°reward,¡± they worried about their blood ties interfering with the prize of the princess¡¯ body. Your Majesty, there¡¯s nothing else to think about since you¡¯ve already considered the princess an enemy. In addition to that, she broadly gave them a reward which they, the generous men, wanted. ¡°Leave it to us. We¡¯ll surely take care of it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I won¡¯t tolerate any failure.¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± They were level 6, while on the other side, only the princess was level 6; Rittier was level 5, and Jenna was level 4. The difference in fighting power was so big, considering that two level 4 wizards could not deal with a level 6 knight. What was better, it was a ¡°defensive battle,¡± so the advantages of terrain were also with Riad¡¯s knights. They had the confidence in an inevitable victory. Still, Riad wondered if the princess would attack first. Even though the Blood Ruler said that their defenses were good, would there be a chance of being attacked? ¡°I will go through the Awakening ande back. Then I will clean up the remnants and move on to the center of the continent. So make sure there are no deviations from the n!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty! Leave it to us, please.¡± The Blood Ruler strode across the hall in a dignified manner. Outside the hall, food, other consumables and ¡°virgins¡± to be used during the ceremony were ready in a carriage. * * * The three knights who had been kneeling stood up after the Blood Ruler left. After watching she disappear over the horizon, they finally opened their mouths. ¡°Your Majesty... She can leave the cleaning up to us.¡± ¡°She may seek 100% perfection...¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough for us to do it.¡± Only Princess Ereka couldn¡¯t be ignored, but she had no other supporting forces. Rittier and Jenna were far below them. It was not even worth considering the level 0 extra on their side. They had the confidence to ovee the attackers with just their overwhelming force. ¡°It would have been better if she gave us the chance to do it.¡± ¡°She may want to finish them off herself.¡± ¡°If she is going to the center in the future, the little things like this...¡± Although they could not express their dissatisfaction and criticism in front of the Blood Ruler due to fear, their faces were still filled with discontent. No matter how much they trained, they couldn¡¯t raise their level. Only tricks utilizing the force that they already had were increased. There was only one way to level up and be stronger. They would have to win a real match on the battlefield and be rewarded with greater power from God. These numerous mock wars were meaningless. And the remnants of the princess were easy prey, an easy opponent with whom they could have the confidence in beating. Their true, innermost feelings were that the Blood Ruler should have bestowed such a thing to them. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Vol. 1 ¨C Episode 11

It would be nice if the princess dered war first. Because the ruler said that it was ok to do whatever we pleased. And... Half a dayter, a messenger brought a message. ¡°It is confirmed that the princess has dered war through the temple! We will have a battle this month!¡± ¡°Oh, ho.¡± ¡°Hahahahahahaha.¡± ¡°She is trying to make a desperate move while the ruler is absent, which is a great opportunity for us.¡± ¡°This is great. The princess has taken herst steps.¡± ¡°If we win, she will be our prisoner.¡± ¡°And we were told to do whatever we pleased.¡± If the Blood Ruler were a king, the princess would have been offered to the king, but the Blood Ruler is a queen. So among the treasure, we can share the beauty just among them. They made eye contact with each other. ssy yet morous, chic but gentle¡ªthe knight princess¡¯s body was an appetizing one. None of them had any intention of holding back. ¡°Haha. Great. After our victory, we will take the princess as the highest achievement. Do I have your agreement?¡± ¡°That sounds fair.¡± ¡°Good. I agree.¡± Victory was a given. The only important thing was who would take the princess first. All three of them felt the burning desire to conquer that innocent body. Getting leftovers would be so boring. ¡°Haha, don¡¯tin if Ipletely destroy her.¡± ¡°Ha, who told you we would let you take her first?¡± ¡°You will both bite the dust, haha, there will be nothing left when I¡¯m done.¡± Theirughter echoed loudly around the bleak castle. At that moment, everyone at the hero level thought exactly the same thing. The princess would be defeated without a doubt. Whatever she did would be in vain. One of them would take the virginity of her beautiful body. Too bad. They all gulped because they all wanted that body as well. Although they knew there would be no chance for them, they still fantasized. But well, now it would all be over. With this absolute difference between their military strength, it was clear who would win. ¡°So until that day, which one should I take instead,¡± Nart murmured while browsing the girls behind bars. The girls knew that bing an ingredient for the Blood Ruler¡¯s bath was painful and miserable, but bing a ything for the three knights was not too different from that. ¡°Number 37, 39, and 72. Come out.¡± They all had names but were instead called by numbers. To the hero ss, they were just ¡°things,¡± and it was convenient to call things by numbers. The three knights yed with the three girls until they were finished and then threw them away. I want to go home... I miss my mom... Hopeless wishes brought about more pain. * * * Chapter 7 The battle between the princess and the three knights was just one day away. Until dawn, the princess tossed and turned. Can we really win this war? She thought of the strategy meeting she had right before the deration of war. ¡°Our enemies are stronger than us. Considering their level, strength, and experience, their military power is better than ours by 50%. In general, we shouldn¡¯t attack first,¡± Ereka exined patiently to Sungjin. When there was a battle between, the battlefield was decided to be the territory of the defending force, and the defending force had the right to ameliorate the geographical features. Some would argue that this was fair because the battleground was symmetrical, but that argument was out of ignorance. Even a baby born yesterday knew that the one who had been studying the field by having practice fights had the upper handpared to the one who had to understand the field for the first time on the day of battle. ¡°But... When the Blood Ruleres back awakened, the difference will be extreme, and the advantage will be useless to discuss. I think this is the only chance to take over the capital.¡± ¡°I get the situation. And the battlefield at the capital is a 3:3 map, so you want me to find the tactic to win under the given conditions?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± Rittier, standing next to Ereka, looked at Sungjin as if to say that an extra like him was not capable of that, but Ereka ignored this look. ¡°Got it. You can count on me and dere war.¡± Sungjin promised without even a second of hesitation. Ereka sighed again. Sungjin promised, but is it really possible? Of course, his military tactic to defeat her using Jenna was revolutionary, but for an ¡°attack,¡± the same tactic could be tricky to execute. But there was no way to win without him anyway. Huh, it is true that Sungjin¡¯s secret tactic is our only hope. In the meantime, unlike the princess, Sungjin was rxing in a chair. There was a paper with their battle tactic on it for tomorrow in front of him. Our opponent is 1.5 stronger than us. On top of that, there¡¯s a penalty that we can¡¯t study the field before the battle. Objectively, this was an unfavorable condition. It will be a breeze. That was what Sungjin thought of this battle. Well, of course without him, it was clear that the princess couldn¡¯t win, but with him, this was clearly a winning game, only if there were no other hidden things other than the given conditions. Right at that moment, someone quietly opened Sungjin¡¯s door. But Sungjin turned around right away as if he was waiting for the person. ¡°Oh, wee.¡± Rittier was standing there. He red at Sungjin as if he was going to kill Sungjin. ¡°Oh, I knew you wereing.¡± Sungjin easily took the homicidal look from Rittier, and that upset Rittier even more. How dare you, you are just an extra. If it was just Sungjin being arrogant, that would have been bearable, but the real unbearable thing was something else. A cocky extra wouldmand Rittier¡¯s dearest princess, and if they won, he would get the rights to half of the kingdom as a reward. The former was a disgrace on the princess¡¯ honor, and thetter could put the kingdom in danger, again. ¡°You should just go to sleep!¡± Without any further exnation, Rittier attacked Sungjin. His sheath hit Sungjin¡¯s head, and Sungjin fell down and passed out. ¡°Ha, so this is how it is!¡± Rittier looked down on Sungjin with disdain. You can use your gimmicks, but you are still level 0, you¡¯re powerless in front of a real hero¡¯s power. Defeating the princess with Jenna was just a gimmick. The real cause of the victory was Jenna¡¯s power, and there was time to study the battlefield and to ce various instations before the battle. Since we are attacking this time, Sungjin¡¯s gimmick won¡¯t work. Moreover, theck of experience of the princess made her vulnerable to his deception, whereas the three knights of the Blood Ruler were fully experienced. And after all, Sungjin was just useless. For all those reasons above, how could Rittier let Sungjinmand the princess and even after the victory let him gain half of the kingdom? I will hand the full victory to my princess. So nobody needed Sungjin, and he will remain useless. Rittier carried the unconscious Sungjin with one hand and moved in the night. He went into a warehouse far away from the castle and tied Sungjin to a pir. ¡°Stay out of it. For the love of Your Highness, I won¡¯t kill you. I will let you go when the battle is over.¡± By then, this idiot wouldn¡¯t be able to ask for his share of the kingdom as he didn¡¯t do anything. You fooled the princess but... I need to take care of her more in times like this. Thete king asked me to be her guardian until the princess can stand on her own feet. Rittier left the warehouse,pletely satisfied by his own act. To be careful, he locked the door as well, just in case. Whatever tactic Sungjin had in mind for the victory, if he couldn¡¯t share it with the princess and was locked in the warehouse, it was natural that the tactic would be futile. This was a truly risky situation, but Sungjin, who was supposed to be unconscious, opened his eyes as soon as Rittier left. ¡°Of course, this was your move. Ha ha.¡± Heughed calmly as if Rittier acted just as he had expected. Actually, Sungjin was not unconscious. When Rittier ambushed, he fell down slightly just before the hit to minimize the damage from the blow. Sungjin pretended to be knocked out. From Rittier¡¯s attitude toward him, Sungjin knew it was possible that Rittier would do such a thing on the night before the battle when the princess had no time to search for him if he went missing. Now we are getting into an interesting level of difficulty. All three of our enemies are level 6, while we have one level 6, one level 5 and one level 4. However... one was a ¡°troll.¡± In the game on earth, this was a creature that benefited the enemy, and it was hostile to its own team or ally. There were two types of trolls, one was a spy from the opponent whose aim was to defeat its own ally, and the other was one who wanted to win but had the worst judgment. It gave the illusion of being good and smart but made the wrong moves that benefited the enemy and never listened to others. Rittier was thetter one. In his tiny head, he was doing this for the princess. So, now, let¡¯s start with the new condition; win with a troll. The enemy was 3+1, while they were only two, and one was only a half heroic, low-level magician. But to help them, Sungjin needed to escape first. In this obviously bad situation, Sungjin kept his rxed smile. He predicted this kind of reaction from Rittier, and he was prepared. From now on, we should find out whose calction was urate. Sungjin moved his hands to untie himself. The first thing to do to achieve victory, Sungjin needed to reassure hismand over the princess before their defeat was finalized. * * * The day broke. Ereka was on edge after realizing that Sungjin was gone. ¡°What was going on? Now we need to go to the temple.¡± ¡°It is clear that since today is the battle day, he realized that this was impossible and ran away,¡± said Rittier, but Ereka didn¡¯t agree. ¡°No way, he is not that kind of a person.¡± ¡°I agree! Sungjin oppa is far from someone who would run away!¡± Jenna defended Sungjin. ¡°However, it is true that he is not here. Your Highness, we need to move to the temple to be on time.¡± ¡°Ok... We should wait for him at the temple. He maye directly to the temple.¡± They waited at the temple, but naturally, Sungjin didn¡¯t show up. [Both parties enter the waiting room.] The announcement came with a robotic voice. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Sungjin here...¡± ¡°Just the three of us can do this. Your Highness, a Level 0 yer was quite useless anyway.¡± ¡°How can you say that. You¡¯ve seen his tactics.¡± ¡°That was just a one-time gimmick. I¡¯m sure he ran away as soon as he realized there was no way he could do it again.¡± ¡°No way. But maybe there was an ident... Oh my god. What if he went back to his own world due to the iplete summoning ritual...? What should we do? He was ourst hope.¡± ¡°Your Highness. We need to get in. Whatever gimmicky tactic he had, since he is not here, there¡¯s nothing that can change the situation.¡± ¡°Huh, no. Sungjin oppa promised me to bring us victory.¡± Jenna shook her tail with uncertainty. I never thought that Sungjin oppa was someone who would get cold feet like this. He proved his impable insight to Jennast night. That was a few minutes before midnight. ¡°Trouble falling asleep?¡± ¡°Sungjin Oppa, can we really win tomorrow?¡± Sungjin smiled as if he had already known she was at unease. ¡°Of course. But there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend to be innocent when there¡¯s only the two of us.¡± ¡°What? Oppa. What are you talking about? Hehehe. You are getting the wrong idea.¡± Jenna¡¯s tail was trembling. ¡°To ce you right, I need to know what you are.¡± ¡°How... did you know??¡± ¡°Haha. Let¡¯s just say that it was my insight.¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t give any details. Actually, he was just feeling her out, while Jenna thought she was busted and gave him the truth. There was one thing to have doubts about. This morning, there was too much physical contact to call it a ¡°mistake.¡± Even though she was the titr head of the maids, she knew everything about the castle in and out. Sungjin nced at Jenna¡¯s ring eyes. He tried to feel her out, and she was busted. She was still a child. ¡°Oh... please don¡¯t tell the princess. She will be shocked.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s no bad intention, then I don¡¯t n on invading your privacy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, I promise. I know you¡¯ve tried your best to achieve what you have.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sungjin oppa.¡± Jenna was thinking this was very strange. Sungjin oppa was too confident to run away... Maybe... that old Rittier did something to him? When Jenna started to have her doubts, the final announcement came out. Now it was toote to doubt. ¡°Well, now the time¡¯s up.¡± Ereka had no choice but to enter the temple with only two. Sungjin, are you ok? Rittier nodded his head with content. Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. Sungjin¡¯s gimmick with premade illusions would be useless since we couldn¡¯t study the field in advance, but I do have a great tactic to defeat them. Trust me. And there¡¯s no way he was going to allow an extra to inherit half of the kingdom. I will protect you with my life, Your Highness. Sungjin was unconscious and hidden in the warehouse, out of mind until the end of the battle. * * * The three knights were discussing their strategy in the waiting room. ¡°So the extra brought by the princess is not participating.¡± ¡°Not surprising. Even a level 4 wizard kid is slightly better than that.¡± ¡°Hahaha. The inexperienced princess brought half a wizard and then aplete extra to the game. She doesn¡¯t have the eye for talent.¡± The ruler, Schtram, said to keep their guard up, but the three knights were full of confidence. ¡°Your Highness was a bit too careful. We don¡¯t need to worry about an extra.¡± ¡°Well, I have no idea what he can do, but he is not on the battlefield, so it¡¯s useless to even think about him.¡± [You will move to the battlefield in a moment. Get ready. 10... 3... 2... 1... 0.] In the meantime, unlike Rittier¡¯s n, Sungjin wasing out from the broken warehouse door. Behind him, on the ground, there was the rope that had tied him up. He was holding a tiny pocket knife that was hiding inside his sleeve. The knot was tight, but understanding the direction and the distribution of the strength, Sungjin started to slowly slice away at the knot to make some space, and he untied himself. And his trained body was the best tool to use against the locked door to take off the lock with the blow. He didn¡¯t have Heroic Power, but he was able to solve the problem with his own body and brain. Now, I need to be there on time. The battle already started, and the temple was far away. Sungjin started to run. Nobody knew if Rittier¡¯s stupidity would destroy them all or if Sungjin would be able to pick up the pieces before the disaster. * * * The battle was on. The spirits from both sides were summoned and given the same body, and both sides called out who they represented. Ereka, with a body that better suited a beautiful dress, dered at the battlefield, ¡°The protector of humans, the name of wisdom and war. Allow me to have part of your power.¡± The wind blew, and the air started to vibrate due to her Heroic Power. Her wind-blown blonde hair reflected the brightness of the sun. The spear of victory with an eagle on it was held in her right hand. ¡°Virtus Sessio! Jeanne d¡¯Arc et Protector!¡± A golden shield appeared in her left hand. She called out the name of the young and delicate saint who fought to protect her people in the middle of a tragic war 100 years ago. The silver circlet ofurel appeared on her heavily armed body, and simply knitted, white gold armor shone like a virgin¡¯s body. The rest of her body showed its beauty, protected by golden Heroic Power. The nobility of her wanting to protect her people from a fearful enemy was shining brightly, showing its beauty and honor. ¡°Let¡¯s try our best and win this war.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Yes, my princess.¡± The princess¡¯ army checked the revealed battlefield. They would sh 3:3 on the battlefield where three differentnes led to each other, and the forest betweennes had neutral mobs that could be hunted. ¡°Thankfully, not much changed after they took it.¡± They were familiar with the geographical features here; it used to be theirs, and they had to win this over. ¡°Your Highness, I will head to the forest. You should head to the bottomne and send Jenna to the topne.¡± What would Sungjin do? Ereka thought briefly, but she couldn¡¯t expect a piece of advice from someone who was not there. She had to follow the experienced Rittier¡¯s direction. ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°Ok, I will go first.¡± Rittier departed right away. On his way, he calcted what would happen. Their enemy would send Nart, the knight with the highest moving power out of the three knights. I can defeat Nart. There was a disadvantage in a 1:1 fight because Rittier was 1 level lower than Nart, but Rittier was sure he could win. Rittier knew Nart¡¯s swordsmanship, habits, psychology, and everything, and he was ready to counterattack Nart¡¯s skills. He was sure he had the skill to ovee a one-level difference. I will beat him. And then, when it became a 3:2 fight, he would use Sungjin¡¯s tactic when he defeated princess Ereka. Use the outnumbering advantage to umte the number of items to ovee the level difference. Humm, I don¡¯t want to bring in an idea from an extra, but everyone could have thought of that tactic, really. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 12

It turned out just as everyone had expected. Rittier and Nart faced each other in the forest, unsheathing their swords. Once, they were called to be the four knights to serve thete king, and now, they faced each other as enemies. ¡°You have pledged your loyalty to Ereka, to thete king! Now you abandoned your oath by fighting next to the Blood Ruler. Shame on you!¡± Nartughed at the veteran knight¡¯s thundering. ¡°Haha. The Oath? Hey, old man. The tyrant forced everyone to make an oath, trying to make it sound like chivalry. Don¡¯t you know that everyone said those words unwillingly?¡± ¡°What...?¡± ¡°Extras are our gift from God for us to y with, but the tyrant didn¡¯t let us.¡± Nart¡¯s anger roused the wind around him. ¡°He trampled our rights with his power and gave us anger, pain, and sorrow! You disloyal, old subjects who sucked up to the tyrant would never know how that felt!¡± It was written in the scripture. God created this world to see the supremacy of hero levels; extra levels were just awarded assets for the heroes. But the tyrant forced the heroes to dip into their own pockets to feed the old and disabled instead of throwing them away. Messing around with girls was also not allowed. Whether using them or keeping them, whatever we did with our belongings was none of the king¡¯s business. ¡°From that point of view, the Blood Ruler is the great ruler. She lets us do whatever we want to do in our own territory as long as we obey in battle. Hahaha. She is strict, but she is still the greatest ruler.¡± Nart nodded. ¡°Compare to the Blood Ruler, the princess tries to suppress us. Hehe. But her body is something special. I will tame her like a dog in chains starting from tomorrow. It will be fun to watch that noble face licking, crawling, and begging me.¡± ¡°Your rule of right is out of love for the weak. How dare you call it a suppression!¡± ¡°Who allowed that bitch to show love to my belongings!!¡± The wind blew around Nart¡¯s twin des. Nart was the knight of wind. That was his nickname because he was the fastest among the four knights, and his skill was managing the wind. The young knight fiercely looked into the old knight¡¯s eyes. Ipatible faiths confronted each other¡ªthe one who believed that the ruler¡¯s kingship was great love, and the other who believed that that was just tyranny over hiswful right as a hero ss. Their conversation couldn¡¯t resolve a fundamental difference in their point of views. There was only one way left. ¡°I challenge you to a duel! Let¡¯s have a 1:1 sword fight!¡± ¡°No more talking! Let¡¯s have a duel as knights. We don¡¯t need anything else.¡± ¡°Hoho. Do you realize that your level is lower than mine?¡± ¡°Are you going to run away from a lower level¡¯s challenge?¡± ¡°Of course not. I will cut that old throat of yours now.¡± Nart rushed toward Rittier, and Rittier firmly returned the blow. This was a sword fight, one that has been reced by firearms on earth a long time ago. Swords were an old fashioned weapon that couldn¡¯t be used as a main weapon apart from some special asions, such as kendopetitions or hand-to-hand fights. That was not the case here. That applied when it was a human-to-human fight. Their energy dug into the ground, causing a shock wave. Without realizing it, the wave cut into the ground, and pieces of broken rock scattered about. The collision of swords left traces everywhere. ¡°Wind Cutting!¡± ¡°Earth Armor!¡± The collision of Heroic Power radiated and heated up the air. The shock wave from the twin des cut up a gigantic tree in a heartbeat and sliced up the rocks around it. The opponent Rittier took all the attacks with his body that was stronger than iron. Nart was the knight of wind. When Rittier thought an attack wasing from the front, Nart was already behind him, and as soon as Rittier was attacked from behind, Nart¡¯s sword was in front of him. Free movement of the rapid wind. Rittier, the knight of earth, was taking all the attacks with one huge sword and fought back. His armor was the crystalloid of his devotion. His firm legs never copsed, but his huge sword was not enough for Nart¡¯s speed. It was a close match. Nart seemed to be irritated that it took so much time although his level was higher. How long should I spend fighting with an old man at level 5? ¡°Pfft. Stubborn old man. I will give you a death blow!¡± Finally, Nart showed a strange posture and crossed his swords in front of him. The next moment, the wind that had been rising around him stopped. The air stopped, and the leaves fluttered. Suddenly, all the falling leaves started to flow towards Nart. A hurricane followed the air around him and was sucked into the area where Nart was standing. ¡°Hurricane de!¡± Compressed air blew up into two streams and then swirled around Rittier. The massive pressure overpowered his body, and the streams spinning against each other ripped through everything. The human body was like an apple in a mixer within this power that tore up the earth. But the real terror of this technique was something else¡ªthis technique couldn¡¯t work on simr leveled heroes. There were twin des tangled up in the wind. There were supposed to be two, but there were actually 23 swords in the wind. This was the lethal technique of Nart. Every split sword was magically contained within the power of the wind. The storm tied up the opponent, and 33 swords cut up the opponent¡¯s body. This was an impossible phenomenon that was beyond a human¡¯s capability, an extreme sword skill of the knight of wind who moved above the movement of the world. But Rittier reacted with a smile in the middle of this fierce attack. This is the moment I was waiting for. It was clear that Nart¡¯s ultimate skill was maximizing his Heroic Power. However, that also caused a massive rebound after using this skill. Nart¡¯s Heroic Power would decrease for a moment and expose his weakness. Of course, this would only be useful if the opponent were still alive. Lack of experience and patience, those are your weaknesses as the youngest of the three knights. Nart was one level higher, yet Rittier had iparable experience. ¡°Armor of Faith!¡± Armor of Faith, that was Rittier¡¯s ultimate skill. It maximized his defensive ability in a second. It was a passive skill, yet the increment was absolute. This skill won over their one level difference and bounced back all the swords in the wind. This was the real appearance of loyalty Rittier kept despite the changes in the world or people¡¯s minds. It defended against everything. This is my final defense! After blocking all 33 swords, Rittier attacked with his gigantic sword. This was the victory that Rittier was presenting to the princess in a battle of 3:2 without needing an extra ss. ¡°Molting Sentence!¡± If only there were no chains attacking and twisting his body like a poisonous snake. ¡°Ugh.¡± Chains twisted all over Rittier¡¯s body. They were pitch ck as if they were made of stone-cold magma that has been just cooled off. There was red, bloody magma about the chains, and every drop melted the ground it touched. No need to mention the state of Rittier, who was tied up by the chains. This was the ultimate kill of the knight of fire¡ªMolting Sentence. It would tie up the opponent¡¯s body and melt them to death. This skill contained both long term imprisonment and powerful damage. ¡°You... In this sacred duel...¡± Rittier looked toward the caster of the chains with anger and sorrow in his eyes. There was Firgrine, the knight of fire. The air around him heated up and shimmered. ¡°Haha. A sacred duel? Victory is the only thing one needs.¡± Firgrineughed at Rittier as he poured more Heroic Power into the chains. ¡°You should thank me, Nart.¡± ¡°Pfft. You were hiding behind to get a chance to stab him in the back. You didn¡¯t even show up as soon as I called you.¡± Nart already knew Rittier would not be an easy target with his skills despite their level difference. So Nart had to secretly use a Wind Spirit Stone to call Firgrine, but Firgrine took his time to deal the final blow. ¡°You... Nart... You epted the duel... how dare you call yourself a knight after doing such a dishonorable thing!¡± Rittier cried out with anger, while Nartughed at him. ¡°You are a fool to be tricked.¡± Firgrine agreed. ¡°Haha, you are a fool to be snatched up like this. I¡¯m taking the credit of killing Rittier!¡± ¡°No chance!¡± Levels were given at birth. The only way to raise your level was to umte credit in battle. To take credit, both Nart and Firgrine started their attack to kill Rittier. ¡°Ughhhh!¡± The Armor of Faith expired, and the fire burnt Rittier¡¯s body while the wind was cutting him into pieces. Your... Highness... Rittier was out of the game in three minutes. And now, the 3:2 strategy for victory was destroyed. ¡°Now all that¡¯s left is the princess and the kid. Okay, I will go to the upper part of the forest, while you defend the forest,¡± said Firgrine. ¡°No. Now that Rittier is done, I don¡¯t need to defend the forest. You take the forest.¡± The two knights started a quarrel while thinking of the same thing. Rittier came here, meaning that the princess was in the topne or the bottomne. That further meant that the one who went to thosenes would have a chance to catch the princess in the early stages. Neither of them had any intention to miss that chance. ¡°Are you disobeying the ruler¡¯s lineup?¡± When Firgrine named the Blood Ruler, Nart agreed unwillingly. ¡°Ugh, okay.¡± ¡°If you think that¡¯s unfair, then clear the forest and join us.¡± A few moments after Rittier left for the duel, Ereka bit her lip and grabbed her spear. Now the minions were created and were moving to the battlefield. There was no time to waste. I have no idea what happened to Sungjin, but since we all entered, it is just the three of us fighting. She had no idea that now it was only two, not three. Rittier died without using a wind spirit stone to report. ¡°Jenna. We can do it. Now our minions are here, so let¡¯s get moving.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± Jenna answered with her tail pping about. ¡°Yes. We will win, and we will have a feast with amazing food.¡± ¡°I would love that! Let¡¯s make some chicken and pie! Hehehe.¡± Jenna smiled to cheer up. ¡°Hehehe. When we win over the castle, let¡¯s call everyone over to have a party. Everyone must be starving.¡± There¡¯s no way people were fed under the Blood Ruler. Although Jenna was young, she knew that much. ¡°Yes, I promise. I¡¯m sure Sir Rittier is having a good fight.¡± The two girls made a promise. Their level was lower, yet they had the same manpower, so they promised to somehow ovee the difference together, without knowing that one was already gone. * * * ¡°Your Highness... Your Highness...¡± In the waiting room. Rittier¡¯s tears fell with sorrow and anger. The old knight¡¯s regret melted into his tears. But there was nothing he could do. He was already dead and exiled from the battlefield. From the waiting room, no one could send any messages to the inside. The battlefield was a different world. Even the wind spirit stone couldn¡¯t be used. All he could do was to watch what was going on with despair. ¡°Ahh... What kind of humiliation you will have to endure...? This was my fault... I should have protected her...¡± Rittier fell down to his knees. ¡°Ahhh. Myte king. I couldn¡¯t protect the princess. How can I expect your forgiveness?¡± There was no way. Giving his life could not protect Ereka from the humiliation. Then the waiting room door opened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will protect her.¡± Rittier looked toward the confident voice, and there Sungjin stood. ¡°But how did you...?¡± ¡°Of course, I escaped.¡± ¡°Ugh, But how! You are supposed to be unconscious until now! And even if you woke up, I tied you up and locked the warehouse door!¡± ¡°I was prepared. I saw iting.¡± Sungjin¡¯sughter reflected his arrogance, and Rittier shook with anger. If he was not worried about the princess, he would have hit Sungjin. ¡°Ugh... you used some kind of a trick. But it is toote! I¡¯m already dead. Now the princess has only herself and the kid! There¡¯s nothing we can do!¡± Rittier hit the ground with his fist. ¡°Even if you had a real strategy to win... It is toote. There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± Rittier, the one who was supposed to execute the strategy, was already exiled, and there¡¯s no way to re-enter. ¡°Now... the princess will fight this impossible battle only to be defeated... ugh... s...¡± That was exactly what was shown on the screen airing the battlefield. * * * Ereka met her opponent on the crossroads to their bases, Angrasil, the knight of water. He was a cold-blooded and sadistic man, but nevertheless a powerful knight. When he moved his spear of ice, the air froze on its way. The air became ice particles and dropped to the ground. Naturally, his power froze not only the air but also his opponents. Ereka had to fight the chilly air that was surrounding her. Every time she returned the spear, the icicle flowers gnawed at her defenses. But that was not her biggest problem. She, herself was a knight of level 6. She could have returned the spear with her glorious shield to break up the icicle flowers, but the real trouble was not those things. When she returned the spear of ice with her shield in her left hand and tried to counterattack with her spear in her right, a new spear raised up from the spear of ice and attacked her ribs. She twisted her body to avoid the second spear, yet within a second, a third spear appeared. Even if she managed to return an attack, there was another spearing from an unpredictable position, and the fourth one came right in. This was the fatal skill of Angrasil. ¡°Ugh.¡± She wanted to counterattack, but she could barely return the attacks. They both were level 6, yet the difference in knowledge and skill as knights was huge. Trying hard was not enough, because some people were already born with talent. ¡°How long do you think you can keep up?¡± Angrasilughed frigidly. ¡°Until I kill you!¡± Ereka answered with a shout. Even if the enemy was strong, she was determined to win. She had so much to protect. Angrasil¡¯sugh became even crueler when he saw her determined face. ¡°I will give you a good tip.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t take any false information.¡± ¡°This is my good will. Rittier is already dead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± ¡°Hahaha. You can try to contact him. The game is already over. You are done.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust you!¡± said Ereka, yet she started to have doubts. Is that true? Is Rittier really dead? If that was true, this disadvantaged battle just became an impossible one. There¡¯s no chance to win against a stronger enemy who also had more manpower. ¡°I will give you a break. Check if it¡¯s true.¡± Angrasil stepped back as if he was trying to provoke her. With doubts, Ereka used a wind spirit stone to call Rittier, but there was no answer. ¡°Rittier? Rittier?¡± ¡°Hahaha. Can¡¯t you see! He is dead. Now, it¡¯s just the two of you!¡± ¡°Oh... no...¡± Ereka trembled. She knew she needed to stand still, but she felt like her body was sinking into quicksand. The only hope to take over the castle by winning against these three knights was gone. We are defeated. We¡¯ve lost ourst remaining territory. People will be killed under the tyranny of the Blood Ruler¡¯s magical sword, and I and everyone who followed me will meet a tragic end. We can¡¯t give up. We need to fight! Ereka told herself knowing it was impossible now. No... we need to defeat them... we must fight! There was nothing left but sorrow and grief. She felt tears in her eyes. It was really going to end this way. The hope... the hope was gone. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s it! That sad face turns me on!¡± Angrasil cheered and attacked her once again. ¡°Argh.¡± Ereka tried to defend from the raining spears, yet her body trembled just like her spirit did. She lost her firm defense, and the second spear attacked her ribs again. The concentrated power broke past her defense and tore up her flesh. ¡°Ugh...¡± Ereka quickly returned to the turret. This is not going to work. We need to change something... It was taboo in a fierce match to return to one¡¯s base while the enemies were still out there. During that time, the enemies would hunt down their minions to win more crystals and damage their turrets at the same time. But she had to. She knew that if she kept fighting like this, she would be ughtered. She had no choice but to activate her return stone. ¡°Pfft. That was close.¡± Angrasil thought it was too bad; this was his chance to gain the most credit. It was already a winning game. The key was who would kill the princess. It was okay that the other two killed Rittier. Anyways, the biggest credit would go to the princess yer. Oh well, that¡¯s ok. Even if she rests for a while, she won¡¯t be able to fight. I will have another chance. When despair froze the spirit and body, fighting a battle would be impossible. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 13

¡°Your Highness... Your Highness...¡± Sungjinughed while Rittier cried out. Hisughter looked like a predator satisfied with the prey in his mouth. ¡°How can youugh in this situation!¡± ¡°Well because victory is still in our hands.¡± ¡°Wh... what? What are you talking about! It¡¯s all over now!¡± ¡°I told you. I easily expected your actions. Which means it was not difficult for me to predict this plot.¡± ¡°Even if you predicted that, it is toote now!¡± ¡°Au contraire. I was waiting for this timing.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rittier was confused for a moment. What timing Sungjin was waiting for. Now Rittier was dead, and his death brought an absolute disadvantage to the situation. What could Sungjin possibly wait for? If he had had his secret tactic for victory and predicted this situation, wouldn¡¯t it make more sense if Sungjin told the tactic to the princess? If not, wouldn¡¯t he have escaped earlier to tell the princess the truth and take overmand earlier? Why was Sungjin waiting for this timing? ¡°What arrogance! That doesn¡¯t make any sense! How can you possibly rescue the princess now?¡± ¡°What would you do if you could do something?¡± ¡°Huh! If you can really rescue her from this situation, I would give you my life!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your life, just follow mymand from now on.¡± ¡°Sure. If you do, I will serve you after the princess! Only if you make it!¡± ¡°Good. Now, it is time to win,¡± said Sungjin with a diabolic smile on his face. That made Rittier wonder if maybe something was going on. Maybe this level 0 alien from another world had some kind of power other than Heroic Power, and he had transcendental power to control the battle outside of the battlefield? Even the highest level heroes don¡¯t have such power. Only God could do that, or a Devil, probably. Now, Rittier was reminded that Sungjin¡¯s name was the ¡°Devil Commander.¡± Finally, Sungjin shared his secret tactic. That was... to give Ereka a letter. ¡°Good game. Ah, I don¡¯tprehend. Game over. Let¡¯s use this one from now on,¡± said Sungjin as he started to rx in a chair in the waiting room. ¡°Nonsense! That thing can¡¯t bring victory to the princess!¡± ¡°Stupidity is not a sin. But just shut up and watch.¡± ¡°What...! Nonsense!¡± But in the next moment, Rittier realized something. ¡°Is it something like an S-level grimoire or a wipe-out item? Is it? But if it is such a strong spell, it will need a massive amount of crystals! I don¡¯t think the princess can hold out for that long.¡± ¡°Tsk. Ahh. Okay. If you want to talk, keep talking. I guess rubbishments can be a spice of the game.¡± Sungjin took his seat calmly, showing he didn¡¯t care anymore. * * * Using the blessings of God, the Valkyrie healed Ereka¡¯s body and replenished the Heroic Power that was consumed during the battle. Now, what should I do? She knew she had to be back out for the fight, but the hopeless situation made her face sad. First, I need to activate some items using my crystals... [New unique item is ready to be activated.] The Valkyrie spoke mysteriously. ¡°What are you talking about? Show me the list.¡± She spotted a unique item on the list. [A letter from Sungjin: 1 crystal needed to activate.] A letter? In principle, the items on the list were basic items. If not unique, all the regr items of Valha could be activated on the battlefield as long as enough crystals were used. She realized this only after she was defeated by Sungjin, who activated a hunting trap and oil. For unique items, if a person entered the waiting room holding the item, the item holder could activate the item. But it was strange to have a letter as a unique item, and not a wipe-out item. When did this lettere in? Only 1 crystal was needed for the activation. The Valkyrie made a judgment that this was quite worthless, but Sungjin¡¯s name was on it. ¡°Activate.¡± Maybe... Maybe... this letter can give us hope. In this situation, not even a legendary item or a wipe-out item on the list would help them though. Knowing it was meaningless, still, Ereka had hope. She couldn¡¯t give up thisst bit of hope. Ereka started to read the letter slowly with shaky hands. ¡°Have you despaired in this 2:3 battle? Don¡¯t worry and trust me. I will make you win.¡± Sungjin¡¯s confident tone already had Rittier¡¯s death in the count. She read the letter more rapidly, and then, her hand stopped shaking. This is... Sungjin¡¯s secret tactic... It was almost like Sungjin was holding her hand and telling her not to worry. In this moment of despair, Sungjin¡¯s every word gave her hope and saved her. It was a revtion rather than just words, a revtion from a savior. Will this work like this? No, this will surely work...! Half of her was worried, and she had doubts about the revtion, but half of her also wanted to follow it. ¡°Trust me.¡± Ereka felt Sungjin holding her hand and leading her forward. Hope lightened up the direction he pointed to in this moment of darkness. She found hope in following his lead. He who predicted all situations would surely lead her to victory. He was her only hope and savior. ¡°I trust you,¡± she murmured and put the letter back into her pocket. It was Ereka who asked for his help. Then now, it was her duty to trust him and follow. ¡°I trust Sungjin with my all and all of my kingdom.¡± The battle proceeded. * * * In the waiting room, Rittier looked at Sungjin. ¡°The letter with your tactic was what you were talking about? I¡¯m sure it was pre-written.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I wrote it before bedst night.¡± ¡°Ugh. That is useless! Now I¡¯m dead, and everything is rapidly changing. Tacticalmand has to be adapted to the circumstances for every unexpected factor for every moment. A pre-written n is useless now that I¡¯m dead!¡± ¡°I think I mentioned that I already predicted everything.¡± ¡°Stop lying! If so, you would have told her your n earlier! Now without me, our military power is down, and the princess is wounded due to her inward agitation. This is the worst timing possible to share your tactic.¡± ¡°No, this is the perfect timing.¡± ¡°But how!¡± Sungjin was rxed while Rittier was crying out loud. Rittier was reasonable, and his words made sense. It almost seemed like Sungjin was being arrogant. But... ¡°Neither you nor the princess are good actors. It has to look real to make the enemy believe it. You died to give them vanity, and the princess showed her despair to let them believe in their victory. Now, this is the perfect timing for my n to work.¡± ¡°Wh... what?¡± Rittier felt his blood freeze with surprise. He had ignored Sungjin and devised his own n. It had been a radical act from Sungjin¡¯s point of view, but Sungjin used that radical act to hide Rittier¡¯s weakness of being a bad actor to throw the enemies off their guard? If he really predicted until that stage, then that was already surprising. But it was beyond surprise to use Rittier¡¯s radicality act against him. That was truly out of the box thinking. Who is this guy in front of me? Is he a real genius? But... ¡°Even if... even if that is true, now I am dead, their military power is iparably stronger than us. Isn¡¯t the price too high to try to take them off guard? What is the point of your deception? Now we can¡¯t win!¡± Rittier was right. Sungjin may have created a psychological weakness, but without enough force, it was impossible to attack that weakness. The idea was clearly innovative, yet it was just meaningless when the idea was not going to lead them to victory. Sungjin smiled back to that ordinary questioning from an ordinary person. ¡°Just watch how this will lead us to victory.¡± That overly confident smile gave Rittier the creeps. There was no way to upset the situation. But... what if... he really leads us to victory... Sungjin predicted Rittier¡¯s radical actions to use it against him, and what if Sungjin could really change this disadvantageous situation...? What would it mean if Sungjin¡¯s intelligence was beyond the genius of humans? Sungjin would be a devil. Then Rittier realized something. This man, Sungjin, was either a madman or just a satanic worshipper being that was beyondprehension. The result of this battle would give him the answer. In the meantime, the battle was taking ce on the topne. The fight was close; as soon as Firgrine was thrown off his guard for a second, Jenna threw the light ball. ¡°Yaaap!¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± When Firgrine was hit by the light ball and tumbled back, Jenna took that chance and struck the ground with her hammer. ¡°Thunder Ground Power!¡± Firgrine¡¯sugh was insidious. ¡°Hahaha. Got you!¡± ¡°What?¡± While she tilted her tail, chains started to surround her. At the same time, the Meteor Pendulum at the end of the chain flew toward Jenna¡¯s head to crush it. ¡°Ahhh?!¡± The meteor pendulum struck Jenna. Jenna¡¯s force dropped in a second, and her robe got torn up. With a few more blows, she was about to be hurt directly. ¡°Ahhhhhhhh ugh!¡± Jenna turned into a bolt of lightning with a scream and ran towards the back. This was a spell called ¡°A Thousand Breakthroughs,¡± and it allowed one to change into a bolt of lightning for rapid movement or to attack, escape and chase. Unlike the name, it was more useful to retreat though. ¡°Whew.¡± Thinking she made it out, her knife tail dropped in relief. ¡°Not so fast!¡± Firgrine shouted and jumped into the range of the turret. He was so sure of himself. He had already collected enough crystals to upgrade his defense items, so the attack of the turret couldn¡¯t hurt him. And the level 4 wizard used her escaping skill, so it would take a heartbeat to kill her. He was so sure he could kill her. ¡°Ahhhhhhh?!¡± Jenna screamed and ran away to the forest, abandoning the turret. Her tail pointed upwards, screaming to her to run away. ¡°I aming for you.¡± Firgrine followed Jenna. I killed Rittier, so if I kill her too, most of the credit wille to me! Then the beautiful body of the princess would be his. What is the best way to take her virginity? Abruptly? Or after torturing her for a long time? Just the imagination excited Firgrine. Killing Jenna would mean having the princess. ¡°Ahhhhhh! Help me! Ahhhhhhh!¡± Screaming out loud, Jenna ran across the forest toward the bottomne where Ereka was. ¡°Rittier! Help me!¡± Jenna cried out loud for help. And to answer that... a strong wind raided Jenna. ¡°Ahhhhhh?! Nart!?¡± ¡°You are a fool to be snatched up like this.¡± Twin des within the wind were piercing Jenna¡¯s neck. This was a moment of life or death, and the secret tactic Sungjin had was meaningless for the violence she was facing. ¡°A Thousand Breakthroughs!¡± The cooldown time was up, and Jenna was able to stay alive by using her speed spell, but she was far from safety. The knight of wind and the knight of fire were chasing her. There was no chance for her, even if it was 1:1. The security of the turret was useless. But she had to fight against two. Once she was caught, that would be it. The young girl ran for her life, and her chasers wereughing at her. She wouldn¡¯t have known that she was running towards despair and not toward hope. There were no reinforcements, it was just a trap. They were hunting her like a rabbit. The only thing that was stopping them now was thepetition between the two knights. The question was, who would get her? At the same time, Ereka couldn¡¯t find peace of mind while fighting against Angrasil on the bottomne. ¡°Ugh.¡± With her fighting spirit gone, Ereka was not able to return Angrasil¡¯s attack properly. She made narrow escapes from the ice spear attacks. Every time, she tried to concentrate her Heroic Power to protect herself only to miss the perfect timing to attack and instead received small wounds. Ice covered her body to slow down her movements. The next moment, as soon as Ereka had reached her limit and lost control of her body, the ice spear stabbed her deep in her thigh. Her blood spurted just to be frozen and hit the ground. ¡°Ice Flower!¡± A few dozen ice spears raised up from the ground. There was no escape from the flower shaped spears. Ereka jumped and pushed down the spears with her shield to retreat, but it was not enough. She was getting more wounds. ¡°Ha ha ha ha...¡± ¡°Poor thing. Why don¡¯t you let me kill you? I will be gentlepared to the other two.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust you... and I haven¡¯t given up yet... I will... be back.¡± Ereka stepped back and hid within a bush. This was to create more distance in case the enemy jumped within the turret¡¯s range. In other words, the bnce between her and the enemy was extremely unfavorable to make her have to use thisst bit of distance. * * * In the waiting room. Rittier lost his words and kept watching the battle in silence. Your Highness... Sungjin confidently handed the letter with his secret tactic for nothing. However great the tactic was, what mattered the most was your level. In this absolute imbnce, a quick gimmick from an extra ss was useless. At least, I wish I were there... Even if Sungjin had a brilliant tactic, there was no one who could execute the tactic. Sungjin¡¯s n for victory was in his head. It was just an illusion. Your Highness... * * * Out of breath, Jenna rushed to the bottom turret. Her fluttering tail lost its rhythm. ¡°Princess... Princess...¡± There was no answer, and her chasers, Nart and Firgrine, appeared instead. Angrasil greeted them. The three knights of fire, wind, and water fiercely stared at the poor girl. ¡°The princess?¡± ¡°Just recalled to her base.¡± The short conversation revealed everything. ¡°What?¡± Jenna realized that now, herst hope was gone. Her tail shuddered, and she slowly stepped back with her body shivering. ¡°Haha. Ok.¡± Unlike Jenna, the three knights smiled cruelly. Jenna still had the turret, but all the enemies were here. One baby wizard was not a problem for the three of them. The only question was, who would kill her? There was no need to talk. They all needed an achievement from this battle in order to level up. A higher level meant more power, status, wealth, and honor, and in this battle, there was a beauty on the top of all that. The knight of fire started his attack without hesitation. ¡°Molting Sentence!¡± Like a poisonous snake, magma chains surrounded Jenna. Every single tiny spark contained heat that could burn down the earth. The knight of the wind quickly joined in. ¡°Hurricane de!¡± Swirling double hurricanes started to stab her young, tender body without mercy. Thirty-three magic sword joined in on the attack. A fast death would have been merciful. One enemy would have been enough for inevitable death, but it was two¡ªno, it was three. ¡°Frozen Rain!¡± Using his spear as a lever, Angrasil jumped up into the sky. A dozen spears appeared on the right and left of the perfectly aimed ice spear. All twelve of them were exactly the same as the original. They all had the same power as the spear Angrasil was holding. Ice spears rained down on Jenna at the same time. One magical spear was able to break down a rampart, but there were twelve of them. That meant nothing but death, but the more fearful thing wasing¡ªAngrasil himself became a spear to join in on the attack. The thirteenth spear dealt by Angrasil was the ultimate magical spear that could break down ramparts with multipleyers. The simultaneous attacks of three knights¡¯ ultimates were over the top to kill one tiny kid. The weak had no choice but to surrender and to take the violence. This kid was nothing in front of these powerful knights on high. Jenna shrunk and covered her eyes with her hands. It was a desperate flight from her hopeless reality. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 14

In the waiting room, Rittiermented over the situation. ¡°It¡¯s over now...¡± ¡°Yeah, it is over,¡± said Sungjin while peacefully making tea next to him. Everything happened as Sungjin had predicted. ¡°Omnibus Shield!¡± If only the shiny golden shield didn¡¯t appear with a crystalline voice. This was the resolution of a girl who wanted to be a knight rather than a princess. Her slender body better suited for a dress was wearing armor instead. Her hands that looked like they were made for flowers were holding a weapon. The time she spent to be a ruler to protect everyone made up theyers on the shield she held and shone brightly. The three knights lost their words in front of the goddess standing between them and Jenna. Omnibus Shield¡ªthe ultimate skill of Princess Ereka. The conditions to use the skill was not favorable to Ereka. She had to stand still between her own and enemy and return every single attack from the enemy by herself. But her sacrifice created an invincible shield to protect everyone within the radius. Standing in front of Jenna, Ereka looked directly into the attacks of the three knights. Melting magma chains, swirling hurricane swords, raining cial spears¡ªall of them were terrifying. Every moment would be painful. However... If I can protect them. If I can protect the smiles of the people living here like my father did, then fire, ice, or wind won¡¯t matter. I will not step back with fear. I will not retreat with pain. I will stand to protect the people I want to protect. I am... the Omnibus Shield: Aegis. The three knights were flustered. ¡°Why... the princess!!! But she returned!¡± Sungjin grinned wickedly. Because I made you guys think otherwise. He knew Rittier was about to do something radical. Being hit by Rittier was a part of his n, and Rittier¡¯s radical act made the enemy lower their guard just as he nned. It was better to trick him. Rittier wasn¡¯t a good actor who could let others kill him without making it awkward. Having started with the upper hand, the three knights became even more arrogant with the belief of their victory, while the princess showed weakness in the situation. Then the wounded princess retreated behind the turret to use recall to return to her base. That was an ordinary n that made the three knights read the situation as normal. Hiding and waiting was not a n they could have thought of. There was also a poor wizard next to the turret. There were three of them, so it wasmon sense to jump in and hunt her down. To take credit for the kill, they had to use their ultimates. For a winning battle, they had to focus on their achievements more. If not, the others would snatch up all the credit. So they all jumped in, just as Sungjin had predicted. There is a word for this called a ¡°dumb kill.¡± It was a word for yers who wanted to kill more enemies than necessary in a winning game. Even amateurs yed games with a greed for honor. Naturally, this greed would be much higher in the world where your level meant your social status and power. It was easy to make them blind with greed. It was a more refined process to trick team Virgo using Baron. Fooling the three knights was just a walk in the park. The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Deception. By holding out advantages to the enemy, one can cause the enemy to approach of his own ord. This was the same principle. It was just another adaptation for the situation and the opponent. ¡°Boring. Jenna, finish them.¡± This was the verdict for the three level 6 knights from a level 0 extra. The fire and ice of their attacks went on a rampage, and Ereka found herself in the midst of hell. But standing behind her, protected by the golden blessing, Jenna was untouchable. As if she heard Sungjin¡¯s order to finish them off, Jenna firmly stood on her feet. Heroic Power was overflowing from the threeyered magic squares under her feet. She was controlling powerful thunderbolts. She was no longer a tiny wizard but a real magician. ¡°Mjolnir!¡± The roar of thunder echoed in the sky, and lightning divided the air. Thor¡¯s burning hammer covered the sun, and the three knights¡¯ faces became ghastly pale. Even if the spell contained the power of a shaman who signed a pact with Thor, this wizard was only level 4. In normal circumstances, such a tiny wizard would not be a concern to a level 6 knight. Moreover, there were three of them. But the situation was not exactly normal. They were all exhausted from just using their ultimates, and moreover, the turret kept attacking them, damaging them even more. Bang! The sound of thunder became a shock wave and shook the ground. Thor¡¯s hammer struck the ground and burned everything This moment was a miracle, where a level 4 wizard could crush three level 6 knights. This was also a moment where the tyranny that had made the people of the kingdom suffer dissipated. When Thor¡¯s hammer disappeared, there was not even a trace of the three knights left. [Team Blue wins.] Only the announcement of Valkyrie was waiting for everyone. ¡°Huff. Huff...¡± Totally wrecked and leaning on her spear, Ereka¡¯s face showed a smile. ¡°We...¡± ¡°We won my princess!¡± Jenna leaped with joy and ran into Ereka. Jenna¡¯s knife tail was pping with joy. ¡°Well done, Jenna.¡± Light from the sky surrounded them and dazzled about. Suddenly, their wounds were gone, and the anthem of honorous victory filled the air. The Valkyrie wearing a helmet with wings came down to hand a Goblet of Glory to Ereka, actualizing her victory. Made of tinum and decorated with numerous precious stones, the goblet was shining with a bright radiance. Inside the goblet, there was the nectar of the gods made from the water drawn from Mimir¡¯s Well. ¡°Ereka. To acknowledge your achievement on the battlefield, God has bestowed upon you this goblet. This shall be your flesh and blood. Finish this drink to awaken new strength inside of you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± For a moment, Ereka¡¯s emotions unleashed themselves as she held the goblet in front of her. She really made it. Sungjin... He led everyone here. He saved all of us. As soon as she got his letter, she followed his direction. Everything went as he had nned. Every time she tried to remember his direction, she felt like she heard his voice saying, ¡°I will make you win,¡± as if he were right next to her. That kept her going. Physically, he was in the waiting room, but he was beside her and led her each step of the way to victory. The person who deserves this goblet is... Sungjin... She felt bad that she couldn¡¯t hand it to him. I don¡¯t know how to thank him enough... He was a real savior. I should get back to the waiting room as soon as possible to thank him. Ereka had a sip of the drink in the goblet. Her body was filled with energy and every cell throbbed. The Valkyrie handed another goblet to Jenna. ¡°Jenna. Thinking highly of your achievements on the battlefield, where you defeated all three knights, God has bestowed upon you this goblet. This shall be your flesh and blood. Finish this drink to awaken new strength inside of you.¡± ¡°Oh my god. This one is full!¡± Her tail started to swing. When she finished her drink, there was a spark all throughout her body and her hammer. [Your level has been upgraded from level 4 to level 5. The skill Thunder Ground Power has gone from rank 1 to rank 2. Increased radius of Thunder Ground Power skill. Increased damage of Thunder Ground Power skill. Effect of slowing down enemies within Thunder Ground Power¡¯s radius has been added. Attack power increased by 1 point. Magic power increased by 10 points. Defense power increased by 1 point. Resistance power increased by 2 points. Movement speed has no change.] ¡°Wow, I became stronger! Now I¡¯m level 5 just like you, Grandpa!¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s great,¡± Rittier responded. [Andstly, I grant you the registration of the territory that was staked during this battle of life and death. All the extras in this territory and all their goods belong to you. You can also exile unwanted heroes from other forces.] A crest of the castle and its territories appeared on Ereka¡¯s arm. The crest, a shield surrounded by wings, shone briefly and then disappeared. It became invisible until her nomination as lord, and now thend was under her rule again. Father, I took over the castle. Everything... is thanks to him. It was an impable victory. [I wish you an even better fight for your next battle. The Eyes of God are upon you.] A bright light covered their sight. There was a celebration of victory in the waiting room as well. Rittier was holding the goblet handed to him by the Valkyrie. ¡°Drink it. It will give you strength.¡± ¡°But... this victory is all because of you, an extra... no, you... no, Sir... this was your work. I don¡¯t deserve this.¡± Sungjinughed out loud, listening to Rittier promote his title in one sentence. ¡°Hahaha. Just drink it. Anyways, you can¡¯t give it to someone else, and to win against the Blood Ruler, we need your power.¡± ¡°Okay, I will drink it, and in the next battle, I will serve you, Sir. I sincerely apologize for today¡¯s rudeness.¡± Rittier bowed to Sungjin before he drank it up. Ereka and Jenna appeared in the room as soon as the Valkyrie took the empty goblet and disappeared. ¡°Sungjin Oppa! We made it!¡± Jenna ran into Sungjin. ¡°Haha, I was watching.¡± ¡°Hehehe. Don¡¯t you think I did well? Pet me!¡± Just like a dog who just performed a trick, Jenna¡¯s knife tail fluttered about. ¡°Just like you nned, I led the two of them towards the princess. Hehehe, I was acting like I was scared, screaming and shivering, and they bought it.¡± ¡°Yeah, you deserve an Oscar. Well done.¡± Sungjin lightly pet her head as she had requested. Her soft hair felt like that of a fluffy puppy. ¡°Hehe. I¡¯m a level 4, no, now, I¡¯m a level 5 wizard! Not a kid!¡± ¡°I know, I know. You yed a great role in today¡¯s victory.¡± ¡°But still, you are the best! When I was left alone with the princess, I thought it was the end. I never thought we could win like that! You are the best!¡± Chattering with joy, Jenna thought to herself, He saw that I was acting and used it in the battle right away. He is amazing. Since Jenna was a kid, it was not easy for her to protect the princess. So she wanted to turn the tables by pretending to be a baby to throw them off their guard. She didn¡¯t have a thorough n, and she didn¡¯t know that Sungjin would use that as a winning tactic. Sungjin really protected all of us and the princess. Okay. I approve of your abilities. Ereka stared at Sungjin patting Jenna softly. Jenna... She envied Jenna a little because she was too shy to ask Sungjin to hug her. Jenna, on the other hand, was being a kid and jumped right into Sungjin¡¯s arms. She wanted to jump into his arms... What am I thinking? She shook her head right away. But I understand Jenna. Sungjin is really charming to me as well. Usually, heroes showed a servile attitude while exercising authority in front of lower levels, and they abused the extras. But Sungjin left all his power in his world and came in as level 0, but he was dignified in front of the strong while he was sweet to the weak. And with his sweetness, he saved everyone, including her. He defeated the three knights. She felt sorry that she doubted his abilities while they were in a disadvantageous situation, even though she tried her best to trust his tactics. She was disgusted by him when she thought of Sungjin being just a bloodthirsty devil, but now she saw his true colors... Ah... Her heart started beating rapidly. He was a real light, a savior who didn¡¯t ask for rewards but simply asked for her to support him in the next battle. He was a real hero from a fairy tale. There were so many hero-leveled men, but he was the first one who really deserved it. I need to thank him. What should I tell him? How can I put this emotion into words? She wanted to jump into his arm, just like Jenna, and kiss him to thank him, but... I need to keep my dignity and thank you with grace. Ah... there¡¯s one more thing before that. Ereka looked at Rittier with anger. ¡°Sir Rittier, do you know what you have done?¡± Rittier kneeled. ¡°I deserve more than a hundred deaths for my wrongdoings. I didn¡¯t have the insight to look through the ability of the intelligence you brought and did a stupid thing that put you in danger and almost ruined the battle. I will take any punishment from you.¡± ¡°Sungjin will decide.¡± Ereka ced her hand on her chest and lightly bowed to show her respect. Her elegant smile and graceful movements were beautiful, even in armor. ¡°Sungjin. With your amazing n, you saved me and all of us. I sincerely thank you, and as a princess of this kingdom, from the bottom of my heart...¡± ¡°Drop the formalities.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. If I don¡¯t show our gratefulness with proper respect, I can¡¯t be a role model for the people.¡± ¡°Haha, okay. It is your kingdom, so I will follow your rules.¡± ¡°I will never forget our gratefulness. Today, we are still in a war, so I can¡¯t appreciate your help properly, but after we defeat the Blood Ruler, I promise I will reward you properly and have the people remember your service for generations.¡± The princess thanked him with sincerity in her every word. ¡°Hmmm, well... okay.¡± This was a bit over the top for Sungjin¡¯s tastes, but he felt the sincerity in her words and smiled. ¡°And do as your wish to Rittier who attacked and imprisoned you. His action is considered treason against our alliance and disobedience of the militaryw.¡± ¡°Hehe... really?¡± ¡°I will not dare to stop you, because it was my kingdom¡¯s fault. But...¡± ¡°But?¡± Princess Ereka dropped her head and lowered her voice. ¡°He has made many contributions from the former generation and kept his loyalty in the time of difficulty. Also, his level has reached 5... If it is possible, I would like to ask you to give him a chance to repay his wrongdoings in the next battle rather than cutting his head off today.¡± She was angry at Rittier for Sungjin, but Rittier was like her grandfather, her guardian who kept her going after her father passed away. As a rightful ruler, she was not going to stop what Sungjin wanted to do, but asking him for a chance of mercy was only human. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be angry at the old man because he was just stubborn and made a minor mistake.¡± ¡°It was not a minor mistake.¡± ¡°I managed it easily, so it was a minor mistake. And he already apologized. It¡¯s okay as long as he doesn¡¯t make the same mistake again.¡± ¡°Sir Rittier, did you apologize?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. And I made an oath to serve him after you if he could save you.¡± ¡°Then you won¡¯t question his status again?¡± ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ereka turned her head towards Sungjin and smiled brightly ¡°Thank you, Sungjin.¡± She was beautiful when she smiled gracefully as a princess. But her girly smile after dropping all her worries was even brighter, and that made Sungjin smile with her. Humm. Not bad. If he won this game as a pro gamer, the audience would have cheered for him, but her smile was worth it. ¡°Wow. Now you guys have made up? That¡¯s great! Hehe.¡± Jenna pped her tail sword with happiness. The stubborn old man can chill out a bit. ¡°Shall we go?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sungjin led the way, and Ereka, Jenna and Rittier followed him. Regardless of who was on the battlefield, this showed who the real leader was here. As soon as they stepped out, numerous people flocked and surrounded them. They were the ragged and haggard rabbles of the extra ss. ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to see you all.¡± With her smile, people bowed. ¡°You¡¯ve returned.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve returned.¡± They were not orchestrated people for a parade; they were just people who were starved and suffered in waiting for her. ¡°I know the hardships you have been through.¡± ¡°Your Highness... my daughter was...¡± ¡°My baby as well...¡± They couldn¡¯t even finish their words, but Ereka understood what they wanted to say. She understood the hardships they had endured under the tyranny of the Blood Ruler. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was not able to return earlier.¡± ¡°What are you talking about. We are happy that you have returned at all.¡± ¡°Okay. I will protect you from now on.¡± Ereka closed her hand tightly. ¡°Oh, yes, I know you are starving. Sir Rittier. Open castle warehouse one and two right now. Start distributing the grain the Blood Ruler collected.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Reopen the clinic for those who are unwell and use the east side of the castle for them. If you need more space, report that to me.¡± ¡°I will follow your orders right away.¡± ¡°And take care of those young, old, and disabled who have lost their caregivers, and the prisoners... No. I will take care of that by myself.¡± People dropped to their knees in tears listening to the continuous orders of the princess. The ruler that they had been waiting for was finally back. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 15

ng. After a moment, the dungeon door opened. Imprisoned virgins shivered with fear, wondering who would be dragged out today. But the one who entered through the door was not the Blood Ruler spreading the smell of death nor the three horny knights. It was their savior with a golden halo. ¡°I know what you¡¯ve been through. I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯te earlier.¡± ¡°Your... Highness?¡± ¡°Your Highness... did you defeat them?¡± ¡°Your Highness! Your Highness!¡± The girls found their strength again and surrounded the princess to kneel and cry. Seeing their haggard faces and bare bodies on the cold, dirty prison floor, Ereka cried. When thete king was the ruler, this used to be a real prison where the real sinners were imprisoned and punished. But now, the Blood Ruler dishonored this ce and imprisoned innocent people to abuse them. She couldn¡¯t let this be repeated. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you okay during this time of sorrow.¡± ¡°Your Highness...¡± A woman in a rug grabbed Ereka¡¯s dress. Looking at the grubby woman, Ereka greeted her with a smile. ¡°Oh, Lady Narnia. You¡¯re okay!¡± ¡°You remember... my name...¡± ¡°Of course. When I visited Charity Hospital, you showed me around. I was worried about you.¡± ¡°Your Highness...¡± Her name was Narnia, not number 29. She burst into tears. ¡°Now. Everyone go back to your ce. Now... from now on... I will not let this happen again.¡± Erekaforted every one of them. Looking at that scene, Sungjin was proud. If the words ¡°hope¡± and ¡°salvation¡± had a body, this must be it. This was a perfect example. Yes, this was a true victory. What he used to y on earth were e-sports games, but in this world, it was a war of victory or defeat. That meant that his choices had bigger consequences. He was able to do as much good as he was able to do evil. The feeling of achievement was better, and of course, the reward and the honor following the victory were great. But those were not the only things he got from their victory. He was also able to protect and save many people. There were people who were imprisoned in order to be sacrifices. And above all... there was a girl who abandoned her happiness to save them. Beautiful. Sungjin admired Ereka, who wasforting everyone. Her graceful smile as a royal princess was also the bright smile of a girl. Her tearful devotion as a ruler all concentrated in one person¡ªshe was beautiful. And Sungjin protected that beautiful flower, which made him feel more proud and feel like this was the greatest victory ever. In the world where a game was a war and not a sport, he realized how glorious victory could be. Hm. This was tasteful. He won in a battle where the destiny of a kingdom was at stake. There were other bigger words such as ¡°honor,¡± ¡°pride,¡± ¡°self-respect¡± or ¡°glory¡± that were better suited for his victory, but he summed it up as a tasteful experience and smiled. After saving people, Ereka took Sungjin to another ce¡ªthe state coffers of the castle. When Ereka unlocked the magic spell, the coffers were full of gold bars and gold coins. ¡°Is everything pure gold?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sungjin estimated the quantity. One gold bar was 1kg. Comparing this to the things on earth was impossible, but one bar was worth at least 40-50 thousand dors. ¡°200 thousand gold bars... is there a simr amount of gold coins?¡± He was speechless when he estimated the total worth of around two billion dors. When one won first ce in the world on earth, the prize would be 1/10,000 of what he was looking at. Even if he took additional ie into ount, the best would be 1/1,000. This was the next level of a national budget. ¡°Yes, we won this over thanks to you. Half of this is yours.¡± ¡°Half...?¡± ¡°To continue your journey to be an Arc Master, you will need a lot of money. This is yours.¡± Half was one billion dors, and in front of an unrealistic figure, he shook his head, Living off the insurance money from his parents and having a ten-dor chicken was a luxury for him. This was too much for him. If he were a normal high school student, he would have lost his mind. But he quickly refocused. Yes, this is a national budget, and the battle I fought was an internal war. He was not just a gamer but amander who wasmanding in the middle of an internal war. On earth, a national budget was normally a few dozen billion dors, give or take, depending on the country¡¯s economy. The taxes from ten million people would be around one billion dors. Having half of the kingdom meant that. Ha. Look at me. I said I would be an Arc Master, and now I am realizing what that would be. When he saw the people he saved and now when he saw the countless gold bars, he realized again that this was not a game, but a war between kingdoms. He didn¡¯t know what to do with this enormous amount of money. Sungjin took one gold bar into his pocket as a souvenir. That was already worth tens of thousands of dors. And the rest... ¡°You can do whatever you please.¡± ¡°What? But...¡± ¡°I told you from the beginning. I will titrly be an owner of half of the kingdom, but you will be the sole ruler. The army of the Blood Ruler retreated, but the people¡¯s livelihoods must be still miserable. Use it to take care of them.¡± ¡°Will it be... okay?¡± ¡°First things first. I will get the rest after you manage everything.¡± Sungjin was reminded of the weary people that were freed from the prison. Bing an Arc Master meant he would defeat kingdoms, which also meant that he would get political and financial power to control this enormous budget. He didn¡¯t decide where to use it yet. But he wouldn¡¯t forget to use it to save people. Looking at Sungjin, Ereka¡¯s heartbeat started to rush again. You... really are a man of your word. He promised to give her sole rulership, but she didn¡¯t expect him to keep his promise in front of gold. He was really a man of his word. She slowly approached Sungjin. Huh? When her clear and beautiful eyes came close to him, he lost his next thought for a moment. That moment, she kissed him on his cheek. Huh! Sungjin, who was cool in front of the massive amount of money, froze due to her actions. He didn¡¯t know how to exin the warm and tingling feeling spreading out from his cheek. Anyways, this was the first time for him. While his brain stopped functioning, Ereka stepped back blushing. ¡°Oh... don¡¯t think that this is strange. I was following the traditional manner... as a princess... I showed my appreciation to the knight who saved the kingdom. There was... no other intention.¡± ¡°Ah, I got it. Hahaha,¡± answered Sungjin a little stupidly. This waspletely out of his character. ¡°Yes. There was no other intention... then... I will leave you to it...¡± Ereka stuttered then ran away. Without looking her way, she bumped into a wall on the right. And then, ran towards the left only to bump into a wall on that side too. Sungjin vacantly stared at Ereka running zig-zag on the straight corridor. Hm. Well... she said it was a gesture to thank me... it was a traditional manner... don¡¯t try to think about it too much. Hahaha. Sungjin put his mind together with an awkward smile. But... the warm feeling remained. On that day, Sungjin freed many people, and by giving up his gold, he provided enough food and hospitals to take care of them. He deserved to have pride that he saved many people. His reward for that was his self-respect, the many people¡¯s appreciation and... a special appreciation from a girl. * * * Chapter 8 The next day, Ereka prepared Sungjin¡¯s breakfast after finishing up her morning duties for the castle and the territory. That became a morning routine. She prepared amazing food as usual... but holding the spat, her mind was elsewhere. Ahh. Sungjin was so cool yesterday. Deep inside, she had given up, but he saved her with one single letter. He was a strong, charming man despite the fact he had no level. I did something way too bold because of his charm... no... it was ording to the tradition. There was no other intention. That was the right level of appreciation. But... she didn¡¯t understand why she was blushing every time she was reminded of that moment. He was not just strong. He had an iparable character with the other high-level heroes. No other hero from any other kingdom tried to save her from the tyranny of the Blood Ruler. The three knights gave their loyalty to the Blood Ruler. It was only Sungjin... who fought against the strong enemy to save her. On top of that, he forgave Rittier¡¯s rudeness without hesitation and gave an enormous amount of gold to save the people. He is so manly. Crackle. Crackle. Her fried eggs were bing coal, but she was still thinking of Sungjin. What should I do to make him like it? He seemed like a meat lover. What if he hates me because I gave him something he doesn¡¯t like? She thought that whenever necessary, it was better to have people take bitter medicine even if they didn¡¯t like it. But what if he hates me because of that...? If not hate, what if he thinks I¡¯m boring...? Ha. What about the herbal medicine? He said that it was too bitter and that he didn¡¯t like it. What if he got angry or bored with her when she insisted he take it? She thought that she was doing what she was supposed to do, but she couldn¡¯t understand why she was so worried. Ereka couldn¡¯tprehend the reason. Her eggs became charcoal, and they ruined the frying pan. Ha. First, I¡¯ll serve him his breakfast... Then she finally realized what was going on in the kitchen. She burned the frying pan, the pot boiled over and smoke from the oven filled up the kitchen. ¡°Huh... Oh my god... What did I do?!¡± She moved quickly to clean up the mess with a frown on her face, but it was toote. During breakfast, Sungjin didn¡¯t know how to react with his breakfast that was so different from usual. Some food was burnt, while some were uncooked. The presentation was a luxury. ¡°Huh?¡± He was not theining type, but since someone who used to be a good chef made this many mistakes, he was rather worried. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I will prepare your lunch properly.¡± Ereka dropped her head and apologized over and over again. ¡°No. It¡¯s ok. We¡¯ve all woken up on the wrong side of the bed once or twice.¡± ¡°No. Let me prepare your lunch properly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Sungjin briefly thought maybe it was that time of the month, but he was polite enough not to ask such a question to a woman. He started to have his breakfast. ¡°Ah, but this is okay,¡± Sungjinplimented the fresh sd, although the presentation was not so tasteful. ¡°Is it?¡± Ereka¡¯s eyes were shining with happiness. She was truly happy at least one thing pleased Sungjin. Ah, thank god. That was really good news. She was so relieved and happy. Hisment made her happy again, just like magic. Okay. I will make his lunch well. * * * After breakfast, Ereka walked with an ted mood and a beating heart. Ah ah, Sungjin. She brought him disastrous food, but Sungjin was nice to her instead ofining. And he found one good thing to cheer me up. I should really treat him with a nice lunch. What else does he like? Ereka wanted to know everything about Sungjin. Do you have a favorite color? What is your favorite flower? And... what she really wanted to know the most was... Did you... have a... lover... back in your... world? When she summoned him, she thought he was one of those people who vited and had numerous women, but now knowing that he was the opposite of that, she wanted to know. What if he had a lover...? She sighed. Of course, he had one. A charming guy like that, there must have been a line of girls waiting for him. But how many... She was curious, really curious, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to ask him. She wanted to know the truth, but she was too scared to listen to his answer. Ha... what should I do...? After sighing for a while, she shook her head. Silly me. What am I thinking? The war is not over. When the Blood Ruler returns awakened, her kingdom will be in danger. She only just recovered half of the kingdom; the people living in the other half were still suffering. I need to focus on victory. Supporting Sungjin toe up with a brilliant strategy was her job, not worrying about his past lovers. Yes. No matter how many women he¡¯s had, he is still my savior. I need to support him to stay on the top of the game while training myself as a knight. Curiosity was not a part of her duties. Yes, I need to train my mind. My mind. She walked into the practice room with her spear. Ha. She hit a block of wood, and the wood returned to her. Repeating that numerous times, a few dozen pieces of wood started to attack her from every direction. She kept hitting them without using her Heroic Power to train herself. It was impossible to level up outside of the battlefield. But martial arts skills could still be trained. In real situations, victory and defeat were decided by the skills given by God, but training herself in martial arts was better than nothing. She tried to concentrate. Concentrate... concentrate... While she was trying to concentrate, Sungjin and Jenna entered the practice room. ¡°Oh, the princess is there.¡± ¡°Huh? She started early.¡± ¡°She is good, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I agree. She is good.¡± Sungjin nodded. Moving rapidly with a spear, Ereka¡¯s movement looked like a beautiful dance rather than just a fight. It was a martial art and a dance at the same time. It was powerful yet beautiful and practical but also ritual. Gosh, you are looking at me. I don¡¯t know what to do. Although she gave up being a girl a long time ago... but for some unknown reason, she didn¡¯t want to show herself like that. Her spear lost its bnce, and a piece of wood struck her shoulder. Huh! What am I thinking? That doesn¡¯t matter. Concentrate! ¡°Huh? The princess made a mistake. That¡¯s rare.¡± ¡°Hm, no one can be perfect all the time.¡± ¡°Hehehe. But don¡¯t you think the princess with her spear is really beautiful? Other people say women are supposed to wear dresses and not armor, but I think she is beautiful and cool!¡± ¡°Ah, I agree with you.¡± A blooming flower in a dancing ball was beautiful, but the princess who was sweating from training to protect her people was equally beautiful. ¡°But... Hm...¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t finish his sentence. What she really liked was cooking and dolls, but seeing her give up her favorite things and wear armor instead made him feel sorry for her. But that was not something he could say to someone who was trying her best. Ereka couldn¡¯t stop listening to their conversation. Why didn¡¯t he finish his sentence? Three pieces of wood struck her. Ouch. What I¡¯m I doing, listening to other people¡¯s conversation in the middle of my training. She corrected the grip of her spear. There¡¯s no reason to be ttered. Sungjin is not a guy who would say bad things to someone in their face. Even if he thinks I¡¯m ugly, he is generous enough topliment me. Ereka gave up her dresses for armor and decided not to pursue beauty. She thought it was not right for those things to linger as a ruler. Now, I need to concentrate... ¡°Huh. You are not on top of your game today.¡± ¡°We had a huge fight yesterday. It is okay to rx a bit.¡± ¡°Hehe. You have a point. Ah, right. Sungjin Oppa.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°How¡¯s the princesspare to all the girls you used to have in your world? Is she pretty like them?¡± with twinkling eyes and a pping tail, Jenna asked Sungjin innocently. ¡°Cough.¡± What is this kid thinking about? ¡°Why in the world you think I was a womanizer?¡± Ereka couldn¡¯t stop paying attention to his words. ¡°Huh? Because Grandpa told me you were a level 0 extra here but looking at your ability, you used to be the ultimate king of your world and will be one in this world as well. So we should treat you ordingly.¡± ¡°To correct that, I¡¯ve never even dated a girl.¡± ¡°Really?¡± At that moment, Ereka lowered her spear thoughtlessly and turned to ask Sungjin something Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 16

¡°Huh? I was busy training and studying. Wait, watch out!¡± In a second, a few dozen pieces of wood hit Ereka¡¯s whole body. ¡°Ahh.¡± With a short scream, Ereka fell down ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± ¡°Princess!¡± Sungjin ran to her to hold her up, while Jenna was looking at her, worried. ¡°I¡¯m... okay.¡± ¡°Hey, do you have a fever? Your face is red.¡± Sungjin checked Ereka¡¯s forehead, and her face became even hotter and redder. ¡°You really have a fever. I know you are working hard, but why don¡¯t you take a day off?¡± ¡°Oh... no. It¡¯s not that...¡± Ereka shook her hand. ¡°Ah, I need to go! I need to work! I also need to prepare lunch! Enjoy your training.¡± Ereka pushed Sungjin back to walk away quickly. ¡°You should take a break for at least one day.¡± She is cute when she is a bit off-guard, but I feel bad for her when I see her trying too hard. Ereka stirred up his protective instinct. ¡°She seems to have a lot to do since she has to deal with the castle things... That makes sense. I can¡¯t stop her.¡± Sungjin nodded. He wanted to tell her to take medicine but dealing with her period was something she knew better than a guy like him, so he decided not to tell her anything. For a fight, he was an evil god who studied and knew everything, but all he knew about a girl was a few pages he read with no experience. Naturally, he had no idea what was wrong. Jenna was moving her tail. Wow. He really doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend. I like this guy more and more. This kind of guy wouldn¡¯t try to get with endless girls but only a few that he loved. He¡¯s passed. Hmm, no. Maybe, I should learn more about him. At the same time. Ereka checked her burning cheeks as she ran. Sungjin... so you are still single. She couldn¡¯t believe he had no one. That means you have been focused on your training. I was busy learning martial arts as a knight and studying on how to rule a kingdom as a princess, so I never had a boyfriend before. But I didn¡¯t think you were the same, Sungjin. She was not feeling bad but was actually happy. Oh, then maybe... She didn¡¯t see a pir in front of her, and she ran into it. Ouch. This is not the time for this! I need to take care of the state affairs. The state affairs... The kingdom is in danger. She couldn¡¯t understand what she was thinking. But... it is good news that you never had one. Her mind was everywhere in a second while she was running towards her office. She kept tripping over her steps. * * * Chapter 9 Unlike the flowery air on the princess¡¯ side, the Blood Ruler¡¯s side was experiencing a heavy and ufortable air. As they lost the castle that they used to use as their headquarters, they all gathered temporarily in Rangrian Castle, the second castle in the South. The heroes were in fear of the punishment that woulde from the Blood Ruler, especially those three who lost the battle. ¡°I came back awakened, you have given back the capital to that novice b*tch,¡± Riad said quietly in a low voice. Her voice held much anger. The air of blood from the awakened Riad was even stronger. It was filling up the air and suffocating the heroes. ¡°Pardon us all to hell,¡± the three knights begged for forgiveness. ¡°Then go to hell.¡± Riad¡¯s answer was as cold as ice. ¡°Please... forgive us.¡± ¡°Please, give us one more chance.¡± ¡°A chance? You couldn¡¯t even deal with the remnants, what could you possibly do with another chance?¡± ¡°Please consider our contribution and give us one more chance. This will never happen again.¡± ¡°Your contribution? Okay, if you want to prove your worth, all three of you fight against me, and if you can hit me at least once, I¡¯ll forgive you,¡± answered the Blood Ruler. The three knights felt relief. Is she forgiving us!? That makes sense. Although we made a huge mistake, without us, the next battle will be a problem. It wouldn¡¯t look good if she pardoned us like this, so she made this condition of only ¡°one hit.¡± Everyone knew the Blood Ruler was the strongest fighter, but there was no way all three of them attacking her together would not yield even one hit. Winning and hitting someone once werepletely different conditions. They were relieved to have a chance to save their lives. ¡°Come to the training hall. Do your best if you want to save yourselves.¡± ¡°May it please you, Your Highness.¡± The three knights bowed and followed Riad into the training hall. The other heroes followed to see the match. A few momentster... the three knights were passed out on the floor in a bath of blood. They looked miserable with fractures all over their whole bodies, and torn flesh and ripped muscles. They were barely alive only because the Blood Ruler didn¡¯t want to kill them. Their torn pants smelled like a disgusting mix of blood and urine, but the other heroes watching from a distance couldn¡¯tugh at them. They were almost the same as the three knights¡ªafraid. What they saw here was something incredible. Of course, It was the ultimate skill of the Blood Ruler. The three knights couldn¡¯t hit or take a hit from the Blood Ruler. Out of the six sses, knights had the highest defense force, but one skill slew all three of them. This wasn¡¯t because they showed any weaknesses, but because this was the strength of absolute power that overruled everything. No one would have believed this without seeing it. Even those who saw couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. This is... the awakened Blood Ruler¡¯s new power. Fearful. Scary. She was their ruler, but they were terrified. For the princess and her team, their happiness from one victory will onlyst until next month. They will be destroyed in their next battle. The three knights will not be needed, for the Blood Ruler alone was more than enough. ¡°Useless things. Can¡¯t even take one hit,¡± said the Blood Ruler. The three knights used theirst strength to beg for their lives. ¡°Sa... save us.¡± ¡°You guys couldn¡¯t even defeat the remnants of the princess. You guys are useless.¡± Bloody energy spewed from the magical sword of the Blood Ruler. ¡°They used a trick!¡± ¡°Yes. They were so cunning and cowardly!¡± Firgrine and Angrasil shouted together. ¡°Huh?¡± For the first time, Riad¡¯s face showed something other than anger. She was curious. Realizing that this was theirst chance to beg for their lives, the three knights started to shout out loud. ¡°That is the truth! If not, we would have won!¡± ¡°Tell me the details of the battle. ording to that, I will decide what to do with you all.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The three knights described the fight with the princess. Of course, they added in how hard they fought with their loyalty to the Blood Ruler while how sly and cunning the acting of the princess and Jenna was. ¡°That is what happened.¡± ¡°Ho. Ignoring your useless flowery words, it was a fight with a very capable military strategist.¡± Riad put away her magical sword. ¡°Are you forgiving us?¡± ¡°Although you guys were defeated this time, you¡¯ve done some good in our previous battles. I will give you one more chance to be useful. Bring in the healer.¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡± The three knights cried with happiness. After dealing with the situation, Riad sat on the throne and asked the heroes again, ¡°There¡¯s really no one new on the princess¡¯ side?¡± ¡°The princess, Rittier, and the baby wizard were fighting in the battle. That was everyone in the battle.¡± ¡°Maybe there was a VIP guest who didn¡¯te out onto the battlefield.¡± ¡°We would have reported that you if there was another high-level hero.¡± ¡°What about a low-level one?¡± ¡°There was none.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right. It is impossible for them toe up with a brand new tactic like that. There must be someone,¡± Riad said with confidence. Then one hero from the corner started talking. ¡°Ah... there was... Somehow, the princess kept the extra level, con man. They provided him a good chamber and food.¡± ¡°Why you didn¡¯t you mention that until now!¡± Riad¡¯s angry voice shook the hall. ¡°Because he was a level 0 extra... rumor has it that the princess is keeping him because he is good in bed.¡± ¡°Stupid idiots. Blind with eyes. Def with your ears.¡± Riad sat back on the throne. ¡°Bring in all the intel about this extra. Don¡¯t miss anything. I will check everything, even the smallest details.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to spend time to take care of an extra...¡± ¡°Bring it!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± After getting intel about Sungjin from the heroes, Riad started tough. ¡°Ah, haha. So that¡¯s it?¡± Why is sheughing? ¡°Fun. Okay, I will go and see him.¡± ¡°What? Your... Your Highness. Why would you go see an extra...?¡± ¡°Idiots! Level 0, so what! If you can bring victory, that is an ability! Having an ability means you are useful!¡± ¡°B... but.¡± ¡°I will see him in person. If he was the real source of their n, then it¡¯ll be worth taking him.¡± ¡°Your... Highness.¡± The heroes couldn¡¯t stop her. They were deeply unsatisfied in silence. I¡¯m sure it was not the work of the extra. It was the three of them who struggled to find inspiration by chance. A stupid, low, useless extra couldn¡¯t know anything about a battleground meant for heroes. People put their jewels in a jewel box, not in the trash can. God would put power, intelligence, and character in a hero¡¯s body, not an extra¡¯s. They couldn¡¯t understand why the Blood Ruler was ignoringmon sense. It was obvious that she was going to waste her time, but they decided to stay in silence as to not provoke her anger. * * * Chapter 10 Sungjin was rxing in a bathtub. It was a good way to call it a day and to rx his muscles after sweating in the training room. The bathroom in the castle was luxurious. Nothing couldpare with it, not a single a sauna in the neighborhood or a spa from a luxury hotel on earth. Magic was controlling the water to change the temperature as he wished, and it created a new flow when he wanted a massage. And there were also various bath herbs lined up in stacks for him to use, and there were maids outside to serve him any time. He didn¡¯t use them because he thought it was all a bit over the top. I didn¡¯t look for luxury, but the reward of the winners in this world make the prizes of a pro gamer look like a joke. That was why national heroes joined battles and put everything in their all. There were way stronger and cool enemies here than on earth. One of them was Riad. When I saw her through the screen, I felt the iparable power equivalent to everyone on the world champion team. That was before her awakening. She must be stronger now that she came back as level 8. A tyrant¡¯s bath of virgin blood¡ªfrom a humanitarian point of view, she had to be eliminated. But from a gamer¡¯s point of view, her ruthlessness and strength made her a great opponent. What is she like? Enemies had a very simr curiosity, just like lovers. One wanted to know everything their counterparts liked and hated. One can¡¯t stop thinking about their counterpart or thinking of making their heart beat fast. Information on the surface was not enough. To set up a perfect strategy against her, he had to understand her inside and out. Sungjin¡¯s head was full of Riad, the Blood Ruler. That moment, one side of the bathroom wall started to crack. Bloody energy oozed out from the crack, and a heavy sensual scent spread out. The next moment, the wallpletely burst. Standing there was a body with a confident posture and arrogant eyes that showed vigor. Her bouncy breasts and breathtaking body showed her fatal charm. Her red hair was morous and sexy, and her toned arms and legs showed a peak at pleasure. She looked like a spider queen who ate men, and also a bloody rose that made people want to be eaten by her. It was the Blood Ruler, Riad. The owner of the magical sword. A witch queen who gained strength by taking a bath in the blood of virgins. She was the strongest in the kingdom, and even male heroes couldn¡¯t look her in the eye without kneeling. Ereka was an edelweiss with morning dew, blooming on the side of a cliff. Riad was a bloody red rose that sucked up the blood of a thousand dead bodies. Sungjin grinned towards her. ¡°Ho? Riad?¡± Leaning in the bath, he rxed. He was confident and didn¡¯t try to cover up his naked body. His attitude without fear or humiliation made Riadugh. ¡°Haha. I just came to see you.¡± ¡°You should have sent a note. Obviously, I¡¯m not in a situation to greet a guest.¡± ¡°Hmph. That is great. Being naked is the best status to have an unfiltered conversation. I will join you.¡± She stepped in confidently. She disarmed her armor and showed her naked body. Her charming mature body uncovered its charm. With every step, she revealed her private parts. She walked in and sat in the bath, facing Sungjin without any shyness. ¡°Why not. Have fun. I won¡¯t charge you,¡± Sungjin greeted this uninvited guest nonchntly, Their gazes shed passionately. Their fierce, burning eyes respected each other. Others might have thought they were a passionate couple. They both scanned each other¡¯s body from head to toe, and neither of them flinched. ¡°Hahaha. Now I see. You¡¯ve got the body of a trained martial artist.¡± Riad burst intoughter. ¡°Your eyes have the insight for fights.¡± She pointed at Sungjin with her finger. ¡°You are ambitious. Hahaha. I thought there were no real men in this country, but you were here. You are from elsewhere. You are level 0 but not a real level 0.¡± As a royal, she knew about the forbidden summoning ceremony hidden in the secret chamber. ¡°Hmph. You are better than I thought. You must be a fun opponent.¡± Sungjin respected Riad. She was the real deal, totally unlike the three knights. She had to be defeated, but that wouldn¡¯t be easy for him. His blood started to pump faster at the excitement. Their eye contact became even hotter. Then the door opened and Ereka rushed in. ¡°What are you doing, Riad! I knew you had no manners but don¡¯t you have a sense of humiliation? What is this... obscene...!¡± As soon as Sungjin¡¯s naked body came into her sight, she turned her head. She became red and couldn¡¯t finish her words. ¡°This is a conversation between someone who knows about the fight for supremacy. You don¡¯t belong here,¡± said Riad. She didn¡¯t even bother to look at Ereka. That provoked Ereka. I also gave up being a woman and trained with a spear and shield. Nothing different from you! And that has nothing to do with... being naked. She turned her head upon seeing Sungjin¡¯s naked body. ¡°The conversation between warriors is a battle. You are a novice to worry about such a thing.¡± ¡°E... e... eh. Do you think I can¡¯t? I can¡¯t let you talk nonsense to Sungjin. I will join you!¡± said Ereka as she walked into the bath so as not to look weak. But she couldn¡¯t sit next to Sungjin and went to another corner. She wouldn¡¯t go in naked, so she covered herself up with a gown while avoiding eye contact with Sungjin by continuously looking at Riad. Sungjin tried not tough out loud. It was in the middle of a fight with Riad, but Ereka trying hard was too cute for the situation. He wanted to tell her to go back outside and that he will take care of it, but that would hurt Ereka¡¯s pride, so he decided not to. Riad ignored the princess and kept looking at Sungjin. ¡°I like you. Be mine.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± ¡°I will give you more than whatever the princess offered. Refuse, and I will kill you.¡± ¡°She promised half of her kingdom. You can multiply that?¡± ¡°Hahaha. That¡¯s a breeze.¡± The water in the tub made waves with herughter. ¡°I will give you the world.¡± ¡°The world.¡± ¡°I will march you to the center to be the third Kaiser who conquered the world. I will let you stand by me. You can¡¯tpare that with half of a miserably tiny kingdom.¡± ¡°The world? Hmph, now we are talking.¡± Sungjin showed a small grin. His goal was not just bing a Kaiser, the conqueror of the human world, but to be an Arc Master by conquering the sacred territory protected by God¡¯s guardians. ¡°Hahaha. Now we are talking? I like you more. I will take you. I¡¯m the only one who can bring you to the top.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m okay with the princess.¡± ¡°Bullshit. She can¡¯t embrace a man like you.¡± ¡°Are you bragging your level? She can catch up to you if I let her win a few times.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y innocent.¡± Riad¡¯s red eyes shone sharply. Her eyes were piercing reality. ¡°The rule of the princess will limit you from taking all the measures you need to take. That will stop you from using all of your power. I¡¯m not like that¡± The bloody aura rose into the air from her body. Her bloody energy sucked up all the air and filled up the whole bathroom. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 17

¡°Morals and ethics don¡¯t really matter. I don¡¯t mind a scheme or an assassination. You can kill a hundred or thousands of extras. If you can conquer the world, I won¡¯t mind anything. I will ept whatever your n is.¡± ¡°Hmph, good. You are right. The rightful ruling of the princess is rather cumbersome,¡± Sungjin agreed. There was not enough gold to buy off other heroes without exploiting people. There was another secret weapon hidden in the secret chamber of the castle, but Ereka wouldn¡¯t use it because she had no intentions of sacrificing any of her people. Other heroes went to the Blood Ruler because the princess required them to practice chivalry. ¡°Yes. Victory is everything. Come to me. I will give you freedom.¡± ¡°Victory is everything. That is true.¡± Was there sportsmanship on earth? Gold medals or trophies went to the person who used everything possible to win; bribery, doping, fouls, match-fixing, and whatever was necessary. The only risk was to lose the game on a foul because of the penalty points. In Valha, there were no rules stopping them. What about the Ministry of Gender Equality? They used government-patronized schrs and interest groups to transform lies into truth and spread these lies using the ass-kissing media to fool the people. They glorified their greed into justice to win. Whatever they did, the winner took it all. Ereka felt pressure on her chest. What Riad said was true. There were reasons why all the other heroes decided to stand on Riad¡¯s side even though thete king nominated Ereka as his sessor. Merciful Rulership and the Divine Birth Privilege were two major principles of the world, thetter being the dominant one without exception. The scriptures said that the extras had been given to the heroes. The majority of people took the trantion as if the extras were given to them to use rather than them being consigned for care. Her rightful ruling was a lot of work for them while it was more beneficial to serve Riad. Moreover, Riad was stronger, which made everyone want to serve Riad. That was why Ereka was sincerely grateful to Rittier and Jenna who stayed with her. She had to realize that her rightful ruling was not appealing to others. Sungjin, are you... going to stand by Riad as well... She wanted to ask him to stay, but she had no cards to put on the table to keep him. The Blood Ruler saw his abilities and wanted him. It was a losing game for her. Sungjin grinned. ¡°But what should I do? I like those restrictions?¡± ¡°Ha. What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Your victory is just a forced one. Well, that is still a victory, but it¡¯s not cool.¡± ¡°Victory is victory, defeat is defeat! The winner takes all, and the loser goes down. That is true victory and defeat!¡± Riad shouted as water from the tub spilled over. ¡°You are right,¡± Sungjin agreed. At the end of the day, the winner took it all, and the loser lost everything. In the world of sports as well, champions were wealthy while the bottom ranks were miserable. The Ministry of Gender Equality took the prize while he and other gamers lost their dream. There was no need to talk about war. ¡°But there were some idiots in history who pushed the limit and kept their ideology until they couldn¡¯t.¡± If you couldn¡¯t make it, peopleughed at you, and in most cases, reality would beat them up, yet they still challenged reality. And in those rare cases where their dream came true... Their ideas that those wise men didn¡¯t approve because they were too good to be true became a reality and changed the world. The emancipation of ves, the people¡¯s revolution, the abolition of the caste system and dictatorship, independence... And the princess¡¯ dream¡ªMerciful Rulership to protect people¡¯s lives and future. This would be even greater when achieved after a difficult task. Sungjin has been through the misery after being defeated. He has seen the enemy winning by using anything in their power just to win. But he despised that because that was a dirty victory, and he was angry because that was an evil deed. He told himself that he would never steal away a victory like them. ¡°It is much cooler when you keep to the rules and win. So I don¡¯t need you.¡± ¡°I thought I knew you. I didn¡¯t see your weakness of being chained to meaningless things.¡± Riad stormed out of the bath. ¡°I will kill you with her.¡± Pieces of the bathroom were scattered by her energy. Her blood energy evaporated the water in the bath. She turned around and walked out of the broken wall. Every step dented the ground. In that heavy air, Sungjin noticed Ereka behind her. ¡°Hmph. Do whatever you please. It is more challenging to win against such an enemy.¡± That was the end of their conversation; now there was a war waiting. Sungjin refreshed the air. ¡°Well, the unwanted guest has left, so you can go first.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sungjin.¡± Ereka thanked him and stood up. It was too much for her to be in the same bath with him. Haha. What did I do? Jumping into the same bath with Sungjin. Of course, it was to keep her eyes on the Blood Ruler, and she covered herself. That was too important to think of anything else, including manners. But... But... sharing a bath was something only between lovers. The word she had in mind surprised her. Lovers... Her cheeks were burning. Maybe she was in the hot water a little too long. But what if she and Sungjin were real lovers... So they really bathed together... ¡°I¡¯m too shy.¡± She rolled over and tried to hide, but Sungjin approached her with his hand. His hand had a strong grip and brought her over. ¡°It¡¯s ok. Let me do it.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Every inch of your body is beautiful. Show me.¡± What... what am I... imagining? That was impossible. That was all because of Jenna, who said some nonsense to make her imagine such things. Lovers. Such a subject will make Sungjin ufortable. But she couldn¡¯t help herself from wanting to know one thing. * * * After a little while, the princess invited Sungjin to the tea room. She hesitated a little while before she started talking. ¡°Sungjin, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Ask me.¡± ¡°I rule rightfully to keep the legacy of my father and to protect my precious people. But why did you refuse such a good offer from the Blood Ruler for aplete stranger¡¯snd?¡± ¡°Why? Did you want me to ept her offer?¡± Ereka shook her head at Sungjin¡¯s joke. ¡°Of course not. But... I was worried. I tried to be a ruler... but I don¡¯t have the power or charisma like my father.¡± ¡°Hmph. I told you. You are a better partner for the awesome victory that I want.¡± ¡°What is this awesome victory... that you are talking about?¡± ¡°What is this awesome victory,¡± Sungjin repeated. In Valha, victory and the defeat hadpletely different meaningspared to back on earth. On earth, this was just a type of sport he was ying as a professional yer. So he had only one rule to be fair and square. But in Valha, this was a war. He was just an aspiring pro gamer. But in this world, Sungjin was able to control the rise and fall of a kingdom, and moreover, change the destiny of the world. In a world like this, what kind of victory would he pursue? What would his path to bing an Arc Master be? ¡°At least a victory with your bright smile.¡± To have an awesome victory, he had already decided to protect her happy smile. On earth, he pursued a fair and square victory to make the audience go wild and to make himself proud of bing a world champion. In this world, he decided that the first step to bing an Arc Master would be to protect this girl. He didn¡¯t need a destructive victory like the Blood Ruler. ¡°What? Ah... well...¡± Ereka¡¯s heart pounded. If I smile... and cheer for you... would that be enough? To see her smile, he refused the offer from the dominantly advantageous opponent, the Blood Ruler. That was a noble and honorable act of him. ¡°Is... is that true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh... right! I suppose you need to rest now. Good night.¡± Ereka said goodnight and left. She was too shy to stay there any longer. But on the other hand... I¡¯m happy. I¡¯m truly happy! She was so happy to hear what Sungjin said. She felt like she was flying. Thank you, Sungjin. She was grateful that Sungjin decided to stay with her. She was truly grateful that Sungjin respected her rightful ruling, while all the other heroesughed at it and abandoned her. After her father, thete king, passed away, Rittier was the first person who said her restrictions were good and had worth... Sometimes she imagined... It would be romantic and lovely if a charming knight handed her his sword under the moonlight as a promise to protect her. Sungjin was not wearing shiny armor, and he didn¡¯t say his words in a rose garden under the moonlight. But Sungjin¡¯s words made her happier than any other story she had been imagining Oh... Sungjin... She was so happy that she almost cried. She had to abandon her dreams as a girl, but now, two of her dreams came true, both her dreams as a girl and as a ruler. * * * Chapter 11 The castle was full of tension after the Blood Ruler¡¯s visit. The pleasure from taking over the capital was only for a moment; now, they had to face the hopeless reality where they had to fight back against the awakened Blood Ruler. After helping the people from the capital, Ereka called a meeting to set up the next strategy. ¡°The Blood Ruler came back stronger. Now she is level 8, and her ultimate skill is a great threat of mystery.¡± Ereka exined the situation to Sungjin. At level 8, your Heroic Power bes stronger and upgrades your basic skills. But that was the least of their concerns. The real threat was the Blood Ruler¡¯s new ultimate skill. They had no idea what her new ultimate kill would be. ¡°Rumors say she defeated all three of her knights with one blow, and the other heroes were in fear watching it.¡± ¡°Hm, at least that is a clue. At least it is not an anti-personnel skill.¡± ¡°Yes. The problem is how we can fight against them with our absolutely unbnced power. I¡¯m checking to see if we can get some help from other countries ...¡± ¡°There will be no country who wants to help us to fight the awakened Blood Ruler,¡± Sungjin said with a reason. ¡°You are right. I tried to remind them about our long rtionship dating back to our ancestors, but it didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°It okay. We can do it by ourselves.¡± Ereka found hope in his confidence, although the hope was as tiny as a tiny boat in a storm. ¡°Is it... possible?¡± ¡°Really, Sungjin Oppa?¡± ¡°Could it be possible?¡± When all three of them asked him at once, Sungjin smiled. ¡°Yeah. They are dominant in power, but I have a n.¡± ¡°Tell us.¡± ¡°Okay. The basis of our n is that we are on defense.¡± ¡°Defense. Of course.¡± ¡°The battlefield in the capital has a 3:3 map, which will minimize our weakness of having only 3 leveled heroes, while the Blood Ruler can only bring two of her knights. Compared to a 4:4 battle, this is much more advantageous for us.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± But that didn¡¯t make them feelfortable. They already knew that much. ¡°And the real key is our right to build the base. Which means we can use the geographic advantage that we have created for ourselves.¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes sparkled like those of a wild animal. ¡°Geography?¡± ¡°Yes. I can think of hundreds of shapes in a second to make the base useful for us. I will pick only a few of them, but that should be enough to defeat them.¡± ¡°Surely... since it is you doing it, that would be possible.¡± All three were filled half with hope and half anxiety. The Blood Ruler¡¯s iparable power and name made them anxious while Sungjin¡¯s strategy that was beyond his level was a powerful tool. There was a chance for them to win in a defensive battle where they could prepare for it. ¡°Only one thing that you guys need to do. Hold out until the Blood Ruler deres the war. If you can do that, I will make you win.¡± ¡°I will trust you and follow you.¡± Ereka promised herself to trust and follow only Sungjin. ¡°Good. But keep one thing in mind. The Blood Ruler is not bad. She will be aware of the disadvantage of attacking and will try to do something to make us dere the war. Just hold out. Her ambition is not to take our country, so if we hold out long enough, she will initiate the attack to save time.¡± Sungjin already looked through the Blood Ruler. She was careful and cool-headed, but her ambitions were much bigger. He knew what her move would be, so he articted the importance of a defensive battle. If they were on the defensive, he was confident that they would win. ¡°If we win this time, the Blood Ruler will be our prisoner. That means that will be the end of this war,¡± Rittier endorsed. ¡°Then the princess will win, and everyone will be happy! I really hope that wille true,¡± Jenna said as she pped her tail with happiness. ¡°Sungjin Oppa. Work on a perfect defense strategy! Then I will marry you!¡± ¡°Haha. I appreciate your gesture.¡± But I mean it. Jenna kept pping her tail. Even if the princess married him as a first wife, there would be endless concubines who would follow him. She thought she had to get in to satisfy him where the princess couldn¡¯t and check on the other concubines. That was the way for her to serve the princess and Sungjin who both helped her. Well, I don¡¯t need to tell them now. ¡°But I promise us victory.¡± Ereka¡¯s heart started to pound again as she looked at Sungjin¡¯s confident smile. That confident and manly smile... very charming... I still have nightmares when I think of the Blood Ruler... Sungjin, you are a real man. ¡°That¡¯s it for now. Just remember to hold out whatever the Blood Ruler tries to attack.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± That was the end of their strategy meeting. But they were not the only ones who had a strategy meeting. At that time, the Blood Ruler was having a strategy meeting with her heroes. ¡°So what about the information I ordered?¡± ¡°Your Highness. Through the priest, we found out that the extra had a mock battle with the wizard kid against the princess.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, the wizard kid won.¡± ¡°I know she has no experience, but how can a level 4 wizard defeat a level 6 knight?¡± ¡°How terrible a knight she is, even though she has level 6 power. Tsk.¡± Riad stamped her foot hard to stop the heroes from talking down the princess. Crash. Even the ceiling shook with a loud noise. ¡°You silly things! It was not the weakness of the princess nor the strength of the wizard! It was he who made the wizard win!¡± ¡°But Your Highness, he is a mere ext... Ugh!¡± The Blood Ruler pushed her magical sword into the hero¡¯s throat. He fell down spouting blood. ¡°I approved of him after meeting him. You have insulted me.¡± ¡°Forgive us.¡± All the other heroes bowed down t. ¡°Report to me how well she did.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the priest didn¡¯t see everything, but it seemed like the wizard lured the princess into the forest and set the forest on fire.¡± ¡°Set the fire on the forest?¡± ¡°What... What is that... such a low...¡± Battle was supposed to be a fight between heroes using martial arts, skills, and power given by God. But defeating the opponent by setting fire to the forest? That was a cheap and shallow trick of a cowardly extra. The heroes were annoyed, but on the other hand... ¡°Ah, haha. As good as I heard. Okay. So a level 0 can use the geography for his n. He is the next level up from the people who use the turrets.¡± Riadughed with satisfaction. ¡°Your... Your Highness.¡± ¡°Hmm. A level 6 knight didn¡¯t fall for a fire for sure. I¡¯m sure there was more to it. One clear thing is that he is better at using geography than me.¡± ¡°How can he be better than you, Your Highness!¡± ¡°That is nonsense! You are the strongest and the best! Please don¡¯tpare your greatness with a mere extra.¡± ¡°All you can do is cover your ipetence with cheap, sweet-coated words.¡± ¡°They are not sugar-coated. We are telling the truth.¡± ¡°Hmph. Hmm. We should not initiate the attack.¡± ¡°What?¡± Riad¡¯s words shocked the heroes again. ¡°With your absolute power... perhaps you are too careful.¡± ¡°Hmph. A person who is drenched by the daydream of the princess not being a threat to me. Lions take unpredictable factors into ount while trying their best to chase even if it is just a rabbit. I will make the princess initiate the fight.¡± ¡°Knowing your absolute power, would they try to initiate?¡± ¡°I might not be a master of geography, but I¡¯m a master of human psychology.¡± Riad¡¯s smile showed her magical power. She sipped a virgin¡¯s blood with her bloody red lips. ¡°All you have to do is to follow my orders and prepare things. I will do the rest.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Riad started to work on her own strategy. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 18

* * * The day after the strategy meeting Ereka was spending a fruitful day. Worked on the state affairs, trained herself to get ready for the battle. And she prepared meals and bedding for Sungjin. What should I make for dinner for Sungjin. She told herself an excuse while wondering what would be the perfect dinner to please Sungjin. The destiny of the kingdom is on Sungjin¡¯s Strategy. Keeping his best condition was to show him her gratitude and also was for her kingdom Not because... she just wanted him to like her She was talking to herself and again was about to burn her pot when a man approached her. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± She didn¡¯t know the servant but she answered with a kind smile. ¡°This is... from the blood ruler.¡± Said the servant and handed a wind spirit stone that would send not only the voice but also a video. ¡°the blood ruler? What is is about.¡± ¡°I do not know your highness. I just got the order to hand it to you, your highness.¡± ¡°Ok. You can leave now.¡± Ereka looked at the spirit wind stone with a drawn face. I don¡¯t want to deal with it... but I can¡¯t lose the psychological war. She activated the stone and the face of the blood ruler Riad appeared. ¡°What do you have to talk about now?¡± ¡°I met the guyst time. Not we should talk.¡± ¡°Now what we should do is seeing each other for the battle.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Don¡¯t you want to have a chat as sisters? I came to the Brin mountain behind the castle.¡± ¡°A chat as sisters? That was over when you ignored the rulership of thete king and sacrificed people for the magical sword.¡± ¡°Really? I brought some entertainment for you. If you are noting, I will enjoy it by myself.¡± ¡°And entertainment...!¡± The video zoomed out to show around Riad. There were 30 children tied up with ropes. They all looked like to be seven or eight years old. Swept by ropes, they were covered with scratches. ¡°What is this.¡± ¡°I told you this is entertainment. I will do a hide-and-seek. That supposed to be a popr y among children.¡± ¡°Hide and seek...¡± Ereka¡¯s hair bristled up. The blood ruler wouldn¡¯t y such a children¡¯s y. She felt there was something terrifyinging, ¡°Ok, I will count to ten. And then catch one and then count to ten to catch another. If you want to join,e over.¡± Said the blood ruler, pulling out her huge sword. ¡°Now run.¡± The sword swung to cut the ropes. Frozen with fear children couldn¡¯t move. The blood ruler showed a cruel smile and started to count to ten. And then... ¡°Stop!¡± Knew what¡¯s next and shouted Ereka. Zing. She cut one¡¯s head off and blood spurted out. The huge sword pulled the blood and absorbed it. ¡°Ahahah... boo-hoo.!¡± The children started crying and ran over all directions. ¡°One, two...¡± The blood ruler started counting again. Bang! With a loud sound of an explosion, the kitchen door blew up. In a second the princess was in armor and ran with the maximum speed using her heroic power. She had no time to tell others. She didn¡¯t have time. She had to be there as soon as possible to save the children. Ereka arrived at the peak of the Brin mountain. She had to witness the bloody madness. A body without a head, a body cut in half, a body without arms and legs, all kinds of dead bodies were rolling around. They were all children. The lives who never even had a chance to live a life. They were too young to die. If there were no evil and violence, they were lives that were giving hope and happiness to families. They were lives with endless possibilities. Maybe they were meant to live a normal life, but this was not a way to end such lives. The faces of bodies with fear and pain were showing how they were killed. Only if... I was able to make it... earlier... Ereka grabbed her spear firmly. Her heroic power from anger made wind ruffled her blond hair. ¡°You arete. We were almost done.¡± Almost? She looked around. In the middle of this bloody madness where she couldn¡¯t protect children from ughter, there was a child still alive. The tiny child was frozen with fear and rolled up his body without moving. At least this child. It was toote, but she thought she could save this one. Ereka stood in front of the child and pointed her spear to the blood ruler. ¡°Ho. Will you finish up? Ok. As a sister, I will give it to you.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Shouted with anger, Ereka talked to herself. I need to take this child to the castle to save this child... The good thing was, it was forbidden to have a fight outside of the battlefield between heroes. Even if the blood ruler was much stronger, she couldn¡¯t attack the princess. Ereka took her shield to her left hand and hold the child with one hand. ¡°I was being generous. It seems like I need to finish this.¡± The blood ruler¡¯s sword sliced the air. ¡°Blood needle.¡± The next moment, blood from dead bodies on the ground became few hundreds of needles and shot up from the ground. They all looked like needles but each one of them contained destructive spear power. Ereka didn¡¯t hesitate but protected the child with her whole body. Ta ta ta tak. Needles stroke her body, but Ereka held the child stronger. ¡°Baw.¡± The child finally got the facial expression back and started crying. The child thought there was hope to be saved and refound the emotion. ¡°It¡¯s ok. I will protect you.¡± Ereka promised and started to run with the child in her arms. ¡°Hut. Still so naive.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not listening.¡± When Ereka answered, the child suddenly showed pain. ¡°Ah...ahah...¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ereka couldn¡¯t understand because she took all the blood needles with her body. ¡°Bloody Bomb.¡± The next moment, the child held the chest. And then the child exploited. Pitter-patter. Blood storm covered Ereka while scattered sh hit her. Her body became red with blood, and sh rained on her air. ¡°Hahaha. The kid was already dead.¡± Riad¡¯sughter echoed around Ereka¡¯s ears. Ereka¡¯s anger stopped her thinking. Bam. Heroic power spread out from Ereka¡¯s body. The air swirled and her blond hair shined like a lion¡¯s mane. Blood and stain from her body evaporated. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Powered by the death cry of the child who had a bloody death, the knight princess powered up Her spear went toward the blood ruler. I can¡¯t forgive her. She broke down everything my father protected. I can¡¯t forgive this tyrant. She killed too many people for her power and beauty, I can¡¯t keep this witch She killed poor children for her entertainment. The blood ruler raised her arm to take the spear. It was a crash of a second, but the power dented the ground. ¡°Ah haha. Thank you for attacking me.¡± Said Riad, stepping back from her. Oops. The next moment Ereka realized her mistake. A sh outside of the battlefield was not just a fight. Especially when the sh was caused by the head of an army. ¡°Now you dered your intention to attack, I ept this challenge and to take this into the battlefield! It is a fight between two kings, I ept your challenge with everything of my kingdom!¡± The shout of Riad became letters in the air and blew away to the sky. ¡°Chuckle...¡± Ereka started to shake her hand. She just dered war by her action. On the next battle day, she had to head to the battlefield. If not, that would be a defeat by decision. Sungjin told her it has to be on the defense side, but she just ruined it. ¡°hahaha. That is why you are naive.¡± Said Riad cruelly, but Ereka couldn¡¯t answer. It was a clear trap, and she couldn¡¯t control her anger. She forgot that If they initiate the attack and fail, no one can be saved. Ahah... In this world, it was to save a child would be ridiculed as an excuse. The blood ruler didn¡¯t initiate the attack. Life of the extras was in the Lord¡¯s hand. She just did what she wanted to do to her objects and Ereka interrupted her. And then attacked her to show the hostility. That was a deration of war. Ahh... ahahah... She had to stop the tyranny of the blood ruler. She had to save the poor child. But that was just her hope and dream. She had no way to make it while failed to control her anger to ruin everything. That was not a proper act of a king. And now... Today¡¯s massacre will... Spread all around this kingdom. It was her wrongdoing that caused the massacre. It was her ipetence that didn¡¯t save children dying in front of her. Maybe... that could be forgiven... considered to be the limit as a human. But... She was about to kill more people with her mistake. ¡°To celebrate the final battle between sister, I will give you a great present!¡± The blood ruler shouted holding her magical sword up in the air. Ereka couldn¡¯t hear the name of the sword. The blood power that has already be a torrent of heroic power and hit her eardrum. Ereka saw endless despair. Every single thread of blood power contained power as violent as a flood that swipes up everything around it. The ground split with blood torrent. A rock split into two pieces and drop into the crack on the ground. A cliff broke down and the ground changed the shape. A human-caused avnche. There was not even a trace of trees. There was nothing that could stand between tangling blood torrents. That was an absolute power that refused any resistance. Awaken the blood ruler who sacrificed everyone was the fear itself. It was not a surprise that the three knights fell down with one blow. One level 6 knight alone was like a military unit. But this torrent was something that can swipe a few units away. It was a natural, no human-made disaster. After the torrent was gone, the peak that was there had disappeared. There was a destroyed crater instead. Ereka¡¯s couldn¡¯t stand on her feet. She lost her power to stand. This is the ultimate skill of the blood ruler She felt it was impossible. It was impossible This wouldn¡¯t be a winning battle. Even if it was a defense battle, they had no chance. It was impossible even to Sungjin. ¡°Suffer more with despair until the battle day.¡± Riad cursed her. Hut. This means my victory. The survivor of the fittest. Sungjin or Ereka who wanted to save the weak had no chance in front of her. She realized it earlier when she was kidnapped. The wizard who kidnapped her and other kids to awake the magical sword looked them all in a dungeon. The wizard gave less and less food from the ceiling to make them fight to kill each other to survive. But until then, she believed in her father who said the strong has to use their strength to protect the weak. So in that despair, she believed it when the oldest and the strongest Aska said let¡¯s not fooled by the wizard and let¡¯s fight together. But even after they swore, kids started found dead during nights when there was less and less food. They tried to find the killer but she didn¡¯t realize the cruel fact. That Aska was the killer. She realized that only when he tried to kill her at night. He was acting because he thought if he showed his real color the weeks will gather to fight him. And death is the only end for the weak. The strong the weak was just a myth. In reality, we all have to kill each other to survive. Once she realized the truth, her power was awakened. It was easy after killing Aska. The fact that the more she killed, the stronger she became convinced her. The day after she killed everyone, the wizard opened the dungeon door. The wizard said the ritual of solitude waspleted and tried to unseal the magical sword, but that was a mistake. She had already be stronger than the wizard. When she killed the wizard, for her, it was neither out of anger nor was revenge. She was used by him because she was weak, and now that she is stronger, she kills the wizard and takes the magical sword. That was it. The wizard was sacrificed and the magical sword was unsealed. The magical sword epted her as its master, with a condition that she will keep sacrificing the weak and be stronger. That was what she wanted anyway. That was the birth of the blood ruler. Riad left with cold bloody energy behind. As the pact that I made with the magical sword, I will keep winning and keep plundering and be stronger. I will sacrifice everyone until I step on the top of the world. Little sister is just a stepping stone on the way. In the middle of the ruins, Ereka couldn¡¯t move or stand up. As the blood ruler¡¯s curse, despair ran over her. I... I am sorry... everyone... She couldn¡¯t protect anyone from this. Chapter 12 Rittier and Jenna talked toward to Ereka who stood in the middle of the ruin. ¡°Your Highness. What is going on.¡± ¡°I am... sorry.¡± Ereka dropped her head. ¡°Princess, what happened?¡± ¡°Jenna....¡± Ereka held Jenna without finding a word to say. The heavy bloody smell from the ruin and Ereka in pain showed them this was not a simple matter. Then Sungjin arrived. ¡°The ruin with the bloody smell...¡± At a nce, they found a shoe soaked in blood with foot lost the leg. Once they found one, they were able to see what happened. ? of a face. An arm without any finger. The horrible scene reflected the tragedy that had happened. ¡°Boo... boo... boohoo...¡± Jenna fell down and cried out loud. ¡°What are these... this... the pain... poor... this is terrifying...¡± ¡°huh.¡± Sungjin nearly threw up. He took cold and calm as his motto but he was still a high school student. He was shocked by such a terrifying scene. He didn¡¯t break down because there was bigger than the shock. The anger. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Sungjin... I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Stop apologizing and tell me what happened. I need to know what happened to n how to deal with this.¡± But Sungjin already knew what happened. That¡¯s why his anger was burning. This was a trace of a massacre. ¡°Ok...¡± Ereka told everything to Sungjin. The blood ruler Riad took children as hostages to provoke her and she made a mistake and reacted as the blood ruler nned. Rittier¡¯s face stiffened listening to her story. ¡°Your Highness... That was a mistake.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That was a huge mistake...¡± Rittier looked into the sky and moaned. ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± ¡°Sungjin¡¯s strategy was the only way to win while it is only possible when it is a defense battle against the blood ruler¡¯s awaken power.¡± ¡°Yes. I knew... but forgot for a second.¡± ¡°You should have ignored at the first ce. You knew if you are yed by a hostage show, the opponent will take it as your weakness and use it against you.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Ereka couldn¡¯t look into Rittier¡¯s eyes who kept ming her. She didn¡¯t have a word to say. ¡°Princess.¡± Jenna called her with regretful voice, but couldn¡¯t find a word to defend her. Even young Jenna understood how serious this situation was. ¡°Your ... I understand you cherish the lives of extras as well. But you can¡¯t save everyone. If you try the impossible that will result in a bigger disaster that will kill everyone else. I told you so many times.¡± ¡°Yes... you are right... you told me... I kept that in mind but...¡± Ereka understood the magnitude of her mistake. Killing children was not an eptable act. But it was impossible to stop all injustice. It was stupid to kill a hundred to save one. Now the blood ruler will take over this kingdom and abuse everyone with tyranny. No, not just this kingdom. She would use this as a stepping stone to conquer more. Sungjin promised to make them win in a defense battle, but she lost control of a moment and ruined everything A king had to be cold when necessary. A king needed the best judgment to know what was the best. Sungjin stepped in. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°But sir Sungjin. Now your strategy became useless.¡± ¡°I know. You are right and it was clear that the princess made a mistake. But that was enough.¡± Ereka started to have tears in her eyes looking at Sungjin. ¡°Sungjin, be angry. I don¡¯t want you to take my mistake lightly.¡± ¡°If you know yourself, that¡¯s enough. And moreover.¡± Sungjin picked up a bloody shoe from the ground. There was a tiny foot with its leg cut off. The bloody red shoe used to be a cute yellow one with little chicks printed on it. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 19

There was half of the face of a child on the ground. The young and fragile face looked like it was still screaming the fear and terror of the moment. ¡°This pisses me off as well.¡± This was a problem above a pro gamer or an arc master. He was furious as a human being. When he saw people who won with foul or bribery, that angered him because they were dishonoring the sports. And made him swore that he would win them with his ability. But... using the lives of children made him furious beyond simple anger. I¡¯m sorry. Said Sungjin to the dead children. [Do whatever you please. It is more challenging and cool to win such an enemy.] He shouldn¡¯t have said that. He knew that Riad was a tyrant who sacrifices people to the magical sword. So he decided to fight next to Ereka. But now he saw the scene... Hahaha. Ok, this is a nasty feeling beyond the incident with the Ministry of Gender Equality. Children were not binary data in theputer. He couldn¡¯t reload human life. That was miserably abused and scattered under his feet. He just realized that kind of victory he could bring by defeating the three knights and save people. And also realized what kind of darkness wasing when he couldn¡¯t. He promised to the children. I promise. I can¡¯t revive you guys, but at least, I will take down the blood ruler to stop her doing this again. ¡°But...!¡± ¡°Yes. A king has to manage the anger more rationally. I was naive. I need to grow up. But the anger that made me lose my reason.¡± Sungjin lightly held Ereka¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t mind that.¡± ¡°Sungjin.¡± ¡°I will cover you up for this mistake. Trust me.¡± Sungjin smiled softly. He articted the importance multiple times, but the princess blew it up. The defense strategy he nned became useless. If he was something normal, he would have been angry that his work ended up in vain. It would be less annoying if aputer project prepared for a few months has been deleted by ident, This was not a project but a war that they had to fight with their lives. But he smiled. To tell the princess to stop ming herself. He was a man who could embrace the princess of a kingdom. ¡°Would it be possible?¡± ¡°Trust me and wait.¡± Sungjin promised. ¡°Hey. Let¡¯s bury the children. And then I will work on an attack strategy. Stop beating yourself.¡± ¡°Yes. Princess. Sniff... woo... I will... I will help you! So... so... we will... we will...¡± Jenna tried to stop her tears and raised up her tail sword. ¡°Yes, Sungjin. Jenna... thank you.¡± Ereka stood up with tears in her eyes. They collected pieces of the bodies and buried them. Although he blood ruler¡¯s ultimate skill destroyed most of them and didn¡¯t even leave enough pieces to collect. Sungjin started to think about sitting next to the tomb of children. ¡®The blood ruler Riad.¡¯ Her strategy to kill a few dozens children to provoke Ereka was clearly valid and excellent. She killed only a few dozens children in order to have an upper hand in a battle that could change the destiny of the country. She deserved credit. And so... I will defeat you... He was able to be a world champion fighting fair and square. But what about arc master? Yeah. Now I know. In this world, the prize of the victory had nothing topare to the sports on earth. He needed a much bigger vision to be an arc master. Iparably strong enemies would try to stop him with evil methods beyond imagination. And the stake for his victory was much bigger and heavier. Many people¡¯s life was at stake. His first fight was to stop the blood ruler and Ereka. And now, he could see what has to be his next step and goals for his next fights. His opponents were not a simple rival team. His prize was not just a trophy and money. Now I know. We all want the victory, but the path he wanted to walk was far from the path of the blood ruler. He wanted to win because he waspetitive. And then, he wanted to save Ereka¡¯s smile who abandoned her happiness as a girl to devote to her people. Now there was one more reason. He wanted to defeat Riad. Ereka had to be the king. That had to be the first step of building his legend. So it was ok if he couldn¡¯t use his strategies for the defense battle. He didn¡¯t care that the blood ruler ultimate skill had absolute power. He set a goal, he would make it. The cool victory was not to find excuses, it was to achieve what one decided. I will defeat you. Sungjin promised to himself. * * * From that day, Sungjin started to work on new strategies. Ereka looked at him and started to pray. Sungjin... Every time she called him, Sungjin smiled and told her to trust him, but she knew. Sungjin didn¡¯t need this much time when he fought against me or against the three knights. When he promised to win against the blood ruler, it was not this long. He already had a n and he was adding up additional tactics. But this time was different. He said he would but he didn¡¯t yet. And probably... no, almost certainly... Sungjin was good, but this was not a situation where he could find an answer. You haven¡¯t seen it with your eyes, Sungjin. The ultimate skill of the blood ruler was more terrifying than what he had seen with the aftermath. Only Ereka who saw the moment she used the skill, the pressure, and intensity of the power Even though you are good, This time would be impossible. The blood ruler was way too stronger. That was not it. When she looked down to the training room, Jenna has dozed off with her hammer on the floor. Her tail sword started to do up and down. ¡°Humm... Yamm... Sungjin oppa, pat me.¡± ¡°Jenna. Go to bed.¡± ¡°Oh, Princess! Not yet! I want to practice more!¡± Jenna woke up and held her hammer. ¡°Don¡¯t try too hard. Kids need sleep to be taller.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Jenna stood her tail sword but soon shook it. ¡°I¡¯m fine! I can growter. I want to practice more to attack.¡± Ereka couldn¡¯t stop here although she knew that Jenna always wanted to be taller. ¡°Jenna... take your time... if you get sick... that is a bigger problem.¡± ¡°Yes. Your Highness.¡± Ereka dropped her teats knowing Jenna was trying to sound positive. She also knew Rittier was practicing harder than usual. I can¡¯t make you do this impossible task. They need to be stronger. But there was no a hero who woulde to their side. There was only one way. She called Rittier and Jenna. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to tell you.¡± Rittier and Jenna held their breath, knowing Ereka was truly serious. The room was so quiet, they could hear their own heartbeat. ¡°I will tell how to finish the forbidden ritual to Sungjin.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Princess!¡± ¡°I will let Sungjin decide if we need to proceed to finish. But if he has no other possibility, I will follow him.¡± ¡°But your highness... that ritual... that ritual...!¡± Rittier shivered his hand. ¡°No. Princess!¡± Jenna held Ereka¡¯s leg and her tail sword shook rapidly. ¡°Yes. That was ourst resort. I never wanted to use it. But I made a mistake, knowing the defence battle was our only hope.¡± ¡°It was a mistake for sure! But Sungjin said he can cover it!¡± ¡°Do you really think it would be possible?¡± ¡°...¡± No one answered. ¡°Even if that , it is the king¡¯s duty to stand on the front line and give her life to save her people from the risk.¡± She decided to be a king, not a girl. ¡°But...¡± ¡°So I will tell him that he can have power by taking me as a sacrifice.¡± So that was how to finish the forbidden ritual. To summon a demi-devil from the other world and sacrifice a virgin to use his power. The sacrifice had a double meaning. A sacrifice in bed to satisfy the demi-devil... But also a sacrifice to make the demi-devil stronger. The former had to sacrifice the virginity. Thetter had to sacrifice the body of innocence. The life itself. If Ereka took her fate as a sacrifice and killed herself, all her power would go to Sungjin. Although Sungjin left all his power back on the earth, with the ritual, he would get the level. That would awaken much stronger energy mixed with his own power. The legend says, a demi-devil from the other world has a unique ss, they had other regr power of the sses; knight, warrior, assassin, wizard, supporter. ¡°But...¡± ¡°What I want to ask you is to take care of Sungjin when I¡¯m gone. Don¡¯t me him for my death.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°He is such a nice person, so he will suffer from my death. But if you help him to rule as a king, that will be a way to save me. Which will be much better than dying as a prisoner losing rightful kingship.¡± Ereka showed a beautiful smile that only a person who gave up everything could show. His smile was sad, emotional and beautiful. ¡°Your... highness....¡± ¡°Princess...¡± ¡°I will let him take over after me. He is a strong, charming but also a nice person, so he will do much better than what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°What is not true! Everyone admires you, your highness!¡± Rittier said, but Ereka shook her head slowly. ¡°They appreciate my trying, but not an acknowledgment of what I¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Ok? Take care of them when I¡¯m done. Promise me.¡± They stayed in silence. Ereka begged with her eyes to promise her. ¡°Yes... your highness...¡± Rittier took the order. He wanted to stop her but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Oh...oh... but I don¡¯t want you to!¡± Jenna ran out crying. ¡°Jenna!¡± Ereka followed her. Sungjin¡¯s room crashed with a big noise. Jenna ran into his arms. ¡°Sungjin oppa! oppa! Stop the princess! Save her...¡± She cried her eyes out in her arms. She grabbed him thinking there was no one else she could trust. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Jenna, stop it.¡± Ereka tried to stop Jenna. ¡°But the princess...princess!¡± ¡°Rittier. Take Jenna away.¡± ¡°Yes. your highness.¡± Ereka ordered and Rittier took Jenna to take her out. ¡°No! Sungjin oppa, oppa. Save my princess...!¡± Rittier dragged Jenna out while she was shaking her tail sword and struggle, Ereka asked for Sungjin¡¯s excuse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this fuss from early morning.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. But tell me what is this about.¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes calmed down cold. He already knew half of the story deducted by Jenna¡¯s words. ¡°Yes. I wanted to tell you something. Actually... there is the ending part of the summoning ritual that was used to bring you here.¡± ¡°The ending...¡± They kept it from him until now, which means it was not good news. Sungjin understood right away. ¡°I decided to be a sacrifice and sacrifice myself to give all my level to you.¡± He was right. It was not good news. ¡°The legend says that the Ounder will get a unique ss called the 7th unique ss, so the strength is over the range. That will give us a better chance against the blood ruler.¡± ¡°So you want to kill yourself?¡± ¡°If you think that is the only way, I will. And I told everyone that you will take over the kingdom. Please consider it.¡± Sungjin¡¯s brain started to calcte the benefit of Ereka¡¯s offer. The 7th ss. There were unknown factors but stronger than now. Power to control his own power not just asmanding other. And the kingdom. It was useful. It was very useful. It would be useful even after this battle. It was clear. But... ¡°No need.¡± Sungjin cut her. ¡°Please consider it as ast resort.¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t need it. End of discussion.¡± ¡°But the blood ruler is too strong. If we don¡¯t make it, people will suffer. This is a fight we can¡¯t lose.¡± ¡°I agree. We can¡¯t let her win.¡± For those kids they buried. ¡°So we need to consider my sacrifice as ourst resort.¡± ¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Sungjin...¡± Ereka sighed with Sungjin¡¯s strong rejection. She wasn¡¯t happy to be dead. She didn¡¯t really want to be a king. She had to sacrifice herself to fight against the blood ruler. But she had no regrets, and if he could understand that, he would understand this sacrifice she was trying to make. ¡°I know you want an honorable victory. But as a king, this was my decision to protect what I believe in. It is not that you sacrifice me, but it is me taking responsibility for my mistake. I want you to understand.¡± Ereka sincerely told Sungjin with her hands on her heart. ¡°I know, while I was burying the children, I promised myself to protect people from the greedy evil force as well.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°But still I don¡¯t need it¡± Sungjin shook his head. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you are on the top of the list.¡± That¡¯s why he refused her offer without hesitation. As soon as he heard the solution, he understood the necessity of it. And how useful it was. But didn¡¯t want it. War required sacrifices. Especially when the enemy was much stronger. That was reality. Cold truth. But he didn¡¯t want that power logic to abuse others. Moreover, he didn¡¯t want the girl he wanted to protect the most, the girl who was trying her best to be sacrificed. So he would beat the reality with his power. ¡°I want to support your dreams as a king, but I want to protect your happiness as a girl.¡± Kill a girl that he wanted to protect to win the victory. That kind of nonsense victory was not his taste. ¡°What? What... what...¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather want you to be a girl who cheers me up than a holy martyr and live a happy life.¡± He wanted to protect her as a girl and as a king, not one thing or another. He wanted to embrace all of her and protect her. Experiencing an abuse of greed and power once was enough. He didn¡¯t want her to experience it again. And it wouldn¡¯t be a pleasant experience to see the girl that he wanted to protect experiencing that in front of him. He didn¡¯t need it. ¡°Bu..but...¡± Ereka blushed. Her heart was pounding. She couldn¡¯t look into his eyes. [I want you to live.] Sungjin¡¯s words echoed in her head. She answered. ¡°It¡¯s not... abuse... my choice... you don¡¯t need to try to protect...¡± ¡°Are you going to sacrifice yourself when the enemy is weak? No, right? If you don¡¯t need to, what do you want to do? Answer me.¡± ¡°I... I....¡± Ereka wanted to tell him what she was thinking. [I want to live with you for a long time happily.] I will be happy when he enjoys her food. I will be happy when we go on a pic. I will be happy to wake him up in the morning. I was really happy when he saved me in a desperate fight with the three knights. That moment, she just realized. Oh... I... I.... I love him... That was why she was so happy to be with him. She was happy when she thought of him. And that was why she wanted to stay with him. Although she knew how strong the blood ruler is and how much they needed her sacrifice. She wished to have a longer time to stay next to him and love him And to trust him with everything she had. He was a great man who can be a real king, and that¡¯s why she loved him. ¡°Trust me and wait. I will defeat to protect you.¡± ¡°Yes...Sungjin...I trust you.¡± Ereka nodded. She knew how difficult it was but she wanted to trust him. Because she loved him. Thank you Sungjin. Thank you so much for your promise. I¡¯m already happy that you are still going to protect me from this danger that was caused by me. She felt so emotional. ¡°OK.¡± Sungjin tapped her shoulder with a grin. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 20

¡°Forget about this, and just train more. I wille up with a winning strategy.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± Ereka smiled brightly with tears in her eyes. ¡°Great.¡± A tail sword hiding behind the pir was pping. ¡°If you guys heard it all,e out. That was my answer.¡± Answered Sungjin. Jenna came out with augh Rittier came out awkwardly. ¡°Sungjin oppa. Thank you for protecting the princess.¡± Jenna held his leg and rubbed her face. ¡°Sorry for being immature.¡± Sorry that I knew that it was wrong but I had to ask you. Sungjin pat Jenna as if he heard Jenna¡¯s thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s ok. You are a child, so be a child..¡± ¡®Ah...Sungjin oppa... you are... the best.¡¯ He was someone who really deserved the princess and Jenna. ¡°How did you...? I told you that was it...¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t mean to disturb, but we were way too worried...¡± ¡°Hehehe. Sungjin oppa is the best! You gave us hope.¡± Her tail sword pped. Rittier nodded. ¡°That... that is... leave us alone! You are disturbing Sungjin to work on his strategy. Leave us now.¡± Ereka shouted with embarrassment. Did you guys catch that I¡¯m in love with Sungjin...? I didn¡¯t say it out loud, so you guys don¡¯t know... right? ¡°Then Sungjin. Make yourselffortable.¡± Ereka ran out as if she had to avoid him. ¡°Thank you, sir Sungjin. I¡¯m amazed that you are giving us hope while we thought it was all lost.¡± She heard Rittier¡¯s voice thanking Sungjin. ¡°Sungjin oppa. I count on you for the princess!¡± Jenna¡¯s word made Ereka blushed. Count... count what....! Oh my god. Her offer was refused. But she got home instead. Chapter13 The next day, while cooking with Jenna and head maids, Ereka came up with an idea. ¡°So... everyone.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± ¡°Since Sungjin is working hard to find a strategy in this difficult moment, i want to find a way to provide some kind of entertainment, any idea?¡± Entertaining a royal guest was nothing special. Jenna twisted her tail sword looking at Ereka blushing talking about such an everyday thing. ¡°Your Highness. Why don¡¯t we take time and take a break to find an idea?¡± ¡°Oh, yes it is quitete. Let¡¯s take a break.¡± ¡°I will go and wash my hands.¡± Stepping out, Jenna gave a sign to the maids. Maids understood and followed Jenna. After a moment after a break, Jenna stood in the corner, holding the handle of the hammer as if it were a microphone. A tiny wind spirit stone was on it. And on the other end, maids were listening. Maids reported to Ereka. ¡°We were brainstorming, there were two things heroes enjoyed historically.¡± ¡°Two things...¡± ¡°The first is the glory of defeating strong enemies. But that is on the battlefield.¡± ¡°Then the second...¡± ¡°Wine and dine while enjoying beauties. That is the entertainment between battles.¡± ¡°Beau... Beauties...¡± Ereka blushed even more. ¡°But... Sungjin... said he didn¡¯t want to take me as a reward...¡± ¡°Not as a reward also means that he enjoys it. That¡¯s why it can¡¯t be a reward.¡± ¡°But... he said he was too busy training had no women.¡± ¡°That is a good thing. But that also means if he were not busy, he would have dated some. There¡¯s no hero who doesn¡¯t want beauty. It is just a question of his attitude to do what he wants or respect others.¡± It was scripted but made sense. All maids agreed anyways. And they were royal maids, unlike regr maids, they had power. ¡°That makes sense.¡± Ereka agreed and nodded. ¡°Thete king who was told to be too busy taking care of state affairs to do anything else, yet he had five women.¡± ¡°Right... Unlike a king, he had only a few women.¡± Five official queen and concubines. They had no idea how many he took just for entertainment. ¡°He is a rightful person to say he didn¡¯t want a reward. But if you provide him out of your love, he would enjoy it as well.¡± ¡°Lo...love!¡± Ereka suddenly shook her arms. ¡°No. Not like that... I just wanted to entertain him... as a king... because he is working too hard...¡± ¡°Them we will pick the young ones...¡± ¡°No!¡± Said Ereka, but dropped her face when maids looked at her as if they already knew. Now her forehead and ears became red and she looked like an apple. ¡°What I mean... is...that...¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok your highness. Strong and ambitious, but also who protects others, he is truly charming. And also he helped you a few times, it is natural that you fell for him.¡± ¡°... is it ok? We are at a risk... I need to protect the kingdom from the blood ruler... is it ok...a ruler falls in love...¡± ¡°That¡¯s wrong. We want you to be happy since you are the one who always takes our happiness in front of yours. I always felt bad that you are always sacrificing yourself.¡± ¡°Humm...¡± Ereka liked what she was hearing. ¡°It sounds calcted, but a strong man like Sungjin and the princess be lovers, which means it will be safer for us. It is great as a girl but also a great thing to do as a king. Don¡¯t worry about anything else, but get his love.¡± ¡°Ok.. that... makes sense.¡± Ereka nodded. Jenna nodded her tail sword. Great, everyone is following the script. Huh, my princess, don¡¯t worry. I will do everything to connect you, to make coincidences, to deal with other concubines... everything for you. ¡°I will tell you the secret, take Sungjin¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Come closer.¡± Maids whispered into Ereka¡¯s ear. Ereka became burning red. It almost seemed like her face was burning. ¡°How can I... do... such a thing!¡± ¡°Those aremon knowledge as a royal princess. Since ancient history, taking men¡¯s heart to protect the kingdom was the best practice of the princesses.¡± ¡°That... that...¡± ¡°Your Highness was too busy training as a knight, we had no chance to tell you the truth. But now you are already 17. Half of the princesses from other kingdom are already married.¡± ¡°But I gave up being a girl to protect the kingdom...¡± ¡°To protect the kingdom, the wedding is more important. You need to understand it. Look.¡± Maids dropped books from their robes. Some had titles only, but some had a naked couple making love on the book cover. ¡°This is from the east, this is Samatra¡¯s secret technique from the south. And this is from your ancestors. And this is...¡± ¡°Be .¡± ¡°People study discreetly but there¡¯s a reason why people called this bible or the secret bible and handed from generation to generation. In the east, they said the union of man and woman is a union of heaven and earth, and the genius writer Atres said heaven is in the union of man and woman. Queen Artina said how women treat men can change the destiny of the world. It is important. ¡°But this is too much. Take it away.¡± Ereka stopped them. ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± Maids stepped back. * * * After 15 minutes, while cutting an onion in silence, Ereka asked a question. ¡°So...¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± ¡°...but... really... something like that... guys... like... girls...do... so... Sungjin will like it... if I do...?¡± Listening to stuttering Ereka, Jenna had tears in her eyes. Oh... my princess. I was always worried. But you are showing courage in front of love. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Really...? He... would... like...?¡± ¡°Regardless of social ss, nationality, race, age, enjoying women have been the biggest entertainment of men from ancient history.¡± ¡°Is... is it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no shame between lovers, and there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do for your lover.¡± ¡°Well... yes...¡± ¡°Without love between man and woman, you were not born, and there was no world. This is a discrete but very natural thing to do.¡± ¡°Yes... you... are... right... but... I¡¯ve been swinging weapons in armors... I¡¯m not sure if I can do such a thing...¡± ¡°Your Highness. You are old enough.¡± ¡°You... you are right.¡± ¡°Moreover, you love Sungjin, and you want him to love you back? The one who wants need to try hard.¡± Listening to the question, Ereka stayed in silence for a while. But finally, she nodded slowly. There was no way to lie to her true self. ¡°Ok. I will try.¡± ¡°You are making the right decision. But since it is your first time, you don¡¯t need to know all the techniques.¡± ¡°Huh...? That... that is... It was difficult to make up my mind.¡± ¡°Being shy and unskilled is a virtue of a virgin. If too good, the man would be rather disappointed.¡± Maids answered with smiles. Ereka realized that they tricked her and started to blush We wanted to see how determined you were. Once it is done,e back to use. Thater is so many secret techniques we need to share with you. ¡°Oh... you guys....¡± Ereka said almost crying. ¡°But I will tell you something else.¡± ¡°Something else?¡± ¡°How to make a man want you and show your mind to the man discreetly. You shouldn¡¯t be too easy but not too difficult. You need to show him your mind discreetly, we will tell you how to do it.¡± ¡°...Can I trust you this time?¡± ¡°Yes, you can..¡± ¡°Are you sure...?¡± ¡°I promise you. But you should start your practice now.¡± And it was a difficult and embarrassing practice for Ereka. Oh my god... this is... already... this difficult... the secret technique would be... Ereka blushed But if we get married and... if... Sungjin likes it... Then... It would be a duty as a wife to learn the thing... If that makes him happy... I want to do.... ... But... that... I would think of it... then... She couldn¡¯t think of it anymore so she washed her face with cold water. * * * The next evening, Ereka talked to Sungjin. ¡°Sungjin, I know you are busy making a strategy. But I think It would be helpful to take a break. Would you like to go out to enjoy thendscape tomorrow?¡± ¡°Huh? Humm... you are right. Maybe it is a good idea to take a break to start again. Let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°Ok, I will prepare everything.¡± ¡°Ok, I will count on you. Thank you for taking care of me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m d I can do something for you.¡± Ereka smiled brightly. Her bright smile like sunlight made Sungjin lost his words. When a girl said such a thing and was innocently happy like this, a guy started to imagine things. Humm, I should be careful. The princess who was naturally seductive was dangerous. And today, she was more seductive. Just like a flower calling for butterflies. * * * The next day, Ereka packed lunch and left with Sungjin. ¡°Enjoy your time.¡± Rittier and royal guards saluted together. When they were out of sight, Rittier ordered the guards. ¡°Today, the princess is going to walk around the mountain with Sungjin to spend some time together. You all know what to do!¡± Said with fierce eyes like a lion, guards answered all together. ¡°Yes, sir! It is our duty to protect the princess to enjoy her time!¡± ¡°Ok! I order the perfect performance!¡± Following Rittier¡¯s order, guards scattered to the path to the mountain. There were guards who had been there for their morning shift. ¡°Today, the mountain is a restricted area. The princess has an event for a royal guest.¡± They blocked the path and stopped everyone so that only Sungjin and Ereka would be there. It was a mountain belonged to the king but usually, it was open to the public. People wondered what was going on but as soon as the guards exined, they understood. A pic with Sungjin was an event for the royal guest. Rittier was satisfied by the perfect movement of the guards. Your Highness. I will protect you. So enjoy your time as much as you want to. The old knight made an oath that he wouldn¡¯t let anyone ruin the mood by passing by. Next, to him, Jenna softly pped her tail sword. Haha. The old man is trying to help the princess in his own way. That was a great support. Hehehe. But that is not enough An empty bottle was shining in her hand. Today, I¡¯m d Sungjin oppa is Level 0. Usually, potions wouldn¡¯t work on high-level heroes. Sorry. Sungjin oppa. But there¡¯s no side effect. And Sungjin oppa is into the princess anyway. Today was the day the princess¡¯ dream woulde true. The princess deserves happiness. For sure. Jenna softly pped her tail sword imagining Ereka happy with Sungjin oppa. Ah... how lucky she is... I wish I could do it... with Sungjin oppa... no... the princess needs to enjoy first. Jenna also had a crush on Sungjin, but Sunjin had to be the husband of the princess. Her crush on Sungjin couldn¡¯t shake her loyalty to the princess. Sungjin quickly nced Ereka while walking in the forest. Big ivory hat and chiffon dress that dropped until her knees. Rattan basket that she was holding. Her blond hair was reflecting sunlight and her beautiful smile on her face. And dancing like steps that she was making. And her flowery body scent that he smelled with fresh forest. Everything was in harmony to made her look lovely and cute. Humm... really. She was pretty when she was armed, and when she was wearing her royal gown as a princess. But this kind of casual outfit was cute. He was d that he refused her offer to sacrifice. That was how he was enjoying this moment with her. ¡°Sungjin, why don¡¯t we stop here?¡± Ereka pointed a spot with a blooming flower next to it where they could listen to the stream and birds. The winter was moving away slowly. ¡°Ok. This is good.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s eat....¡± Ereka set and opened the basket. Ereka opened her 5yered lunch box. The food spread delicious smell that made Sungjin hungry. ¡°Oh. Looks delicious?¡± ¡°I would be happy if you enjoy it.¡± Sungjin picked up a meatball without hesitation. While chewing, he realized there was something more inside. ¡°Huh? Is this... did you chopped vegetables and mix it with the meat?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That must be a lot of work.¡± ¡°I tried to make it tasty for you while providing all the necessary nutritional value in it.¡± Ereka said touching her cheek shyly. At first, she thought it was important to let him eat good food even if he didn¡¯t like it. But now thinking she wanted to be loved, she worked more ideas. ¡°Thank you. I will enjoy it.¡± ¡°No. It makes me happy when I see you enjoying it.¡± Ereka smiled but she wanted to jump with happiness. Wow. I think she is happy. Making a new receipt with everyone was worth it. Sungjin tasted everything. Ereka¡¯s dishes were always great but this time, she made them with love, they tasted even better. Before her dishes were exquisite cuisines, whereas this time, it was customized to fit Sungjin¡¯s taste. If I think of it... my mom used to mix veggies to make me eat them... He had never thought he would have someone who thinks of him this much to prepare his meal like this. He was experiencing something he lost forever. Sungjin finished lunch and thanked Ereka. ¡°Ah. I really enjoyed it. It feels different to enjoy a meal outside.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you enjoyed it.¡± ¡°haha.¡± ¡°Do you have anything else you want to have.¡± He finished the lunch including dessert and drinks. There was nothing left in the meal course, but Ereka asked if he wanted anything else. ¡°Tell me... anything. I will give you... anything.¡± She said shyly putting her hands on her chest while blushing. As if she was offering herself. She subtly showed cleavage and her curvy body showed under her chiffon dress. Her scent was spreading like a flower inviting butterflies. She said shyly but it was an invitation and a consent with grace. If not excited, that would not be a man. Moreover, Jenna added a potion in his food. How... how would he react... Ereka¡¯s heart pounded Sungjin stood up. ¡°Then... I want to have you.¡± Said boldly, Sungjin¡¯s strong arm held Ereka. ¡°That... that.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you until now. But let me tell you. Now we are fighting against the blood ruler together, but even after the end of the war, I want to stay with you. Would you be my girl?¡± He was too excited to be rational, but he was polite. ¡°Yes.. I... was... also... into you... Sungjin.¡± She was too shy to look at him, but she answered. The answer to her shy words was Sungjin¡¯s passionate kiss. As if the politeness was just a cover before this. ¡°Ah...¡± Without knowing, Ereka made a sound like a moan. He was taking her whole body as if he was able to eat her up. Lips. and then ears, cheeks. Then her neck. And they even lower. He pulled the dress and kissed her breast and waist. The burning mark of passion heated her up. Everywhere he touches, she felt like her skin was burning, but mysteriously, she felt joy instead of pain. Unfamiliar and scary, but made her excited. Ah...ah... It was good if it was Sungjin. It was good because it was Sungjin. It was good only good for Sungjin. It was scary, but she wanted it more. I want to be his woman. I want to be in his strong arms. I want to be one with him. ¡°It¡¯s ok. I¡¯m really full. Should we take a walk?¡± Sungjin answered to stop Ereka¡¯s imagination. ¡°Huh...yeah...¡± Ereka jumped up and turned around. Oh my god. What was I thinking... But I did everything they told me to. They told me that was what should happen if I act as they told me to. What was wrong... Did I make a mistake? Was I unnatural? I was scared but was kind of waiting for it. It¡¯s ok. I still have a chance. But maids told her more methods. Ereka told herself to try better. After a while walking around the mountain, she worked on her second method. ¡°Sungjin. I will check if there are some wild fruits. Would you like to have a look on this side?¡± ¡°Huh? Sure..¡± He answered as if it was a treasure hunt from his elementary school field trip. The only difference was it was not with school friends but with a beautiful princess The time with here made this y special. She held his breath after Sungjin disappeared through the forest. And... She jumped into the water. Ssh. ¡°Ahhh!¡± An awkward scream came out to all Sungjin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± When she saw Sungjin running out to check, Ereka slowly stood up in the water. ¡°Sorry. I slipped and fell into the water.¡± Drip. When she shook her blond hair, sshing water made a rainbow. But the beauty of rainbow was tainted in front of her beautiful glowing skin. Her wet dress showed her skin almost fully. Her spotless skin and her perfect curve was an exciting invitation. It was magic that she was wearing a dress but she showed almost everything. Gracefully dressed, but seductively showed. Even her underwear was wet and showed every shape that was hidden by it. He blushed face was saying it was not her intention. But the body was too charming. The double charm excited man even more. There was a natural question though. Can a level 6 knight slip into the water? Sungjin was beyond others, but he failed to ask that question. ¡°Well... if you look like that... I¡¯m embarrassed.¡± As if she was saying I¡¯m a girl, Ereka blushed and covered herself with her hands. Sungjin stopped her and pulled her. ¡°It¡¯s ok. You are beautiful.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± ¡°I want to see more. Your everything.¡± Sungjin moved impulsively. He couldn¡¯t think, he was following man¡¯s instinct and pulled down her clothes that had already lost their function. ¡°Sung...Sungjin.¡± ¡°I want you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...¡± ¡°I was keeping it to myself but I can¡¯t hide anymore.¡± ¡°... If... that... is what... you want...Sungjin... I would... love to...¡± When Ereka consented, Sungjin started to move boldly. When he undressed her, her bare naked body showed a beauty beyond description. A pure fort that had never let a guy in. But now, she was opening herself to love, and inviting him toe in to rule her. It was fear but also a sensation ¡°Ah...¡± His strong hand stopped her from covering herself. ¡°Don¡¯t hide.¡± Sungjin bite her breast. It was softer than freshly baked brioche, sweeter than strawberry jam. ¡°Yes... as you wish...¡± She didn¡¯t resist and followed Sungjin¡¯s lead. She wanted it if he wanted it. But... ¡°Hum. You need to change. Do you have a change?¡± Ereka¡¯s daydream ended with Sungjin¡¯s realistic question. ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t bring one. But the armor by heroic power has no limit in shapes... give me a moment, I can take care of it.¡± ¡°That is convenient. Ok. I will turn around¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Ereka took off her wet dress. And sighed before she activated her heroic power to cover herself. Even the second method didn¡¯t work. I tried everything as practiced. Ha... what was wrong. Was it such a difficult task that she couldn¡¯t perfect it with few practices. Not having any reaction from Sungjin made her sad. There was no hero who didn¡¯t like a beauty. There was a little difference in how much, but all the heroes she knew enjoyed having women. The problem was some liked it too much and raped extra level women when they refused. But it was clear they enjoyed it. But how to understand this when she was approaching while he didn¡¯t react. Maybe it was because Ereka was not a beauty. Am I not good enough for you, Sungjin. Now there¡¯s only one method left. The boldest and the most embarrassing one. I came this far... I should try... She had a feeling even that wouldn¡¯t work though. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Said Ereka, and Sungjin turned around. And he realized. She didn¡¯t have to wear a gown to be beautiful. She was beautiful in casual clothes. A miniskirt that showed her thigh and a tight blouse that showed her breast line. The clothing didn¡¯t matter. Her body was the key. Whatever she wore, it was clear that she was beautiful, ¡°I¡¯m not used to activate anything but armor.¡± ¡°Huh? No. this looks lovely on you.¡± ¡°Thank you for telling me that.¡± Smiled Ereka, approached Sungjin leaned on him. ¡°I¡¯m cold and tired. Can I stay like this for a while?¡± Her beautiful hair tickled his body. Her body scent embraced him. The touch of her skin gave electricity. ¡°Huh? Oh. Well. sure.¡± He answered without thinking. It was a reflection. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ereka approached him even closer. ¡°Hum... ok...¡± Sungjin made a vaguely vacant voice, unlike his cool and intelligent self. He didn¡¯t know where to put his hand. Sungjin felt Ereka¡¯s breath on his chest. Is this working? Or not? Ereka thought, maybe this time? But Sungjin didn¡¯t move his hand Ha... ok... this is it. It¡¯s not going to work. When Ereka gave up, she suddenly rxed. All the fatigue hit her. After dering war to the blood ruler, she didn¡¯t have a chance to rx at all. And until today, she was training for this pic, she didn¡¯t have a break. Once all the thought came to her, she fell asleep without knowing. After a while, when she opened her eyes. she was sleeping on his legs. Sungjin was looking at her with a smile on his face as if he would protect her from any danger. ¡°Ha! I¡¯m... I¡¯m sorry!¡± She quickly woke up and looked down. ¡°It¡¯s ok. Rest more.¡± ¡°But I invited you for a pic just to make mistakes and made you feel ufortable.¡± Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 21

¡°That¡¯s not true. I was resting feeling the breeze next to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that...¡± ¡°Did you enjoy it?¡± Asked Sungjin, Ereka tried to answer. ¡°I... yes... I...¡± Ereka looked at Sungjin and then looked around. Then she realized. ¡°Yes, I had a lot of fun. I was dreaming about this thing for a while.¡± ¡°What dream?¡± ¡°As a sessor of the throne... I need to protect the kingdom and the people... and that keeps me busy... but one day... I wanted to go on a pic... someone nice... and enjoy the nature... and...¡± Ereka couldn¡¯t say the words she had in mind; the lover and secret rendezvous in nature, and looked down. ¡°Sorry, Sungjin. I organized it for you, but it was my dream as well.¡± She dreamed of going on a pic with a guy she likes or with her friends. She gave up the dream a long time ago, but now, her dream already came true. A royal princess of a kingdom. The princess knight who protected the people. But underneath her gown and armor, she had a tiny hope of an ordinary girl. ¡°Great. Let¡¯s do it again after this battle.¡± ¡°Huh? Re....really?¡± ¡°Why not? Let¡¯s do this again.¡± ¡°I... really... wish... we could...do it again.¡± Ereka prayed. Walking next to Sungjin, sitting next to him to enjoy a little pic lunch together in nature... That would be real happiness for her. Not a short break before a battle like today, but I would be amazing if she had no worries and simply enjoy the moment. Also... If she could finish the unfinished task of the day would make her the happiest person in the world. ¡°Let¡¯s defeat the blood ruler toe back. I promise.¡± ¡°Yes...Sungjin... Let¡¯s do that. I can¡¯t wait.¡± Ereka showed a bright smile. That was not the face of a strong and graceful princess knight, but an ordinary girl who was dreaming of a pic. No, a girl who was less than ordinary who couldn¡¯t even enjoy that kind of simple pic. ¡°Well. Let¡¯ go then. We will be back.¡± ¡°Yes. Sungjin.¡± Ereka¡¯s steps were light and delightful on her way back. Wow... It was... my first time. She tried to protect her kingdom by all means. She was pushing herself because there was nobody else. It was the first time she felt protected by someone after herte king father. I¡¯ve been dreaming of... having someone... who would protect me and love me? Love... was an unclear part, but at least she was protected. Sungjin swallowed hard. That was close. It was very close. He couldn¡¯t count how many times he was imagining having her. That was not something crazy for guys in his age, but today, there were so many chances he almost lost his control. When she was leaning on him, he almost took her and kissed her If he did, I was not sure if he could have stopped with a kiss. Huh. That was really close. What if he didn¡¯t control himself. She is too nice to reject me. She thought she had to pay back his help, and the other day, she told him she would serve him in bed if he wanted it. He rejected it though. Because that is the worst of the worst, he thought. If he helped someone in danger and ask their body as a payment, that couldn¡¯t be a help. People think she is a strong princess knight, but she is just a fragile and young girl when I see her like this. She was just a girl who wanted to go on a pic with everyone. But in reality, she had to wear armor on that slender body and had to hold a weapon to protect everyone. She was the shield of the people, but who would protect the shield. Sungjin wanted to be the one who protected her. Rest when you are in my arms. She made him dream something different from the earth. On earth, his dream was to be a world champion by defeating all his strong enemies fair and square. And let the audience cheer for the game. That was it. On earth, the game was just sports. It was nothing more than sports with money, honor and pride at stake. But here, there was a kingdom at stake. And the happiness of poor and cherishable people. How he acted and what kind of result he brought could really change things and made him a real great legend. Or the opposite. I will protect them. So that I could be proud of myself. If he couldn¡¯t protect this lovely girl, there would be no glory in his victory. Saving this poor girl had to be another priority along with the glory of defeating the strong enemy. So I wouldn¡¯t take this beautiful and charming body just to satisfy myself. Because I want to protect her not just from the viins but from myself as well. He told himself and didn¡¯t even touch her when he let Ereka sleep in his arms. He kept promising himself. Toe back for a pic. Because he was determined that he would make it possible again. * * * The pic ended peacefully and joyfully. But that night, maids surrounded Ereka to ask her what happened. Jenna set in a corner pretending she was not listening ¡°Did you make it happen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what was wrong but Sungjin didn¡¯t take me.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh my god...¡± Jenna¡¯s tail sword sharpened. What?! He didn¡¯t take her while she did all that? ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t feel it because I was not charming enough.¡± ¡°We thought you made it because you looked so happy.¡± ¡°But...¡± Ereka blushed with shyness. Dig it up! Now! Jenna signed to the maids with her eyes. ¡°Would you like to share with us? So that we can n for the next time.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Ereka exined everything from the start. ¡°Humm. So that is what happened.¡± ¡°Yes. It was a bit far from our n, but he said he enjoyed and wanted to do it again. I was just so happy. But maybe I am not a woman enough for him.¡± ¡°That is...¡± The maids looked at each other. They didn¡¯t know how to understand his actions. Jenna strongly grabbed the empty bottle. What is going on? Sungin oppa didn¡¯t like the princess... was not the case. He refused his level and social status to protect her. It is impossible that he doesn¡¯t like her. And well, it was more than just clear that the princess was head over heels for Sungjin. Then why nothing happened in their secret rendezvous. When Sungjin didn¡¯t call the princess to his bed at first, he had his philosophy that he wouldn¡¯t do it without love. But this time, what was the matter? A guy and a girl at their sudden age, if liked each other, wasn¡¯t it end of the story? Even without a pic, wasn¡¯t it normal to knock on the girl¡¯s window at night? But why. Why. Unfortunately, Jenna didn¡¯t grow up in an era of the culture of Romeo and Juliet. Jenna was smart and wicked but was too young to understand the difference between dating and marriage. ¡°I was just happy to hear that he wanted to do it again. Was too naive?¡± Ereka revisited her memories to cloud her face. Jenna¡¯s tail sword stiffed. Sungjin oppa, what the...! You can¡¯t make a girl hanging like this! But she couldn¡¯t let the princess worried and sad like this. She quickly whispered to the wind spirit stone on the other end of the hammer. And the maids followed her order. ¡°No, your highness. In our opinion, it was not that Sungjin didn¡¯t want you.¡± ¡°R...right?¡± Ereka¡¯s face became slightly brighter. ¡°He.. he didn¡¯t... take you... because...¡± ¡°Because...?¡± Jenna¡¯s tail sword was spinning rapidly. ¡°Maybe there is a custom not to take a girl before a huge battle?¡± ¡°I heard there¡¯s such a tradition in a farawaynd.¡± ¡°Or since he is level 0 now, maybe he thought it was a little too early for that.¡± ¡°I think that makes sense. He needs a victory to take his power back, and then he could make a baby who is properly strong.¡± ¡°Ah... that makes sense.¡± Ereka nodded saying that made sense. ¡°Either way, he said to go back after the battle against the blood ruler. We believe he meant to do it when it is time after the battle.¡± ¡°Ok!¡± Ereka found her bright smile again. There were so many reasons she had to defeat the blood ruler. Now there was one more added. She wanted to go back on a pic with him to make real love. That dream filled up her heart. That¡¯s what you meant. She thought he just wanted to do another pic and was already happy enough. This time... after defeating the blood ruler... Ereka touched her cheek, closing her eyes. She thought of the moment when she fell asleep in Sungjin¡¯s strong arms. She felt shy but also very very happy. Just that much made her so happy. What kind of happiness she would feel when she really bes his lover and loved by him passionately. The maids showed teats looking at excited Ereka. Jenna hid tears behind the pir. Oh my princess. I¡¯m so happy that you are happy. Her tail sword rolled into a fist shape. Count on me. I will make you two work. The princess needed happiness. I have no idea why Sungjin oppa didn¡¯t take the princess today though... The story she told the princess was to make the princess feel better. But when the battle against the blood ruler is over, she would get rid of all obstacles and to find their happiness. She could follow after that. Chapter 14 The battle day hase. Sungjin, Ereka, Rittier and Jenna departed to the battlefield. This time it was quite far, so they activated a portal stone. A portal stone, that helped them to move a long distance in a second, was expensive but was very useful in these cases. The people cheered for them crossing the portal. ¡°Your highness...defeat the enemy.¡± ¡°Please defeat the blood ruler.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let me be a ve of the blood ruler again. I will pray for your victory.¡± A woman shouted with tears, holding a child in her arms. ¡°My oldest daughter was sacrificed for the blood ruler¡¯s bath. And the second daughter was abused and killed by the three knights. Help me... to ... save ... this youngest child....¡± Among them, there was Nania, who was saved right after their battle against the three knights. ¡°Please win.¡± She couldn¡¯t even imagine bing a prisoner again. They were rather begging than cheering. ¡°Sungjin. Please let us win.¡± Said Ereka, made Sungjin smile. ¡°I promise. Anyways winning is my thing, but this time, there are more reasons to win.¡± ¡°Yes. Sungjin.¡± Ereka smote off her head as a gesture to give him her everything. * * * There were flocks of crows on the way to the temple. The unpleasant smell of blood from 20 dead bodies dropping blood upside down into the mobile bathtub was filling up the air. There was Raid and her sword in it, next to her, three knights were standing like servants. Blood queen who was full of magical power and sexual power. At the same time, she was the disaster and despair of the people. She was the strongest despair No, since she was strong, it was such deep despair. ¡°Finally.¡± ¡°Ah. Yeah. Finally here to defeat you.¡± Eyes of Riad and Sungjin sparked. ¡°Hahaha. A weak extra like you will defeat me?¡± Riad stood upughing. Blood drops rolled down following her curvy magical body to show the destructive and enchanting charm of darkness. ¡°You will be miserably failed by awakened king.¡± ¡°Sure. That confidence. That¡¯s what my prey looks like.¡± Sungjin grinned without stepping back. Her arrogance was the weak point that Sungjing could attack with his intelligence. ¡°A prey? Hahaha. There are millions of dead bodies and losers I took as prey.¡± Riad held her magical sword. Blood in the tub sucked into the magical sword at once. ¡°On the other hand, you didn¡¯t even take the princess who volunteered to be a sacrifice.¡± ¡°Hut. Lions don¡¯t take every meat. Only hyena eats everything even if it is rotten.¡± Sungjin snapped his fingers. ¡°Lion? Power is power! Your weakness is those theories. I will eat you alive!¡± ¡°Dream on. Until I wake you up.¡± Both assured their victory, walked into the waiting room They were all in for today¡¯s battle anyways. The winner would take the kingdom, while the loser would be a prisoner to be on the winner¡¯s mercy. And this battle would decide if the future would be a heaven or hell for the extras. This was the final battle. There was going back. But they were only equal in their confidence. The princess team couldn¡¯t hide their anxiety. While the three knights on the blood ruler side showed confidence. Moreover, the people who came out to cheer for the princess predicted the result which was far from their wishes. ¡°But... do you think she could win?¡± ¡°Ha... probably not.¡± ¡°But still... she is fighting for us.¡± ¡°She is our only hope¡± They wanted to clutch anything even if it was a straw. So people at the extra level wished the victory of the princess. But a straw was just a straw. That wouldn¡¯t let you float. That was reality. And all the rted people who were able to analyze the forces and abilities of each side shared that cold reality. Not only hero levels were certain for the victory of the blood ruler. ¡°Haha, your kingdom sent you as well?¡± ¡°Well, this is the best chance to build up a rtionship.¡± There were ambassadors sent from other countries. Other countries looked into this internal war and they were sure that the blood ruler would unify the kingdom with her awakened power, so they sent out ambassadors to celebrate the blood ruler¡¯s victory in advance. ¡°Haha. That is true. We brought a set of huge diamond ne and earrings..¡± ¡°We prepared more. We prepared a golden status of the blood ruler in her real size.¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± ¡°Hahaha. You both are not really prepared. We brought both the golden status and diamond essories!¡± Theypeted to see who could suck up to the blood ruler better with money and presents. It was not their money but was squeezed out tax. It was a patheticpetition. Although they thought it was a patriotic strategy. Anyways, it was certain that the blood ruler will rule the world. The princess had the princess of level 6, Rittier and Jenna of level 5Jenna and Sungjin of level 0. On the other hand, the blood ruler had three level 6 knights. That already showed the advantage of the blood ruler. But the blood ruler had defeated the three knights with one blow. The military power was absolutely imbnced disadvantaging the princess team. Last time, ¡®the princess used a gimmick and defeated the three knights... But that was against the three knights, their tricks have no chance against the blood ruler There were big differences between dominating with level and winning with tactic once. Level was an absolute power whenever and wherever, while tactic didn¡¯t work twice to the same opponent. There was no way the three knights would make the same mistake again, while there was no hope on the princess¡¯s side. * * * [3... 2... 1... 0.] With the deration of Valkyrie, the battle started. Southern territory map was 4:4. There were paths on the upper and lower side of the map where puppet soldiers were marching. And there was a huge forest between two paths where there were many neutral monsters. The big frame of the geography was not too far from the battle for the capital. But the forest was wider, the neutral monsters were stronger, there was a crystal generator where they could just pick up crystals. Which meant The forest was important for the team who took the forest could have the upper hand with items using arge amount of crystals. Sungjin ordered in the base of Team blue. ¡°Ereka. Head to the upper path. The blood ruler will go where there are more puppet soldiers with a shorter path. ¡°Yes. Sungjin.¡± ¡°Jenna. You take the lower path. Hold out as much as you can around the turret.¡± ¡°Yes. Sungjin oppa.¡± ¡°Rittier? ?? the forest. ??? crystal? ???. ????? ?? ?? ??? ????.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Everyone answered while they couldn¡¯t hide their anxiety in their eyes. ¡°Sungjin... But can we really make it? They are much stronger... can we win?¡± Ereka asked again to make Sungjin smile. ¡°Well, they are absolutely stronger. I get it.¡± He was facing reality. ¡°But there was an expression called throw that we used to use in games on earth.¡± ¡°Throw means throw the spear?¡± ¡°No, Throw the victory in a game. It¡¯s ng when an advantageous team off their guard with arrogance or be greedy to show their weakness to be defeated by the disadvantaged team.¡± ¡°Ok. I¡¯ve got one expression from your world.¡± ¡°Yes. And our enemy will throw the victory. Trust me.¡± Sungjin assured her. And Ereka slowly nodded. Yes. Sungjin. I give everything to you. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 22

At team red¡¯s base, Riad held her proud magical sword high and shouted. ¡°The ruler of blood, the conqueror of fear, destroyer of enemies to reach the eternal power by making your enemies the prey of your power!¡± Bloody mist covered the surrounding. The ground melted. The sunlight couldn¡¯t reach the ground. The darkness spread bone-chilling despair while the ghostly sound filled up the air. [Leave us alone. End this pain.] The ghosts that became the sacrifice of the blood ruler when they were and the ve after killed Riad beat all the petition down and stood up to show her power to the world. ¡°Vitium Sessio!-d Tepes et Overpower!¡± If one had massive power, that was a hero. Good and evil didn¡¯t matter in this world. Both good and evil spirits could achieve that power. Seeding the tyranny under the name of blood, the blood ruler sucked up all the bloody mist around her. [Ughhhh.] Screaming ghosts sucked into her. A tyrant. Because no one could fight against her. Because no one could disobey her. With her power, she ruled everyone. The one who was standing there was a blood queen with her destructive beauty. The magical sword showed an even bloodier color. ¡°Hunt down the disloyal! Then you will enjoy the glory of the victory.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± The three knights got the order. The victory was upon their king. The blood ruler headed to the upper path. The three knights discussed how to make their moves. ¡°The forest is important but that doesn¡¯t make sense to abandon the paths. I¡¯m sure the princess had separated her team to cover each path.¡± They were the experienced knights. They already figured out Sungjin¡¯s lineup. ¡°The extra wouldn¡¯t just watch, he would at least head to the forest to collect some crystals to try to get one or two items.¡± ¡°We need to decide if two of us would head to the forest or send two to the lower path.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make it safe. We don¡¯t want the anger of the blood ruler again by making mistake likest time.¡± ¡°Sure, if we are being safe, winning is not a problem. We can let them have some crystals in the forest.¡± ¡°Then two of us should head to the lower path. Then, we can avoid 2:1 fight even if they suddenly attack the lower path from the forest.¡± On the other hand, even if they had to face Rittier and the extra for a 2:1 fight, level 6 can dominate the fight against the joint attack of a level 5 and a level 0. ¡°Then if they disappear from the paths, we should contact enough using wind spirit stone.¡± That was also order from The blood ruler. ¡°Yes. We shouldn¡¯t take any suspicion lightly.¡± There was a saying that the side who has superior military strength shouldn¡¯t try to use tactics but should simply follow the rule calmly. Trying to have a bigger or better victory can show the opponent their weakness, so they should keep their strategy safe and press the weak opponent to defeat. The three knights decided to take the worst possible strategy for Sungjin, who had absolutely inferior military power. The three knights might be intellectually inferior to Sungjin, but they epted the fact and try not to show any weakness rather than being arrogant to make it more difficult for Sunjin. Sungjin said they could win if the enemy threw the victory. But what if they didn¡¯t throw the victory? ¡°Let¡¯s not jump into the turret even if they try to lure us.¡± ¡°Yes. The blood ruler told us to earn some time to activate her magical sword. So let¡¯s be really really careful.¡± We wouldn¡¯t be tricked by him again. They promised themselves. The audience watching the battlefield was sure who would win this battle. How could anyone defeat an opponent with absolute superior military strength while they also trying to be careful and safe? A great strategy to turn over the situation was something that was only applicable to a rushing and careless opponent. It was clear that the blood ruler was going to win. While hunting monsters In the forest, Angrasil found Sungjin wondering around. The extra. Is he looking for some crystal that should be generated soon? Even a level 0 extra could pick up crystals on the ground to get an item. It should be a tiny achievement if I catch that level 0. Moreover, the blood ruler thought the extra was important regardless of his level. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be counted as his credit but he was sure there would be a separate reward for this. Angrasil stopped with anxiety, before attacking him. No. Let me think to be safe. He has been tricked before and got into trouble. So there¡¯s Jenna on the lower path and the princess on the upper path, so there¡¯s only Rittier in the forest. Even in a 1:1 fight, Rittier was not a problem. Ok. Even if he tries to ambush, it should be fine. But let¡¯s be 100% sure. Let¡¯s set up a solid principle Moreover, even if he tried to trick me into it, I would never jump into the turret. Angrasil repeatedly told himself on the agreed principles before attacking Sungjin. ¡°Huh?¡± Sungjin started to run fast as soon as he heard the step of Angrasil. [Rittier! Where are you!] [I¡¯m hunting triants on the upper end of the forest.] Unfortunately, that was the furthest position from Sungjin. [Help me! I was spotted by a knight! I¡¯m running toward the lower path.] Angrasil was able to hear Sungjin for help through the wind spirit stone. I will get you before saved. The manhunt has begun. Sungjin was fast from his martial art training. It was beyond the abilities of high school students and nearly the limit of human. But Angrasil was much faster. The level 6¡¯s skill to adjust their physical ability was beyond the limit of human. Sungjin had no chance. Sungjin started to calcte to fight against the situation. Bushes, branches, roots, rocks and the condition of the ground. He was calcting all the geographical factors and objects to find the optimal route to retrieve. And that made the effectiveness of his movement to the next level. If he had the simr physical ability, it would have been easy for him to lose Angrasil. But Angrasil¡¯s ability was way above Sungjin¡¯s effectiveness. Angrasil came closer and closer slowly. But Angrasil was surprised that it took so much time. He is not just a regr extra. Angrasil understood the carefulness of the blood ruler. But then, that¡¯s just one more reason to catch him. Angraril dropped his arrogance came with his level. Angrasil used the wind spirit stone to call two knights. [Firgrine. Nart. Drop the lower path for a second ande up. If youe up now, you would block the extra that I¡¯m chasing now. Let¡¯s siege him from three sides..] [Ho? You are asking us to drop a path to catch one extra?] [Do it.] The blood ruler cut in. [Hat. Yes. Your Highness. We will follow your order.] Two knights stopped arguing. Angrasil smiled. He was happy that he came up with an idea that the blood ruler liked. I knew that the blood ruler thought highly of him. And The blood ruler had the princess Ereka. Even if Rittier tried to ambush or Jenna chased Nart while he was chasing Sungjin. If we don¡¯t walk into the turret, there¡¯s no reason we three level 6 knights can¡¯t defeat two level 5 enemies. We finish him here. It was not decided but Angrasil would get the best credit if he would eliminate Sungjin. Since themander princess team was Sungjin, they would be helpless without Sungjin. When Sungjin arrived at an empty lot, the bush in front of him moved. As soon as he saw few leaves flying, suddenly a strong wind started to bend and break its branches. The knight of the wind appeared with broken trees by swirling wind. ¡°Haha.¡± Rittier was not there yet, while the spear of ice was chasing him and the double sword of the wind stopped him. Sungjin had to stop when he tried to run to thest remaining path on the left. A burning heat made him realized that it was not a path for life. ¡°Haha, you are not tricked. You little rat.¡± Firgrine walked out with burning chains with me. A perfect siege by three sides. Sungjin quickly calcted and came up with his conclusion. There was no way out. Well, the three knights had alreadye out with the same conclusion a while ago. Without throwing the victory, being careful, they were clearly the best and the most experienced knights of the kingdom. ¡°Now, die!¡± The only way out for Sungjin was to be saved by Jenna and Rittier. But the three knights knew that so they didn¡¯t waste any time and was closing in from all sides. Sungjin calcted the remaining time for the arrival of Jenna and Rittier. It was unclear but considering their less than clear report, 19 seconds+-5 seconds. Give or take. Did he have enough time to wait? 9.8 seconds left. That was the time for him. 0 second had passed. The three knights came closer and ran into him. Sungjin tried to run across the three, but the three knights didn¡¯t give him a chance. 4.1 seconds had passed. Sungjin tried to go through Nart using paints. ¡°Nice try!¡± Nartughed at him and swung the double swords. The wind surrounded Sungjin¡¯s body. The sword started to slice tumbling Sungjin. 5.3 seconds had passed. Sungjin made it out of the first attack, but the second blow cut his left arm from his shoulder. The pain that was cutting sh, cutting the blood vessel, crushing the bone. Sungjin ended up on the ground screaming. His blood spurted and covered the ground. ¡°Hahaha. You look like a warm wiggling.¡± Nartughed sadistically and slowed down. That gave Sungjin 0.5 more seconds.. ¡°Wait. I will take the final blow!¡± Angrasil attacked him with his spear of ice. 8.5 seconds had passed. Sungjin rolled on the empty lot to avoid the attack, but that was not enough, he didn¡¯t manage to roll one more time and lost the 0.5 seconds he got from Nart¡¯s attack. Firgrine threw the me to Sungin. The three knights had one thing in mind. I will catch him! I will catch him! I will catch him! An extra was an extra regardless of his intelligence. An extra was just like a warm when facing heroes on a sword fight. ¡°Wind cutting!¡± ¡°Ice flower.¡± ¡°me punishment.¡± They all threw their skills and were certain of their victory. We got him! It was exactly after 9.8 secondster. That moment, suddenly something surrounded Sungjin. It was not Ereka. Neither Jenna. Nor Rittier. It was a giant spider. ¡°Kiaaaahhhhhh!¡± The giant spider stroke by a kill screamed. The name of the giant spider was the Daughter of Arachne. It was the second strongest monster in the forest. The spider attack back with rage. The magical spider web tied up the three knights. And the poisonous spit dropped their defense and immune abilities. ¡°Where did ite from!!!¡± The three knights couldn¡¯t understand this irrational turn over. It was an empty lot until a few seconds ago. Where did this random spidere from to stand between them? ¡°Ahh. That was the perfect timing for its revival.¡± Sungjin kindly exined while standing up. He made it clear that he let them cut his own arm by picking it up calmly. Sun Tzu mentioned using nature and geography. But Sungjin knew better. In this world, neutral monster was also a part of nature. Usually, monsters were used to attack the enemy while the enemy was chasing the monster, but Sungjin understood the principle enough to apply it ording to the situation. How to win an enemy who wouldn¡¯t throw while they are much stronger? Make them throw. Six Secret Teaching and Three Strategies of Huang Shigong said [make a careful enemy be arrogant, and a thorough enemy bes tired.] ¡°What? What are you talking about....¡± The three knights were confused. Did he lure us? Did he lure us to attack the spider? No way. If the spider was already revived, they should have been more careful. If the spider was revived a littlete, Sungjin would have been dead. A n depending on a miraculous coincidence was not a strategy. That was just an empty dream. And then, Jenna walked into the empty lot with Rittier. ¡°Sungjin oppa! We are here as you told us yesterday!¡± ¡°We came following your order. Is everything ok?¡± ¡°Ah. Yeah, it was within the timing. Good enough.¡± Sungjin greeted them with a grin on his face. Not everyone was a genius like him. It wouldn¡¯t be impossible for them to move by seconds. A goodmander shouldn¡¯t me the soldiers who couldn¡¯t conduct the perfect operation perfectly. A goodmander should have the ability to understand the capacity of the soldiers to n his operation ordingly. ¡°Huh? Sungjin oppa, you lost your arm? Oh my god! That must hurt.¡± Jenna had tears in her eyes holding Sungjin¡¯s arm. ¡°It was a necessary pain.¡± Sungjin smiled and told her not to worry. Actually, he was sweating with pain and shock, but he was standing still thinking that the dead children suffered more and he didn¡¯t want to worry your Jenna. ¡°The siege timing was 0.6 secondster than nned, so I had to be caught slightly earlier.¡± ¡°W... w... what?¡± For a second, the three knights were so shocked and forgot that they had to attack the spider. The crazy idea of using the spider was out of the box thinking but not realistic. It was impossible to calcte the revival timing and make the enemy use their skill at the exact moment of the reappearance of the monster at the exact spot. But what if someone did? What if it was not a coincidence... What if the extra lured them counting every second and even less amount of them to make them act as he nned? What crazy coincidence was not a miracle of God... But a trick of a devil. That was it. The 9.8 seconds Sungjin calcted was not how long he could hold up with the attack, but the revival time of the spider. And naturally, he called Jenna and Rittier on his nned time. The feeling the three knights felt was beyond shock, it was fear itself. This... this is not an extra! Neither a human being. It was a devil. A devil that had everything on the battlefield on his hand to y with it. ¡°Ok. Finish them.¡± ¡°Ok, Sungjin oppa!¡± Jenna stiffed her tail sword and threw a blow with her hammer. Threeyered magic square was spinning under her feet. The scream with the rage of Thor tore the sky. It was the ultimate spell that destroyed the three knights once before, Mjolnir. White lightning rained covering up their sight, sentencing their end. In a normal situation, they could have stopped it or avoided it since it was an ultimate magic spell with a long casting time. But now they were tricked by Sungjin and stuck in the spider web. The poisonous spit destroyed their immune power, just staying alive was a challenge. Moreover. ¡°A joint attack is part of a fight. We didn¡¯t promise a duel, so here we go.¡± Rittier exined before attacking them with his gigantic sword and he was right. His joint attack was a clear final blow. Varoom. Thunder shook the air and the hammer of Thor crushed the ground. Lightning burned everything up while the gigantic sword of Rittier slew the three knights. ¡°Good job.¡± When Sungjinplimented her work, Jenna jumped like a puppy. ¡°Wow. Sungjin oppa, you were right! Wow. They really attacked the spider on the perfect timing!¡± ¡°I had my doubts on counting time by 0.1 seconds, yesterday...¡± Rittier lowered his head to Sungjin. ¡°I realized again that you are above my judgment.¡± Rittier was astonished by the unreal situation. Without him, he had no chance against the three knights. But under the pressure of the blood ruler, we won without any bloodshed. This is surreal and shocking. [Sungjin. Thank you. I see that we really have hope.] Ereka sent her message of gratitude from far with the wind spirit stone. ¡°Sungjin oppa, you are really really the best!¡± Jenna pped her tail sword dancingly. ¡°Hut. It is not over yet. I will take that when I get the blood ruler.¡± ¡°Ok. Sungjin oppa.¡± ¡°Now, we all return to the base and gather. There¡¯s only the blood ruler let. Follow the position for the joint attack as practiced.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± [I will leave the path to return to the base.] Sungjin activated the return stone and clenched his right fist. The victory was on his hand. * * * Outside of the temple, the extras were cheering. Although they couldn¡¯t do anything that affects the battlefield, they were all looking at the screen to learn what happened. For them, it was not just a glorious moment of defeating the three knights. It was a moment where they saw a glimpse of hope for their lives. The moment where the darkness of tyranny ended to see the dawn of hope. Now there¡¯s only the blood ruler to kill! Defeat the blood ruler, the princess wins! Then that was the end of tyranny. ¡°Hurahhhh!¡± The crowd went wild not only because of the impressive fine y but also for the savior who was saving their lives. That¡¯s why they were cheering for them more than in any sports game on the Earth. Defeat. Please defeat. Take this momentum and defeat the blood ruler. It was an enthusiastic and desperate cheering that none of the pro-gamer has got on the Earth. Chapter 15 A momentter, Sungjin was cured by Valkyrie back in their base. [God. Bless this hero and let him fight again.] After her prayer, Sungjin¡¯s arm recovered without any trace. ¡°Ok. Perfect.¡± Sungjin moved his arm to check and confirmed. Now I can fight without any issue against the blood ruler. Next to him, Jenna, Rittier and Ereka were rearranging their items following his order. ¡°You all remember the position to fight against the blood ruler?¡± ¡°Yes. By heart!¡± Jenna shouted with her pping tail sword to make sure that Sungjin could trust her. Her cheerfulness lifted up the heavy air before the final battle. Sungjin had already exined everything. [The blood ruler is clearly strong. The power from her ultimate skill that destroyed a whole mountain is almost shocking. But we can defeat her if we make it a 4:1 fight.] [4:1 fight? Can we eliminate the three knights without getting damage ourselves?] [Yeah. I will exin thatter, just focus on how to fight against the blood ruler. The blood ruler¡¯s ultimate skill is strong enough to y the three knights at once but we have a counter. Ereka, you probably need to sacrifice yourself while the other two deal with the blood ruler.] [I was thinking about that. But other skills from the level 8 are massive...] [That also has a solution. Listen.] To win, they had to catch the three knights without any damage to them. And then endure the skills of the blood ruler without getting damaged. When she uses her ultimate skill, sacrifice Ereka and the other two kill the blood ruler. They already practiced the scenario many times. Their victory was 99.9% sure. ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s do this.¡± Sungjin and his team were confident. On the other hand, the heroes supporting the blood ruler were in panic in the waiting room. Were they in a nightmare? Howe the three knights couldn¡¯t do anything and dead.? Is this... really.... Is the princess doing to win...? The blood ruler was strong. She was strong enough to defeat all the three knights alone. But the team who defeated the three knights so easily, maybe the blood ruler was not strong enough to defeat them Were we supporting the wrong team? What is... what is this situation where the stronger team was careful just to be defeated? What should we do? They thought they could see their grim future. Sungjin and his team marched to the upper path. The blood ruler Riad was standing there like a king. She was holding the bloody the magical sword with a bloody cloud surrounding her like a bad omen. ¡°Finally, you are here!¡± She only looked at Sungjin, didn¡¯t even care about the other three. ¡°Yeah, I cleaned up those three. Now it¡¯s just you.¡± The fight started at 4:4 but now it became 4:1 siege. ¡°Haha. Those three. They were useless anyway.¡± Riad answered withughter. ¡°All I need is this sword!¡± She lost the three knights, but during that time, she collected enough crystals to activate her magical sword. ¡°Your tactic is enough to get three dogs with the princess rabble.¡± The magical sword roared. The air vibrated. Bloody mist filled up the area and the scream of ghosts echoed all around. ¡°But that is useless to me! Bee Despaired in front of my power!¡± ¡°She¡¯sing. Get ready.¡± Sungjin felt her murderous temper and had no intention to argue. Her ultimate skill right away? Even better. Anyway, he didn¡¯t want to return her skills, it was way too much work. It was time to destroy her level 8 power gained by numerous victims with his military intelligence. ¡°Bloody Reign!¡± Blood spurted from the bloody magical sword. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 23

Few dozens of tangled and broke the ground That was the torrent that erased a mountain out of the map. Every single steam contained the destructive power of a flood One movement dented the ground, another movement broke the rock. The human¡¯s body was nothing but a sh. Those streams gathered to make a whirlpool of the ocean. Even a battleship would be ground by its power. Iparable power that slew the three knights with one blow. But Ereka blocked her with her shield and shouted out. ¡°Aegis!¡± Her golden shield shone like rightful rulership as an answer to the abusive tyrant to protect her people. ording to the legend, the blessing of light was imprable. ¡°This stupid shield!¡± The blood torrent of the blood ruler shed with the shield. Which one would be stronger. An awaken the ultimate skill of level 8 versus a regr ultimate skill of level 6. Level 8 would be stronger. If it was a normal shield. But the Aegis that the princess was holding was not a normal shield. That was an artifact given by Athena, goddess of protection, war and wisdom, to her royal household after making an oath to protect the people. It was a power of god beyond artifacts of saint or heroes. It was beyond the level of a Divine Weapon that god made for humans, but was God¡¯s Dignity that God created for himself. That also meant the absolute protection blocked the power of level 8 enemy. ¡°That is just a gimmick made with a weak heart. Someone who sacrifices herself for th w lives is not suitable to be a king! Die!¡± The blood ruler was left with only one choice. Bloody torrent swallowed Ereka. Holding the shield to protect everyone, her body torn apart. When a savior is protecting her enemy, eliminate the protector was the blood ruler¡¯s rule, but Sungjin had already understood that. Ereka¡¯s sacrifice was not in vain. ¡°Now!¡± Sungjin shouted at the perfect timing. Jenna and Rittier were ready to attack. Thor¡¯s hammer shook the sky. While the old knight rapidly ran toward the blood ruler. That short amount of time after she used the ultimate skill. They didn¡¯t miss that chance to attack her with their best skills. They had more head counts, so even though they lost one, but still, they could win. They worked hard eliminating the three knights to get this advantage. The victory was in front of them. But at that moment that bloody magical sword roared again. ¡°I will show you the real color of my sword.¡± Another blood torrent spurt from the magical sword. The red body of the sword spurt blood and showed its real shape. That was... A sword made of a bone. Not steel, not meteor but a bone. Not even a bone of a monster or magical creature but a bone of amb. It was not a bone of a regrmb. ¡°The First Blood! The curse that contains all the bloody sins after you. Bring out your blood!¡± An artifact. The First Blood. It was a weapon that contained the original sin of Cain who killed his brother Abel at the beginning of the world. That was screaming in the hand of a girl who was trying to kill her sister. The magical sword; an artifact made of a bone of holy sacrifice, covered with the sin of murder. That was the cause of murdermitted by humans. The absolute power of the blood torrent from the sword came from the blood containing the weight of the sin. So the power as an artifact, It was as strong as the ultimate skill of the blood ruler. ¡°The...second attack?¡± Sungjin froze. The blood ocean swallowed Thor¡¯s hammer. At the end of the day, the blood ruler was level 8. While Jenna was in level 5. Jenna didn¡¯t have a chance. ¡°Ughhhhhh!¡± The blood torrent easily stopped the attack and crushed Jenna into pieces. And headed to Sungjin to tear him up in million pieces. ¡°Iron Faith!¡± That moment of danger, Rittier threw Sungjin to his back and blocked the power with his whole body. ¡°You can¡¯t! Break my faith!¡± The old knight shouted out his iron faith, but the bloody power was way too strong. ¡°Cute. There¡¯s no faith broke by power. It¡¯s only the question of which one first, spirit or body.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Rittier swept away by the blood wave while the blood rulerughed at him. The blood torrent did stop. The tsunami of blood came back to take Sungjin. His cold mind calcted that he couldn¡¯t run away from that tsunami with his speed. Despair swept him before the tsunami. But then, a little shape in light came out from the blood ocean, it was Jenna. She became running energy by using her skill, her body was grounded by the bloody ocean and almost invisible. But still, she used herst force to push Sungjin¡¯s body out. The blood gnawed him from behind, but Jenna pushed Sungjin out. She wanted to save him. ¡°Ahhhhh.¡± With a shout mixed with her scream, Jenna pushed Sungjin out of the blood. The tsunami died down behind them. ¡°Hehehe... Sungjin oppa, you are ok, right...?¡± When she became herself from the shape of the energy, she had only her upper body. She was shivering with pain but tried to smile for him. But the next moment, her body scattered and disappeared. Sungjin couldn¡¯t do anything but watch. That was the best position using all their forces. He used all the information he gathered, studies them and prepared. He already thought that there was something more than just the ultimate skill of the blood ruler that she showed to the princess on the mountain. He predicted there would be more skills. He studied various cases of the ultimate skill in various battles in numerous locations to understand the possibilities. And he was sure that he would defeat her when he looked at the ultimate skill alone. Another variable was a counterattack by an artifact. And he was prepared. He checked all the existing artifacts and nned the solution for each case. That was why he was 99% sure. But he was in the 1% situation now. An artifact that could duplicate the ultimate skill. His team had not enough force to return that. He did everything he could. The remaining 1% of possibilities, the rarest artifact that could make everything powerless in the hand of the blood ruler. [Man proposes and God disposes.] Sungjin felt the same regret that of Zhuge Liang when he seeded in his fire attack yet failed to catch Sima Yi. If there was only the blood ruler, he should have won, but fate was not on his side Fate protected level 8 blood ruler from the level 0 extra. An artifact that duplicates of...the... ultimate kill? Sungjin had to ept his failure in front of the absolute power He saved all his team from any damage. And attacked her with their optimal tactic. Only to be defeated. ¡°Hahaha. How you understand what you are facing.¡± Riadughed arrogantly, but Sungjin couldn¡¯t argue. He was alone. His team was annihted. He couldn¡¯t even kind the trace of their body. All of them. No, that was not it. His promise to take out the tyrant, the blood ruler, to free this world and the hope of people swept away with them. Now the blood ruler would take over the kingdom to sacrifice everyone for herself. Countless people would be abused and die miserably. The oppression of the Ministry of Gender Equality was smaller than a needle in a haystack. What should I do? Sungjin¡¯s brain calcted his situation and all the possible possibilities in this desperate situation. The answer was clear. There was no answer. There was no way to make it work. The game was over. He was defeated. ¡°Now, you know how stupid you are.¡± Riad put her sword on his neck. ¡°Using the power you have is not the only way to set up a strategy, but having power itself is always one. Your weakness that didn¡¯t kill the princess to obtain power is the reason for your misery.¡± To fight against the tyrant who killed everyone to umte her power, his choice not to sacrifice a girl that he liked was a sign of his weakness. ¡°Ugh...¡± He couldn¡¯t argue, knowing she was right. Is it... over? Was I someone who couldn¡¯t defeat the blood ruler, far from bing an Arc Master? Heroes were chanting in the waiting room. ¡°Our blood ruler!¡± They were stupid to fear Sungjin. He had the intelligence of a devil? Maybe. But the absolute power of the blood ruler was of the great devil. Sungjin¡¯s military intelligence multiplied what they had, While the blood ruler¡¯s absolute power crashed more than what they could imagine. The winner was the power of level 8 not the creative mind of level 0. Not a gimmick of an extra but the absolute power of a hero. Level was the only measure of power and privilege. The people fell into despair again. ¡°Ahah... your highness....¡± ¡°We... are done....¡± ¡°Your Highness... Sungjin....¡± Nania was among people who lost their spirit and fell down on the ground. Their hope was killed by the blood ruler¡¯s absolute power with the princess. Ereka, back in the waiting room, put her hands together. ¡°Not yet. Sungjin is still out there.¡± She told herself that she wouldn¡¯t let him lose because she protected not only her rightful rulership but also her life. She wouldn¡¯t let the blood ruler abuse people with tyranny She had her final method. She pulled out her dagger. The sword made of gold with an ominous red ruby decorating it looked like bad news. ¡°Your Highness...¡± Rittier¡¯s face became dark because he knew that the dagger was to kill herself to finish the ritual and give Sungjin all her power. ¡°My princess!¡± Jenna cried, but none of them could stop her. That was the only way to stop the blood ruler ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Shouted Sungjin from the faraway battlefield. He couldn¡¯t see the waiting room but he knew. ¡°Sungjin. But you know this is the only way.¡± Ereka answered, knowing there was no way he could hear her. ¡°Don¡¯t! I... I will...¡± Sungjin couldn¡¯t promise that he would win. He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. His brain knew that there was no way. He couldn¡¯t stop Ereka, while he couldn¡¯t even lie to himself. ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself. You¡¯ve been great. Just the blood ruler¡¯s power was too great to fight.¡± They had to sacrifice something to fight back. The princess smiled sadly looking at the sharp dagger. She thought she was ready, but her hands were shaking. She remembered her promise she made with Sungjin to go on another pic. Ah... yes... I always dreamed of a romance with a prince charming. She tried her best to get approved by her father who taught her knighthood and martial arts to make her strong, but she couldn¡¯t meet his expectations. ying with dolls and talking about romance with princes or heroes always made her heart pounding. She dreamed of falling in love with a prince charming, cooking for him, dancing with him and made her happy. That¡¯s why she ran away from home saying she didn¡¯t want to be a king and hated martial art when her father stopped her going to a dancing party to greet a foreign guest. After her father passed away, she stood against the blood ruler while other heroes stayed in silence. And she had to give up her dreams as a girl to be a knight... But her childhood dream was still there. Maybe that was why. She was so happy when she met Sungjin and fell in love with Sungjin. It was short but I was really happy. She was happy just imagining the pic with him. She was shy but she daydreamed of being his lover. She wished their life together. Ah... Sungjin... She sadly smiled looking at Sungjin. She didn¡¯t regret her decision to be a king. She was not regretting her oath to choose the kingship over love. It was worth the try to protect everyone. But... but... She didn¡¯t know she had to abandon something that made her so happy and that she wanted to badly. Only if I could fall asleep in his arms once more... She wished and wished If I had one more day, I would spend it in his arms. If I had one more day, I would tell him how I felt. But now it was the moment of choice. No, she had already made her choice when she was holding her shield. She had a million wishes but that didn¡¯t change her mind. Bye. I give my everything to you. She could trust him and give her everything to him. Because she loved him. She pushed the dagger into her heart. There was no blood. But the ruby sucked up her blood. The ominous red shined brightly and started to pound like a real heart. The princess protected everyone again. Although nobody protected her. A me of darkness spurt from Sungjin¡¯s body. It was not burning or melting but simply annihting everything and swallowed the ground around him. ¡°What?¡± The massive power made the blood ruler step back. Dark me evaporated the blood ocean. It looked like a gigantic dragon coiling up. If the blood ocean of the magical sword was made of human sin. The dragon of dark me was evil itself came out from the deepest hell. ¡°Hahaha, so this is your power?¡± The blood rulerughed pretending she was cool, but she couldn¡¯t hold her sword still. Even if the princess sacrifice herself to give her power to Sungjin, she was only level 6. She thought that shouldn¡¯t be threatening, but the dark me with unimaginable power pressed her down. She understood if she fought this being, her, her level and her everything would be ashes in a heartbeat. The real magical creature from another world. A power beyond any measurement. It was impossible to measure him with level, now the ritual has beenpleted, his power was next level. The princess was just a catalyst, was not a power given to him. The princess Ereka¡¯s spirit whispered Sungjin. She was reachinga, her spirit was dragged to the battlefield by the power and saw the burning me of darkness. So this is your true power, Sungjin? As her life faded away, the evil dark me started to show its shape. I¡¯m d. With this power, you could fight the blood ruler. Her sacrifice was not in vain. It must be difficult but take my life. Sungjin understood her. Realistically, that was the best way. He meant it when he said he wanted to protect her. But it was what he wanted, the reality didn¡¯t allow him. The reason for power ruled the world. It didn¡¯t matter who was right. The Strongest was to be the winner. Took everyone as her sacrifices or not didn¡¯t matter. As long as she got the power, the blood ruler was the strong winner. What they needed was the power to fight back. Not a justice. Justice was thest thing they needed. This was an irony that a girl became unhappy to make everyone happy, but that was how it worked in this world. When fighting against a weak enemy, he could talk about a perfect victory, following his dream kind of bullshit to look cool. But when he had to fight against a strong enemy, there was no ce for vanity. To be strong enough to fight back, a sudden level of sacrifice was a necessary evil. He had to take the power from the princess This was the only way to win. He came up with his conclusion. That was the best way for the princess as well. Although she lost her life and her happiness she would keep what she wanted to protect as a king. The dragon of dark me coiled around him to be united. A dragon brand started to appear on his chest around his heart. [The person who followed the forbidden ritual to join the battle watched by gods. I was fallen from the light. I was light but became darkness.] The deep and dark voice echoed. [The king of those who fights against God. The great king of kings who rules hell.] Sungjin was full of power. The blood ruler in front of him was nothing to fear. He was sure. Once he took this power, there was no need to even fight. [My name is the morning star abandoned the light. The despair that abandoned the hope.] The dark me dragon roared. The air heated up and all the clouds in the battlefield evaporated. [Lucifer.] When he revealed his name, a circle of pact appeared under Sungjin¡¯s feet. The name and the weight of the name agitated the battlefield and the waiting room. Heroes seeded only in the name of spirits. A superhuman who overcame the limit of human. They were sessors of various spirits from different worlds beyond Valha Superhuman was still the name of a human But the king of hell. Not a wizard who serve the king but the king himself. The king of the king. An extra, no... a magical creature from elsewhere will seed the great name of the king of hell? Now people understood why the power was to be beyond levels and was above any existing measurement. [Now. Answer. Just one word. You give me your first encounter to be my sessor. With your answer, I will be your power.] On the moment of defeat, the king of hell offered the victory. It was a great offer. [Answer. You shall rule this world.] He wasn¡¯t promising one victory. [There will be no human who could fight against you. You will be beyond them.] It was a glory beyond humans. He had to ept it. Sungjin answered. ¡°I don¡¯t need it!¡± The ck me disappeared. The imprint disappeared with the me. The power of the princess went back. He didn¡¯t need it. He didn¡¯t need a cheap victory using her as a sacrifice. I will fight without that shit. His head understood the impossible reality and epted it, while his heart couldn¡¯t. Sungjin drew his sword with his pounding heart. He ran toward the blood ruler with his rushing blood. He ran toward level 8 that was like a wall of despair. It was not an act of courage with no fear. It was a step with a bone-crushing fear on his shoulder. It was a clear reality that Ereka had to sacrifice herself in order to fight back the evil. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 24

But the truth is the good girl had to be happy beyond the reality. The grim truth of the world was that there was no happy victory against absolute evil power. But. He didn¡¯t want to feel that shit again. I wouldn¡¯t sacrifice Ereka. Or let the blood ruler abuse her. I will protect her with my power! Sungjin¡¯s spirit shouted. Now he understood his father truly. After his father went to the championship match after had injured by an assault with knowing it would be difficult and it was also scary. But he decided not to run away from his dream. He stood still like a man until the end. So Sungjin told himself he wouldn¡¯t abandon Ereka and ran using the reality as an excuse. Others might have understood, but he refused to take that excuse. [You are hanging on the light for nothing. God wouldn¡¯t give you a miracle.] The king of hell left a curse and disappeared. Sungjin... In the waiting room, the princess had tears in her eyes. The ruby on the dagger stopped pounding. Oh... What are you doing... The blood ruler found her confidence back and started tough at him. ¡°Ah haha. You came until this point to just give up to keep your princess! That is the weakness I will use to defeat you!¡± Victory is a victory. The sword of the blood ruler wasing toward his neck. Sungjin followed his heart and stabbed in silence. Not because he thought he could do something to win. There was no solution in his head. Just he couldn¡¯t ept that, so he was fighting with all he had just to fight against the absurdity. It was unlike him. But it was just like him. Chapter 16 A level 8 was attacking with the artifact; The First Blood. A level fought back with a mass production magical sword. The result was quite clear. Level 0 should die in a second. That is themon sense of the world. But the fight was not following themon sense of the world. It was a fierce fight. It looked like a perfectly bnced fight. It was so close. People nearly got confused if Sungjin had taken the dark king¡¯s power. But no, he didn¡¯t. The blood ruler was dominant in power and speed. Although it was a pure sword fight without using skills, level 8 had an absolute advantage on physical abilities. But Sungjin was managing a close match. But how? Was it another trick of the devil? The magical sword attacked Sungjin¡¯s heart. But Sungjin¡¯s sword arrived earlier to block the sword. The magical sword went wide but moved back to attack his waist. But Sungjin pushed the center of the swing with the edge of his sword to miss the aim. The blood ruler held up the magical sword with anger, but Sungjn predicted it. He twisted his body while avoiding the attack to kick her knee to her fall down. The blood ruler started to move faster. But Sungjin read it already and he was already there. The blood ruler was stronger. But Sungjin used her power to return the attack. Sungjin¡¯s swordsmanship made it possible by calcting and predicting everything; the movement of both, new power she was about to use and the geography between them. ¡°I heard you trained in a martial art, but this is ridiculous. Howe this is possible?¡± The blood ruler expressed her admiration in the middle of the battle. The three knights in the waiting room watching the scene with admiration. The blood ruler was also a master of swordsmanship. But howe it was possible to fight her back oveing the difference of eight levels? ¡°His sword...¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rhythm.¡± That was it. Sword fight was where people read the opponent¡¯s muscle movement, respiration, and their sights. To make movement, humans needed rhythm in their movement. That wasn¡¯t the case of Sungjin. He moved only when and how he needed to but no one could read his movement. It seemed like the blood ruler was ying card open while Sungjin yed with his card hidden. That was not just it. It wouldn¡¯t have been enough to defeat a level 8 for a level 0 even if he could hide his movements. Sungjin¡¯s other secret was... ¡°He has no movement.¡± In general, swordsmanship came from various schools of martial art and train its people to get used to a few dozen of movement so that they could use one ording to the situation. It was natural for human beings. If the movement was not learned by one with muscle memory so that it became one¡¯s reflex, it was impossible to use the movement in a real battle. Thinking of a movement would kill him during a fight. But not Sungjin.counter-attack He read all the circumstances and situations to react with the best movement. He was not depending on his sword but used a kick, knee, elbow and every part of his body. Every step he made had been calcted. He reacted to every move of his opponent with the best counter attack. That was what Sungjin trained by training both his body and soul in bnce. With his strong will to win and impable intelligence too his training to the next level and created his own form of martial art. He thought that would be useless in his world, but it was working here. Was that really possible? It was beyond the astonishment, people wanted to deny what they were looking at. ¡°Losing one arm was... just an act.¡± ¡°Such a devil... but...¡± Although they admired his ability the blood ruler and the three knights were still sure of their victory. While Sungjin started to show anxiety and pressure. The fight looked fierce but it was not... Because... ¡°High-level hero¡¯s ability is not just physical ability.¡± Nartughed at Sungjin. This was just a show. If it was just a sword fight, the three knights should have defeated the blood ruler by attacking her together. The reason why they couldn¡¯t was the physical ability. The reason was the skill. The miracle beyond the rule of physics given by God who blessed heroes with heroic power. That was the real difference between a hero and an extra. ¡°He is good enough not to give the blood ruler a chance to use her skills though.¡± But that didn¡¯t really matter. Because there was the ultimate skill. After some time of a sword fight, the blood ruler bursted outughing. ¡°Too bad. The time¡¯s up!¡± She stopped her sword. Bloody mist raised around her. Sungjin stabbed her with his sword. But his sword bounced back. He tried a few more times, but his attacks kept bouncing back. Bloody mist surrounding Riad didn¡¯t allow any attack to touch her. ¡°Your baby wizard¡¯s ultimate skill made her vulnerable while using her ultimate spell. But mine makes me even stronger.¡± The three knights started tough at the scene. They knew why they couldn¡¯t do anything but slew by the blood ruler with a single blow. It was quite simple. The blood ruler¡¯s ultimate skill protected her with the bloody mist while she activated the skill. It was a real ultimate skill without any false. ¡°Now, be gone. Bloody Reign.¡± Screaming of ghosts echoed on the battlefield. Bloody mist sucked into Riad. And then she shouted the blood torrent. The sentence of destruction. Facing that despair, Sungjin stretched out his sword like a predator running toward a prey. His sword prated the blood ruler¡¯s body. ¡°Ugh. I didn¡¯t know my ultimate skill had such a weak point.¡± Riad¡¯s face became dark. She shivered with pain. Her ultimate power looked wless but there was a very short point of weakness when the bloody mist disappears before the torrent. She didn¡¯t know and then the three knights didn¡¯t see. It was an instant moment of weakness. ¡°But I¡¯m more surprised that you pointed it out to use it.¡± The blood ruler Riad praised. That was right. Sungjin knew, no only Sungjin knew. When the blood ruler annihted his team against his calction, his eyes observed everything calmly. And his brilliant brain spotted it out. The tiny weakness at that very moment. It was his real ability. Observing everything to understand how to use it when needed. Riad found her smile back. ¡°Ugh.¡± But Sungjin had sorrow in his eyes. His sword missed the heart of the blood ruler and just stabbed her. It was a big wound, but not big enough to finish her. It was one inch far from her heart. That was the one-inch gap he couldn¡¯t fill in although he did everything all at once. Level 8 had physical ability beyond humans. Even though that was the moment when she used her heroic power and had low defense ability, she was able to avoid the attack with her reflex. Sungjin couldn¡¯t stab her heart because the speed of her reflex was above Sungjin¡¯s maximum speed. He had calcted this despair knowing his limit and it was impossible to win even though he found out the weakness. His eyes had seen the unseen. His brain calcted the unknown. But he didn¡¯t have enough power to defeat her. That was the limit of level 0. ¡°If you are not going to be mine. Die!¡± The blood torrent spurted. Sungjin sight covered with blood. This is the end... He couldn¡¯t hold his sword firmly. He promised a cool victory. But this was it. He couldn¡¯t keep his promise to protect his girl. No need to mention the arc master. Should I have epted Ereka¡¯s sacrifice? Was it a mistake not to follow his head but followed his heart? He knew everything Ereka tried to protect with her life would be in vain, but he couldn¡¯t do anything. Was I... In front of the power of level... Nothing but an extra... Ereka was watching him. Her spirit was watching the moment Sungjin defeated by the blood ruler Riad. No. Sungjin. You can¡¯t lose. She wanted to help him win. He protected her by refusing the power from Lucifer, now she wanted to make him win. I want to protect him now. I want to fight for him with everything I have. People¡¯s life was depending on his fight. As a protector of people, I want to fight with him. And... Above all... I love him. I want to be his shield. Light surrounded Sungjin. The golden light that was blocking the flow of the bloody ocean. Princess Ereka¡¯s ultimate still and an artifact that made her take all the attack while giving absolute protection to her side. Shield of all People. The light of protection born from the oath to protect everyone covered Sungjin. ¡°What is this!¡± The miracle shocked the blood ruler and made her lose her calm. Ereka was dead and exiled from the battlefield. There was no way she could protect Sungjin with her power. That was an impossible miracle. But while practicing the forbidden ritual, Ereka killed herself and her power left the waiting from to be with Sungjin. Although Sungjin refused to take the power, her power was still wandering around him which made this miracle possible with her wish. No. That was not it. This miracle happened because Sungjin protected Ereka from sacrificing herself. That was why her spirit was able to cover him to protect him. Sungjin... fight... I will help you. Sungjin felt the silent whisper of Ereka¡¯s spirit. ¡°I got it!¡± Sungjin stepped forward answering. There was a strength gained with merciless abuse. But... There was a heart gained with everything. God wouldn¡¯t bless with miracle even if we dream of an ideal world. If he did, there was no reason to live in a world of despair. That was why there was a strong heartfelt bond among people who tried to ovee reality and build up their own legend of happiness. If the blood torrent was the crystalloid of the abusive power of the blood ruler The shield of light was the ultimate support of the girl who Sungjin tried his best to protect. Two forces confronted. The power of the First Blood destroyed everything. But the oath of Shield of all people kept people safe. In the middle of the bloody ocean, Ereka¡¯s heart was protecting Sungjin. And Sungjin didn¡¯t miss this tiny chance made by Ereka¡¯s support. His brain calcted everything again. The flow of explosive powers. The physical condition of the blood ruler. Decreased amount of blood. Her vital spots. His own physical ability. Action and reaction made by the flow. Every factor changes rapidly. Sungjin stretched his sword again. For the victory. And for the girl that he wanted to protect with this victory. ¡°Ugh.¡± The blood ruler twisted her body to avoid the attack. But Sungjin already took that movement into ount. The sword elerated using the speed and power of the blood torrent was powerful enough to cover the difference of 8 levels. Finally, a level 0 sword prated the heart of the tyrant. ¡°Ug...Ugh.¡± It was not the blood from the magical sword but from the blood ruler¡¯s body. While the mad blood torrent disappeared. The blood ruler¡¯s body started to scattered from her fingertips. Sungjin won. He overcame the violence that used reality to abuse people. The man who tried to protect a girl finally made it. For a moment, the silence swamped the battlefield. Riad raised her hand slowly to reach Sungjin¡¯s cheek. ¡°Haha. I knew that it was worth to take you as my man.¡± She looked at him with her eyes with desire. ¡°You tied yourself up with restrictions and defeated me. You are a guy that I should take.¡± She held his arm. ¡°I will take you whatever I need to do. I will make you my man and liberate you to conquer the world together.¡± The blood ruler dered while her life was fading away. But Sungjin pushed her hand off his arm and answered with his sword. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± * * * [Team Blue won.] Valkyrie dered to ensure the victory. The light came down from the sky and cover him. Three in the waiting room were covered with light. ¡°Sungjin...¡± The ruby shattered. Ereka came back to life and opened her eyes. She started to cry. She wanted to thank Sungjin in his arms. This time, she wouldn¡¯t worry about tradition or custom. ¡°Wow! We won! Sungjin oppa did it!¡± Jenna jumped around with her pping tail sword. ¡°Haha. Hahaha.¡± Rittier couldn¡¯t find words butughed with happiness. ¡°Hurrah!¡± ¡°The princess won!!!!¡± ¡°The extra defeated the blood ruler!!!¡± People outside of the temple cheered with happiness. ¡°The blood ruler is gone!!!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to be sacrifices anymore.¡± ¡°Ah...ah.... the princess. Thank you. Thank you, knights.¡± Who is that knight who defeated the blood ruler? People looked at his name. Cha Sungjin. Everyone remembered the name from a different world. It was the name of a real hero that would be praised from generation to generation. He saved the princess and the people of this kingdom from the bloody nightmare. Epilogue One weekter, there was a coronation of queen Ereka. The warehouse of the castle was open to sharing wine and food with everyone. The people sang and danced with happiness. It was not only at the castle. Everyone in the country and in a m in the corner of a city celebrated the victory. The tax was reduced. It was forbidden for heroes to kill or rape extras. Queen helped people who couldn¡¯t support themselves. ¡°Mon!¡± ¡°My son!¡± The reunited family cried tears of happiness all around the kingdom. Extras wished a long reign of the new queen who was the opposite of the blood ruler. The whole country was in a festive mood. But the real hero of this war was not the queen. It was Sungjin. Level 0. An extra. But he was a magical stranger from the other world beyond those words. The man who defeated the blood ruler Riad. The man who owned the half of the kingdom. The news shocked heroes from other countries. A mere level 0 extra. A level who deserved to be a ve ruled a kingdom? They thought maybe it was a wrong intel or maybe he was just a schemed puppet and tried to ignore his existence. But they couldn¡¯t get rid of the feeling that Sungjin brought into their mind. While the reaction of the people was the opposite. An extra like them but a real hero who defeated all the heroes. He was a symbol of hope and a subject of praise. ¡°They told me he is super handsome?¡± ¡°He can fire from his eyes?¡± ¡°He is 3m tell?¡± While crazy rumors were spreading, Nania, who saw the fight share the truth about him ¡°That is not true. He is very charming, but he looks like all of us. But... yes... He had some kind of an extraordinary halo around him.¡± The truth sugar coated by a girl who had a crush on him. ¡°He understood the miserable reality of extras like us and shared all his gold he has got from the battle. He was strong but also sweet.¡± There were kids next to her swinging branch like a sword. ¡°I¡¯m Sungjin. I¡¯m invincible.¡± ¡°Yeah. Now I want to be Sungjin. It¡¯s my turn!¡± He became a dream for kids, an idol for girls and a real hero for the people. His name was praise in farawaynds started from the low ss people by merchants and wandering musicians. The fairy tale that a level 0 hero appeared in the kingdom of Sevrantina who defeated the tyrant to make the princess who loves the people a queen. But it was not a fairytale. It was a real story. They envied Erek¡¯s kingdom. They wanted to see the real hero. The real hero was nothing to do with their abusive heroes. He had a glorious debut in a God made a league of Valha. In the middle of a feast of coronation, Sungjin stepped out onto the terrace to enjoy the night breeze. So I¡¯ve done my job for this kingdom Past week, everyone was extremely busy to take care of the aftermatch after taking back the kingdom and to prepare the coronation. They would be busy for a while. But now they don¡¯t need me anymore. The magical sword was taken away from the blood ruler and the blood ruler was sealed and imprisoned for eternity. The three knights sentenced guilty of abusing and massacring women and sent to the prison. They also ordered the forfeit of other heroes¡¯nds and formed a new type of bureaucracy where the state paid a part of the tax as wage. Since other heroes became rebel prisoners, they couldn¡¯tin about any of the state decision. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Vol.1 ¨C Episode 25

As long as Ereka reigns as a queen, even the lowest level people would be fine. He had a good fight. When he first summoned to Valha, he had set up his goal to be an Arc Master. And on his way toe here, he learned and heard a lot of this world. He had learned a lot about Ereka as well. And he had protected her, so he could be proud of his fight in his first kingdom The only regret was the level up. After their victory, Valkyrie brought the goblet of glory with God¡¯s nectar. Ereka became level 7 and Rittier became level 6. Jenna stayed in level 5 with a slight difference but could expect the next time. And Valkyrie granted three goblets to Sungjin. Yeah, we all were happy when it happened, ¡°Three? Wow. Sungjin oppa are you going to be level 3 right away?¡± ¡°Haha. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before.¡± ¡°But we have never seen an achievement Sungjin¡¯s before neither. A level 0 defeated a level 8. He totally deserves.¡± Sungjin drank the nectar with all three of them being happy for Sungjin. ¡°Finally, Sungjin¡¯s ss will be revealed.¡± ¡°Sungjin oppa would be a unique ss?¡± ¡°Humm. He refused the offer from the king of hell, maybe he is one of six sses we have...¡± ¡°Even if he is in a regr ss, Sungjin must be dominantly strong.¡± Sungjin was also curious about what his ss would be like. Probably a worrier or a knight. But whatever it is, doesn¡¯t really matter But once he got a level, he would be one step closer to bing an Arc Master But... [System Error. Name: Cha Sungjin ss: Undefined Without ss information, the level cannot be granted. Without ss information, skills cannot be granted. Without ss information, status adjustment cannot be granted.] Valkyrie repeated the same words over and over again. ¡°ss undefined... I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before.¡± ¡°Sungjin oppa what should we do?¡± ¡°Is it because I didn¡¯tplete the ritual... Sungjin can¡¯t upgrade his level although he leveled up...¡± Ereka was ming herself again but Sungjin stopped her with his cool smile. ¡°It¡¯s ok. Without a level, it is easier. I don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°But... without a level, there will be no reward for your achievements...¡± ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t even think about it. A level with your sacrifice is...¡± Sungjin lightly tapped her shoulder and continued. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°Ok...¡± ¡°And Valkyrie changed the phrase. Now she tried to give me the level but she can¡¯t? And the ss also became undefined from unssified.¡± Sungjin¡¯s instinct was telling him that there must be another way. ¡°I will find the way in time so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Yes. Sungjin.¡± So, even after his victory, he is still a level 0. Well, it¡¯s not that I want a level, but I can fight without a level anyways. I have my brain and body that I¡¯ve been training. I have no time to beg God to give me a level. I will find my own path. And I¡¯ve got more than just a level. He concentrated on his arm for a second. A crest came up with light that represented the southernnd of the kingdom. At the same time, a mechanical voice reported him. [Status report of yournd. Poption: 10,250,000 Area: 120,000 km2 GBP: 25.204 trillion Dilent Tax rate ...] That was the information on hisnd, the southern part of the kingdom of Sevrantina, It was telling him he became a ruler of a kingdom It was difficult topare dilent and currencies on the Earth, but it was more than enough to have more wealthpare to any owner of big corporations on the Earth. Although he let Ereka rule the kingdom, he still owned the kingdom and was a king. And unlike a president or an owner of a big corporation, a king owned power and wealth of the next level. For example, a corporation owner had approximately 1 trillion won, it was less than 20 trillion won even if the family wealthbined. That sounds like a huge amount of money, but the state budget of the Korean government in 2014 was 350 trillion, government-ownedpanies excluded. That was how your budget looked like when you rule a country. But the president could stay only a few years, while the king rules for a lifetime. It was beyond the imagination of people living in modern society. It was the greatest sess. What he gained was good enough to live afortable life, but he didn¡¯t have any intention to stop here. His kingdom was a starting point for his next steps. Who and where the next fight will be, and who will be next to me. I can¡¯t wait! His heart pounded. Ereka looked at Sungjin from a corner. Sungjin... She needed to bring out all her courage to tell him what she had in mind. If she couldn¡¯t tell him because of her shyness and fear, she knew she would be regretting it for the rest of her life. I will tell him. Ereka approached him slowly. ¡°Sungjin.¡± ¡°Ah? Did youe out for fresh air as well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Congrattions on your coronation. Should I call you the queen from now on?¡± ¡°Oh no. Call me Ereka. Just like you used to.¡± Ereka strongly refused to change how he called her. I will live as a queen. I will protect my kingdom as a queen. And I will be the queen for everyone. But... I want to stay being Ereka for Sungjin. She wanted to be just a girl in front of the man she loved. ¡°Haha, ok. I will keep that in mind.¡± Sungjinughed and Ereka held his sleeve with all the courage she had. ¡°Actually... I didn¡¯te out for fresh air, I came out to talk to you.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± Sungjin was listening. Ereka breathed in and out a few more times. She needed more courage than ever. ¡°Will you... will you... marry me, and be the king of our kingdom?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Be a king and take over the kingdom. I will support you behind the scene.¡± ¡°I had enough reward. Take over the kingdom is a bit much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a reward.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Sungjin...¡± Ereka breathed in and out a few more times. ¡°I love you.¡± She said it, finally. It was not easy. People said a girl saying I love you were not appropriate but she did it. She was scared that he would leave if she didn¡¯t tell him now, so she said it. Her maids told her that Sungjin wanted to have the next time with her, but she was not sure about that. Ereka was anxious. ¡°Ah? Ha. Humm.¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes showed his surprise and then came back to normal. Ereka waited for his answer in silence. She would be really happy if he said yes. She was ready to give up everything to support him with everything. She thought of this so many times. The answer was always the same. She wanted him next to her. She wanted to be with him for always. It was natural that Ereka wanted to marry a guy like that. And moreover, he was a better king than she was. When the blood ruler attacked us, there was no one who would fight against her. So I decided to take the kingdom as a king... but... She tried to find the best way to protect the people. But she didn¡¯t have the power to defeat enemies and charisma to overpower the aristocrats. Without Sungjin, the kingdom must have fallen. I will let him take the kingdom he saved and support him behind. Sungjin looked at her and smiled gently. ¡°Thank you. Really, thank you. I am so happy that a girl like you loves me.¡± With his sincere appreciation, Ereka¡¯s hand shivered. ¡°I will take your mind.¡± Sungjin whispered with Ereka in his arms. He was really happy. A beautiful, graceful and strong Ereka. Beloved queen of the kingdom. He was overwhelmed by her love. Behind his promise to protect her, he imagined having her as well. ¡°But I¡¯m really sorry, I can¡¯t ept your offer.¡± He had to reject although he knew that will hurt Ereka. ¡°I will be an Arc Master. I will keep fighting without an end. And those fights would be a tough and challenging one, nothing topare to those on the earth.¡± Fierce and cool fights. But that also meant he would need to fight against strong and evil enemies worst than Riad. ¡°I can¡¯t put you in that kind of danger.¡± She is so lovely. So I wouldn¡¯t love her. I wouldn¡¯t follow my desire, but let her be happy. My mom loved my father anyways, but I don¡¯t want her to suffer. ¡°You should take care of everyone in peace as a queen. And you have to be happy as well.¡± ¡°Sungjin...¡± Ereka tried not to try. She had already known he wouldn¡¯t answer that he loved her too. So, I wouldn¡¯t cry. She didn¡¯t want to hurt Sungjin, who was trying to take care of her. She was happy that he refused but was grateful for her love. ¡°We are walking a different path. Please understand me.¡± ¡°Sure. I know Sungjin has to be an Arc Master. So I understand.¡± I will not cry, I will not make it difficult for him. I will just wish him to get what he is trying to have. Ereka wiped her tears and stood strong out of Sungjin¡¯s arms. Her bodynguage was saying that he didn¡¯t have to try to protect her in his arms anymore. ¡°That was my confession a girl, so now I should talk to you as queen.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sungjin was emotional that she had to move on so quickly, but respected her and listened to her. ¡°First, I have a question. Once, you told me you didn¡¯t decide how to be an Arc Master yet.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Can you tell me, how you decided now?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Now he could answer that. ¡°I will work to get the title of Arc Master. And.¡± Sungjin gripped a fist. ¡°On my way, I will protect people who need protection and defeat those who abuse people.¡± That was the path Sungjin decided to take to be an Arc Master. ¡°It was not just here but many countries all around Valha are suffering from simr war and tyranny.¡± On the front, it was a great world where heroes fight with their still on the battlefield but behind the scene, they were also using their power to abuse the people called extras. In Valha, power was distributed to few heroes while only a few of them believed that they need to protect the weak with their power. The majority of heroes believed in divine birth privilege. So I will be an Arc Master. He wanted to be an Arc Master because he enjoyed the process and the fight itself of fighting against strong enemies. But that didn¡¯t mean doing everything for the victory could be justified. Ally with anyone to abuse everyone was not the way. It was the opposite. ¡°I will share my victory with people like you while defeating people like Riad.¡± That was what he had to do on his way to be an Arc Master ¡°And when I be an Arc Master and have the power to reorganize this world...¡± At the final point... then... ¡°I will set up a new rule that everyone has the divine right to pursue life, freedom, and happiness.¡± I will make sure there will be no woman dead to fill a bathtub with blood. I will make sure there will be no child who dies miserably into pieces. He felt misery and anger when the Ministry of Gender Equality abused its power. So he empathized with people who were abused more than his experience. And impressed by Ereka who was fighting against it. And all those experiences had drawn him into his own conclusion. I will be an Arc Master to protect everyone¡¯s rights. That¡¯s why he had to refuse Ereka¡¯s offer. If it was just to conquer the world, it should have been easier. For heroes, it didn¡¯t really matter who was the king. But limiting their right to use extras as they wish to was a serious matter, heroes would strongly resist. He couldn¡¯t get Ereka into that. ¡°Everyone... right...¡± Ereka murmured with surprise. She wanted to practice merciful rulership and protect the people. But she never had thought of everyone had equal divine rights. There was an absolute difference between the abilities of heroes and extras. ¡°What ... is that?¡± ¡°Natural Human Rights.¡± In the world where Merciful Rulership of princess shed with Divine Birth Privilege, that was what Sungjin wanted to achieve as an Arc Master. I will grant natural human rights as God of the new world. It was amon sense on the Earth, but a revolution in Valha. ¡°Natural Human Rights. That is the ideology that you pursue?¡± Ereka¡¯s question of ideology made Sungjin smile. ¡°No, just my taste.¡± His taste pursuing the cool victory. ¡°What you wanted to keep was your taste even when you faced your death by the blood ruler and refused the offer from the king of hell?¡± ¡°Yeah taste. Because when I don¡¯t want to I really don¡¯t want to.¡± Follow the rule for a fair match. But never ept the rule where the strong can abuse the weak. ¡°Ok. I got it.¡± Ereka held her hands together and looked up to Sungjin. He is saying it was just his taste, but he would save this world. He was not a person who would be done with saving just her and her kingdom. He would be done neither even if he unified all kingdoms He was someone to be a new God, saving people on the way. Her heart pounded. He was the man she loved. It was more than just love but also respect. I will not hold you back. Because this was the guy who will change this world. He was the guy who would open a brand new world beyond her imagination. I wouldn¡¯t hold him in the name of love. I will not tie him down, because I love him. I will just respect and support him. ¡°But to be an Arc Master, you will have to fight numerous fights that you can¡¯t fight by yourself. You will need a trusted team.¡± ¡°Yeah, you are right.¡± ¡°Let me do it with you.¡± ¡°No, as I told you.¡± ¡°That I should be the queen of this kingdom?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± I knew that¡¯s what you would say. Ereka smiled. If she said she wanted to help him, Sungjin would stop her to protect her. So she told her differently. ¡°But Sungjin. That¡¯s why I want to go through your path with you. Putting my emotion apart, considering my situation as a queen, I have only a few supporting people while heroes areining behind my back. If not a revolt, other countries would try to attack us anytime.¡± ¡°If you need me for that, ask me anytime.¡± Leaving, but abandoning and forgetting. Sungjin¡¯s promise made Ereka smile. ¡°Thank you. But as a king, I can¡¯t keep depending on outer forces. I should be fought with you and upgrade my level through achievements to protect the kingdom.¡± Sungjin understood the logic right away. She is right. In this world, all power was given to heroes. The people, extras support was nothing more than moral support. To have power, upgrading her level by achievements in battles was the best way for Ereka. But, it must be difficult to be with someone who rejected her... but I¡¯m not in a position to ask. ¡°Moreover, you need a team. I will be a great help..¡± ¡°Huh. Well. Without your help, I couldn¡¯t have defeated the blood ruler. I really appreciate your help.¡± Sungjin sighed briefly.. She was a weak girl that he wanted to protect but was also a strong queen the people were depending on. ¡°Ok. I was wrong. Please join me.¡± ¡°Thank you. Sungjin.¡± They shook their hands. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I appreciate it. To what you wish to do. I...¡± Ereka looked down. ¡°I will be your shield.¡± Taking the danger thates to Sungjin to support to let him achieve his dreams. What was her wish? But that does not mean I gave up my life, Sungjin. She smiled. I wouldn¡¯t keep him next to me. I will be next to him. I will be your shield. And... I will be your bride. It¡¯s ok if you can¡¯t ept it now. I will make you take meter by trying. I will stay next to him and support him to get his heart little by little. Once she gave up love to be the king. But now she decided to love him as a king and as a girl. Because he was the savior of her and her kingdom. He saved her as a princess and as a girl as well. And he would save this world. I will keep loving him. ¡°But Sungjin. Now you own a kingdom, while you kept me as the king. How should I address you?¡± ¡°Humm. Just call me by my name like now.¡± His answer made Ereka¡¯s heart pound. Friendly... just name... I¡¯m happy... ¡°But you will need a title on official documents, especially when you get more kingdoms.¡± ¡°You are right. Not a king but own thend. Ok. Since I want to be an Arc Master, I will use the Master as my title.¡± ¡°Master. I will let everyone know.¡± Level 0 Master. The name came out like that. The name that would be spread all around the world. ¡°But I will keep call you Sungjin.¡± ¡°Of course. I will keep calling you Ereka.¡± A boy and a girl looked at each other and smiled. * * * The next day, Sungjin dered that he would pursue his way to be an Arc Master while Queen Ereka dered that she would be his ally to join his path. ¡°Whaaaaa! So we can stay with Sungjin oppa! Oh my god! That is great!¡± Shaking her tail sword, Jenna dancingly jumped. ¡°Great judgment. Our security will be stabilized by this.¡± Rittier praised. This old man, he doesn¡¯t know that is not the most important thing at the moment. Jenna swung her tail sword. ¡°Let¡¯s go on a pic and have dinner together to have fun!¡± But she strongly gripped her fist. And I will make you his wife. I will do my best. Trust me, my princess! No, my queen! Without knowing the conversation between Ereka and Sungjin, she promised herself. Even if she knew Sungjin wouldn¡¯t change his mind. Ereka smiled as well. Another pic, another dinner, those small things would make her so happy. And... slowly Sungjin might change his mind to tell her to stay with him... It would be an explosion of happiness. I need to work hard to make ite true. The queen was able to dream as a girl again. The boy protected it and gave it back to her. On the terrace, Sungjin¡¯s eyes gazed beyond the horizon. There was the center, a ce full of awakened heroes like Raid. After the center, there was the scared territory where two Kaisers, the strongest in the history who defeated all the awaken heroes, couldn¡¯t pass. And then, there was the Arc Master. Let¡¯s deal with them one by one. What kind of enemy I would face on the next battlefield. What kind of treasure I would get. What kind of person would join my team? Whoever and whatever the future will bring me, I will find the victory that can be the hope for the weak. I will collect those victories to write a beautiful legend to change the rule of the world. His heart pounded. He was more excited about this than the world championship on the earth. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Vol.2 ¨C Episode 1

Prologue The distant yet sensual scent was not that of a flower. It was too strong and proud to be a flower; it was the body scent of a predator. It was a strong but provocative and seductive body scent. It was rather a scent of a seductive lioness. The scent provoked Sungjin and made him almost start panting. What is this... He didn¡¯t know if this made him feel awkward or happy. His brain was confused, while his lower body was very excited. If it was just the scent, he could have controlled himself with his reasons, but this was more than just a scent. Scent... Slightly wet silver, straight hair touched his neck. One by one, the hairs stimted his nerves by tickling him. The woman¡¯s breath tangled up with his breath and started to moisten his lips and nose. The tangled breaths thrilled him more and more. She was showing her naked body and leaned very close to him. Her hair and her eyes were a beautiful silver, just like the color of the moon. Her body was perfectly fit, without any ws. Under her soft skin, all the tiny muscles were toned and ced wlessly. He confirmed that when their bodies touched each other. Her prominent nose and bright eyes showed her confidence, and her cherry lips looked powerful. Her tiny breasts under her elegant shoulders were graceful and elegant. And such a beauty was sticking her body to his. His blood started to boil with uncontroble desire. His instinct was like a wild animal that was starved and caged up. The desire to have her was burning him up. Two young and fit bodies kept colliding roughly. Their instincts were telling them that they both were attracted to each other¡¯s body. They both had fit bodies with a perfect shape that was desirable. That made him drivel both up and down. It was a difficult situation for him to keep calm with a rational mind. I know that I should control myself. This was not a situation where he could follow his desires. His head knew that, but his body refused his reasons. A young lion roared passionately and roughly. His brilliant mind couldn¡¯t work when every single cell in his body was burning with desire. He was trying to control his mind, but it was not easy since he was already caught off guard. What happened to cause me to be in this kind of dangerous and thrilling situation? He started to remember what happened. Two months ago, he was summoned to this world ¡®Valha¡¯ by the princess, Ereka. In those two months, he defeated the Blood Ruler, Riad and became co-ruler of the Kingdom of Sevrantina. Now he was living in the castle served by countless servants with the ability to use trillions of won, but he was training himself. Every day, he studied the wars in this world and trained himself with his sword. Although he was a level 0 without any Heroic Power, that was why he worked hard on his physical training. His intelligence was his strength, but he didn¡¯t have enough manpower to just sit down andmand. And he enjoyed moving his body as well. The trouble had begun when he went to a mountain behind the castle to meditate under a waterfall to wrap up his day. There was no one who would invade the backyard of the king. So he took off his clothes and walked into the water... In the waterfall, there she was, shining in silver like a distant moon. The water drops that fell from her hair were more morous than pearls. Yeah... that¡¯s when the trouble started. He faced a naked beauty in a deserted ce, only wearing his underwear. The trouble started from there. When he tried to remember what happened next, her arm pushed against his chest again. It felt like he was seared with a hot iron called desire, and it stopped his thoughts. His head was spinning due to ack of blood. All his blood was rushing toward his lower region, and he felt like it would explode soon. The thin underwear that was barely covering him was not an obstacle. If they changed their angle slightly, they could have easily joined together. He felt thirst and a burning desire. She is beautiful. I want to make her mine. His head understood that this was not what the situation was presenting. But his body wanted her so badly. They both knew they would bepeting for dominance with their fit bodies. Wake up... this is not that kind of meeting. He tried to remind himself what happened right after encountering her. He was extraordinary but still a virgin in high school. Seeing a beautiful naked body off guard made him lose his control. When he short-circuited and didn¡¯t know how to react, she shouted sharply, ¡°Who is that!¡± With a shout, she attacked her. Her movements of kicking the water and pushing him down with her knee while pressing down on his neck with her elbow were beautiful. Sungjin forgot to defend because of her beautiful movements that were as fast as a flying eagle and beautiful like windblown flower petals. Before he knew it, his body was on the floor by her force. After a brief, rough encounter, they started to fight. He tried to get free, but she tried to keep him under her control. That was what happened. And level 0 Sungjin couldn¡¯t fight back against her physical power and speed. ¡°Ambushing me during my bath. Who sent you?¡± Sungjin had to give a deep breath before answering her. He waspletely subdued, and they were so close. His excited body ruined his ability to think, but he didn¡¯t stay that way for a long time. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to touch second base. It was because he would rather take a girl than be taken by a girl. Anyhow, his expression rxed. ¡°This is a misunderstanding. Why don¡¯t we step back and talk?¡± ¡°A misunderstanding? You approached me dangerously while I was bathing.¡± ¡°I am the one who was surprised because I didn¡¯t expect to see anyone here.¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s how you answer, but how can I trust you?¡± ¡°I also thought you were hiding to attack me, but now I think that is not the case.¡± ¡°Hmm. You don¡¯t have any Heroic Power. You are an extra.¡± ¡°Well. I am level 0 for sure,¡± Sungjin answered with a grin. ¡°A mere extra can¡¯t ambush me for sure. Okay. I will take your excuse that you didn¡¯t know I was here.¡± She let Sungjin go and stood up. ¡°But this is the private property of the royal family. You, an extra, are not allowed to be here without permission.¡± ¡°That is true but then why you are here?¡± Sungjin returned the question. ¡°Hmph. You thought there would be no one here and trespassed? That is bold. But I forgive you. Anyways this is not evennd.¡± Then suddenly, there was a voice behind the bushes and sounds of people approaching. ¡°Your Highness. Is everything okay?¡± They were probably some kind of bodyguards. That moment, she took Sungjin and jumped into the water. She made him roll his body under her knees to hide. ¡°Nothing. Leave me alone!¡± ¡°But you just shouted ¡®who is that?¡¯¡± ¡°It was just a wild animal. Leave me now.¡± Under the water, Sungjin was having a hard time This position is... quite... provocative... He knew it was an idental position to hide him. But their body position looked like a position for some kind of sexual y, and it excited him again. Every time her silky, strong thigh pushed against his shoulder, he felt a thrill that made him forget the current circumstance. If it was not an idental position but a position they intended to have, he would have be a wild animal and attacked her. Self-control... self-control... He had to control himself. But maybe this was the side effects of his intelligence. He was calcting and imagining how it would feel if he really took her tight body, unintentionally. He had to try even harder to control himself since his brilliant intelligence gave him quite detailed visuals. In the meantime, hermunication with her bodyguards continued. ¡°Will you be alright?¡± ¡°Is that your excuse to see my naked body?¡± ¡°No! I will leave you to it!¡± The sound behind the bushes started to fade. Then the silver-haired girl pulled Sungjin out of the water. ¡°Pwa!¡± Sheughed at him as he breathed in deeply ¡°Good job on holding your breath.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get caught. Thanks.¡± His answer was cool, but she retorted, ¡°If you think so, look away before anything. How long are you nning to stare at my body?¡± ¡°Ah, okay. Sorry about that.¡± When Sungjin turned around, she used her Heroic Power to summon simple, white armor. ¡°Now you can turn back around.¡± When he turned back, she was a female general in a simple robe. Her skin tight armor was made for a rapid movement while her sword had a vortex around it that showed how special it was. A prominent nose, sharp eyes, and a gentle smile¡ªeverything worked well together and gave her a different kind of confidence and beauty from her erotic beauty when she was naked. It was obvious that she was not just a soldier but a general of some kind. ¡°I will head north with my bodyguards; you head to the South. We¡¯d better not encounter again on our way out.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Do you get it? If people found out you saw my naked body, people will kill you even if I don¡¯t want them to. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of honor killing?¡± ¡°Honor killing...¡± Sungjin murmured the words in a low voice. It was slightly different from the meaning on earth, but in this world, honor killing meant killing an extra who humiliated a hero to keep their honor. The humiliation was not anything like sexual harassment. It referred to this kind of ident of seeing a naked body or any small incidents like that. Yet, it was not a sin to kill someone for such minor things. Instead, it was seen as justice. It was not right or wrong butmon sense in this world, and this kind ofmon sense didn¡¯t suit Sungjin¡¯s pte. ¡°It would be a pity if your life ended because of an unintended mistake. So forget about today¡¯s incident and tell nobody. I will do the same.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Hmm. Now you know I¡¯m above you, yet you still don¡¯t have the manners to speak to me. I guess you are mentally challenged although you don¡¯t look like it. Be careful when you are with other heroes.¡± After giving him advice, she turned and left abruptly. Sungjin looked at her leaving for a while. Whatever was the reason, showing a man her naked body would have been unpleasant, but she had mercy on him, an extra. She protected him from her bodyguards and gave him advice before letting him go. Everything started with a misunderstanding, but she had a good heart to resolve the problem. So, that is her. She didn¡¯t know him, but he knew a bit about her. He learned about her while he was studying about powerful people from other kingdoms. But he was able to see how she treated extras now, which he couldn¡¯t find in the documents about her fighting on a battlefield. So her being merciful to her people is not a lie. People show their true colors when no one is watching. He started to like her a little. I will see her again soon. I hope the next time will be a proper meeting. He rubbed the crest shown on his hand. She didn¡¯t know it, but he was a king. He had the power to exile anyone. This power was given to kings, and even a level 0 could activate the power. So if he wanted to, even when she had control over him, he could have exiled her in a heartbeat... Thank god, I didn¡¯t. That should have solved his tricky situation, but then, she would have to show her naked body to other people. Embarrassing her by making her be seen by more people was not a polite move as a gentleman. That¡¯s why he bared the awkward physical touch. Oppressing his own sexual desire was an unnecessary evil.... Well, she showed her generosity by not taking my life. In addition, he collected clear data on the touch and feel of her body; it was quite an exquisite feeling. Let¡¯s delete that, just to be polite. And like that, Sungjin got rid of another thought that came up. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 2

The day after Sungjin encountered the silver-haireddy, Sir Liberte Todam, a self-appointed historian, was working on two manuscripts on his desk at the same time. Both had the same title The History of the Kingdom of Sevrantina, but the texts were very different from one another. A demidevil from another world and theing darkness. A new king from another world and the new light. And the stories following each title were also very different. Sungjin, the demidevil from another world took away thend using his evil and sly tactics and took away the God-given rights of heroes mercilessly. Sungjin, the new king from another world overcame the divine punishment of being level 0 and saved the kingdom with his revolutionary tactics and pure martial art skills. He also took care of other level 0 extras with his power. It was a double standard evaluation of one person, but Sir Todam was happy with what he had written. ¡°Hm, hm. Good. Very good. This is it.¡± He was satisfied with his work and kept on writing. His tyranny didn¡¯t stop when he took awaynd from the heroes; he also prevented them from using extras forbor or from collecting tax from them. The temptress, Ereka, took over Sungjin¡¯s tyrannical rule while Sungjin overpowered the heroes, forcing them to live in despair. But the darkness couldn¡¯tst forever, for there was a hope growing without anyone knowing. He protected the extras by preventing the heroes from stealing them and enving them. He reduced the tax rate by half, while also using those taxes to build charity hospitals, like a real Merciful Rulership should. The great Queen Ereka supported him as a lover and a partner. His unconventional rulership caused the resistance of the privileged, but the new era had already started. He closed his book after finishing both manuscripts. ¡°Good. Now I need to keep them safe until I decide on which one I will publish.¡± At that time, it was clear that Sungjin owned the Kingdom of Sevrantina. But no one knew if he could keep raising it or if it would start to fall. In a time like this, I need to be prepared. He would publish the book that suited the trend when the clear winner came out. ¡°Sir Todam, isn¡¯t it a bit inefficient to write your manuscript while knowing the other half will be useless?¡± standing next to him, Mr. Gunan asked him carefully. ¡°Maybe it is better to start writing when you know ¡°What are you talking about! With that attitude, you can¡¯t publish a good book at the right time. You have to be ready to through two away in order to publish one book just so that you can revise and edit it enough. Which means you need to start editing today.¡± ¡°But, wouldn¡¯t it be better to start editing when you know which one...¡± ¡°If you start editing, then it will be toote! Start today!¡± ¡°Do I really have to?¡± ¡°When you are done, I will prepare a n for the next volume for both cases, so let¡¯s discuss right away.¡± ¡°Wh... what... the next volume for both cases...¡± ¡°Listen. Everything looks different from a different point of view. What Sungjin is doing is no different. We don¡¯t know which one will be mainstream yet, so we need to prepare both cases to make a best seller. So do it.¡± Sungjin was a tyrant from the privileged heroes¡¯ point of view but a savior from the extras¡¯ point of view. The heroes who used to abuse the extras to achieve their luxurious lifestyles now suffered from their luxury being taken away. On the other hand, the extras who used to starve and had to die if they were sick were happy for the new world where they could live a better life. Sir Todam looked at the hospital out of his window. There was an old woman and a child with her who were showing gratitude by bowing to the hospital staff. The hospital staff was shaking her hand. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much.¡± ¡°No, it is thanks to the princess... no, the queen who built this hospital.¡± It was Nania who was imprisoned to be a sacrifice of the Blood Ruler but was now freed and back in the hospital for her job. Nania smiled She was able toe back here because Sungjin had saved the queen, and now sick people could get treatment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, but don¡¯t skip a day when you give this medicine to your daughter. When it is running out,e and take more, okay? If you don¡¯t, it can be dangerous.¡± ¡°Yes. I got it. I will remember,¡± the child answered to ensure her. ¡°I will take care of her, Nania.¡± Sir Todam closed his window. That could have been a beautiful scene or a waste of money. The point of view depended on if Sungjin would be a final winner or a one-time-wonder. He would publish his book faster than anyone else. ¡°So start editing, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mr. Gunan wanted to punch him in the face, only if he weren¡¯t a noble. His level was the only thing that stopped him from punching Todam. At the same time, Sungjin and Ereka were discussing the matter of either ¡°tyranny¡± or the ¡°wise rulership¡± ording to Sir Todam. ¡°Sungjin. This is theplete report on the new hospital that was reported once before.¡± Ereka reported to him with a map. ¡°These blue circles are the local hospitals where the extras in the region cane when needed. One healer and a sub healer in general, but we have more staff in the areas with a denser poption.¡± Then she pointed to a dozen green circles scattered on the map. ¡°These green points are bigger hospitals for patients who can¡¯t be treated at the small ones. They have more experienced healers and have beds for patients.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very well organized.¡± ¡°And for thest, these two red circles in the North and the South are the grand hospitals with Heroic Power healers. To build them, it took 832 billion dilents, and the annual operational cost is estimated to be 150 to 200 dilents.¡± ¡°Great. This system takes care of poor people. Really great.¡± Sungjin really thought it was great. In the country where he used to live on earth, they had a system of medical insurance, but the system had a lot of holes. Many diseases were excluded from governmental support. Ereka¡¯s system was better organized to help people in need. If she lived in a country like this, my mom would have lived longer. Maybe. He couldn¡¯t change what happened in the past, but he could change this world. Sungjin was emotional about it, and Ereka shared his concerns. ¡°But I still have a concern.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s 100% free, then people with light issues that can be easily healed naturally or people with fake illness cane and make the real patients who need medical help wait for a long time.¡± ¡°Ahah. That¡¯s whymunism has broken down.¡± ¡°Huh? What-ism?¡± Ereka blinked like a rabbit checking out a new object. She was so cute that it made Sungjin smile. ¡°Ah, Sorry. It¡¯s a word from earth. Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s solve the problem this way. When someone goes to the hospital for the first time, charge them an affordable fee. If they can¡¯t afford it, they can work temporarily at the hospital instead. Those patients who have grave illness are the exceptions.¡± Even if it was something small, if it wasn¡¯t free, people would think twice before doing it. The fee had to be there so that not just anybody could get treatment. Ereka smiled at that idea. ¡°That sounds like a good idea. You are brilliant, Sungjin.¡± ¡°No, you are working on all the details. I¡¯m just helping you with the big picture.¡± ¡°You are too modest. I didn¡¯t do much.¡± ¡°No, I really think you are doing great.¡± Sungjin meant it. He didn¡¯t want to be abused or watch others being abused. He didn¡¯t want that nasty feeling again. That was the truth. But what he wanted was not what he could actually do. He couldn¡¯t take care of all the state affairs in details, and he had to work on military tactics for the uing battles with other countries. That took most of his time. Without Ereka, he couldn¡¯t take care of the other state affairs. Ereka took care of theplicated part of the work whereas he had to set up the budget, manage the officials, build the hospitals, set up tax rates and establish the legal system so that he could concentrate on the tactics for the battle. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. If I did it myself, it would have taken me ages to understand the situation of each region.¡± He was just a high school student without any governing experience, while Ereka was the ruler of a kingdom. ¡°I¡¯m ttered. I could do what I am doing thanks to your protection and help.¡± Ereka blushed. ¡°That¡¯s not true. Internal affairs are the base of a country more so than foreign affairs. Thanks to you, I am concentrating on the uing battles. I¡¯m the one who has to thank you for letting me not worry about the war.¡± Ereka smiled and said that they were a good team. Then Sungjin held Ereka¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to ask you to not just to take care of this country but also our family.¡± ¡°That means...¡± ¡°Be my wife. You are my soulmate.¡± ¡°Sungjin...¡± Sungjin took Ereka in roughly when she nodded with blushing cheeks and tears in her eyes. His deep passionate kiss tasted her lips and started to go down. Sungjin¡¯s burning desire didn¡¯t wear off. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t. Before... dinner...¡± Ereka locked the door with her left hand for privacy while hugging Sungjin¡¯s waist with her right hand. ¡°Ereka?¡± Ereka opened her eyes at someone calling her name. It was Sungjin holding her hand. ¡°Oh. The hands.¡± Sungjin holding her hand was not her imagination but a reality? When Ereka blushed, Sungjin didn¡¯t know what to do and let go of her hand. ¡°Ah... not what I intended... I called you, but you didn¡¯t answer.¡± He could have called her once more without holding her hand. I can¡¯t trust myself in these situations. ¡°Huh? Did you say something?¡± ¡°Yeah, the hospitals are already set, so I hoped you could take care of something else.¡± ¡°Oh. What is that?¡± Ereka lowered her head. She was hoping Sungjin wouldn¡¯t know about her imagination. Sungjin smiled. She has a strong habit of spacing out in the middle of a conversation. That only made her cute though. He rejected her marriage proposal, but he felt more and more that she was a cute and charming girl. Moreover, being with her made his lifefortable. She was taking care of the internal affairs as the queen while taking care of his daily life at the same time. Sometimes, he wanted to bite her ear to tease her. Sungjin realized his hand was moving again and stopped. He was about to hold her hand again... He knew his instinct was a dangerous thing. He knew that much. Just when he was off his guard, the lion who desired the girl tried to take him over. Jenna was next to them, trying not to pay attention, but her knife tail straightened suddenly. Hmm. When the queen spaces out, Sungjin Oppa smiles as if he thinks she is cute. She quickly wrote down another line in her brain. She found out that Sungjin rejected Ereka¡¯s proposal, but that didn¡¯t stop Jenna from working on her n to make Ereka his wife and herself his concubine. It motivated her even more. I will find out everything about Sungjin Oppa to change his mind. ¡°After the hospitals, not all over the country...¡± When Sungjin finished, Ereka¡¯s eyes became big with surprise. Rittier¡¯s face became hard, and Jenna¡¯s tail stiffened again. ¡°Would you mind telling me again?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s establish schools so that everyone can be literate and get a basic education.¡± Ereka was silent for a while. She couldn¡¯t understand why schools were needed. But I¡¯m sure Sungjin has a good reason for it. ¡°Huh? Sungjin Oppa, why do you need schools?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand either, Master Sungjin.¡± The hospitals were necessary; they could save sick and dying people. Ereka and Sungjin fought to protect the people from the Blood Ruler who tried to sacrifice them. And the result was that there were now charity hospitals all around the country. But why a school? In this world, there were two factions of heroes: The majority believed in Divine Birth Privilege and thought that the heroes could use and abuse the people who were the extras. The minority believed in Rightful Rulership and thought the heroes should protect and take care of the weak extras. Ereka was a part of thetter faction, and she risked her life to protect her people. But even for her, a school was not an easy idea to understand. Jenna and Rittier opposed the idea. ¡°Sungjin Oppa, shouldn¡¯t we do something else with that money?¡± ¡°I agree. Throw a party... pave the roads... build a dike...¡± ¡°No. We need schools.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you have your reasons; can you exin your reason to us?¡± Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 3

Sungjin answered with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s the first step to let them find their own dream.¡± ¡°The first step?¡± ¡°Some surely decide to be farmers, but most of them have no chance to learn about other fields, although they have talents or dreams.¡± Ereka started to understand Sungjin. Was it fair to keep to allow the heroes to decide who should be farmers? Some would want to be a painter, a writer, a doctor, or work in a vinery. Extras couldn¡¯t have those jobs. The bastards who were born between a hero and an extra, who had no level but had a family background¡ªthey were the only ones who had a chance to learn and try. Sungjin wanted to open that opportunity to everyone. Of course, not everyone could achieve their dreams, just like how it was impossible to have two Arc Masters. But wanting to live a life you wanted was different from living an obedient life that had been already decided by others. That¡¯s it. Sungjin... in your world... others tried to stop you from achieving your dream to be a gamer. So you understand the pain. Sungjin smiled because he was trying to build schools, but back on earth, he used to be a rebel who was against the school systems on earth. Life is unpredictable. That¡¯s why life is interesting. In this country with a 99% illiteracy, they needed schools. To make one¡¯s life better, one needs not only a dream but also knowledge. Not everyone needed to learn rocket science, but basic knowledge was essential. Throughout history, letters and mathematics helped to improve human rights. Ereka murmured, that she finally understood him a little. ¡°That¡¯s right. If they learned their letters... they could read... write letters... learn new methods of farming... and if they¡¯re talented, they could learn how to use herbs and be a low-level healer. They could read stories too... You are right. I love novels but I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± Between the Divine Birth Privilege and a Merciful Rulership. Sungjin decided to pursue a third way¡ªnatural human rights. He wanted to create a world where the people had their rights and were not abused. Sungjin, you are already thinking a step ahead. Ereka lowered her head in respect. ¡°Sure, Sungjin. I will work on the n to establish schools all over the country. I will take care of budgeting, recruiting teachers andnd, building and all the other matters.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Sungjin smiled. * * * Chapter 2 Nania was greeting Lute who came to get some medicine in one of the hospitals that Sungjin and Ereka had built. ¡°Here you go, medicine for one week.¡± ¡°Thank you, Nania.¡± ¡°No problem. But is everything okay?¡± Nania looked at Lute with pity. The patients were supposed to get their medicine, but Lute¡¯s mother fell down from a cliff and couldn¡¯t stand up or move, so Lute always came to the hospital to get the medicine for his mother. His father ran away after the ident. Nania felt so bad when she found out that the young boy was taking care of his mother, along with his grandmother. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can take care of my mom. I want to be a healer like you when I grow up for my mom!¡± Lute¡¯s dream made Nania sad. ¡°That¡¯s... impossible. I¡¯m not a healer but an assistant.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Extras can¡¯t be healers. Only minors can study to be a healer.¡± Minors were the third ss born from a hero and an extra. The heroes slept with many extras with or without their consent, so there were a lot of ¡°bastards.¡± If they are not abandoned by both parents, minors could study things to be low-level healers, clerks, ountants, or artists. But that was impossible for extras. ¡°I can¡¯t...? I can¡¯t help my mom?¡± Nania tried to cheer Lute up. ¡°There¡¯s no way. We can¡¯t even read those books. You need to know all about those things if you want to be a healer.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± The kid lowered his head, realizing his limit as an extra. They didn¡¯t know of Sungjin¡¯s ns to build a school. * * * The next day, the rulers of the three countries around the Kingdom of Sevrantina gathered: The Kingdom of Cariana, the Kingdom of Rufidi and the Kingdom of Sharsha. ¡°Did you know that a mere extra is ruling the Kingdom of Sevrantina with the queen?¡± ¡°I heard the news. Ha. That is such nonsense...¡± ¡°I thought it was a rumor but... it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°I thought he was an undercover high-level hero from another continent who was pretending to be an extra.¡± ¡°If that was the case, then we wouldn¡¯t need this meeting.¡± The three kingdoms stayed neutral during the war between the Blood Ruler, Riad and Princess Ereka. Although they supported Riad behind the scenes, they were never hostile towards Ereka. Anyways, Ereka was a royal princess who had a right to be a queen. But... ¡°A mere extra from nowhere having a title is already against the universe!¡± ¡°I totally agree. We can¡¯t face such a low life in a meeting room.¡± King Leoric from the Kingdom of Rufidi and King Alkandi from the Kingdom of Sharsha didn¡¯t hide their anger. ¡°We need to punish him to set things straight...¡± The heroes were above the extras, and the kings were above the heroes. That was an absolute rule of their world. They couldn¡¯t damage the rule by epting a ¡°level 0 king.¡± A mere extra has no right to be a king. Until now, there was a power bnce among the four kingdoms. The Kingdom of Sevrantina had only half of the military powerpared to the other kingdoms. If the three kingdoms allied to attack the Kingdom of Sevrantina, they could take it over easily. This was the trinity of anger, justice, and greed. This is an opportunity... That was what Leoric and Alkandi thought. King Seyzo II from the Kingdom of Cariana broke his silence. His blue beard showed a hint of blood and looked purple around the tips. Sitting next to his cat, his hollow, yellow eyes showed a dangerous level of nobility. His messy, grey hair didn¡¯t look like that of a king. He looked rather like a mad man than a king. ¡°I agree with you two. The low needs to serve the high...¡± He held up his cat. ¡°Things that don¡¯t respect their master need to be punished.¡± Then he tore up the right paw of his cat. ¡°Meow!¡± The cat screamed as its skin and bone were torn apart. It was bleeding from the wound. ¡°I fed this creature with mercy, but it didn¡¯t show me enough respect.¡± Then he tore up the left paw this time. Crack. The cat lost its forepaws. It cried in agony and tried to bite the hand of King Seyzo II. ¡°See. It is not asking for forgiveness but is trying to attack me even after the punishment.¡± King Seyzo II twisted the cat¡¯s neck. Its neck screwed off like a bottle cap and separated from its body. Blood spurted, and the cat stopped moving. ¡°This was a light punishment, but that extra needs a proper punishment. And we need to punish those who are following him as well.¡± King Seyzo II¡¯s eyes were ring like hellfire. His fingers grabbed the dead cat¡¯s body and broke all its ribs. The broken ribs made a cracking noise. If this was not a proper punishment, then what would he do to them? Those who were following him meant all the extras from the Kingdom of Sevrantina. ¡°I will punish them ten times more than this cat. I will break their every finger one by one and skewer them on a stick to leave them to die, bleeding in agony.¡± ¡°Ah... Hm...¡± The two kings tried not to shiver at the terrifying idea. They couldn¡¯t show any weakness; they were kings. It is true that he ispletely crazy. I wish I could tell him that this is quite inappropriate but... No benefits coulde from confronting a mad man. It was better to let the madman focus his madness on the enemy, to kill Sungjin and share thend. It didn¡¯t matter if this mad man killed all the extras from his share of thend. ¡°Haha. This is a meaningful meeting. Let¡¯s get rid of the dead cat and let¡¯s discuss a little more.¡± * * * One day after the secret meeting of the three kings... This was the day that Sungjin had an embarrassing yet thrilling experience during his ¡°morning training.¡± Rittier stopped Sungjin and Ereka from heading into the dining room at noon. ¡°Your Highness, and Master Sungjin.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The great General Eustasia from the Kingdom of Cariana is entreating you to a discreet meeting.¡± ¡°Eustasia?¡± Ereka¡¯s eyes became big with surprise. It was customary to announce and schedule a meeting in advance when an important person from another country wanted to meet her. ¡°I know she was your childhood friend, but now you are the queen of this country. I think her requesting for a meeting is highly inappropriate...¡± Ereka showed a warm smile and told him that it was okay. ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason she wanted to have a discreet meeting. However, it is the rule to ask for permission in advance. Probably, she didn¡¯t want to let anyone know by asking for permission. Right. Sungjin. Would it be okay to invite Eustasia for lunch and listen to what she has to tell us?¡± Sungjin smiled while looking at Ereka, who was not exerting her authority as a queen. ¡°Sure.¡± He wanted to meet her anyways. ¡°I will send the message to her.¡± Rittier left. ¡°Sungjin, you¡¯ve never met Eustasia. She is my childhood friend. We live far away, so I don¡¯t see her very often, but she is a good friend of mine.¡± ¡°Hm... I¡¯ve met her before...¡± ¡°Huh? When did you meet her? Oh, right. You¡¯ve been studying all the important figures from each country,¡± Ereka reasoned. Sungjin didn¡¯t know how to exin his encounter just yet. I can¡¯t tell her that we had a naked encounter. If it was not her but a guy friend, he could have told her about the encounter and exchange some silly jokes. But it was ufortable for Sungjin to even bring up such a topic to a sexually inexperienced Ereka. ¡°She is the best general out of the four kingdoms.¡± ¡°Yes, that is what I heard.¡± She was a general he would have to face on his way to bing an Arc Master. That was the reason why Sungjin had been paying attention to her and why he recognized her right away. Sungjin couldn¡¯t wait to meet her at an official asion. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Vol.2 ¨C Episode 4

The reception room was open, and a silver-haired general walked in. She had a strong nose, strong eyes, and entered with confident steps. With an energy that was like a sharp sword, she was a heroine without a doubt. But at the same time, her tight armor showed her curvy body, and her vivid red lips were seductive. With a body that was showing her strong power and undeniable beauty, she was Eustasia Lnd, the best general out of the four kingdoms. ¡°You are...¡± Eustasia looked annoyed when she saw Sungjin sitting in the center. ¡°Please to meet you. Let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Cha Sungjin, and I became the owner of thisnd.¡± When Sungjin officially introduced himself, she looked even more annoyed, but she presented herself to Ereka first. ¡°Your Majesty, the Queen of Sevrantina, I am Eustasia from the Kingdom of Cariana. Thank you for epting to meet me without a request in advance.¡± ¡°Eustasia. It¡¯s just us, be yourself.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Now we have different statuses...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. We have been friends for a long time.¡± ¡°Okay! If you say so.¡± Eustasia hugged Ereka. Her hug was so strong, Ereka felt her breasts being squeezed. ¡°I¡¯m so d you survived the Blood Ruler!¡± ¡°Ouch! That hurts!¡± ¡°You are so stupid. I told you not to provoke the heroes,¡± Eustasiamented. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it was my bad. I couldn¡¯t help you because of my king¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°No, I understand. Like a great general, you had to follow the king¡¯s orders,¡± Ereka replied. ¡°I¡¯m so happy to see you again.¡± Eustasia smiled while looking at Ereka. ¡°And...¡± Her eyes turned to Sungjin. ¡°Ha. So that was you. I was totally fooled,¡± Eustasia said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! It was just a coincidence,¡± Sungjin apologized. ¡°Ha! You didn¡¯t mean to? You didn¡¯t tell me who you were. Well, I should have known better with an extra who didn¡¯t show any fear when in front of me. I was too slow to realize.¡± ¡°Sorry, but the timing wasn¡¯t right to tell you who I really was.¡± Ereka wondered what had happened between these two, who were talking as if it was not their first time. ¡°Sungjin, did you already meet Eustasia?¡± ¡°Yeah. Something happened.¡± Sungjin smiled it away. He couldn¡¯t tell Ereka that he went to the waterfall in his underwear and saw Eustasia naked, only to have an incident of very close body contact. ¡°Ha. That was your own territory. I used it for old times¡¯ sake. I should be the one apologizing.¡± The waterfall used to belong to the family of Ereka. So when Eustasia, a friend of Ereka, came around, she used to take a bath without permission. But now, she quickly deduced that the waterfall belonged to Sungjin. As he watched her calcte all this, Sungjin knew that she was not a great general for no reason. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It was just a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°You are cool. Good. Let¡¯s keep it that way.¡± Sheughed while sharply looking at Sungjin. ¡°But you really look like this...? I guess I need to punish the painter. He shouldn¡¯t have changed your face that much.¡± That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t recognize me. Sungjin guessed that the portrait Eustasia received of him was quite doctored. Listening to their conversation, Ereka felt ufortable. There is... something... between you two that I don¡¯t know... She thought she was the closest girl to Sungjin, but they never had their own secret. Ereka felt like pins were sticking into her heart. ¡°Haha. Let¡¯s keep it that way.¡± Sungjin smiled. It was not a ¡°minor¡± incident for a girl to show her naked body to a man, but Eustasia was not just a girl¡ªshe was a general. Well for Sungjin, who was a guy, it was a pleasant experience at that moment. The touch of her fit and soft body trained by martial arts was a thrilling experience. On top of that, her morous body was real eye candy. Well, Ereka has a great body as well. He had never seen her naked body, but he saw enough when her dress got wet from her falling into some water. Sungjin was now imagining two naked bodies. One is a graceful moon, and the other is a blessed sun. Ereka¡¯s golden-ratio body was a blessing. Sungjin was not the only one who had her as a heroine in his dreams. It would be a real heaven to have both in his bed... That¡¯s enough. Sungjin stopped his thoughts. As soon as he was reminded of Eustasia¡¯s naked body, he couldn¡¯t stop imagining the dangerous scenes. This meeting was too important to go sideways with some dangerous imaginations. Control yourself Sungjin. Control yourself. ¡°That¡¯s enough for greetings; what brought you here?¡± ¡°Good. I hate to waste my time. But let me show enough respect and give you a present.¡± Eustasia took out a bundle of paper. They were promissory notes. ¡°This is my present to you.¡± ¡°Huh? What is this?¡± ¡°These are dishonored promissory notes with extremely high interest from the heroes to the extras. Real dishonored bonds.¡± A dishonored bond was a loan that was impossible to be paid back. Under the ruling of thete king and Ereka, who were trying to pursue a Merciful Rulership, the heroes tried to find wful¡± ways to exploit extras. One of them was to loan out money with interest that was a few times more than the principle. But that had a limit as well. The people who had no money couldn¡¯t pay anything, and the heroes couldn¡¯t trade the extras as ves under Sungjin and Ereka¡¯s rule. So those were loans that had no means of getting a paycheck. ¡°Huh? Did you buy those?¡± ¡°Yeah. My butler negotiated in advance, and I met him and bought these yesterday.¡± Debt was a suffocating pressure that made people lose their motivation to get back on their feet again. So Eustasia bought those promissory notes for only a part of their written value. The heroes didn¡¯t see any possibility to get more money from extras, and it took too much time and effort to take the money back. So they were all sold to Eustasia at the minimum price. But on the other hand, these things were suffocating shackles to the people. Eustasia tore the notes into pieces. ¡°Here¡¯s the list. You can tell them they can live their lives without it.¡± That was a real liberation. She spent the minimum to buy out the promissory notes to force the heroes to give them up. This was a wise solution with no opposition. Confidence was not her only charm. She was also wise when dealing with sensitive issues. That was why she was a great general. Her intelligence was not only on the battlefield; it was all around. Sungjin nodded unnoticeably. I like her. He was interested in her ever since he read about her for the first time. That ability of hers gave her the title of the ¡°greatest general of the four kingdoms.¡± She was the pir that held up her kingdom who supported an ipetent king. She was a generous hero who took care of the lower ss. He experienced her generosity when he met her. She was attractive in every aspect, and Sungjin wanted to keep her on his team. Her hot body was a plus. No. Not that. Sungjin smiled awkwardly when he was reminded of Eustasia¡¯s body under her clothes. ¡°Thank you, Eustasia.¡± Ereka smiled with gratitude. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got enough jewelry and dresses, so I tried to be creative...¡± ¡°You took care of the part that I didn¡¯t have a chance to look into. Thank you.¡± ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t mention it.¡± It was a beautiful scene to have the blessed sun and the morous moon standing together. ¡°So let¡¯s get to the chase.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s chat over a cup of tea.¡± Ereka poured out a cup of fresh tea. ¡°Thank you. But isn¡¯t it a bit boring to just chat over a cup of tea?¡± Eustasia looked at Sungjin as if she wanted to provoke him. ¡°Do you y chess?¡± ¡°Oh. That is not my specialty, but I¡¯m not too bad. I¡¯ve studied the principles and how to y it,¡± Sungjin answered with a grin. The game of chess from this world and his world were the same as if it came from the same origin. ¡°Good. It¡¯s a good game to y out military ns. Shall we chat over a game?¡± Her sharp eyes showed she didn¡¯t intend to y it casually. She brought a ¡°present,¡± but it was not as a friend. ¡°Let¡¯s move to the game room.¡± * * * ¡°I¡¯m not too bad. I won¡¯t go easy on you,¡± she said while arranging the chess pieces. ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t underestimate the greatest general of the four kingdoms and think that she wouldn¡¯t be good at such a game.¡± Ereka felt anxious while looking at these two being fiery. I¡¯ve never seen Eustasia interested in a guy. She used to say that guys were boring when Ereka told her of her dream to meet a guy and fall in love. You said guys were boring... and now! Ereka realized why. Sungjin was not a ¡°boring guy.¡± He was a great and charming one. That¡¯s it. It was not that you were not interested in guys. Eustasia was just not interested in guys who were notpatible with her. Oh... What should I do? She had yet to capture Sungjin¡¯s heart, and now Eustasia was also interested in Sungjin. It seems like they had already met before when she was not there... Moreover, Eustasia¡¯s beauty was highly reputed. She was such a confident beauty. Ereka became a queen to ¡°protect the people from the greed of the heroes. Ereka didn¡¯t have any prominent abilities, whereas Eustasia was the greatest general of the four kingdoms. She must be better at conversing... with Sungjin... what should I do...? The four kingdoms included the southern four kingdoms below the Kingdom of Sevrantina. Eustasia was not called the greatest because of her family background. Two years ago, when General Gareth, a close associate of the Golden Wise King, attacked them, the alliance of the four kingdoms was in a panic after a crushing defeat. The alliance didn¡¯t know what to do. Some wanted to surrender while they were not sure if the Golden Wise King would treat them as the owners of thend if they surrendered. Then she stood up. She said that they still had the military power to fight against the Golden Wise King, and if they did, new allies would make their move to fill into the power bnce. When the people said that they should send a messenger to their new allies, she tly responded with a ¡°no.¡± She said that if they did, their new allies would ask for treasure but still want to keep the power bnce among them. So until their new allies made their own moves, she said that the only thing the four kingdoms needed to do was to defend once or twice. When the people argued they wouldn¡¯t be able to fight back the fierce General Gareth again, she said she had a n andtermanded the army. With her brilliant ns and heroism, she defeated Gareth. I think her military intelligence is the best of the four kingdoms, apart from Sungjin. Ereka thought that the one she loved was a better general. She also thought that Eustasia had more connections with Sungjin aspared to herself. Confident, intelligent, driven, and charismatic¡ªthey were the perfect match. What should I do? Ereka watched their game restlessly. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Vol.2 ¨C Episode 5

¡°Since I¡¯m the guest, can I have the first move?¡± asked Eustasia while taking up a white chess piece. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Great. Then arrange your pieces.¡± Then she told Sungjin aggressively. ¡°Pawns are just shields at the starting point. The king is thoroughly protected in the center. You should know that.¡± ¡°I told you, this is not my specialty but also not my first time ying this.¡± ¡°Yes. Each piece has its own position. That¡¯s the rule.¡± She continued moving a pawn that was in the position of the king. ¡°My king won¡¯t ept an extra sitting in his spot. Any ns to step back?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t?¡± Sungjin answered with ease as if he expected her question. But Ereka cut in with anger. ¡°What are you talking about? That is nonsense.¡± It was rare to hear Ereka elevate her voice like that. ¡°As I said. A king has to be an honorable hero. A level 0 extra is not allowed to be one.¡± Ereka¡¯s hand trembled with anger. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. When this country was under threat of the Blood Ruler, no one tried to help us except for Sungjin. He brought a miraculous victory for us.¡± Ereka articted every single word. ¡°Isn¡¯t the person who fights back against injustice when all the other heroes are looking away the most honorable person? Sungjin proved himself and his qualifications to be in his position.¡± Ereka moved the pawn to the end of the chessboard to make the pawn the queen, the strongest piece of the game. ¡°A pawn that reaches the end of the chessboard can be any piece but the king.¡± This was the rule of promotion in chess. ¡°Sungjin started as a level 0 extra but promoted himself with his own abilities.¡± ¡°Yeah. You are right.¡± Eustasia didn¡¯t try to argue with Ereka. ¡°Right? And then, I approved him to rule this country with me as I am the rightful ruler of this kingdom. Moreover, people are praising Sungjin because he is a merciful ruler who makes their lives easier. Your king has no right to discuss or approve of my decision.¡± ¡°You are right. That would be an interference in your domestic affairs.¡± Again, Eustasia agreed. ¡°Then do not provoke me anymore.¡± Ereka made it clear that she wouldn¡¯t ept any insults to Sungjin, even if they were friends. That was Ereka¡¯s responsibility to the one who saved her. Looking at Ereka biting her lips with anger, Eustasia put a tiny smile on her face. She knew that her friend, Ereka, was someone who always tried to find the right way to do things. Killing the dog after the hunting was over was not an option for her. Ereka was happy that a hero came to save her people. Her pure heart was beautiful, but the world was not pure. ¡°But Ereka, a pawn can¡¯t be a king.¡± When Eustasia picked up the pawn that was in the queen¡¯s position, the pawn became a pawn again. ¡°That... that¡¯s a chess game you are talking about.¡± ¡°In the real world, it is more strict. A pawn is just a pawn. An extra is just an extra from the heroes¡¯ point of view.¡± ¡°Sungjin saved this country from the Blood Ruler.¡± ¡°I know, but the heroes see otherwise. An extra is just an extra. If it was just my king who found it unpleasant, I would have found a way to convince him, but...¡± Everyone knew that that was not the case. ¡°Even the heroes from this country are unhappy about it. If you keep going like this, all the countries will stand against you.¡± That sounded cold, but it was also a cruel reality. ¡°Do you remember when there was an epidemic? I stopped you from building hospitals to save everyone.¡± ¡°I remember. You told me that you would get strong opposition from the heroes. Instead of hospitals, you advised me to iste the infected and control traffic to prevent additional infections.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t listen, telling me you couldn¡¯t leave the infected to die in misery.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t... leave them.¡± Ereka¡¯s voice was shaking. That was a painful failure. ¡°As a result, the heroes turned their backs on you and gave the Blood Ruler a chance to take over. It would have been different if you convinced them by telling them that losing the extras would result in losing tax ie and that the epidemic was for their own good.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Ereka recalled that day. Eustasia told her the solution step-by-step from how to grasp reality to finding the best possible solution. She was not just good at military tactics; she was good at politics, socio-economics, and understood how to lead the heroes without opposition. On the other hand, Ereka was... ¡°You were noble to save everyone but also reckless. Even though you intended to do good, the result was still doomed. Most of the heroes are worried about their own benefit and not necessarily what you think is right.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°We are the rulers. Keep your noble heart to save everyone but keep your head cool so that you can find the best way.¡± ¡°I... I can¡¯t, Sungjin has to...¡± ¡°You should do more than that.¡± ¡°What do you mean by more?¡± ¡°You revoked the heroes¡¯ rights to use, punish, and tax the extras, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I made it impossible for the heroes to abuse the extras.¡± That would be a world where the people had rights like Sungjin said. ¡°Set a limit and give back their rights. The other countries are considering your policy a threat.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. The people need to have a bit of protection.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said to set a limit. It has to be a realistic one. And cancel your ns for a school.¡± ¡°Why should I!?¡± ¡°People learn how to read and get knowledge. For the heroes, that sounds like they need to open their sacred areas to the low-lives. Who would like it when someone walks into their bedroom with muddy shoes?¡± ¡°Are you saying that Sungjin has to give up his dream and that I need to stop protecting my people and take away their rights to have knowledge?¡± ¡°But still, the people will live a better lifepared to their lives before,¡± Eustasia responded. ¡°If you don¡¯t do this, you will relive the life when there was the Blood Ruler. An extra is just an extra. It is clear that the heroes think they are entitled to be the heroes, and it is impossible to change their fixed ideas on it. We need to adjust ourselves to it.¡± ¡°The Blood Ruler...¡± That incident clearly traumatized Ereka and made her look down. ¡°I know, I failed.¡± Her friend was praised as the greatest general of the four kingdoms, while she was just an ipetent sessor who almost lost her own country. It was not that Ereka didn¡¯t like Eustasia, but Eustasia made her look so small. But Eustasia was telling her to cancel everything that she was trying with Sungjin. Sungjin was the real hero who saved the country. Why was he not allowed to have a dream? People had their own lives. Why couldn¡¯t their lives be respected? Couldn¡¯t people dream a little? Why were their dreams uneptable? But am I really making the same mistake again and reliving the Blood Ruler failure? Am I ruining everything by trying too hard? Am I trying too hard? Ereka felt a pressure on her chest and covered herself with her arms. ¡°That¡¯s not how I see it.¡± A strong voice came out to cut off all the chains that were pressing on her. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Sungjin.¡± ¡°Ereka alone, it is a bit risky for sure. She always tries to save others, even if that puts her in danger. But that is why...¡± That could have sounded diminishing, but Sungjin was looking at Ereka with admiration. ¡°I wanted to protect her.¡± ¡°Sungjin...¡± Ereka turned away, blushing. You are right. You defeated the Blood Ruler to help me build hospitals for everyone. ¡°A king has to be excellent himself but also has to make other excellent people stand by his side. She made me stand by her side to defeat the Blood Ruler and saved everyone. What she tried to do didn¡¯t be a reckless idea but the best solution.¡± Eustasiaughed, realizing she got dealt with. Ereka¡¯s pursuit was noble, but the ruling ss wouldn¡¯t ept that. That was the cruel reality. But if there was a power beyond reality, her pursuit would be seen not as a reckless attempt, but the ¡°best solution.¡± ¡°Hah. Correct. But you came to her by ident. That was just a miracle that doesn¡¯t happen in real life.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This miracle won¡¯t be an ident but a reality.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Because I will stay with her and stand by her.¡± Eustasiaughed when Sungjin confidently said that Ereka would make it just because he would stay with her. ¡°You will make it happen?¡± ¡°No. We will make it happen as a team. She will make this country for the people, and I will be an Arc Master.¡± I¡¯ve never seen such a spirit from a guy. This guy is charming. He was more than what she heard. ¡°Haha. People said your ns were quite good, but do you think that will work in the future as well?¡± ¡°Try me.¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s try.¡± Eustasia moved her white piece. It was a close game. Sungjin was moving his pieces quickly, but Eustasia strictly yed by the book. Her moves could seem boring since she was following the rules, but the rules were called the rules for a reason. While ying the game, they both respected each other. This guy. This girl. A formidablepetitor. They could discuss the game while striking back confidently. Meeting a person with great ambition and an ability to fulfill your ambition was rare. They felt connected during an intense game. They both were excited like wild animals to be able to face such an opponent. But it¡¯s time to finish the game. He didn¡¯t n to finish in a tie. Sungjin suddenly made a provocative move as if he was saying that he stopped ying by the book. He moved his bishop to an unexpected and unconventional position that looked like a waste. But Eustasia was notughing at him. Au contraire, she was impressed. How did you know this move? Sungjin¡¯s move was invented by the Grand Master of chess 300 years ago. It was a trapping move that looked like a mistake, but if the opponent tried to react by the book, it would trap the opponent¡¯s pieces. It was an unconventional rule that nobody had thought of until the Grand Master invented it. It was a move that was saying he didn¡¯t care if the heroes hated him or not. Eustasia was deeply impressed by Sungjin who knew of this forgotten move from 300 years ago. He is really good. But... ¡°The kings from the other three kingdoms are meeting behind your back, Ereka.¡± The air in the room became heavy. ¡°What...!¡± ¡°Soon, they will make a joint attack, justifying it by the fact that you let an extra be king.¡± ¡°Wh... what! Where is the faith of the alliance of the four kingdoms!¡± ¡°ording to their justification, the Kingdom of Sevrantina broke the faith first when you coronated an extra.¡± That was why Eustasia talked about the past and the Blood Ruler. She wanted to make Ereka realize, by her past experiences, that her honor would bring destruction to her kingdom. ¡°While fighting against the Blood Ruler and the three knights, Sevrantina exhausted its power, and coronating an extra made many people angry. Also, the greed to divide your country in three has also ignited the n. Soon they will dere war.¡± That was the real risk the Kingdom of Sevrantina was facing. The harsh wall of reality. ¡°The heroes will stand against you. I was not warning for the future. You need to make your decision today. A joint attack by the three kingdoms will destroy your country. You will be a prisoner.¡± Eustasia looked at Sungjin and Ereka. ¡°When the war starts, I need to hold my sword against you as a general. But I don¡¯t want you to be destroyed.¡± ¡°Hm. Is this for Ereka?¡± ¡°Half of it is.¡± ¡°What about the other half?¡± ¡°I felt bad for your people who just got away from the Blood Ruler. Even if youpromise, I know they will live a better life under you guys.¡± Sungjin¡¯s ideal dream was impossible, but destruction was also a sad ending. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing we can do about their harsh feelings against you. You should step down. Then I promise you, I will prevent this war.¡± There was thew of inertia once something had started. Even if they lost their justification, they still had their greed. It was not a simple task to stop it. But Eustasia promised to save her friend from destruction and have the people live their lives. She brought the best possible solution with apromise. Then Eustasia moved her rook. That was her answer to Sungjin¡¯s trap move. The perfect move that made the Grand Master¡¯s trap move disappeared. The move that destroyed the trap move. It was just like an extra who rode high against the heroes for a while only to be destroyed by them. A joint attack from an alliance of the three kingdoms.... The strength drained out from Ereka¡¯s legs. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Vol.2 ¨C Episode 6

The power of the four kingdoms was bnced. But since the three knights were gone, the Kingdom of Sevrantina had lost a number of high-level heroes. It looked like a three-against-one fight, but it was a five-on-one fight, in reality. She was feeling hopeless and fainted, but a strong hand held her up. ¡°There¡¯s another way.¡± Sungjin helped Ereka to stand up and smiled. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Winning the three-to-one fight.¡± ¡°Ha. Do you think that is possible?¡± Eustasia thought it was ridiculous that Sungjin was still full of confidence even after she revealed the biggest threat. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Huh? With your intelligence that couldn¡¯t defeat me in chess?¡± ¡°I was about to.¡± ¡°How?¡± Eustasia¡¯s attack became more intense. Sungjin¡¯s pieces started to lose their formation. Ah... Cheering on Sungjin, Ereka was on edge. It was clear that Eustasia had the upper hand. And this didn¡¯t mean a simple defeat in a chess game. They were facing a joint attack from the three kingdoms, and Eustasia would use this game as propaganda to show Sungjin¡¯s limit. That would end up agitating the heroes in Ereka¡¯s kingdom, and they¡¯d be defeated even before the fight began. What should we do...? ¡°Listen to me. I¡¯m not saying you should give up everything. I rather think you are excellent. Although you are just an extra, with your abilities, you are a real talent.¡± ¡°I appreciate that.¡± ¡°Sure. But the world is different. Sopromise to find the best way. Give up the schools and keep the hospitals. Let the heroes tax, use, and punish the extras even if it is only on paper. If you define the limit, you can still protect your people. And finally...¡± She moved her queen forward. It was a move to finish the game. ¡°Give up your crown to keep your queen. People say the king is the strongest, but the queen is the strongest piece, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Do I look like a drag queen?¡± Sungjin¡¯s joke made Eustasia smile. ¡°Not the gender. Let Ereka rule in front of everyone and support her from behind. But I really think highly of your intelligence. Your ns will help us a lot because foreign countries are trying to attack the alliance of the four kingdoms. I will reward you handsomely.¡± She was a realist. But she was not a realist who tried to give up on reality. She had a clear understanding of the situation and the circumstances to find out what to do and what not to do. An ipetent, free-wheeling king, ipetent and corrupt aristocrats, and strong, threatening foreign countries¡ªshe was the general who was keeping the country from bing a mess. She was not just a great general of the battlefield, she was also a great general of politics. She believed an idea had meaning when she could make it happen. She pointed out the recklessness of Ereka¡¯s pursuit but also provided a realistic solution to convince her to follow it. ¡°That is a realistic solution. I appreciate your offer,¡± answered Sungjin. Sungjin... Ereka had tears in her eyes. Sungjin was a real heropared to anyone else, but his victory had to be taken away only because he was a level 0. She was a part of the heroes, but she didn¡¯t agree with the other abusive heroes. When we had to fight the Blood Ruler, they looked away, saying it was just an internal rebellion. And now they¡¯ve gotten together to fight against Sungjin. This is unfair. It was unfair, but she couldn¡¯t stop them. Even Sungjin said that the offer was reasonable. ¡°But I refuse to take the offer.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The first reason: my dream to be an Arc Master.¡± This was his ambition as a man who loved to fight. ¡°The second reason: I promised Ereka to make a world where no one is abused by anyone.¡± He was a man of his word. ¡°I have no ns to go sideways in my journey.¡± ¡°The dream of an extra is not a concern for them. One man can¡¯t fight against the whole world.¡± ¡°If it was just a normal man. But I¡¯m not. I will be an Arc Master.¡± Then Sungjin moved his knight into formation. Eustasia¡¯s face stiffened while trying to make a counter move. What...? Is this...? The position of his knight was interesting. It was as if he was breaking his formation on purpose and waited for this moment. It was an ambush to cut off the rear supply route of an army that was certain of its victory. Her queen had to find a way to retreat, but that was not the only thing that stopped her. The strangest thing was... What is this? I thought I blocked the bishop¡¯s position, but he revived it in an important spot of the game. She had to look at the board again and again, but it was clear that Sungjin turned the tables with one move. His retreating, scattered pieces were suddenly connected to these two to siege her pieces. She yed out her next move a few dozen times in her head, but the answer was the same. She was defeated. ¡°No way. The move you made has defeated any of my counter moves.¡± ¡°The rules, the book,mon sense, traditions, and stereotypes. Haha. If I yed by those rules, I would have been defeated. If I had yed by the book, you would have beaten me slowly.¡± ¡°So the moves you wasted... you were nning to use them all at this moment?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this kind of move before.¡± ¡°To understand this, you should think outside of the box and open all possibilities,¡± Sungjin answered calmly. Common sense said that one man couldn¡¯t fight against allied, privileged heroes. But he was here to break that rule. He wasn¡¯t someone who would settle with suchmon sense about ¡°reality.¡± ¡°Haha... You want to ovee reality to make your dreamse true...? You are reckless.¡± ¡°I will be an Arc Master. The allied, privileged heroes of the three kingdoms are just some mid-stage bosses. I won¡¯t step back.¡± ¡°Sungjin....¡± Ereka¡¯s eyes started to shine again. Yes. You fought the Blood Ruler with your confidence. And he saved her and her country. Sungjin would stop them even if the three kingdoms attacked her kingdom. If you say that you can, I will trust you and fight with you. Eustasia had to look at Sungjin again. This guy¡¯s ambition... this is tiring. ¡°If that is your answer, I will have to cut your throat. Don¡¯t count on my friendship with Ereka. I came here because stopping this war would benefit my country, but if I can¡¯t stop it. I will destroy you and bring victory to my king.¡± ¡°Do your best. But I will beat you.¡± ¡°Okay. I get it. You defeated the Blood Ruler... and me in this game.¡± Eustasia started to get rid of chess pieces. ¡°But...¡± She started to set the board again. This time, the ck and white pieces were not parallel. She set out only a king, a bishop, a knight and three pawns on Sungjin¡¯s side and set everything on her side. It was nearly a 3:1 ratio. ¡°Can you still win?¡± ¡°This is not a fair chess game at all,¡± Erekained on behalf of Sungjin. ¡°Life is unfair.¡± Eustasia cut off Ereka¡¯sint. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that it is an alliance of the three kingdoms. That¡¯s not just it. Your heroes pretend to be obedient, but they actually me you for taking away their privileges. Can you still win this game?¡± It was not a game that anyone could win with just a n. Sungjin showed a grin while looking at the chessboard. ¡°I ept your challenge.¡± He took his knight and removed Eustasia¡¯s king. ¡°A knight can¡¯t move like that.¡± ¡°A genius doesn¡¯t follow the rules. That¡¯s reality.¡± ¡°You are saying you are a genius?¡± ¡°I need to be even more extraordinary to be an Arc Master.¡± Their eyes met fiercely. Eustasia¡¯s silver eyes looked at him like a sharp de, but Sungjin¡¯s eyes were calm and generous. She sighed. ¡°Haha. Okay. So let¡¯s say you found a crazy military n to defeat the three-on-one battle. But you are an extra. Social ss is what gives you the right and power of ruling.¡± Even though some were unhappy with Ereka¡¯s rulership, nobody would deny her legitimacy. But Sungjin was just an ¡°extra.¡± ¡°The privileged will never give up their privileges. They will fight back even harder when you corner them. They will think of their stakes even if they have to break the rules. When that happens...¡± She picked up a piece from another board. ¡°What if the Holy Pope or the Golden Wise king attacks you?¡± The intrusion of the third and fourth forces. ¡°The Holy Nation Rupellion is stronger than the alliance of the four kingdoms. And Eldorado of the Golden Wise king is even stronger than Rupellion. We kept our independence because we kept the bnce between those two.¡± The Holy Pope and the Golden Wise king¡ªthey had their awakening long before the Blood Ruler. Even the Blood Ruler was just an infant whenpared to them. Moreover, they had numerous artifacts. They were on another level whenpared to Riad, who was still strengthening one magical sword. The alliance of the four kingdoms was there only because they held each other in check and kept the bnce. But if the four kingdoms became even weaker, the bnce would be broken. ¡°Those two have no mercy on their peoplepared to the alliance of the four kingdoms. If your pursuit of the ideal world brings cmity to the people, will you use your good intentions as an excuse?¡± Eustasia protected the new king she put on the board with her Heroic Power. Even a knight would be pushed back. ¡°In politics and in the military, you need to face reality. To pursue an ideal world, you need to have a clear look at reality to n every step. If not, you will destroy not only yourself but everyone around you.¡± She looked at Ereka as well. ¡°Let me ask you. If you really think of him, don¡¯t you think you should stop him? You know what is going on these days?¡± Ereka held her hands and smiled gently to answer Eustasia¡¯s sharp questioning. ¡°Sungjin saved my life and my country. We will follow his dream until the end wherever that end will be.¡± Life or death, rise or fall, those were the results toe. She would be his shield to protect and pursue his dreams. ¡°Ha. That is so you.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Sungjin was grateful and felt a bit awkward at the same time. He continued his answer to change the air in the room. ¡°I told you. My dream is to be an Arc Master. The Holy Nation or the Golden King¡¯snd, they are just preliminary rounds.¡± To move on to the next round and step into ¡°the center,¡± he had to unify his continent or at least had to get vows of obedience from the other countries. And then he had to unify that center to stand above the Kaiser in order to challenge the ¡°God¡± in the sacred territory. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t ept an extra? I will make them.¡± He picked up his teacup and threw the tea on the board ¡°Here¡¯s a flood.¡± All the other pieces except a king washed away. ¡°A flood in a chess game. This is your answer.¡± Eustasia nodded slowly. It was an obvious foul y. But this level 0 had been winning his battles whereas the heroespeted for their skills. And he just dered that he would not only defeat the alliance of the four kingdoms but also Rupellion and Eldorado with his own ¡°abilities¡± to prove himself. A game changer. A guy who had a lot of nerve. Hmm. He is more than what they said. She almost had a crush on him. If only he was not her enemy. I want to make him mine. If I can tame this wild beast... But if we sh, he is just an enemy of her king. Eustasia put away the chessboard. ¡°Let¡¯s y not on this small board but for real.¡± She drew her sword. * * * Chapter 3 Her sharp sword cut a marble table like a pie. ¡°I get that you have defeated the Blood Ruler. But intelligence sometimes works and sometimes doesn¡¯t. Unlike a stable level.¡± ¡°Even your level can be defeated by flexible ns.¡± ¡°Hmph. Enough talking. I challenge you to a duel.¡± ¡°A duel.¡± ¡°If you are really a man who will be an Arc Master, beat me.¡± Eustasia pursed her lips and positioned her hand above her chest to provoke Sungjin. ¡°A duel can be fun. What¡¯s in it for me, though?¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes became sharp. ¡°If you lose, you¡¯ll be mine.¡± When Ereka heard that, she shouted with surprise. ¡°What... what are you talking about?¡± She would make Sungjin... her man? ¡°As I told you before, be a ruler¡¯s hand behind the scenes and be my right-hand man. I think you can be useful for our defense.¡± Eustasia scanned Sungjin¡¯s body like a wine connoisseur who found a valuable bottle of exquisite wine. Sungjin also looked at her with the eyes of a conqueror who had found a precious jewel. Ereka felt the spark between them and held Sungjin¡¯s arm to stop it. ¡°Sungjin. You don¡¯t have to ept this. A duel. Your specialty is tomand your army in a battle. Don¡¯t react to her provocation.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern. But it¡¯s okay.¡± Sungjin smiled and thought that this sounded fun. He looked like a lion that was watching and waiting to attack a deer. ¡°What if I win? Will you be mine?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already made an oath to my king. But you still need a reward. Okay. What about my virginity?¡± Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Vol.2 ¨C Episode 7

¡°No way!¡± Ereka yelled. ¡°Ereka?¡± ¡°I... I¡¯m sorry. But Sungjin. Ignore her challenge. It is an unfair fight. If you are defeated, you will lose everything, but she will keep her status as a general even if she is defeated.¡± Moreover... Whoever the winner is, Sungjin and Eustasia will... They would do the thing; that was ridiculous! Whoever the winner would be, it was a losing game for Ereka. She had to stop this. ¡°And she is level 7. She is a real military figure who can fight better than me. A duel is nonsense.¡± Sungjin patted Ereka softly. ¡°Thank you for worrying about me, but it¡¯s okay. I know she is level 7, but my intelligence is above her.¡± ¡°But... but... the winner gets... it¡¯s nonsense...¡± ¡°It is unbnced. But the stronger team is supposed to have the lower dividend.¡± Sungjinughed arrogantly telling her that he, a level 0 extra, was the stronger side. ¡°I take your challenge.¡± Eustasia looked at him and licked her lips. You are telling me that you are stronger. An arrogant level 0. It was ridiculous and absurd, but that made her want him more. Frankly, she didn¡¯t expect him to ept her challenge. ¡°Intelligence¡± was his strength, but that didn¡¯t mean he could defeat her in a duel. Maybe in a battle but not in a duel. Of course, she heard his swordsmanship was slightly above the Blood Ruler. But she also heard that it was impossible for him to ovee the difference in physical abilities and that he had no chance when ites to ¡°skills.¡± But he epted her challenge. I wanted him to refuse and make him realize his limits when ites to the level difference. She wasn¡¯t serious about her virginity, but if he could beat her, she thought that this kind of a guy deserved her virginity. She understood why Ereka had a crush on him. Ha. But there¡¯s no way you can beat me. It was his vanity and pride that epted the challenge. When he defeated Ereka, he was supported by a weak wizard of level 4. But a duel? ¡°Just one thing. I want to change the prize. Taking someone¡¯s body only because I won is not my taste.¡± ¡°Huh? You want to tell me that you don¡¯t like my body?¡± ¡°I admire it as a piece of art, but taking someone without love is not my thing.¡± ¡°That is rare for a guy. You are interesting.¡± Ereka gave a sigh of relief. Thank... thank god. Oh... no, no yet. That was only the case if Sungjin won. What if Sungjin lost? Noooo. What should I do? I should trust Sungjin. But objectively speaking, the result was quite clear. What should I do? What should I do? Eustasia held her precious sword up. ¡°Okay. This is a secret treasure of my family. This is the best artifact as a sword all over the four kingdoms. Although that is below what¡¯s at stake for you, to step down...¡± ¡°Sure. The stronger team always has a lower dividend.¡± They made a deal. ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase. What about tomorrow?¡± ¡°Sure. Tomorrow at sunrise.¡± * * * The news of a duel between Sungjin and Eustasia turned the castle upside down. ¡°Your Highness. What is happening?¡± Rittier asked with surprise. ¡°My queen. What happened during the meeting?¡± Jenna¡¯s eyes shone with innocent curiosity. ¡°So...¡± Ereka exined what happened to them. Her face got dark while telling them the story. Especially at the part where Eustasia said that if she won, she would take him and if she lost, she would be his woman. Rittier shouted with rage. ¡°How rude! Your Highness already decided to treat Sir Sungjin as an equal. How dare she challenge him to a duel as if she is also an equal! It is an indirect insult to Your Highness!¡± ¡°Oh, yes. That is also true.¡± This old man doesn¡¯t understand the real matter. Jenna tilted her knife tail while sucking on her finger. ¡°Huh? That means whoever wins, Sungjin Oppa has to date her?¡± ¡°Yes. If you take that literally, fortunately, Sungjin changed the condition to take her precious sword if he wins.¡± Oh, that¡¯s good news. ¡°I want to believe in Sungjin that he could win but... this is just...¡± Ereka swallowed her next words. Sungjin might be someone else¡¯s lover. ¡°He has no reason to take such an unfair challenge... I¡¯m worried that he¡¯s crossed an unnecessary line.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry my queen. It¡¯ll be all good when he wins.¡± Jenna showed a bright smile. Sungjin Oppa can take the best sword out of the four kingdoms, and that b*tch will be kicked out and embarrassed. She¡¯ll never try to make a move on him again. That¡¯s not a bad scenario. ¡°That¡¯s right. Since Sungjin is confident, all I can do is to trust him and support him. I should cheer for him with a smile.¡± Ereka finally found her smile back, but Rittier thought differently. ¡°I disagree. You need to stop him.¡± ¡°Should I?¡± ¡°Your Highness. This is Eustasia¡¯s n. Of course, Sir Sungjin is a great man, but she went straight for his bold and ambitious personality.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± ¡°If he wins, of course, that will be a good thing. But look at the numbers and actual abilities. Sir Sungjin¡¯s power is with his intelligence, not with his physical abilities.¡± ¡°Clearly...¡± Ereka¡¯s face became dark again. Level 0. That was a limit he could not ovee. She had to get rid of the cloud of faith and love for him to clear her head and stop him. Maybe, this is a moment where I have to tell him the hard truth out of love rather than... follow him out of love. ¡°Of course, Sir Sungjin¡¯s swordsmanship is good enough to cover the level difference if ites to closebat, but it is still impossible against Eustasia.¡± ¡°Clearly... impossible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He would not even be able to approach her. Then she will push him with her skills only to defeat him.¡± Ereka¡¯s face got stiff. This was my mistake. I should have stopped him. Sungjin didn¡¯t understand Eustasia¡¯s skills, and she was provoking him, knowing his ambition and pride. Not only the level difference, but Eustasia¡¯s skills would make it impossible for Sungjin to win. Ereka blindly followed him because she was so fond of him. Oh, oh. I was so jealous that Sungjin might end up with her and didn¡¯t see the most important thing. Jenna¡¯s knife tail stiffened. Wow. The old man is right. This is a big problem. She was also blinded if Sungjin wanted Eustasia as a girl or not and missed the obvious point. This is not good. Sungjin couldn¡¯t win against Eustasia, not in a duel. Maybe in a battle with an army. He had defeated the Blood Ruler, so maybe he had a chance against Eustasia. But not in a duel. To defeat the queen, who was level 6, hemanded her to support him. But a duel against Eustasia who was level 7... And that was not the only problem. All he has is his excellent swordsmanship; the situation is not good for him. He wouldn¡¯t be able to even go near Eustasia. It was clear that Sungjin didn¡¯t know anything about her ultimate skill. ¡°I should go and stop Sungjin now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°Yes, you definitely should.¡± Ereka rushed to the practice room to find Sungjin warming up. ¡°Sungjin.¡± ¡°Hey, Ereka.¡± ¡°Are you preparing for tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yeah. I was warming up.¡± ¡°Well... your duel tomorrow...¡± ¡°Oh. I will beat her. Watch me,¡± answered Sungjin while putting down his sword. His sweat smelled like that of an alpha male. Ereka suddenly didn¡¯t know what to tell him. ¡°Oh... about that... aren¡¯t you... worried?¡± ¡°Haha. I know everyone thinks I have no chance. Especially, Eustasia is sure of her victory.¡± He winked and raised his index finger. ¡°But you know I have my own n, right?¡± ¡°Yea... yeah. I know.¡± Ereka didn¡¯t know what to do and held her hands tight. Oh my god. I came here to stop you, but I don¡¯t know how to tell you. Her head was telling her what Rittier and Jenna told her was right. Rationally thinking, it was clear that Sungjin had no chance. Since it would be a duel, his intelligence wouldn¡¯t be useful, and due to Eustasia¡¯s level of skills, he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to use his swordsmanship. But... he said... The guy she loved was believing in her that she would trust him. She couldn¡¯t tell him that she didn¡¯t think that he could. ¡°Be on my side. I will beat her.¡± ¡°Of course, Sungjin. I trust you.¡± Ereka slowly nodded with a smile. ¡°Thanks,¡± Sungjin answered with a grin. He was in a very good mood. When he was trying to be a pro-gamer, he also wished to have fans who could cheer for him. Now, he was in a different world aiming to be an Arc Master; yet, he still had the same wish. Moreover, a girl he liked, who was also beautiful and kind, was cheering for him. That made him feel proud of himself. ¡°Get ready. I will leave you to it.¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s talk after I beat her tomorrow.¡± Ereka left the room after saying goodbye to Sungjin. She leaned on a wall and almost slid to the floor while shaking her head. Ugh. I can¡¯t stop him. She couldn¡¯t tell him to stop, not while Sungjin was telling her to support him me even if anyone else won¡¯t. Will it be okay...? What if Sungjin lost and ending up losing his dream as well? She would regret it for the rest of her life that she was not able to give him truthful advice. But... Sungjin was telling her to trust him and to support him. Sure. I will trust you. There was no right answer. Maybe she would regret not stopping him. But if Sungjin won, she wouldn¡¯t forgive herself for not trusting and supporting him. So I will just trust you, Sungjin. There was no guarantee of what would happen tomorrow. Her head was telling her that she should stop him now. She didn¡¯t even ask him if he knew about Eustasia¡¯s ultimate skill. But... Yes. I trust you. She decided to trust him beyond her thoughts and reasons. Whatever the odds were and however strong Eustasia was, she decided to trust Sungjin. Ereka closed her eyes and put her hands together as if she was praying. Yes. We don¡¯t know what will happen tomorrow. But you said you would win. So she would stop reasoning and just support him. Although she couldn¡¯t think of any way for Sungjin to win this duel, Sungjin was also beyond whatever she thought. * * * Chapter 4 The day of the duel hade. Since it was Eustasia, an ounder, who challenged him to a duel, Sungjin decided where to have their duel. He chose a temple with a triangr roof supported by many columns. It was a battlefield created by the gods and was separated from Valha. They could enter it with their body and abilities, but even if they died on the battlefield, they wouldn¡¯t die in their world. Eustasia was convinced on her victory and smiled while looking at the map Sungjin had chosen. Haha. Your confidence will cause your defeat. She understood that he didn¡¯t back off because of his ambition. He also didn¡¯t know of her secret n. That was the limit of his intelligence. It was impossible to consider a factor that didn¡¯t exist in the database. Well, of course, you are holding an ace of your own. The temple was beautiful outside, but it wasn¡¯t as it seemed. She thought that if they both were holding an ace, a level 7 who had more power could counterattack more easily and win. Level 7 vs. level 0. It was just a joke topare the two, no need to even mention having a duel. But what if he won? That is impossible. But what if he won out of all odds... If he was a guy like that... Sheughed away when her heart started to pound. Ha. Let¡¯s not worry about what won¡¯t happen. A war would drive everyone into destruction. She had to stop the tragedy. That was her duty. Soon enough, their duel began. Sungjin and Eustasia headed to the battlefield, while the others stood outside of the temple to watch. The grand temple standing on the hill was more grandiose than the Parthenon on Earth. The numerous columns standing inside of the temple looked like pipe organs and gave a certain style to the temple. The crystal decorations around the walls and columns were reflecting the natural lighting from outside and lit up the dark interior, making it a majestic scene. But those two in the temple didn¡¯t have time to enjoy the scene. The battle map was set to provide numerous crystals that could be used to activate items. Sungjin changed his weapon into a good one with high attack power, but it was not as great as Eustasia¡¯s weapon. That helped him, a level 0, to have his minimum offense power to start the fight. But Eustasia also used crystals to activate her artifact that had power beyond any magical sword. They had the same amount of crystals, but she was the one who had the upper hand at the end of the day. That didn¡¯t discourage Sungjin. ¡°Let¡¯s get it started.¡± Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Vol.2 ¨C Episode 8

Sungjin ran ahead with a shout. He was a swordsman on a one-on-one duel. If he could approach her and make it closebat, he could calcte all the possibilities to ovee all his physical disadvantages against her with his swordsmanship. It was obvious that he was nning to not give her a chance to use her skills. To answer his attack, Eustasia, who was a famous general with her greatbat skills, dropped her sword. But starting with a fist fight was not her intention. The next moment, her sword cut the air. ¡°The Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will!¡± That was the name of the greatest sword of the four kingdoms. Her sword flew to cancel the distance between them and started to attack Sungjin. The sword made a sound as it tore the air and flew to Sungjin¡¯s heart. Sungjin twisted his body to escape it, but the sword turned horizontally to follow him. He barely made it out, but Eustasia¡¯s sword raised up to drop back down like a drill. Sungjin¡¯s movement was reaching the limit of the human body while her sword was beyond the limit of the human body. The distance was the best barrier. Her ss was an archer, she kept a safe distance while attacking her opponent. But she was not just an archer. An archer alone couldn¡¯t do what she was doing. Her arrow changed direction freely, and when Sungjin stopped one, it still came back to hit him even stronger. That was why the people called her the greatest general of the four kingdoms. Sungjin¡¯s swordsmanship was strong only if he could approach his opponent, and her power was making that useless. That was her famous ultimate skill¡ªthe Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will. The passive skill that she could use without a cooldown time made her an archer-ssed swordsman. Sungjin¡¯s position became more dire. He leaned back to avoid the sword raising up, but in the next moment, the sword cut horizontally and cut off his hair. He survived by a distance of one centimeter. He was barely making it. He had no chance to approach Eustasia; stopping and avoiding her sword was getting overwhelming. ¡°Ha. Next time, I will cut your throat.¡± Eustasia dered her victory. No one was able to say that she was wrong... apart from Ereka. ¡°It is clear that now is the time Sungjin would use his n that he kept hidden.¡± ¡°Do you... really think so? I don¡¯t think there is one...¡± said Rittier next to her, but Ereka put her hands together. ¡°Didn¡¯t he do the same for his other fights?¡± ¡°Hmm. Hmm. That is true.¡± ¡°And when we had to attack the Blood Ruler, I knew that it was challenging for him when he said I would make us win. But this time, he was confident just like that time when he fought the three knights. So I¡¯m sure that he has a secret n that we don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Do you see the difference?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m always keeping my eyes on him... oops.¡± Ereka covered her blushing cheeks with her palms. As she expected, Sungjin was not standing there to let Eustasia hit him. He pushed a little button on a column. ¡°The real fight starts now.¡± Heavy smoke filled up the temple after the sounds of explosions. In a second, Eustasia lost her sight. Well, Sungjin lost his sight as well. A smoke bomb. He activated a device called a smoke bomb. If fair to both sides, the owner of the battlefield could ce any device in. That was the right of the owner of the battlefield. So Sungjin decided to nt a smoke bomb that would cover the sight of all on the battlefield. It was not difficult for him as the owner of the kingdom to order such simple construction. Eustasia quickly moved her sword again, but Sungjin wasn¡¯t there. Ha. This is a good one. Eustasia wasn¡¯t angry that her fierce attack had been interrupted. She wasughing it away. Yeah. I expected a fight like this. She expected Sungjin to know about her ultimate skill. He was too brilliant be to someone who didn¡¯t do his homework. Disrupt sight to approach the opponent¡ªthis was a n she had never seen from the other heroes. It was a refreshing countermeasure that heroes could not think of because they were busy thinking of their skills and magical items. Was it possible for him to think of this because he is a level 0? But he had never seen this kind of thing from any other extra. She thought maybe Sungjin was just special. But that is not enough. Her sword had the heaven¡¯s will; his trick couldn¡¯t stop such a great sword. She activated her Heroic Power to maximize her senses. ¡°Heaven¡¯s Net.¡± There was nothing that could escape Heaven¡¯s Net. Her visual and auditory senses fortified to let her detect all the movement in the smoke and the quietest sounds in the temple. Two privileges were given to the archer ss: one was sight over a long distance; the other one was an overwhelming sensory power. When she activated her first skill, the smoke bomb was not a problem. There! Her sword attacked where Sungjin was without mercy. Bam! But her sword couldn¡¯t reach Sungjin. Eustasia realized what was stopping her sword. The columns! The numerous columns in the temple were not for decoration. He is not bad. He really thought of a lot of ways to approach me. An ultimate skill that wouldn¡¯t allow for close contact also meant if he could approach her. He could fight her with one less ultimate skill. But... That didn¡¯t make Eustasia panic. She was rather enjoying the situation, and more Heroic Power sted off from her. You don¡¯t know one thing. ¡°Judgement.¡± Her sword roared and shook the air. The columns started to vibrate, and the columns that were blocking her sword were sliced in half to cut off Sungjin hiding behind them. That was another one of her skills. She could maximize the slicing power of her sword, and with her ultimate skill, the power increased dramatically. After slicing Sungjin behind a column, she flipped her hair. He lost because he didn¡¯t know that her attack was strong enough to cut the columns. Well, even if he made it out, she still hasn¡¯t used herst skill yet. Zunk. In the next moment, blood spurted from her arm. Something sharp had struck her. She was surprised by an unexpected cut but only for a very short time. On her next breath, she found her calmness back. She got rid of the sharp object and circted her Heroic Power to heal her wound. Is this an ... arrow? No, it is not just an arrow. It was a bolt from a crossbow, but it was a different kind of bolt from what she had seen. Unlike a bow, a crossbow was a weaponunched by mechanical power. It was a revolutionary weapon on Earth, which was easy to handle for the inexperienced but also capable of better precision and stronger destructive power. It allowed for a newly-recruited, untrained person to destroy an experienced knight¡¯s armor, shaking up the ss order in the middle age. Due to its power and characteristics, one of the popes prevented its use among Christians. Here, it was just a meaningless object in this world where only archers with Heroic Power existed. But a person who could find a proper use for it was holding it at the moment. Sungjin ordered a cksmith to make a crossbow and was using it at the temple with the help of crystals. Sungjin ran among the columns while re-loading it again. Unlike a sword, he never learned how to use a bow. Although he was a brilliant person who knew how to make his movements under his calction, it was impossible to master archery overnight. But a crossbow was different. By using a crossbow that relied on mechanical power in the temple where there was no wind, he could hit his mark. I know you have skills, but my knowledge is my skill. Eustasia also recognized that Sungjin couldn¡¯t do much unless he approached her. Whatever it is, if he can attack me efficiently from this distance, I¡¯m sure he is using some kind of a bow. Just like her sword that was not a ¡°bow¡± but could still attack from a distance. The archer ss had lower defensepared to a knight, and they couldn¡¯t avoid attacks with reflexes like that of a warrior. The damage from a magical bolt using crystals was not something she could ignore. But one thing was still not clear to her: she definitely cut him into two pieces, but he was still attacking her. She dialed up her senses to the max. Wait... the sound of his movements and his silhouette, are there... no, there... what? Then she finally realized that the ¡°pipes¡± on the columns that looked like decoration were letting out sounds that made it tricky to find the origin of the sound. That was not the only trick. There were dim silhouettes behind the smoke, but they were illusions that only ¡°looked¡± like decorations. This temple was architected for such purposes. Ha. Now I see. Those are devices that can be used by both of us, so it is fair. But he filled the temple up with them. It was a symmetrical structure, but Sungjin was the one who was using the temple freely to confuse the archer with her augmented sensory abilities. This was a bold counterattack that was tearing up the that was impossible to escape from. So that is your skill, huh? If he was fighting against other heroes, they would have been foaming at the mouth in rage. But she was not like the other heroes. She epted that intelligence was a power equivalent to skill. So she didn¡¯t get caught off-guard or became angry. She was thinking about how to defeat Sungjin calmly and serenely. And she didn¡¯t take much time toe up with her answer. I will destroy you. With her dominant power, a trick was unnecessary. Her opponent already studied everything to prepare for this fight. If she tried to use a trick, that would be what he wanted. Using her dominant power of a level 7 to y him, that was the most definite way to defeat him. Her sword flew without a moment¡¯s rest. Her sword sliced through every movement of Sungjin no matter if it was real or an illusion. At the same time, she destroyed the obstacles that were protecting Sungjin. To cut the columns, she consumed a considerable amount of her Heroic Power activated her skill ¡°Judgement,¡± but she wasn¡¯t worried. She had already figured that she could catch Sungjin before she ran out of Heroic Power. But Sungjin wasn¡¯t waiting for her to catch him. He kept throwing her into confusion while moving and aiming at her with his crossbow. But that was not a threat to Eustasia anymore. No use. Her sensory ability was at its highest. She could hear the vibrations of the air around her when a bolt wasing to her. Once she heard the sound, she used her tremendous reflexed of level 7 to avoid it. This needed a lot of focus. She didn¡¯t just have high physical abilities; she was a general trained for battles, but she was worried about something else. You are losing your protection devices one-by-one. I¡¯m sure you will not keep depending on your crossbow that is not even working. She knew he would approach her suddenly. She was convinced that he was waiting for the moment when she lost her focus because that would be the only moment he had of defeating her. But you won¡¯t get that moment. She was sure she wouldn¡¯t lose her focus. She would keep her guard up until the end of this fight. As soon as he came near, she would kill him even before he could use his sword with her third and her secret skill. More columns disappeared. She was cornering Sungjin and his illusions. It was clear that he didn¡¯t have much time left. This was the moment he had to finish this fight. Bolts flew toward Eustasia from three different directions. It had to be simultaneousunch by machines since Sungjin didn¡¯t have the skill to replicate that himself. Now! He tried to finish this fight by distracting her with three bolts to approach her. She raised her Heroic Power even higher to fight back. She cleared the bolt facing her and avoided the bolt from her back by stepping to the side while making a turn. She jumped to avoid the bolting toward her leg. The moment she was jumping seemed to open up a weak point, but that was the moment she was waiting for. She was about to use her ace to finish him, and as she expected, Sungjin didn¡¯t miss that moment. ¡°Game over,¡± he dered with confidence, but he didn¡¯t approach her. Instead, the temple copsed. ¡°What?¡± The columns were falling down. The walls copsed. With the sound of an explosion, the roof of a few thousand tons of weight fell down to crush everything underneath. Gravity was a simple phenomenon due to natural power, but the power and range of its destruction were as huge as an ultimate spell of a wizard. Eustasia quickly tried to fight back the falling pieces of the roof, but it was not enough to stop anything. In the middle of a glorious demolition, the smoke cleared. Sungjin was looking at her, standing in the exact position where he started. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Vol.2 ¨C Episode 9

Was this your n from the beginning...? Eustasia suddenly sighed as she saw the sword in Sungjin¡¯s hand. It was a cheap sword that gave him no chance of hitting a level 7. He didn¡¯t even have a n to ¡°approach¡± her. He just bluffed because he knew that Eustasia knew about his excellent swordsmanship. He kept his distance to attack her suddenly so that he could finish the fight. He thought this was the only way. He nted multiple devices to do it¡ªnumerous columns that would block her sword, a smoke generator to cover her sight, pipes on the columns to confuse her with the sounds and crystal decorations to make illusionary silhouettes. He put a lot of effort into those devices and made a bow-like device to attack her from a distance. Everything made her think that he was trying to approach her to attack her. But that was not what he nned. Everything was simply a deception to trick her into his real trap. She cut down the columns only to walk into his trap, just as he had nned. His real n was to make her use Heaven¡¯s Net and Judgement so that she could exhaust her Heroic Power. So when the roof fell down on her, she had no power to stand it. The whole battlefield was a trap. The victory was his even before they even started their fight Her judgment and reasoning were toyed with. Sungjin smiled at Eustasia. ¡°Seeing the trees doesn¡¯t make you see the forest.¡± That was his n for this fight. All the devices and his crossbow were the trees. ¡°Good fight.¡± Looking at Sungjin dering his victory, Eustasia twisted her silver hair with her finger. This was her habit when she was trying to understand something. Is this really the end of the fight? Did I really lose? Was I already defeated as soon as I walked in? It seemed there was no way out. No. Not yet. Her silver eyes shone sharply. There was one way out. ¡°What about this!¡± Eustasia set off her Heroic Power in a moment tounch herself towards Sungjin. In the middle of the copsing temple, there was no way out. No, there was one way out. If he didn¡¯t n to be crushed by the roof with her, Sungjin must have made one safe spot¡ªthe spot he was standing on. That must have been the only safe spot that he prepared. In the middle of the risky situation, she was able to understand that in a heartbeat and moved to that spot right away. Sungjin made one move, so she would answer with another move. In the copsing temple, Sungjin couldn¡¯t approach her as fast as she did. Not because he couldn¡¯t find a route but because he simply didn¡¯t have enough physical ability to do so. But she was level 7. She was beyond Sungjin¡¯s ability. She thought she was turning the game around. Sungjin grinned. He was impressed by her quick thinking and bold moves she made in a second. ¡°I knew that you would make it in a second.¡± ¡°What?¡± Thinking something was wrong, Eustasia¡¯s sword split Sungjin. He was sliced into two pieces, but it was not him. It was an illusion of him. S... stone? Looking at a small stone on the floor, she realized what it was. It was a cheap item with a simple function of ying pre-recorded visuals under a timer. He had already prepared the Illusion Stone, knowing he would have this kind of a conversation with her. If... If he already knew... and prepared this... that means... It was all a trick to make her stand on the one ¡°safe¡± spot in the copsing temple. In reality, that was... Sungjin smiled outside of the temple. ¡°That is the worst spot.¡± She could have survived with her level 7 power if she was standing anywhere else, but not on the spot she was standing on. A normal person wouldn¡¯t have been tricked into that spot. Not many people could think like that in a moment of panic. But she was not a normal person; she was the greatest general of the four kingdoms. But that is also why she was tricked into the spot. They murmured the same words at the same time. ¡°If your opponent can read three moves ahead, get them on the fourth move.¡± All Eustasia could see was a gigantic rock covering her sight. So that is what he is. She was strong, that was true. But she lost because of only one reason. He was stronger. It was as simple as that. He was level 0, but his intelligence defeated her even in a duel. This was a great man. Her head knew that when he defeated the Blood Ruler, but now she was experiencing it and feeling it with her heart. This man is a great man. This was the first defeat in her life. She smiled. ¡°Ha. It was more thrilling than I expected.¡± * * * Chapter 5 The fight was over. Sungjin confidently strolled back to the waiting room. ¡°Sungjin.¡± Ereka calmly walked toward him with a smile and slightly bowed to him. ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you for cheering me on,¡± Sungjin answered with a smile. ¡°Wow! Sungjin Oppa, congrattions!¡± Jenna hugged him while pping her knife tail around. ¡°Congrattions, Master Sungjin.¡± Rittier made a deep bow. ¡°It was an interesting fight.¡± Sungjin was satisfied. It was more interesting than the other fights where he could win with one or two tricks. ¡°Well, should we go and find her?¡± ¡°Yes. We should cheer her up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she would need cheering up, but yeah let¡¯s find her.¡± They left the waiting room to see Eustasia. ... Sungjin and Eustasia faced each other outside of the temple while the others stepped back for them and waited. This was not a real battle approved by the gods withnd at stake. This was a duel that took the form of a mock battle, so the Valkyrie wouldn¡¯te out to give rewards to the winner. But those material benefits were not the point of this fight. They fought for much more important things: the rights of the people, who didn¡¯t have any privileges, to have dreams and pursue their dreams in this world where extras had no right to even hope. The qualification of Sungjin to pursue his dream of being an Arc Master. The greatest general of the four kingdoms challenged him, and Sungjin proved his abilities. ¡°You won.¡± Eustasia epted her defeat without any hard feelings ¡°You fought well.¡± Sungjin admitted it was not an easy fight. Beyond the fight, they had a strong connection. They both found the greatest opponent out of the four kingdoms. It was a good fight. ¡°Here, my sword as promised.¡± Eustasia handed her artifact, the Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will. It had a golden sheath and a sapphire on the handle. It was a sword of legends decorated by a tinum thread, and it was handed to Sungjin. An artifact couldn¡¯t be handed over or stolen without the consent of the owner. The only way was to kill the owner. But she just handed it to Sungjin. ¡°This is the greatest artifact of the four kingdoms as a sword...¡± Apart from the sealed magical sword of the Blood Ruler. ¡°Please take care of it.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± Sungjin took the sword. The sapphire started to shine with blue light, and the mechanical voice of the Valkyrie echoed in his head. ¡°Now the gods have approved you to be the new owner of the Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will. Do you want to check the status of the sword?¡± Sure. The capacity of the sword was shown in front of Sungjin. [Nickname: Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will Crystals needed to activate: 3300 Striking power: 200 Real name: Condition doesn¡¯t fit. Can¡¯t be disclosed. Skill: Condition doesn¡¯t fit. Can¡¯t be disclosed. Character 1: Condition doesn¡¯t fit. Can¡¯t be disclosed. Character 2: Reduce skill reloading time by 40%] ¡°So this is it.¡± Sungjin understood why it was called the best sword of the four kingdoms. It had more striking powerpared to other magical swords using the same amount of crystals. He shed a bronze statue standing next to the temple. The statue was cut effortlessly. ¡°So this is an artifact. It is a different level.¡± He was sure that it would be even more special if he could unseal the hidden power. Sungjin was curious, but he knew there was no way to know for now because it was clear that the condition was connected to his level. But only with its dominant striking power, it was already a good weapon for him to fight against other high-level heroes. Sungjin waspensating hisck of skill with his intelligence and his low physical abilities with his swordsmanship. Having a strong sword with high striking power would make his swordsmanship more efficient. It was a low pricepared to what Eustasia demanded, but the absolute value of it was not low at all. ¡°Wow, Sungjin Oppa...!¡± ¡°Congrattions.¡± Jenna and Rittier were excited while Ereka was deeply impressed by him. ¡°It is a great sword.¡± Ereka felt bad that her friend lost such a nice sword, but she changed her mind realizing it was Eustasia who started the duel, asking Sungjin to give up his dream. But a true friend should tell her what is right and what is wrong. It is good that thanks to this fight, Eustasia will throw out her prejudice and approve of Sungjin¡¯s abilities and his dream. ¡°So you will stop telling Sungjin to give up his dream?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s a different matter,¡± Eustasia denied. ¡°He has defeated me, but that does not mean he changed the opinions of the other kings and heroes. The alliance of the three kingdoms will make a move soon.¡± She stared directly at Sungjin. ¡°I won¡¯t talk anymore, as I lost, but do try to stop them.¡± Her sharp eyes were telling him that he couldn¡¯t win anyways. Sungjinughed it away and told her, ¡°Clearly the war has not begun. So here¡¯s my offer.¡± ¡°An offer?¡± ¡°Join my team.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t I already told you that I made an oath to my country?¡± ¡°I know. But I¡¯m asking you to fight for your people, not for your king.¡± ¡°I told you to be mine, and now you want me to be yours. Ha. You really want me on your side?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sungjin gave a straightforward answer to her cynical question. ¡°You are an ideal fighter... an archer that can attack from a distance.¡± On earth, he used to organize his team with different yers of different abilities. A distance DPS was one of the key positions. In this world, there was no ideal team structure since there was a variety of maps and members, but having an excellent archer would be a game-changer. ¡°The wall of reality is harsh. Don¡¯t drown in your dreams and think of how to make moves in reality. Your advice is valid, but if you join me, I can ovee that harsh wall much faster. What do you think? Don¡¯t you want to create a world where the lowest person can also live like a human?¡± He was saying that he would rather be on a team with her rather than her enemy. Eustasia stayed in silence for a while after his sincere offer. Teaming up with this guy... would be great. She just learned in her fight with him that he was much better than her soldiers. They were all saturated in elitism and proud of their level while they knew nothing about battles. By having each other¡¯s backs and trusting each other, they would understand each other without words. And then they would be able to build up a country... with a Merciful Rulership for sure. But that was an impossible dream. ¡°I admit you defeated me. But don¡¯t be ridiculous. Your dream will end up being destroyed the four kingdoms.¡± ¡°Too bad.¡± ¡°Next time we meet on the battlefield, we are enemies. Don¡¯t forget that,¡± said Eustasia as she turned around. She walked away as her silver hair moved across her back. It¡¯s okay. I lost, but it was from a sessful strategic point of view. She had to give her sword as a price, but now she knew who Sungjin was. Now she understood what kind of tactics he used to win his battles. That information was more valuable than her precious sword. She left in an imposing manner. Sungjin couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of her for a while. Too bad. Her abilities and personality, her fit and beautiful body as well¡ªthere were many reasons he wanted her to join him. Oh. No. Not thest one. Sungjin had a bitter smile. He was a man, and sometimes his lower body part took over his thoughts. But I won¡¯t give up. He needed more strong members to fight against the alliance of the three kingdoms and to fight the Holy Nation and the Golden Wise Kingter. I will win this war before I offer you to join me again. He thought she left thinking her precious sword was not a huge price to pay to learn about his abilities, but it didn¡¯t matter. While she was studying him, he was also studying her. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Vol.2 ¨C Episode 10

Then Ereka called to him. ¡°Well, Sungjin?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°So... you want to have Eustasia on our team?¡± Ereka¡¯s voice was shivering with an unknown reason. ¡°Yeah. Jenna can attack from a distance, but one attack that covers a wide range of moment is different from consistently attacking. Moreover, she is one of the rare heroes who has mercy on people. So I thought she would be a perfect team member for our uing fights.¡± Ereka gently nodded with his detailed exnation. ¡°That makes sense. She is a great general, and she would make a great team member.¡± But she couldn¡¯t ask him her next question. ¡°Isn¡¯t it that you want her as a girl?¡± Even if so, what could she do? But if not, that would be nice for Ereka. Sungjin, but you...tried to stop me from fighting with you. It was her who tried to stick with him on his team, but he tried to keep his distance at first. But on the other hand, he wanted Eustasia although she refused. What is this difference? This was a moment to celebrate Sungjin¡¯s victory, but she was concerned. Probably because I¡¯m weak despite my level, and I¡¯m not a person who was made to be a ruler. I¡¯m just struggling to be one because of the situation. On the other hand, everyone knew that Eustasia was a great general. She was a cool and confident woman. Maybe she was not as strong as Sungjin, but they understood each other, and they werepatible. She felt their connection from when they yed chess. I¡¯m just a person that Sungjin wants to protect. But Eustasia might be a girl he wanted to be with. She had so many questions that she couldn¡¯t ask him. Next to her, Jenna¡¯s knife tail was sharpening in anxiety. This is an emergency! It was good that Eustasia rejected the offer and went back, but maybe a tiny spark between Sungjin and Eustasia could be a passionate fire. Who would know what would happen if they became a team! Don¡¯t worry, My Queen. I will take care of her. Jenna promised herself. I don¡¯t know what those girls are thinking, Sungjin thought. ¡°Ah, Right. Ereka, I need to ask you another favor.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Please announce this bill and enforce it.¡± Sungjin handed a document to Ereka. ¡°This is... a bill to limit the interest rates of private loans and to write off a lot of existing interest. It also cancels any debt if the payoff already exceeds the principle and if there¡¯s a sudden amount of interest.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ereka was a queen. She thought about the consequences this bill would bring. The heroes who had been earning a lot of money by loan-sharking would hate this, but the people who borrowed the money for the momentary difficulties in life would be grateful. Eustasia bought some dishonored bonds to save a few, but Sungjin¡¯s bill would set up a ground principle to build up a new rule that would change the future as well. ¡°This is way more advancedpared to Eustasia¡¯s method. You didn¡¯t tell me this when she was here... was it to respect her present?¡± Sungjin smiled to answer her praise. ¡°Not necessarily. Her method will minimize the conflict, while mine needs power to control the aftermath.¡± He admitted that Eustasia¡¯s method had its reason. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between idealism and realism. Not necessarily that one is better than the other.¡± One who wanted to have enough power to realize his idea, and one who would find a solid, realistic solution¡ªthe two would conflict, but neither of them would be wrong. The problem is, I¡¯ve won the fight, but she still didn¡¯t approve of my abilities. The reality she saw was their defeat by the alliance of the three kingdoms. Even if they unified them, they would be destroyed by two greater powers from the outside. Ha. This battle, I will im victory... So that she would consider his offer again. He wanted to bring her on his team. ¡°But Sungjin, you are the one with that power.¡± Ereka found her smile again. ¡°I will support you with my small power to help you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not small, I feel safe with you,¡± Sungjin responded. ¡°That... that is good news.¡± Ereka blushed and looked down. Even if it¡¯s a lie to cheer me up, that made me so happy. She felt better when he said she was also helpful, even though she was not as strong as Eustasia. Looking at her being shy, Sungjin smiled. She doesn¡¯t know that she really is helping me a lot. She is really cute when she is like this. She was the queen of a country but also a cute little girl, and also an extraordinary knight. If he couldbine the shield of Ereka with the sword of Eustasia, that would make a great team. What I need is not just a victory, but a great victory so that she will reconsider. Well, that kind of victory suited his tastes as well. * * * Chapter 6 Thend of Eustasia. The Kingdom of Cariana. Seyzo II enjoyed his new artwork under the sunset. It was a great pleasure for him to enjoy his own art while enjoying precious wine. ¡°Although I made it, I have to admit that this is a really high-quality piece.¡± When the king said that, Count Satirus next to him answered right away. ¡°I have never doubted your ability in creating such a masterpiece.¡± Next to them, the royal guards quivered in indignation. Only a mad man or a treacherous adventurer who wanted to kiss ass would enjoy such a scene. In front of them, there were... ten dead bodies disyed outside of the wall. But that was not the reason why the royal guards were quivering. Those bodies became... essories. Bones. Flesh. Muscles. Nerves. Intestines. Eye balls. Each part of the body was dismembered and disyed as if they were there to teach people what the human body was made of. The muscles were sliced, and the intestines were stretched. What is... this...? It is a tragedy when a human kills another human. But the soldiers understood that sometimes the king had to do such a thing to rule his kingdom. Anyways, the king, who was in the highest position, considered them to be talking livestock. But even so, death without any dignity like this was too much. Even when a butcher killed a cow, he would try not to cause too much pain. This was a madness beyond technique. Even crows wouldn¡¯t approach the scene, fearing the grotesque disy. ¡°Such a perfect punishment for the traitors.¡± ¡°The evil traitors have been favored with your blessing to make them into such a great masterpiece. It is beyond even the blessing of Kaiser Bizar who opened the era of the silver.¡± The royal guards had a hard time not swearing. The traitors? If they were the real traitors, maybe they did deserve such an inhumane punishment, but they were just porters who delivered food for the servants of the castle. Their only crime was that they talked about the new king in a country nearby who married the princess and built hospitals all around the country so that the extras could get treatment. And they added in that they envied those people if that story was true. They were now being punished as traitors because they didn¡¯t appreciate what they had from their own king and instead envied their neighbors. Under such a king, they didn¡¯t know what would make them traitors. But the king wasughing and enjoying all this. ¡°Hahahaha. That¡¯s too much ttery.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t lie to my king.¡± ¡°Hahah. Yes, I know you are a truthful servant.¡± ¡°So I have a favor to ask you, My King.¡± ¡°Sure, what is it?¡± ¡°When you build your new hunting ground, let me have the honor of creating a ce that suits you...¡± Count Satirus deeply bowed, asking the king to give him a chance to serve him. The development of the new hunting ground was a huge construction n. It would have a massive budget, which also meant that he could embezzle a massive amount of money as well. The royal guards next to them worried about ten thousand people who lived there, but they didn¡¯t dare to open their mouths. ¡°Hmm... Should I? Okay, sure you can take it.¡± Ohhh. He epted. All I need to do is add one more tteringpliment! While Count Satirus struggled not tough, the Lord Chambein came in. ¡°Your Highness, the great General Eustasia is here to see you.¡± ¡°Oh. Eustasia is here? Bring her in.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Shit. God damn it. Count Satirus tried not to show his frown. This was bad timing for an opposing party to walk in. But the king already said yes. He won¡¯t take it back. Count Satirus stared at her fiercely walking in with her shiny silver armor. Ha, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of what he did during your absence. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to use your hypocrisy now that you are on the people¡¯s side and not the king¡¯s? Or are you going to simply go with the flow? If she went with the flow, he could still work on the new hunting ground, but if she crossed the king¡¯s will, that would be even better for him. ¡°How was your vacation?¡± ¡°Thanks to Your Highness, I had time to refresh myself.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha. Good to see you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. Were you enjoying the sunset?¡± ¡°Yes. I was enjoying the sunset and the well-deserved ending of the traitors. I¡¯ve ordered to do it personally, but isn¡¯t it a masterpiece?¡± Now, what is your answer? Count Satirus waited for Eustasia¡¯s answer. She looked at Count Satirus and smiled brightly. They stared at each other fiercely for a moment, then she answered. ¡°Burn them.¡± ¡°W... what!¡± The king¡¯s forehead wrinkled. Count Satirus smiled discreetly. Hahahahaha. You feel bad for them, so you want to cremate them? You just made a huge mistake! It was well known that Eustasia had mercy on the extras. But she was so maniptive and juggled well between ideals and reality, and it was such a challenge to make the king hate her. This shocking scene has clouded your judgment. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I said to burn them.¡± ¡°Are you insulting me!? Do you think that is such rubbish has to be burnt?¡± ¡°Because it was your work, Your Highness,¡± Eustasia bowed and answered. ¡°You... you...¡± The king looked angry like he was about to chop her head off. ¡°If it was a work of Count Satirus, it would have been a masterpiece.¡± ¡°What?¡± The king became curious. ¡°If this was a work of Michelchello, who made the Pantheon, I¡¯m sure it would be a great masterpiece.¡± ¡°But because I was the one who did it, I should burn it?¡± ¡°Yes. Your Highness, you are the one who has transcendental amounts of creativity, who I would say is a reincarnation of the Art God. That wouldn¡¯t be good enough to be your masterpiece.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the ceramists break all their works with the tiniest fault in order to make the great masterpiece, even if they could sell those works to the market at a high price. Your Highness, you should leave one great masterpiece that can change the world rather than creating many works. That is a great piece of art, but your true ability is beyond that.¡± ¡°Hahahaha. You are right. I shouldn¡¯t be satisfied with that. Go ahead and burn it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an excellent decision, Your Highness.¡± Shit, you maniptive b*tch, such high-level ttery. Count Satirus was deeply disappointed. But that is not the most important thing today. I want the benefit of the new hunting ground. ¡°Your loyal advice opened my eyes. Do you want something as a reward?¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy if you are happy, Your Highness. I don¡¯t need anything else.¡± ¡°Hahaha. But still, you can tell me.¡± ¡°If I may... I heard that you are building a new hunting ground?¡± ¡°Yes. I need a resting ce to rx from my affairs,¡± the king answered. ¡°I will do my best to create the perfect ce for you, Your Highness.¡± Count Satirus quickly answered to stop the king from changing his mind. It is already toote even if you want it! Eustasia smiled. ¡°I agree that you need a resting ce. Mountain Egrel is the second-best ce in this country, people will praise your choice if you choose it for your new hunting ground.¡± ¡°The second best?¡± The king repeated her unpleasantly. But Eustasia continued as if she didn¡¯t recognize that. ¡°Yes. Everyone knows that it is after the Mountain Angril.¡± The king stamped his foot. ¡°Nonsense! I need to take the best of everything. Having the second-best for my hunting ground is nonsense!¡± ¡°I apologize. I just wanted to... share the information I¡¯ve heard...¡± She bowed deeply apologizing. ¡°Count Satirus! How dare you not rmend me Mountain Angril!¡± ¡°Huh? That is...¡± Count Satirus couldn¡¯t find his answer. Mountain Angril was not the best...? That bitch...! ¡°Your Highness. I¡¯ve never heard of it¡ª¡± ¡°That is curious. I¡¯m sure you know of it well since it belongs to you,¡± Eustasia cut him and added. ¡°What?¡± Seyzo II shouted with anger. ¡°How dare you... you took the best hunting ground... and rmended me the second best...¡± ¡°Your... Your Highness. That is not true.¡± ¡°Shut up! I will make my new hunting ground on Mountain Angril!¡± ¡°Count Satirus. Why don¡¯t you offer it if you don¡¯t have any other intentions? You are such a loyal servant who would offer anything to the king, right?¡± Eustasia smiled gracefully, cutting his heart with her words and not with her sword. Her silver hair shone brightly. ¡°Of... of course, Your Highness.¡± Count Satirus couldn¡¯t say no, although his face was miserable. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 11

Seyzo II was crazy. He was a mad man, and people were scared of him because he was unpredictable. Even a king shouldn¡¯t take others¡¯nd away without a good reason. Sungjin took away the heroes¡¯nd because all of them were traitors who were standing on the Blood Ruler, Riad¡¯s side, who became his prisoner after his victory. There was a lot of resistance although Sungjin had a good reason, so naturally, Seyzo II shouldn¡¯t do something without having a reason to do so. But the mad king didn¡¯t care. And since no one was trying to rise against him, nobody could say anything about it. ¡°Leave now.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Count Satirus had no choice but to leave while Eustasia tried to hide the smile on her face. ¡°Your Highness. Who would you like to assign the development of your new hunting ground?¡± ¡°Do you have a rmendation?¡± ¡°Nobody could be good enough in your eyes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°However, it is such humble work that doesn¡¯t suit you, so maybe Marquis Gariel would be a suitable person to do it.¡± ¡°Good. I will follow your advice.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. May I leave now?¡± ¡°Sure. A war ising, get ready.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Right after her meeting with the king, Eustasia went to meet Marquis Gariel. Marquis Gariel was on her side, and he was happy to hear that Eustasia helped him to get the job to build king¡¯s new hunting ground on Mountain Angril. ¡°Hahahaha. I wanted to see the look on Count Satirus¡¯ face. Too bad I missed it.¡± ¡°It was quite a scene.¡± ¡°I will give you half of the profit.¡± ¡°I just made a suggestion. The king thought highly of your abilities.¡± ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t be modest and take my offer.¡± ¡°If you say so... I will take it.¡± Both were happy with the result. They could make a lot of money by changing a few numbers on the book. It was a typical way of corruption, however, Eustasia didn¡¯t look ashamed. ¡°Let¡¯s keep our good rtionship for a long time.¡± ¡°Sure. If I get a promotion, I will remember your support.¡± ¡°Hahaha. You are generous to say so.¡± After her meeting with Marquis Gariel, she headed to her mansion. Sheid her tired body down and closed her eyes. I just stopped the king from harming too many people. The innocent people killed by the king would be cremated. And she was able to save many people from harm because unlike Mountain Egrel where ten thousand people were living, Mountain Angril was the privatend of Count Satirus. Moreover, she gave the job to her ally and got some money. Politics were real, and in reality, she needed money. She needed allies to get rid of Count Satirus. And she needed money to take care of the people because the king wouldn¡¯t do anything for them. It was easier to tell the king the truth and to live a life of integrity; being an upright knight was not a difficult task. But if she tried to do so, she couldn¡¯t protect anyone from the king or keep her country going. She had to be messy in order to fight against the corrupted treacherous people. She had to hide her loyalty to the king so that she could lead him toward a Merciful Rulership because people would see that as a weakness. That was her way of stopping the king from making more mistakes. A wicked witch. An ass-kisser. A leader of partisan politics. An embezzler of the national treasury. There was nothing she wouldn¡¯t do. That was her way to be loyal to her country. Sungjin and Ereka. This is me. What would you say now? She wondered what her friend Ereka, who was in danger while she was trying to pursue her dream with integrity, would think of her. What about Sungjin, who was supporting Ereka. What would he think of her? But whatever they would say didn¡¯t really matter to Eustasia. She was not pursuing a noble dream itself. She wanted to protect as many people as possible from her king¡¯s tyranny and make her king be as merciful as possible. So Sungjin and Ereka had a different goal from her. She had to stop them in their next fight. * * * Chapter 7 At her mansion, Eustasia greeted the adjutant general. He looked like a hard-working, honest, middle-aged man. ¡°Wee back. How did it go?¡± ¡°Yeah, I achieved half of my goal. I couldn¡¯t defeat him, but now I know enough about him.¡± ¡°So we can¡¯t avoid the war.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will win.¡± ¡°With our military force, it is clear that we will win, but I¡¯m worried about what will happen after our victory. And although we have the upper hand, the king is building his new hunting ground while preparing for a war.¡± Hisint made her smile bitterly. He was right. Even though they had the dominant force over their enemy, they should be spending their money studying up on the enemy or building a wall to protect themselves from other countries. But the king was spending the money on his vanity. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Finding solutions to those problems are also a part of the duties of a servant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you working too hard...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such things to anyone else.¡± ¡°Of course. Should I prepare your bath?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I will be in my room. Don¡¯t let anyone in until I tell you to do so.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The adjutant general left quietly, and Eustasia went into her room and locked the door. ¡°Ugh.¡± She fell onto her bed, knowing she was finally alone. She was the greatest general of her country. She had a lot of enemies and eyes on her every move. This was the only time she could let down her guard. I¡¯m tired. A meeting with the king and then a dinner with the marquis. That was not too bad. The fight with Sungjin was what really exhausted her. This... is too much. Whenever she felt like this, she had a way to fix it. She opened a box under her bed. The box was locked with magic, and only her fingerprint could open it. It was a golden box decorated with tinum lining, and it looked like it was hiding forbidden treasure, or if someone touched it without permission, it would self-destruct with fire. She slowly opened the box. Inside the box... There was... a forbidden... Cream cake. The box was able to keep things fresh for an unlimited amount of time with magic, so the cake still had the same taste as when it was freshly baked. She used a spoon to take a bite. ¡°Oh...¡± She enjoyed the taste and fell back onto her bed. Oh, this is the taste of heaven. She closed her eyes and forgot about everything for a moment. The cream melted in her mouth like snowkes; this was her guilty pleasure. Ohhhh It was delicious. It was so delicious. Army food had nothing like this cake, so she couldn¡¯t show her being so happy and excited by cake to anyone. This was the only time she allowed herself to let down her guard. This was the only time she could loosen up and forget everything about the military or politics. Ah... this is... really my only pleasure. But... it didn¡¯t take long for her to finish the cake. I wish I could have another... She cleaned up the te, not leaving any crumbs. She didn¡¯t need more than one forbidden pleasure, because she knew if she did, she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape it. Just like that man. Hmph... I¡¯m thinking about him again. She tried not to, but after her fight with him, he was embedded in her mind, and she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about him. ¡°Cha Sungjin.¡± Quietly, Eustasia pronounced his name. The man who beat her for the first time in her life. Hmph. I was so sure that I wouldn¡¯t marry a tedious guy. She never met anyone her age who made her feel like she wanted to spend the rest of her life with them. It was not just guys her age¡ªeven guys from other generations seemed tedious. They all had a bit of level, but they didn¡¯t have any ambitions. When the elders pushed her by telling her that she had to continue her family, she even thought of having a baby with a random guy and raising it. She would tell them it didn¡¯t have a father. But I finally met someone. She finally met a guy who deserved her. She was already curious about him when she heard that Sungjin helped Ereka get rid of the Blood Ruler, Riad. It was clear he was an extraordinary guy because he confidently decided to stand next to Ereka, who had no chance of winning, and actually led her to victory. And the fact that he was a guy around her age made her more curious. I imagined what kind of guy he would be. But she was a bit disappointed when a painter brought in his portrait. He looked like a ridiculously ambitious and sly wildcat... Ha. That is not ambition, that¡¯s a dream. He is more dangerous than I thought. He was not a wildcat but a lion, the king of the jungle. Schools... What he wants was not just a Merciful Rulership. He wanted to reorganize the world to the level beyond imagination. If he became an Arc Master, that wouldn¡¯t mean that the world would have a new ruler. It meant a whole new world. A creator who would define the world before and after. He would destroy the current world, or he would be executed. He would be a god of destruction who would destroy either himself or the world. His manly spirit. His great ambition. His amazing abilities. He was a man with both great abilities and great ambition. I want to meet him again. I want to fight him again. And... ¡°Will you join us?¡± She thought of Sungjin¡¯s offer again. Joining him... She rejected with some hesitation, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself from imagining it. If my king... wasn¡¯t mad... and at least half the man of Sungjin, maybe I could have more pride when I fight for him. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t have to y politics to make her allies. She wouldn¡¯t have to tell people about this cruel reality and crush their dreams. Maybe she could be a proud soldier with true loyalty. She thought there was no such thing as a country where people could achieve rightful dreams with rightful acts. But he was trying to take the bull by the horns. She knew that he was running to his own destruction. But I can¡¯t stop thinking about him. Just thinking about him sped up her heartbeat. She didn¡¯t think he would ept her challenge for a duel. She didn¡¯t even imagine that he would defeat her. But when he did, she was thrilled. But... He was an enemy. He was an enemy of her country, that one she had to protect. He was an enemy of the king she made an oath to be loyal to. She had to defeat him in the uing war. I tried to convince you and Ereka with my realism. She tried to convince him because she knew Sungjin also wanted to help his people. If he epted her offer, then they could coexist, but he didn¡¯t. There was nothing left but a war. She had to react to her situation. Now she had to defeat him with her power just like any other general from the other kingdoms. So having a crush on him was a sin that she had to ovee. But... he was just like cake... No, even worse than cake... She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Sungjin. If she met him in a more friendly circumstances like on a team, they would have been lovers. Or if he was a hero, the alliance of the four kingdoms could have been kept, and their romance over the border would have been epted. Then they would have fought back to back in battlefields and enjoyed more things in bed. What would he like? He looked like a wild man who could be aggressive. Sungjin ripped her clothes off and threw her on the bed. ¡°I liked my clothes.¡± ¡°I will make you forget about your clothes.¡± His hands grabbed her body roughly. He tasted her body like a wild animal. He overpowered her and took her without hesitation. He was so powerful, he didn¡¯t even need any techniques. He was just like a general who easily jumped over a moat to break a castle gate in a single blow. She was conquered without a chance to resist. But maybe it would be the opposite. While he was meticulous with his perfect calctions, maybe he would treat girls like that as well. He started to touch her from her fingertips. She didn¡¯t imagine a man with such a wild body could treat her so delicately. Little by little but more and more, he made her want him more and more. He was controlling himself perfectly, even in this difficult situation and finding perfection. He slowly conquered her as if he were conquering a castle. He cut off her reasoning as if he wasying siege to a castle and cutting off their supplies, and he yed with her senses as if he was deploying an infiltration team to manipte the people inside. Either way would be good to me. She picked up the te to clean up. But I will never know how it would be. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 12

There was no maybe. He was an enemy that she had to defeat. She was determined to fix her country from the inside while defeating the enemies from the outside. That was her duty. She should forget about him. Sigh. She got those bodies cremated. She also stopped Seyzo II from kicking those people out of their houses to build his new hunting ground. And in that process, she was able to make some money to save her people next spring. She was trying her best to support the king and to stop the king from making a huge mistake. But what would Sungjin say if he saw her? He was trying to build a country where the lowest level people could get treatment from hospitals and learn letters and mathematics, while she was living in a country where the extras couldn¡¯t even dream of going to a hospital. Let¡¯s notpare... Although he was not a great man, Seyzo II was still her king. If the king was not as good as Sungjin, that also meant she would not be able to support him. People couldn¡¯t change their family even if their family had a lot of ws. She had to support the ws of the king. But... Sungjin had everything she wanted her king to have... And maybe that was why she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about him. Maybe... She wouldn¡¯t be able to forget about him even after she killed him. Maybe... This is what people call love at first sight. Although she couldn¡¯t admit it as a loyal servant of her king. * * * Chapter 8 A few days after Eustasia¡¯s visit, the Kingdom of Sevrantina received the deration of war. ¡°Just like how the sky has to stay above the ground, the heroes have to stay above the extras. Only disaster will follow and turn the world upside down if we have an extra as a king.¡± Duke Lubrate, the ambassador of the three kingdoms, read the message in front of Sungjin and Ereka. ¡°Moreover, building schools and hospitals causes disorder among the sses, and the rights of the heroes to collect taxes and to use the extras asbor have been taken away. The heroes are suffering greatly.¡± Sungjinughed at it as if he was watching a ckedy film. ¡°As a consequence, the three kingdoms are giving the queen of the Kingdom of Sevrantina onest chance to fix this mistake. Follow the decisions of your allies to punish the traitor and follow the old rule. If you refuse, the alliance of the three kingdoms will have no choice but to punish you to correct your mistakes.¡± It was Ereka who showed her rage. ¡°They didn¡¯t even care when the Blood Ruler killed hundreds of thousands of people for her magical sword, and now when they see a real hero who defeated her getting what he deserves, that infuriates them? For me, Sungjin is the real hero,¡± she stamped her spear on the ground and continued. Sungjin scratched his cheek. It could be awkward if I try to say such things. But it sounded sincere when Ereka, who was usually calm, said it. The ambassador cleared his throat. ¡°If you ignore this warning, I¡¯ve been told to dere war,¡± said the ambassador showing another roll of deration. ¡°Here¡¯s the answer. I, Queen Ereka of the Kingdom of Sevrantina will stand by Sungjin in life or death. If you attack him, that means you are attacking me, if you deny him any means, then you are denying me. If you point your sword toward me, I will stop you with my spear. This is my message to them.¡± ¡°Hmm. You would leave the alliance of the four kingdoms to stay on the treacherous demidevil¡¯s side? Aren¡¯t you worried how history will judge you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be rude to Your Highness!¡± Rittier shouted with rage but Ereka stopped him. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t punish the messenger. I will let you go, but tell them that it was not the alliance of the four kingdoms but Sungjin who saved this kingdom and its people from the Blood Ruler.¡± ¡°Well, then I will leave a word as well,¡± said Sungjin with a grin. ¡°Tell the three kings. Enough barking, try your best to bite.¡± He lifted his index finger and made a gesture to call a dog toe. ¡°W... w... what did you say?¡± ¡°You heard it right the first time, so just tell them as it is.¡± ¡°You... you worthless extra...! How dare you talk like that to the kings!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you understand the situation? The kings have nowhere to step back, but you should be a little more careful if you want to keep your position after I conquer them all.¡± The duke suddenly didn¡¯t say anything. In his head, aplicated calction was going on. But soon, he stopped. It¡¯s a three on one fight, and the Kingdom of Sevrantina is not even united within. Sungjin has no chance to win. If I tried to please Sungjin, the kings would punish me for that. What if someone tells this to the kings? ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m a loyal servant of my country, I will be the one who will punish you in the battle.¡± ¡°Do it, if you can.¡± ¡°Wait and see.¡± The duke went back, outraged and angry. When it was just the two of them left, Ereka asked Sungjin with a careful voice, ¡°But well, Sungjin. Will it be okay? Because it is clear that they are more powerful.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it the same when we had to fight against the Blood Ruler?¡± ¡°You are right,¡± Ereka said, putting her hands together as if she was praying. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I provoked them on purpose. I want them to attack us out of anger.¡± ¡°Oh, I remember what you told me when we were about to fight against the Blood Ruler. You told me we have a chance if we are defending side.¡± Although, they ended up attacking the Blood Ruler. Now I know what it means for Sungjin to defend in this fight against Eustasia. And she also knew that Sungjin had been constructing many different things in many battlefields. It was clearly his way to prepare for this war. ¡°So Sungjin, you want to take this opportunity to expand our territory and free the people of the three kingdoms?¡± ¡°Well, I need to unify the whole continent. This is just the first step.¡± He had to go through the qualification stage if he wanted to go up to the final level. Anyways, Sungjin was interested in a good fight and in bing an Arc Master. In this world, where the privilege of the heroes was a natural thing, having more rulers like Ereka would be a miracle. But still, he wanted to take them down for the people. Then, let¡¯s get it started. He wanted to defeat them nicely enough to make Eustasia, who refused his offer, admit that he could actually achieve his goals. ... The kings of the three kingdoms received Sungjin¡¯s answer. They were furious. ¡°This...¡± ¡°We need to hack him to pieces.¡± Seyzo II smiled to the two other kings who were absolutely furious. ¡°Hahaha. Hahaha. You guys are way too generous.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Why would you give such a generous punishment to this guy.¡± The two kings flinched at his cold, creepy smile. They were on the same side for all the benefits, but still, they didn¡¯t feelfortable with Seyzo II. ¡°Him and the stupid bitch. We need to punish both of them for trying to turn the world upside down.¡± ¡°Oh, do you have an idea on how to punish them?¡± ¡°Of course. I will make them beg me to kill them. I will make them want tomit suicide.¡± Seyzo II¡¯s hands trembled with excitement. ¡°I will make the best healers heal them while punishing them with all 365 forms of punishment.¡± ¡°Oh... okay.¡± ¡°Pull out their nails and toenails, make ants bite them, make them drink acid, stick them with poisonous pins, skin them, and push poisonous ticks into their skin.¡± ¡°Oh, well... then we will let the Kingdom of Cariana take care of the punishment.¡± The other two quickly agreed. They didn¡¯t have a n to keep Sungjin alive, but what Seyzo II was saying was unappetizing. ¡°We should talk about how to attack the Kingdom of Sevrantina first.¡± ¡°That is a good idea.¡± ¡°Hmm. About that, why don¡¯t you tell us, Eustasia?¡± Seyzo II was disappointed that he had to stop, and he wasn¡¯t as excited anymore. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. If I may, I would suggest attacking them from all three directions.¡± Eustasia prostrated and reported her n; it was a simultaneous war from three directions. She suggested that the three kingdoms take one side each to attack the Kingdom of Sevrantina. Then the three heroes from the Kingdom of Sevrantina would have to take one side each as well. ¡°Our enemy also has good heroes, including Queen Ereka.¡± Eustasia didn¡¯t say that Sungjin was the best out of all of them to please her listeners. ¡°But those heroes can only take one each, so the rest will be protected by low-level heroes.¡± This was the best n to beat the Kingdom of Sevrantina overnight in a 3:0. In the worst case, the alliance would win by 2:0. This was a n to win before they could even start to fight with their overwhelming forces. ¡°And I have an idea to stop any cheap tricks from the extra. If we keep that in mind, we will win for sure.¡± ¡°Wow, you already thought of that?¡± ¡°Yes. Although I know that you will win without it, but I just wanted to be loyal and support you with my mere power.¡± ¡°I will listen to you.¡± ¡°Then...¡± Eustasia shared her n that she got by paying her holy sword as a price. I admit that you are better with military intelligence. But that didn¡¯t mean anything when one had dominant force. Since they had the clear upper hand with their military force, Eustasia could stop him without much risk. Just like when you y chess, you can ovee your skills if you have more pieces. If I can¡¯t stop this war, I will win an overwhelming victory. So that she could protect her country from the other forces on the outside. I will lead this war and win it. Then maybe she could give a merciful death to Sungjin and Ereka. That was the only thing she could do for her friend while staying loyal to her king. The three kingdoms dered war on the Kingdom of Sevrantina at the same time. They decided to take the east, west, and center points of the kingdom and bet the same amount of their ownnd. Sungjin and Ereka had to stop all of them on the same day. But since only one person could fight on one battlefield, their kingdom was under great danger. The news spread quickly to the people of the kingdom. The people gathered at the hospital to get their medicine whispered to each other in fear. ¡°The other kingdoms are about to attack us.¡± ¡°They will get rid of the bills that our queen made for us.¡± ¡°I heard that they will get rid of the hospitals as well.¡± ¡°Oh... no!¡± They knew that their country was abnormally generous to them. They thought it was too much for them to enjoy such generosity. ¡°So... we will go back to our lives back in the days of the Blood Ruler.¡± ¡°Sigh. Why they are trying to take charge of what we do in our country?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t have this problem when we still had thete king.¡± ¡°The rumor says they don¡¯t want an extra to be king.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that! He saved us!¡± ¡°No, I was not ming him. I was just saying that was the reason why they decided to attack us.¡± ¡°We have to support Sungjin.¡± ¡°We should...¡± No one was able to say what they were thinking... if Sungjin could defeat all three kingdoms at once... The extras of the Kingdom of Sevrantina felt sad. They felt even more miserable that they were about to lose the happiness they were able to have for a very short amount of time. A bitter taste felt more bitter when one tasted it after eating something sweet. They were high for a second, and now, they were about to fall deep into despair. Lute, who was studying letters to be a healer, lost his motivation and asked Nania who was a nurse¡¯s aide. ¡°If we lose... I can¡¯t learn letters anymore?¡± Nania hugged the poor kid. But she was equally terrified of the future toe. ¡°Lute... listen. If we lose, you can¡¯t tell anyone that you know letters.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯ve already studied them.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. There¡¯s a caste system due to our levels. Our level is not supposed to know letters or try to have a noble job. We need to know what we are.¡± The child of a hero would get the job of a hero, while the bastard of a hero would get an average job. But an extra would get the lowest-level job. That was the rule of this world. They shouldn¡¯t try to ovee that limit. ¡°But... the king built schools!¡± ¡°Yes, that was Sungjin. But that time ising to its end.¡± ¡°No! I want to be a healer and fix my mom!¡± Lute stamped his feet, refusing to ept the reality. Nania felt something heavy on her chest. What should I do...? The heroes from the other countries might kill him for this... She had to make Lute learn their limit. There were things they shouldn¡¯t do. ¡°Lute. Listen.¡± She decided to help Lute with tough love. ¡°Even if you be a healer, your mom¡¯s condition can¡¯t be fixed.¡± So give up your impossible dream. ¡°I know!¡± Lute¡¯s answer sounded like a scream. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I know it will be difficult to fix my mom. But... but... I... still want to try,¡± Lute answered with tears in his eyes. Nania couldn¡¯t find her answer. This kid knew that reality was harsh, but he still wanted to try to help his mom. She couldn¡¯t find her words to stop him. Should I tell him not to have hope? Oh, God. Please let him win. All she was able to do was keep praying so that this kid could keep his dream to help his mother. She was not asking for a miracle; she was just asking for a chance. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 13

Chapter 9 In that critical situation, Sungjin seemed to be calm. Ereka nced at Sungjin, who had just finished his training and was now heading to take a shower. That¡¯s Sungjin¡¯s odor. She was able to smell Sungjin¡¯s body odor from a distance. Sungjin, you really look... calm and confident now. He didn¡¯t look like someone who was about to have a difficult fight. Sungjin looked like when he was preparing for his fight with the three knights, and more confident than when he was preparing for his fight with the Blood Ruler. Everyone was worried, but he looked so confident because he had already done his nning. Your confidence makes me look forward to this fight rather than be anxious about it. Everyone was saying that it was over for Sungjin, but she was actually curious as to how Sungjin would ovee this clear challenge and win. She trusted him that much. Then, maybe it would be okay to tell him. She didn¡¯t tell him this because she thought it would be inappropriate to tell someone this when they were about to fight in a war... ¡°Well, Sungjin.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± he stopped and answered. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Actually... in five days...¡± ¡°In five days...?¡± Sungjin looked at Ereka with confusion. The battle against the alliance of the three kingdoms was in fifteen days. He couldn¡¯t think of any event in five days. ¡°We have a... dessert... festival. Artisans from all around the countrye to sell cakes, pies, and ice-cream...¡± Ereka was blushing when she was telling Sungjin about it. ¡°And?¡± ¡°Last year, there was no dessert festival due to many reasons. So this year, many people are looking forward to it. But also, some are saying that we shouldn¡¯t have one because the battle against the three kingdoms is eminent. But if we do have it... it would be something to help us forget about the war for a short amount of time.¡± ¡°Hmmm. Do we need a lot of money for that?¡± ¡°Not really. We have enough for it.¡± ¡°Then let them have the festival.¡± ¡°Would that be okay?¡± ¡°What I like about this worldpared to mine is that a war is not an ¡®all-out war.¡¯ So let them enjoy the festival. And don¡¯t forget to tell them that I will win for sure, so don¡¯t worry and just enjoy.¡± Looking at Sungjin¡¯s confidence, Ereka put her hands together. ¡°Then, well... I know you are busy preparing for the battle... but why don¡¯t you take a day off?¡± ¡°Should we go together?¡± Sungjin asked Ereka before she asked him. ¡°Would that be okay?¡± Ereka sounded worried, but her eyes were shining with happiness. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s go together. You are right, I should take a day off.¡± ¡°Then can I prepare something for our disguises?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, sure.¡± Sungjin understood Ereka right away. If the ruler of the country ¡°officially¡± participated in the festival, themon people wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy itfortably. She is always very considerate. ¡°Okay. See youter.¡± Oh. It¡¯s a date with Sungjin. It¡¯s been a while. It¡¯s a date! Ereka started to run with excitement, and Sungjin smiled while looking at her. She is just a little girl when she is like that. She must be happily thinking of those sweet desserts. Ereka bumped into a pir. Huh? Ereka stood up quickly and apologized. ¡°Sorry.¡± And then she started to run again. Haha. Sungjin shrugged his shoulders and then went to shower. ... The festival day came, and Sungjin and Ereka were disguised asmoners; they wore magical essories that changed their hair color. Walking next to Sungjin like a good girl, Ereka couldn¡¯t stop looking at Sungjin¡¯s arm. Wouldn¡¯t it be too much to if I tried to walk arm-in-arm with you? She was worried that he would think that was too much to do. Because they were not lovers yet. Or maybe just hold hands... Sungjin walked next to her without knowing her wishes. Well, you said you wouldn¡¯t date me, so it that won¡¯t happen. Ereka gave up her hopes to hold his hand and sighed. There were a lot of people trying to promote their desserts. ¡°Come and taste our brand new chocte mousse!¡± ¡°Raspberry cookies!¡± ¡°There are many different things,¡± Sungjinmented. ¡°Yes. This festival started when myte father was ruling. It started as a small festival, but now it has be a very big one.¡± ¡°Okay. Would you like to taste something?¡± ¡°Huh? I... Oh... well... the strawberry cake of the great general, Igren... or... maybe the 25 assorted cookies of Sugrain... I guess those are my favorites.¡± ¡°Hmm. Are they out today?¡± Sungjin asked her. ¡°Oh, both are out today. But they only have a limited supply, and they¡¯re set up at the same time on opposite sides of the festival... Okay. Let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°Huh? Do what?¡± ¡°I will go and get the strawberry cake. You go and get the box of cookies, and then we can meet up.¡± ¡°Oh, that...¡± ¡°Then we can have both,¡± said Sungjin thinking he was being a gentleman. I should do this much for Ereka. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s do that.¡± Ereka smiled. I¡¯d rather be with you than have cookies. Sungjin was an evil god on the battlefield, but he didn¡¯t know what was going on in a girl¡¯s mind. But she still decided to follow his suggestion because she understood that Sungjin was doing his best to make her happy. This is your kind gesture to a teammate, not a lover, but I¡¯m happy with this for now. Ereka headed to the other end of the festival while Sungjin was about to line up. ¡°Now, we¡¯ll start to sell Igren¡¯s limited-edition strawberry cake. Due to the limited number of cakes, one person can only buy two. As soon as the seller announced the sale, people gathered to make a line. Sungjin found his spot in the line as well. With his power, he could have called the great general to the castle and tell him to make some for him. But where¡¯s the fun in that? He waited, and finally, it was his turn. ¡°Let me get two of them.¡± ¡°Sure. Two cakes. You are thest one, now they¡¯re sold out.¡± When the seller said they were sold out, the people behind Sungjin started to sigh. ¡°Oh, no!¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Listening to the people sighing behind him, Sungjin still took the two cakes. Ereka told me she loves it. Maybe Jenna does as well? It was a perfect item for the party nned for this afternoon. ¡°Wait! Sell them to me! Both of them. Or at least just one!¡± There was a person behind him who was desperately asking him to sell the cake. I know this voice. He turned around to have a look at the person. ¡°Huh? Wait, you are!¡± Sungjin recognized her, and his eyes started to shine sharply. She was disguised, but he was able to recognize her. It was Eustasia. ¡°Who... are you?¡± She turned around when she recognized his face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will not exile you.¡± ¡°Ugh... Yes, it¡¯s me,¡± said Eustasia. ¡°What brought you here?¡± Sungjin was curious. Unlike on the earth, in Valha, the heroes were not allowed to fight outside of the battlefield. But this was not an absolute rule, so there were ways to punish others without killing them. That meant, there was a great risk when sneaking in the enemy¡¯s territory before a battle. ¡°Of... of course to prepare for the battle. I¡¯m not here for fun!¡± ¡°But this is a dessert festival. There is no arsenal nor a training room.¡± ¡°...¡± Unlike her confident self, who was the greatest general of the four kingdoms, Eustasia avoided his eye contact. She was murmuring something to answer him, but her voice was so quiet he couldn¡¯t even hear it. Sungjin couldn¡¯t understand the situation. He tried but was not able toprehend what kind of military benefit she was looking for. But why is she here, really? To meet a spy here? Is that something that she has to do? She turned her head and answered. ¡°I hope you are not a person who will ckmail me with this.¡± ¡°ckmail you?¡± Sungjin still couldn¡¯t understand what she was talking about. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend! Don¡¯t tell anyone that the great general was sneaking into the enemy¡¯s festival to find a cake.¡± ¡°But you told me you were scouting? Are you joking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. Ugh!¡± Eustasia stepped back, regretting that she told him the truth. Why him again. She red at him fiercely. She had numerous fights, but she was not able to calm down after her fight with Sungjin. She tried her best not to, but she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about him. She was trying to tell herself that it is natural because he was such a strong enemy who defeated her in a duel, but that didn¡¯t help to calm her down. Before the important battle ahead, she couldn¡¯t sleep well when she heard that the dessert festival was opening again this year. I wanted to enjoy one day where nobody would recognize me. But Sungjin spotted her. He looked at the cake boxed in his hands. So, that was it? Why are girls so crazy about sweets? This was a difficult question for him to answer. ¡°Okay. Take one.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got two.¡± ¡°You are giving one to your enemy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t consider you an enemy,¡± Sungjin responded tly. ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t you know that we are about to have a battle?¡± They looked at each other. Eustasia red at him fiercely, but Sungjin was looking at her without any anger. ¡°Yeah, I consider you a rival. A rival, but I still want to have you on my team eventually.¡± They clearly had different ways to solve problems. Although their points of view on realty were different, and they were fighting on different sides, they still had the same empathy for people who were abused, and they both wanted to help those people. Moreover, her extraordinary ability was something he needed to prepare for the fights toe. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember that I said no?¡± ¡°I will give you another offer as the unifier of the four kingdoms.¡± Sungjin wasn¡¯t going to change his mind. I will defeat you over and over again to make you join my team. ¡°Dream on.¡± ¡°Your prejudices are not a bad thing for me.¡± ¡°Hmph. I don¡¯t need this cake; I just came here during my short break to see if I could find something for my subordinates.¡± A short break? Sungjin wanted to ask her if it was really a ¡°short¡± break to cross the border toe here. That would make sense if she used a Portal Stone, but that was quite pricey just for some desserts. ¡°But if you insist, I will take it for you,¡± Eustasia said. ¡°Oh, sure. Take it.¡± Eustasia snatched the cake box from Sungjin. ¡°But let me be clear, I wouldn¡¯t go easy on you because of this.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect that from you.¡± ¡°You will be killed miserably when you be a prisoner.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen, but thank you for your concern.¡± ¡°Concern? I will make a petition to the king for your execution.¡± ¡°Last time you told me to be yours, didn¡¯t you?¡± Sungjin retorted. ¡°Now, I know you are not someone I can handle.¡± Eustasia pointed at his chest with her index finger. But he was indeed not someone she could handle. ¡°Now I¡¯m convinced that you are just trouble. To protect my country and the power bnce of our continent, I will destroy you.¡± A man like this would shake the world. He was a man who could destroy the bnce among countries. He was just a man, but his strength equaled that of a country. She thought that this would be herst chance to finish him off. ¡°Thanks for the cake. I will execute you without pain to thank you.¡± Before Seyzo II starts torturing you. ¡°Thanks, but that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± ¡°Bye,¡± Eustasia said quickly and left. Looking at her leave, Sungjin couldn¡¯t help but smile to himself. See you soon. You are my next team member. It won¡¯t be easy, but I won¡¯t give up. ... Not long after that, Ereka came back to join Sungjin. ¡°Sungjin. I¡¯ve got cookies.¡± ¡°Great. I¡¯ve got a cake. And...¡± Sungjin decided not to tell Ereka that he¡¯d met Eustasia because Eustasia didn¡¯t want to tell anyone that she was here. ¡°Do you want anything else?¡± ¡°Not for now. Let¡¯s hang out together and look around.¡± Ereka had a gentle smile on her face. She actually didn¡¯t care about the desserts, but she was happy that Sungjin had gotten it for her. I¡¯m happy enough for now. Actually, she saw Sungjin talking to Eustasia, but she decided not to ask about it. She was able to confirm that Sungjin was interested in Eustasia very much. But... although you want to bring her onto your team, that doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t want me. So I¡¯m happy enough. She approached Sungjin closer and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have a look at what else they have. I hope we find something you like as well.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± A war wasing, so it was important to enjoy this short moment in peace. I¡¯m d we came. Both Ereka and Eustasia like these things. He didn¡¯t know that it was more important for them that they were with him and that they received something from him. He was not sharp when it came to these kinds of things. Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 14

The adjutant general greeted Eustasia when she arrived at her mansion. ¡°Wee back.¡± Eustasia put the cake box on the table. ¡°General. This cake is...?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it to eat,¡± said Eustasia with a straight face. ¡°Then...¡± ¡°The enemy general sent me this as a present to provoke me as if I don¡¯t know how to enjoy life.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Yes. I told him I didn¡¯t need it, but he was mocking me, saying that he gave it to me because I was a woman. Such a shallow move.¡± She expressed her anger, and she looked like she was about to start a fight. ¡°Should I throw it away?¡± ¡°No. I won¡¯t react to him as he expected. I will eat it to show him I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The adjutant general left. She locked the door and held her knife and fork. Hmm. Hmmmmm... She enjoyed the cake in silence andy down with her eyes closed. Hmm. Well... It... it is delicious. Not bad. He was so annoying; he wouldn¡¯t give up on trying to convince her to join him. Yeah... Your country with Ereka... it¡¯s a great one. The harvest season wasing, and this was the most difficult time for the people. The only people who were not starving in her country were those who were living in her territory. But they didn¡¯t have much to eat either. The people in their country were enjoying desserts. She was truly impressed by Sungjin and Ereka. She wished that her king could do... 1/10 of what they were doing. No, I will make it happen. I will win this war to take more power and get more trust from the king. So I must defeat you first. His ability and his ambition to be an Arc Master was a threat. And he had a dangerous n to build a country for the people. He is a dangerous man. And... although it was impossible... If, and it¡¯s a big if, you defeat me, I still won¡¯t join you. He didn¡¯t know one thing. What he saw was her trying her best to be realistic in order to make her country a better ce. But he didn¡¯t know about her oath to her king. Her realism was her way to serve her king. The death of her king meant her death as well. There were only two possible endings: His death. Or her death. * * * Chapter 10 The battle day came. The Kingdom of Sevrantina had to send heroes to three different battlefields to fight against the three kingdoms at the same time. The question was, who would take which battlefield. The people of Sevrantina relied on Sungjin¡¯s promise for his victory. They knew their country, where the extras were able to enjoy life, was a miracle. They knew how extras in the other countries were living, and they remembered how it was when they were under the Blood Ruler. Oh, our gods. Knowing that the gods were not interested in their lives, they still prayed to them. Please let our queen and Master Sungjin win. They were praying for their lives... but they were also praying for their heroes who were trying to save them. There were people who were wishing for the three kingdoms¡¯ victory. They were the heroes of the three kingdoms. We can benefit from this victory. Especially the heroes who were selected to fight in the battle, they had even more hope. If we win... They would get morend and more money, and they would probably level-up or get some upgrades. Then there were many treasures of the Kingdom of Sevrantina. The young and naive queen let the extras own things, so once they were conquered, they would get a lot of things from the extras. And it was clear that they had the upper hand. They had three times the military force that the Kingdom of Sevrantina had. Because... There were people inside the Kingdom of Sevrantina who were helping the three kingdoms. Although they had the dominant force, two kings, other than the mad King Seyzo II, wanted to make sure of their victory. They knew that the best way to win against whatever Sungjin had nted on the battlefield was to nt a traitor inside their walls. Sungjin had to fight at three battlefields at the same time, so he had to recruit more heroes to fight. If those kings could buy off one of those heroes, then that secret agreement would guarantee their victory. They had already bought off Marquis Utram and Count Shine who were the next strongest high-level heroes after Ereka, Rittier and Jenna in the Kingdom of Sevrantina. They promised Marquis Utram and Count Shine double thend that was taken away by Sungjin. Sungjin¡¯s defeat was guaranteed. ... In the meantime, Sungjin was about to announce the allocation of the military force. Everyone wanted to know about his n that was kept secret until thest day. All the heroes from the Kingdom of Sevrantina gathered to hear the announcement. Marquis Utram and Count Shine were in the crowd. It is clear that we will lose. The others are worried that they will lose their status, but we are safe. To keep their status, all they had to do was to share Sungjin¡¯s n to the alliance of the three kingdoms and exit the battlefield early. ¡°So here¡¯s the n. Jenna.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Youmand the east battlefield to fight against King Leoric. Take Sir Linte, Sir Illis and Sir Ustan.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Then Ereka.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± ¡°You will fight against the Kingdom of Sharsha in the center. Take Sir Cecil, Sir Lanpa and Sir Ninde.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°And I will fight against Seyzo II on the west battlefield. Rittier,e with me, and Sir Arif and Sir Karls will join me.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Sungjin.¡± When Sungjin finished his announcement, the heroes couldn¡¯t understand his strategy. Gathering all their forces into one spot to defend at least one battlefield would be a better strategy. But here he was, being overly arrogant and trying to fight all three at once. But such an arrogant attitude was something they had expected from Sungjin; they just couldn¡¯t understand why Sungjin would exclude Count Shine and Marquis Utram and rece them with lower-level heroes. ¡°Master Sungjin, why don¡¯t you give us a chance?¡± Count Shine and Marquis Utram asked a natural question. It was obvious that they didn¡¯t feelfortable with this decision. They red at Sungjin fiercely. It was more than fierce. They looked like cold and cruel beasts looking at prey. ¡°I¡¯m sure you guys know why.¡± The other heroes didn¡¯t understand what they were talking about, but Count Shine and Marquis Utram became pale. ¡°That... that is...¡± They couldn¡¯t understand how Sungjin knew about their secret deal. Should I find an excuse? But he already knows everything. Should I confess? Would he forgive us if we confess? No, maybe it¡¯s all over. ¡°Ha. I don¡¯t know how you learned about it, but we were granted asylum in the Kingdom of Sharsha! So you can¡¯t take us as your prisoners!¡± That was theirst form of resistance, although their asylum was not granted by the temple. Those two... traitors...? Then the other heroes understood what was going on. Although they expected to have some traitors in such a difficult situation, they were terrified that Sungjin knew about it. He... he is really a devil... He couldn¡¯t be just an extra. Maybe it was true that he was a great demidevil back in his world and he has yet to gain his power back in this world. Many believed that theory to exin the extraordinary abilities of Sungjin. And also, the theory made the heroes feel better about themselves for having a normal extra as a king. ¡°Oh. Sure, go for it. You guys will be my prisoners anyways when I defeat the three kingdoms. I will let you go now.¡± They didn¡¯t waste a second and run away when Sungjin answered them confidently. The other heroes wanted to know how Sungjin found out about the treason, but they couldn¡¯t dare ask him. They just thought that they should be careful if Sungjin wins this war. The secret was the extras. Sungjin knew that the enemy would try to buy out some of the heroes on his side. He also knew that the enemy would try to buy only a few in order to not have to pay too much. There was a limited number of heroes he had to keep his eyes on, and he ordered the extras who were serving the heroes to report him if the heroes were having suspicious meetings. Of course, all the extras cooperated since they wanted Sungjin and Ereka to win. Knowing about the traitors didn¡¯t change his disadvantageous situation; the difference in level between him and his enemies on each battlefield was still huge. When Eustasia bumped into Sungjin at the west entrance of the temple, she looked at him in silence then looked away. There was nothing left to say. They had to fight for their faith and their destiny. Don¡¯t get cocky since you found the traitors. When King Ilkandi tried to buy out some heroes on Sungjin¡¯s side, she didn¡¯t stop it because there was nothing to lose on her side. The two strongest heroes left the Kingdom of Sevrantina, so now, they had an even lesser chance of winning. On the right side of the battlefield, King Leoric had one wizard of level 7, two of level 6, and one knight of level 6 supporting them. On the other hand, Jenna was a level 5 wizard with another wizard of level 4 fighting with her. That was a two-level difference, and nothing could change the situation. The central battlefield as well. Ereka was level 7, but the other heroes were two level 4 and one was level 3. King Ilkandi, on the other hand, was level 7, and he had three level 6 knights supporting him. And here, where I¡¯m going to face you. Eustasia and Seyzo II, who were level, brought two level 5 warriors. While level 0 Sungjin brought level 6 Rittier and two other level 5 heroes. Sungjin¡¯s greatmand would be useless with this much of a power gap. However, she didn¡¯t doubt that he had a n. I am ready to make your ns useless. I will defeat you with our stronger forces. I¡¯ve learned everything I need with one defeat. Now it¡¯s time for my payback. The ending was clear. The three kingdoms would divide the Kingdom of Sevrantina into three. They got the signal, and the battle started. Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 17

After destroying Eustasia¡¯s sword, Sungjin started to work on his next n. He had won on two battlefields, but he still had to win one more to achieve aplete victory. Without aplete victory, he couldn¡¯t be an Arc Master. If he couldn¡¯t achieve aplete victory, the long internal conflict and threats from the other countries were the only things that would be waiting for him. And Eustasia would never join his team. It is time to finish this. Eustasia was getting ready to fight against Sungjin. Although she didn¡¯t know what was going on in the other two battlefields, it was not difficult to predict that Sungjin wouldn¡¯t take it easy on her here. But I can see that we didn¡¯t make it on the other two battlefields. There was no way to get the news from the others, but this great general was able to specte based on her experience and her gut feeling. Sungjin caught me off-guard here; I¡¯m sure he¡¯s defeated the other two kings despite the advice I gave to them. That meant she had to win on her own battlefield. It¡¯s still okay. If I make it here, then it won¡¯t be a miserable failure. We can drag it out into a long war. Then even Sungjin won¡¯t be able to attack us anymore because he would also have to keep his eyes on the other forces. She was able to reverse the situation and realized Sungjin¡¯s concerns. She started to make a n to minimize the damage. First, I need to return to the base to regroup... But Rittier, the gray-haired knight, jumped up to the tower and attacked her, giving her no time to react or think. ¡°I, Rittier, the knight of the Kingdom of Sevrantina am here to attack you, General Eustasia! If this was a duel, I wouldn¡¯t attack you without weapons, but this is a war, and Master Sungjin destroyed your weapon during battle, so I will take advantage of this situation!¡± Rittier shouted and ran into her. This was not a bluff. Eustasia was one level higher, but it was just one level after all. Of course, a one-level difference did matter, but this was a closebat match between a knight and an archer. Moreover, the archer, Eustasia, was fighting with her bare hands, which made it impossible for her to use her skills. The result of the fight was quite clear: an archer without any weapons had to fight against the knight. Rittier hit her hard to finish her with the first and the final blow. Seyzo II was level 7, but without Eustasia, Rittier believed that all four members of his team could catch the rest of the enemies without difficulty. And Eustasia was worried about the same thing. If I die here... She knew that without her, the three kingdoms wouldn¡¯t be able to stop Sungjin. * * * Chapter 12 Eustasia avoided the strong blow from Rittier. ¡°Ha. Give it up.¡± Rittier didn¡¯t stop the attack with his sword. Eustasia¡¯s movements to avoid Rittier¡¯s sword looked like a flow of water, and by the fifth blow, Rittier realized something was wrong. By the eleventh blow, he realized that he was not able to even touch Eustasia. ¡°Eustasia...¡± ¡°Swords can slice iron, but not water,¡± said Eustasia with a graceful smile while avoiding his sword. Her movement was fierce but also graceful and wless. She looked like windblown petals and flowing water. ¡°What is... is this your third skill!?¡± Rittier understood the third skill of Eustasia, the one that had not been revealed in any battles until now. So with your third skill, you can avoid being attacked in closebat. It was not strange that an archer had such a defensive skill for closebat. Rittier was not worried. Such skills to escape risky situations always required allies to be around so that she could find a way out. At the top of this tower, she couldn¡¯t run, and there was no one who coulde to save her. It¡¯s only a matter of time. When you run out of your skill, you will be done as well! This was just the skill of an archer. Rittier was sure that she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep using it. Her Heroic Power had a limit, and eventually, she would reach that limit. Finally, the moment that Rittier was waiting for wasing; Eustasia¡¯s movements started to slow down. Now you¡¯ve run out! I¡¯m sure you were waiting for your team. But there¡¯s no one who cane to rescue you. Rittier was sure of his victory. Finally, I can contribute something to this battle. Rittier delivered his final blow with excitement. It was a deadly blow to finish Eustasia. ¡°Giant Strike!¡± Rittier¡¯s muscles showed his strength. His Heroic Power was so powerful that it made his armor creak and his sword resonate loudly. The resonance was so strong that it caused the air around the sword to explode. The sword was up in the air, but the shock wave dented the ground. Pieces of exploded rocks from the dented ground scattered around it. Everything was caused just by the shock wave. The real power of the sword was... Bang! Rittier¡¯s sword dropped on her. It didn¡¯t even have to be urate. The shock wave from his sword cracked the ground and exploded the rocks and broke the doors. The fight was over... by a hand that came through the destruction. ¡°Sword in Mind.¡± Eustasia¡¯s hand hit the stomach of Rittier to push him away with a piercing pain. It looked like she tapped him lightly, but a concentrated power that was almost like a bullet came out from her palm. It was an invisible sword with concentrated Heroic Power. She didn¡¯t even need a sword. She didn¡¯t have a physical sword, but she had the strongest sword in her mind. The destructive power of this sword incapacitated the attack of the knight. ¡°U... ugh...?¡± Her attack made a hole that was the size of a watermelon on his stomach. The same blow also made a hole in the wall of the tower and broke one part of the tower that continued to destroy a tree next to it. It hit the ground with a massive cloud of smoke. The attack had a terrifying breaking power. Rittier was standing unsteadily only to end up falling down on the ground. If he were not as big, the blow probably would¡¯ve cut him in half. But although he was big enough to stay in one piece, his wound was critical. ¡°If this is... your... third skill... what was that skill you were using to avoid my attack?¡± Eustasiaughed while looking at Rittier, who was badly wounded and confused. ¡°That was purely my physical ability.¡± ¡°Pure... physical ability?¡± ¡°During my fight against the Golden King¡¯s army, I realized that even an archer needed to be trained for closebat.¡± But she couldn¡¯t get additional skills from god, so there was only one way. Since she couldn¡¯t fight against knights or warriors with her physical strength, she decided to train herself to learn how to avoid their attacks and use their power against them. It was simple logic, but she had to train herself night and day. ¡°It was physical training that I learned from a farawaynd. I paid a fortune, but it was totally worth it.¡± ¡°Ridiculous...¡± She was able to make her physical ability nearly as powerful as a heroic skill. No hero was able to do that so far. Rittier himself was a veteran with plenty of experience, but he failed to stop someone who trained themselves with simple physical training. She was not a knight or a warrior; she was just an archer! But soon enough Rittier was reminded of someone. There was an extra that Rittier could think of that who was strong enough to defeat heroes. And Rittier made an oath to serve him with his queen, Ereka. That¡¯s why you are the greatest general out of the four kingdoms. You worked to ovee the limit of your level with your skill. It was not difficult to understand why Sungjin wanted her to join his team. Ugh... If I lose here... Rittier tried to stand up again to support Sungjin, but he couldn¡¯t. His body was breaking down from his fingertips. Your Highness... and Master... Sungjin... Then he heard footsteps walking up to the tower. It was Sungjin. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Master Sungjin... I¡¯m sorry. I tried... but she just...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You helped me to learn her secret skills with your sacrifice. I will finish her.¡± Eustasia didn¡¯t reveal her secret skills even during her fight against the Golden King, but Rittier helped Sungjin to find out two of them with this fight. Now Sungjin was able to calcte what to do and what the result would be. Sungjin smiled, telling Rittier that it was enough for him. ¡°Thank you.¡± Rittier left the battlefield with a calm face. Eustasia calmly looked at Sungjin. ¡°That was a great move to destroy my weapon. But you lost Rittier.¡± She was right. Sungjin was level 0. He had no way to recover from that while Eustasia was able to recreate her weapon using crystals. ¡°That¡¯s not too bad.¡± Sungjin pointed to the scene behind him with his thumb, where a huge me was burning up the forest to create a spectacle. ¡°That¡¯s...¡± ¡°Two knights are sacrificing themselves to be the bait to kill three knights from your side.¡± While Eustasia was focusing on finishing Rittier, Sungjin was also making his own moves. ¡°I told the king how to react in a case like this.¡± ¡°Do you really think it is difficult to provoke and lure someone who is mad and angry?¡± Eustasia couldn¡¯t say no to Sungjin¡¯s question. Even if a general gave practical advice, the king didn¡¯t have to take it, especially when it came to Seyzo II. ¡°Then, our fight will conclude this war.¡± ¡°Correct. Let¡¯s finish this.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work like back in the templest time.¡± ¡°But you have no weapons while I have this,¡± said Sungjin, showing the Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will shining in his hand. It was not something anyone could ignore, even if they were level 7 heroes. ¡°Do you really think you can defeat a hero? With or without weapons, history has proven that it is impossible.¡± ¡°I will write a new chapter in history,¡± answered Sungjin, and he started his attack. Eustasia moved fast to fight against him. It is annoying that you have the Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will, but I¡¯m still level 7. She was sure she could defeat him with her physical abilities. You cornered me, but I will defeat you in this fight. She started to use the flowy movements that made her defeat a level 6 knight without her weapon. I¡¯ve cornered you, so I will finish you. Sungjin started to attack Eustasia with his swordsmanship that made him able to fight against the Blood Ruler, Riad. A boy and a girl shed, each with their own wishes. And the boy... had the upper hand. His sword almost cut her left arm. She was able to avoid it by an inch, but his sword sliced her armor. Ugh. Eustasia struggled. The sword was too powerful, and her armor that she activated with her Heroic Power couldn¡¯t protect her. It was impossible for her to defend; all she was able to do was avoid the attack. But the sharp sword cut through her smooth movements. Whenever she tried to move away, the sword was waiting for her. She pulled out her hand to do something, but the sword almost cut the center of her palm, so she had no choice but to take it back. She tried to step back, but the sword was already there to attack her. When she tried to step aside, Sungjin kicked her to stop her, and as soon as she fought back, the sword cut her armor again. Sungjin¡¯s level 0 body was clearly slower, but Sungjin was reading her moves so quickly that it almost seemed like he could read her mind. With the destructive power of the sword, this was just a nightmare. God, I misread the situation. She thought Sungjin did a great job to fight against the Blood Ruler until she activated her skill. But actually, it was the Blood Ruler who did an amazing job to fight against Sungjin before she used her skill. Usually, heroes were toozy to practice martial arts because they had strong skills that were enough for any fight. She found herself in trouble. She had a much stronger army, and she attacked them from three sides simultaneously. No one was able to even imagine that the alliance of the three kingdoms would struggle. No one, apart from Sungjin, who nned all this. It was natural for her to be in a panic in this ridiculous situation. This was the worst possible scenario, but she was not someone who would give up. I can¡¯t lose this fight. She was thest resort for her country. A mad king. Corrupted heroes. Helpless people. She knew that she was the only one who could protect her country. She gave up her arrogance. She dropped everything and decided to go all-in to win this fight against Sungjin. Yeah... I will drop... everything. The next moment, she released the Heroic Power that activated her armor. Now, she had a body just like that of a level 0. She dropped her protection, but her physical performance ability had increased. She decided to go all-in on avoiding his attack rather than die slowly. As soon as she decided that this was the best solution, she dropped her armor to gamble with a small possibility to win. Apart from one thing... ¡°Hey... Can you get dressed a bit?¡± Sungjin stopped the attack for a second and asked her. He was a bit embarrassed. Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 15

The battle started just like any other battle; there was nothing special. Seyzo II took Eustasia¡¯s advice to take it easy because the enemy¡¯s turret was strong, even though the three kingdoms had the upper hand. Eustasia couldn¡¯t see Sungjin during her march, but she thought this was natural. It would be a better strategy for him to avoid Eustasia¡¯s army and hunt the neutral monsters around the forest. But time is not on your side. As soon as she collected enough crystals to activate a powerful sword that could activate her power, she returned to buy a sword and then ran towards the observation tower. The east battlefield had an observation tower. This was her strategic move to take the tower. It was a high tower in the middle of ane without minions so she couldn¡¯t collect crystals if she stayed there, but she was able to see the whole battlefield from inside the tower. She also had a rge crossroad¡± that she could use to her advantage. ... In the forest, Sungjin felt a threat and twisted his body to look around. A flying sword cut through the air sharply with full power, hitting Sungjin. He was able to return the blow with his sword, but the flying sword made a turn and attacked him again. His head. His shoulder. His waist. His back. His legs. His arms. The flying sword was aiming for every part of his body without a break. ¡°Ugh.¡± The sword was flying freely and making 360-degree degrees. If Sungjin blocked it from the front, it would go for his back, and when he blocked the sword from behind, it woulde from above. It was an attack that was free from the regr swordsmanship limited by human physics. Every blow was a death blow. But the owner of the sword was way too far from him to counterattack. This was an unfair fight between a level 7 and level 0. Once, twice. Ten times, twenty times. He was fighting back and avoiding the sword, but it was clear that eventually, the pattern of the sword would change and hit him. Whereas the enemy was hiding behind the absolute form of protection: distance. ¡°Huh.¡± Sungjin started to breathe heavily. Although he was well trained, he was still at level 0. He was focusing and moving beyond this limit, but he didn¡¯t have any power given by the gods. It was almost impossible to keep fighting against a remotely controlled sword. It was natural that he was getting exhausted. He was sweating more and more. His muscles became tired. His brain became weary. It was amazing that a level 0 was still fighting against such a sword. But it was nothing more than that. It was clearly a good fight but was not enough to upset the result of this entire battle. That was the limit of level 0. That was the fight from a normal person¡¯s point of view. But Sungjin was not a normal person. He was waiting. He was waiting for the perfect timing. I have a secret n to win. There will be a perfect time to fight back. All he had to do was hold on until that moment. His eyes were still shining sharply, and it was the same for Eustasia¡¯s eyes. You think if you hold out long enough, you will get a chance? Sungjin was hiding a secret trap in the tower. I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s all gone. She had already inspected the tower before she got here. There was a hidden device in the wall of the basement. It had a fuse slowly burning to blow up the tower at the end of the fuse. It was a brilliant device to attack me, but I¡¯ve already stopped it. She was not about to be fooled again by his same trick. Although she was not able toe up with such brilliant ns, she was still ready to stop them all. Then she would y him with her dominant strength. It was the same for the other battlefields¡ªshe already had a n to cancel Sungjin¡¯s tricks. ... King Leoric and Jenna were fighting on the east battlefield with a high mountain in the middle of it. It was simr to the observation tower, providing a bird¡¯s eye view over the battlefield, but there was one more important thing on the mountain. There was a magic square called the Power of Wizard. It augmented the attack distance and power of wizards. Since both were wizards, taking over the mountain was critical for the victory. And King Leoric recognized a new dense forest on the way up to the mountain. So General Eustasia was right. After the early stage where both sides were collecting crystals, the heroes gathered for a frontal breakthrough. He remembered Eustasia¡¯s advice, and King Leoric decided not to go through the newly formed forest. ¡°Go and check the forest. There might be some traps.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Soon, the scout reported to him. ¡°In the forest, the tree roots are soaked in oil, and there was suspicious powder in the bushes.¡± ¡°As Eustasia expected. If we walk into the forest, the enemy will use fire to attack us. We will go around the forest.¡± ¡°But what if we lose the Power of Wizard?¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. It was all expected.¡± ¡°If you see a suspiciousndscape on your way to the Power of Wizard, avoid it.¡± Eustasia answered with a smile full of confidence. ¡°It is a defensive war for them. That should be fine. Although the Power of Wizard has strong buffs, you have a much higher levelpared to the enemy.¡± ¡°Haha. You are trying to please me.¡± ¡°No, that is a clear judgment.¡± Sungjin was using thendscape and magic to his advantage, but for that, he had to get the buffs from the Power of Wizard. If he failed to use any of them, Eustasia was sure that King Leoric would be the winner. She was not able to predict the traps using thendscape, but she made sure that the king would be careful. ¡°Listen. We will overpower the magic square. Let¡¯s show them that the buff from the magic square can¡¯t change this fight.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± He was okay giving Sungjin an advantage ofndscape because he was much stronger. He was about to show Sungjin that even the Power of Wizard wouldn¡¯t ovee their difference in level. It was clear that Sungjin underestimated the power of heroes, and the moment of truth wasing. Jenna cast a spell using the buff from the Power of Wizard. She and other three wizards activated their ultimate skills at the same time, and their magic was stronger than usual thanks to the buff. Thor¡¯s power swirled, the power of the ground was condensed, zing fire filled the air, but all this didn¡¯t intimidate King Leoric at all. ¡°Stand back!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± He started to cast a spell with two wizards next to him. The royal knights were protecting them from the potential attacks of any enemy knights. The buff from the Power of Wizard was incredible, but the king was sure that the king of the Kingdom of Rufidi, the kingdom of wizards, was much stronger than the inexperienced, baby wizard. He trusted Eustasia¡¯s prediction. Fiveyers of magic squares appeared around him. ¡°I will show you what real magic looks like!¡± Both sides activated their ultimate skills at almost the same time. ¡°Mjolnir!¡± Jenna¡¯s voice echoed in the sky. Burning white thunderbolts hit the ground, and the sound of thunder was like a glorious deration. The beloved weapon of the god of war, who was praised to be the strongest in Pantheon, appeared. The shaking ground became an earthquake. A gigantic hammer covered the sun, and its shadow loomed over its enemies. A gigantic, fiery serpent with burning fire on every scale started to attack the enemy. The fire spread to the forest. Where the serpent passed, there were only ashes. As if there werendmines, the ground blew up, shooting up rocks and soil everywhere. Every single piece of the dirt became a weapon to attack the enemy. But King Leoric was not just standing there, taking the attack. ¡°The power of the giants who fought against the gods! The infinite power that separated the sky and the ground. Destroy my enemies with your glorious power! As Fist!¡± A shape of a glorious giant, who ruled before the gods, appeared beside Thor¡¯s hammer. His fist was the size of a huge building. It could smash a tower easily. It was clearly stronger than Jenna¡¯s Mjolnir. It was closer to the original source of the power of thunder. They brought the power from the origin, but King Leoric¡¯s higher level made his power stronger than Jenna¡¯s. A morous phoenix and a wolf deformed by thunder appeared on his sides. The burning phoenix flew gracefully into the air. When a feather dropped, it melted the rocks. The gigantic, fiery serpent was big, but it was not fear-inducing. When the phoenix passed the serpent, the serpent¡¯s head was cut off. A greater power shrunk the smaller power. The phoenix melted the ground with its wings and made new paths. It was a mythical animal revived from the legends. At the same time, the wolf from earlier started to run rapidly. The wolf was running and making another path. The thunderous sounds it made, caused the ground to erupt inmotion. It was breaking up the rocks and tearing up the trees. The chaos threw the pieces of rocks and trees around. This was the power of a legendary beast. Six different powers crossed each other to reach their goals. The immense powerbined into a dense cloud of energy, and the bright light it emitted blinded the people. After the storm of chaos, the air slowly calmed down, and then people were able to see the results. When everything was gone, Jenna was there, covered all over with wounds. She was barely alive, and the other heroes who were fighting with her were gone. Even their bodies were not able to be found. On the other hand... All four heroes on King Leoric¡¯s side were still there. Two wizards were a bit wounded, but the knight was not hurt, and King Leoric didn¡¯t have any wounds. It was clear who was the winner without exnation. ¡°Hahaha. You¡¯re not bad for a kid. And it was a good n to take the Power of Wizard. But you were arrogant to think that you could defeat me with that; that¡¯s what caused your defeat!¡± Heughed with satisfaction. ¡°That is so true!¡± His servants agree with him with joy. Now, all they had to do was to kill Jenna, who was almost dead, to gainnd, power and a lot of money. It was a joyful moment for all of them. * * * King Ilkandi on the central battlefield was able to see the changes around the battlefield and detected the trick, that was warned by Eustasia. Hmm, the temple with the northernte is the trick. If one did not look carefully, it would seem that there was a temple for the god of water built in the middle of a man-madeke. But that was a trap. King Ilkandi recognized that it was not just a simple decoration. The outer walls of the temple are embankments. When he breaks it, the flood will bury us here. And in the middle of thene, there was a critical spot that rapidly recovered your Heroic Power. So you want to pretend that you are aiming for that spot and when we chase you, you will run as if you have no choice. And then, when we chase you, you will break the temple walls to wipe us out with the flood. You are quite smart. Trying to create a water attack on the battlefield, he didn¡¯t think of such a tactic. But he already knew that Sungjin was good with creative ns. Eustasia had already told him what to be careful of and what he had to avoid. King Ilkandi was smart enough to be prepared. Then let me channel this attack onto you. He called Gapelt, the head of knights, who was standing next to him. ¡°Sir Gapelt.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I will pretend I took the bait and head towards the center. You make a detour to destroy the temple before them.¡± He was nning to attack the enemy with their own trick when the enemy made a fake recall. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I will follow your order.¡± ¡°Good. I will give you the order through the Wind Spirit Stone. Although the enemy allocated a hero there was well...¡± ¡°Trust me. I will defeat the enemy¡¯s hero,¡± Sir Gapelt promised him. He was able to promise victory because Ereka¡¯s side had no high-level heroes. ¡°Sure.¡± Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 16

They started their fight in the middle of the battlefield as King Ilkandi expected. Just then, Ereka was reminded of Sungjin¡¯s n. So Sungjin said that we should pretend to use recall right now... Actually, she didn¡¯t have to pretend. She couldn¡¯t fight against King Ilkandi¡¯s high-level army, so unintentionally, she was able to ¡°act¡± naturally, and King Ilkandi chased her. ¡°Don¡¯t give her time to return! Finish her now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them get you! We need to regroup to fight back!¡± Ereka used recall while allowing King Ilkandi to hear what she was telling her army in order to make him chase her closer. We are almost there... But it was King Ilkandi who was smiling. Now! Hahaha. Ereka was nning to start a flood, but King Ilkandi seized the moment to wipe out his enemies. ¡°Gapelt! Now!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± Not long after Sir Gapelt¡¯s answer, a huge torrent came from the north, sweeping up everything in its way. Kaboom! The biblical torrent was more powerful than a human hero¡¯s ultimate skill. The natural disaster didn¡¯t care about your level or status and swept everyone away. Ereka¡¯s army wasn¡¯t fast enough and got caught in the middle of it. Hmph. You were fooled by your own trick. King Ilkandiughed at Ereka¡¯s poor judgement. That¡¯s what you get when you listen to a useless extra. Sir Todam, a self-acimed historian, was writing his manuscript with real-time information from the battlefield. ¡°But his overconfidence caused his destruction. The demidevil from the other world was not able to im victory with hisme tricks. Finally, the rule of level destroyed him miserably. His evil rulership was punished by the gods...¡± He finally knew which one out of his two manuscripts to publish. I need to move fast. He ordered for one of his manuscripts to be published. * * * Chapter 11 He must be confused by now because the timing he was waiting for will not being. It will be the same for the other battlefields. Eustasia had prepared for his predictable ns, and she was sure that since he wouldn¡¯t be able to be on every battlefield, he would not be able toe up with a new n for this situation. Maybe it would be easier for you if you had a stronger force on your side, equaling ours. She operated her forces simply because it was obvious she had the upper hand. Her ns were conservative because Sungjin¡¯s side was much weaker. If they had equal power, maybe Sungjin¡¯s n would be a threat, but that was not the case in this battle. This was the reality for an extra who tried to fight against the heroes. It was not a fair fight, but she had no n to make it fair and help him. ¡°Judgement!¡± When she activated her second skill, the cutting power of her sword maximized. It¡¯s time to finish this. Sungjin¡¯s movements became slower; she was certain it was time for her to finish him. Without theirmander, Sungjin, his army wouldn¡¯t be difficult to destroy. Eustasia¡¯s sword started to shine in the sky. The device he nted didn¡¯t work, and he couldn¡¯t destroy the tower. Eustasia sentenced Sungjin to death, and him with her sword. That was the final judgment to finish the fight. The sword of the extra was struggling from the ground, while the sword of the hero was attacking him from above. The fight... finished with the cracking sound of a sword. Eustasia¡¯s privileged flying sword was cracked. Just like a window hit by a hammer, a tiny crack became many, and the sword shattered into pieces on the ground. That was the end of her attack, while Sungjin was taking his time to catch his breath, a smile on his face. The destruction of a weapon. Sungjin was not struggling to fight against her sword; he was attacking her sword to destroy it. The normal magic sword Eustasia was using to attack Sungjin couldn¡¯t handle the power of the artifact, the Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will. Sungjin constantly hit the same spot to the point where Eustasia¡¯s sword couldn¡¯t take it anymore. It was a great n. It went against themon thought of attacking someone¡¯s body to weaken them. When Eustasia realized it, she was shocked. My sword... broke into pieces. She couldn¡¯t wield it anymore. He was hitting one spot and pretending he was struggling to fight back... She was so sure that she was attacking him unterally, but she didn¡¯t damage him at all, while he was destroying her n. Destroying a weapon is not an easy task, especially when the weapon is flying. Did you... nt a time bomb to distract me from your n...? Soon, she admitted that she was tricked again by Sungjin. I was tricked, but that won¡¯t change the results. She was still confident that his tricks wouldn¡¯t be able to upset the overall result of the fight. Her side was so much stronger than his, so Sungjin was only able to narrow the gap by a tiny bit. That must be what she is thinking. Sungjin already knew what Eustasia was thinking and smiled. Now, the real game is on. * * * On the east battlefield. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to finish her...¡± Kaboom! A thundering noise stopped the words of King Leoric. ¡°How dare you make such a sound to stop me!¡± But it didn¡¯t take long for King Leoric to find out who made such a thundering noise. It was... ¡°The... mou... mountain...¡± It was a copsing mountain. King Leoric¡¯s jaw dropped, and even his straight beard that was once straight curled up in fear. He didn¡¯t have time to do anything. A gigantic mountain was copsing while an avnche was wiping away everything. Compared to this power of nature, their ultimate skills were nothing more than the mere power of mortals. They used their ultimate magic spell and had to defend against the ultimate magic spell of the enemy. Naturally, they had no power left to resist and were swept into the avnche. There was nothing left standing after the army of rocks and mud passed by. Sir Linte, a knight of the Kingdom of Sevrantina, couldn¡¯t believe what was happening as he looked at the scene from afar. When Sungjin had Sir Linte¡¯s movements recorded in order to make an Illusion Stone, Sir Linte didn¡¯t understand the use of it. Sungjin also ordered him to stay at headquarters and just send wizards to the battlefield. He thought he had to protect the wizards or try to stall for time by fighting in closebat; there were so many things he had to do. He couldn¡¯t imagine a victory due to an avnche. It was an unimaginable scenario for him to win a battle because of a copsing mountain. Well, it¡¯s not just me... nobody else would have been able to imagine this... It wasmon knowledge that taking over the mountain in the middle was critical to winning on this particr battlefield. So Sungjinpromised the ground around it to turn the mountain into a gigantic trap. And on the top of his preparation, six wizards were attacking each other using their ultimate magic spells. When Sir Linte was told that he just had to join the battle and follow Jenna¡¯s order, he didn¡¯t expect something like this. The most scary thing about Sungjin¡¯s n was the forest that he fabricated to trick the enemy into the avnche. Sungjin made it look like he was trying to use fire to attack them. He made it look like it was a double trick that also worked as an obstacle to stop them from taking over the Power of Wizard. But it was just a false trap. Sungjin wanted the enemy to believe they avoided his double trick. It was all just bait. Sungjin was over and beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. Level 0... no, Master Sungjin. Sir Linte was happy that he served with distinction, but at the same time, he was a little worried because he didn¡¯t know what to think of this level 0 extra. Is he a real devil from another world? [The Blue Team has won.] The Valkyrie¡¯s announcement echoed in the battlefield. So the east battlefield has been cleared. While concentrating on his own battle, Sungjin was also calcting the status of the other battlefields. Sun Tzu referred to a trap simr to this as, ¡°crossing the sea with a trick¡± but what Sungjin used was moreplicated and more refined for this battle. Multi Trap¡ªthat was the name Sungjin gave to his own n. And the central battlefield... ... The flood covered everything up. Ereka and her army looked helpless at the wild torrent. The flood was too strong for a knight to resist using their Heroic Power. Even if they survived, they would be severely wounded and killed by King Ilkandi¡¯s army, who was left unharmed. But then Ereka held her shield up in the air. Her golden shield was given to her by the goddess of wisdom and protection. It was a blessing from the goddess to Ereka, who gave up her dream to be a normal girl to be a protector of her people. She shouted out the true name of the shield, ¡°Aegis!¡± She was slender but stronger than anyone else, and she decided to put the happiness of her people over hers. And the goddess blessed her with the promise of protection. Even nature bowed down to the light from her shield. The flood found its humble self reflected by the shield and turned away. The light changed the direction of the flood. The torrent rapidly changed its direction to wipe up the army of King Ilkandi in a second. ¡°Wh... what!¡± That was it. They didn¡¯t even have time to think of doing something about it. The flood wiped them up. When the flood was gone, King Ilkandi was the only one who was still barely standing. It was easy for Ereka and the other knights to finish him. He was not even able to stand properly. Then Ereka caught Sir Gapelt, who was hiding around the temple, waiting for his king¡¯s victory. [The Blue Team has won.] The Valkyrie¡¯s announcement echoed again. Ereka praised Sungjin, who was fighting on the west battlefield. You are truly amazing, Sungjin. Everything worked out as you told me it would. ¡°Looking at the records of King Ilkandi, he is experienced and also quite smart. I¡¯m sure Eustasia will give him her advice as well, so he will try to predict or read my n to use it against us.¡± ¡°So what is your n?¡± ¡°When he thinks that he is about to use my n against us, we will catch him off-guard. I will use that to attack him.¡± ¡°Can you exin?¡± ¡°Your artifact, the mystic shield, Aegis, the ¡°Shield of all People¡± is not only for protecting your team, correct?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I saw it at the firest time, that you can cover a much broader area if you want to.¡± ¡°That is correct...¡± ¡°People think skills are used to attack a hero or defend themselves. So let¡¯s use thatmon sense for a surprise attack.¡± Now, all you need to do is to win on the west battlefield. And he had to. He didn¡¯t think that it would be okay for them to win on two battlefields and lose on one. When Ereka asked Sungjin to concentrate on only two battlefields, he refused. ¡°No. We need to finish this war as quickly as possible. We need to finish it before Eldorado and Rupellion try to get involved.¡± To secure their future, they had to win all three battles. ¡°Moreover, Eustasia approved of my abilities.¡± He had to win all three battles as the basis for the unification of the continent. Eustasia¡¯s approval... That hurt Ereka a bit. Sungjin really wanted to make her join his team. I envy her... But still... Sungjin. I pray for your victory on the west battlefield so that you can create a world where the weak can have the right to live without being abused by the strong. She prayed in silence. Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 18

She got rid of her armor and was only wearing her underwear. Her naked body in the middle of the heated battle was attractive. Her fit body showed even fitter muscles that toned up after her fierce fight. Her sweat was dripping on her curvy body that had an even more seductive scent than any perfume. She looked like a lively lioness. She made him want to conquer her and taste her. ¡°Your skills and sword have made my defensive skills useless. I need to maximize my speed. So no thanks.¡± ¡°No, not something to defend you, but some clothes to cover your skin.¡± Sungjin offered for her to cover herself with something. He was just like a highschooler who didn¡¯t know where to look. ¡°Hmph. You think this is distracting? That is even better,¡± said Eustasia holding her sword with her shiny silver hair billowing behind her. ¡°This is a fight for my king and my kingdom¡¯s destiny, if i can distract you, I will use it.¡± Her bright eyes looked like shining stars. Her voice echoed to show her determination. ¡°I don¡¯t mind being naked!¡± She almost looked like she would take off her undies too. Sungjin had no choice but to fight against her. ¡°Excuse me. I will just ignore it,¡± Sungjin answered as his eyes became calm again. Now his eyes were looking at her as a warrior, not as a naked beauty. Sungjin¡¯s sword started to attack Eustasia again, but the fight became very different. He hit her with his sword, but she avoided it with her next-level speed. He kicked her, but she quickly moved away and avoided his kick. He calcted her next move and attack, but she would react to his attack faster. He was able to calcte quickly, but Eustasia moved even faster. She kept an inch difference to avoid his attacks, but that didn¡¯t mean she was leading this fight. She was barely avoiding the attacks and was not able to counterattack. All she was able to do was to avoid his fierce attacks with her fluid movements. If they had to keep going like this, Sungjin clearly had the upper hand. His sharp eyes were analyzing and categorizing her movements. Her wless moves looked like there were infinite possibilities, but Sungjin was sure that since Eustasia was also a human, she would unconsciously show a pattern. Cut, slice, kick and hit with a fist. Eustasia was still avoiding all his attacks, but suddenly, she lost her bnce when she stepped back to avoid Sungjin¡¯s attack and tripped over a stone on the ground behind her. Is this the stone he kicked right before? It looked like he identally kicked the stone, but the stone was right where she had to step in order to avoid Sungjin¡¯s attack. Sungjin was able to hit her for the first time after she took off her armor. She tried to avoid it and got a one-centimeter cut on her left hand. Maybe next time, he would hit a vital point. But she was sure of her victory at that moment. Now I can use Sword in Mind again. I did well. My skill is back. Now it¡¯s time to finish Sungjin who was not able to finish me in time. She pointed her hand toward Sungjin without hesitation. This is my victory for my king! She was determined to finish him with this final blow. ¡°Sword in Mind!¡± A supersonic invisible sword came from her palm to pierce the air and then Sungjin¡¯s body. The sound came after everything was done. Her sword ripped his flesh and muscles and broke his bones. It was a fatal blow. Sungjin lost his shoulder and his arm scattered into tiny pieces. The fatal blow also broke the tower and made a crater in the ground. They were standing in a pool of blood. ¡°So that¡¯s it,¡± said Eustasia looking at Sungjin. ¡°Yes. I won,¡± Sungjin answered. ¡°How did you do it?¡± She slowly fell down to her knees. Sungjin lost his left hand in order to take her heart. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop your level 7 speed.¡± That was the limit of being level 0. He trained himself but he didn¡¯t have super speed, so he knew what to do but he couldn¡¯t. But when she tried to use her skill, she had to stop for a second, not to react to his attack but to activate her skill. That was the tiny moment that Sungjin was waiting for. ¡°But the moment you tried to use your skill, you needed to stop for a second.¡± ¡°The moment to activate... my skill... was the reason of my defeat.¡± Eustasia¡¯s body slowly scattered. She looked at Sungjin once more. The guy who had defeated her twice was embedded in her mind Haha. He is truly a great guy. She tried to make him ept the reality, but he showed her a possibility beyond that. Maybe it was me who was tied up in ¡°reality¡± and did not try to find something beyond it. Sungjin pushed his sword deeper into her heart and held her in his arms and whispered, ¡°I won on the other two battlefields as well. Will you admit that if you work with me, we can get over this reality together?¡± ¡°I will admit that,¡± she answered. ¡°Will youe with me? I will treat you as a great general.¡± Sungjin had three times morend than the Kingdom of Cariana, so he was offering three times morend to her. It was an excellent offer to a defeated general. But... ¡°No thanks.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I made an oath to my king...¡± ¡°You talked about reality, but that was it?¡± Sungjinughed, thinking she had a long way to go. He had his doubts. Her ideas of realism were not to remain in this reality but to gradually change it. It was a ¡°methodology,¡± and a methodology needed an end goal. He wished that her end goal was to protect the people, but she wanted to help her king to pursue Merciful Rulership. It sounded very simr but was actually very different. It seemed like that he still had a long way to go to make her join his team. ¡°Sure, I will consider this as a second stage. I will make you join me.¡± ¡°You are a great guy, but give up. All I am nning to offer you is my revenge.¡± That was herst word before he exited the battlefield. ... [The Blue Team has won.] Light shone on Sungjin. His wounded body recovered fully in the light, and the Valkyrie slowlynded in front of him. The nonchnt messenger of God offered him the goblet with God¡¯s nectar. Sungjin drank it all without much expectation. He felt some strong powering into his body, but the power didn¡¯t get absorbed. It stayed somewhere inside his body instead. The power was just like a vault that was locked inside of him. [System Error. Name: Cha Sungjin ss: Undefined Without ss information, the level cannot be granted. Without ss information, skills cannot be granted. Without ss information, status adjustment cannot be granted.] The Valkyrie repeated some words. Sungjin shrugged his shoulders. He didn¡¯t expect to get a level right away, but he was happy enough to save this power for the future. I should find out the cause of the system error when I finish the war against the four kingdoms. The Valkyrie gave him the real award. [I grant you the registration of the territory that was staked during this battle of life and death. All the extras in this territory and all their goods belong to you. You can also exile unwanted heroes from the other forces.] All the territories of the three kingdoms, who tried to take Sungjin¡¯s territory, was now Sungjin¡¯s... because Ereka decided to let Sungjin have all the territory that he won. The Valkyrie continued. [And I grant you the territories that were fought by your representatives...] The crest of the other territories showed up on his arm and then disappeared. He was able to see the information on his new territories, such as the poption, area, GDP and tax rates. [Status report of yournd. Poption: 32,570,000 Area: 350,000 km2 GBP: 79.5423 trillion dilent ...] ¡°Ha. It¡¯s not the first time, but still, I can¡¯t get used to this massive amount of loot.¡± Sungjin smiled. In Valha, the battlefield of God, the bounty for the qualification round of the game was a country. Territory, people, power, and wealth¡ªeverything belonged to the country that became his. Nothing on earth couldpare to what he had won here. He won all three battles. Even in the battles that he was not able to participate in, he defeated his enemies with his intelligence. It was his perfect victory. * * * Chapter 13 A simultaneous fight on three battlefields. Everyone thought Sungjin would be defeated, and if he were lucky, maybe he would win on one. But the result was the opposite. Sungjin took everything from the three kings who attacked the Kingdom of Sevrantina. Three thirds made a whole. As a result, he had now doubled hisnd. Now he had the same amount ofnd and peoplepared to the alliance of the three kingdoms. But those were just numbers. Before, everyone was sure that the alliance of the three kingdoms would win, but now nobody knew who could win. Of course the alliance of the three kingdoms still had the upper hand. They didn¡¯t lose anything other than theirnd. But having the upper hand didn¡¯t mean much when they had to fight against Sungjin. Everyone understood that. ... The news spread to everywhere. The extras from the Kingdom of Sevrantina cheered with happiness. ¡°Hurray!¡± ¡°We won!¡± ¡°Oh, gods! Thank you.¡± They didn¡¯t want to go back to a miserable life under those kings, so they wished for the victory of Sungjin and Queen Ereka. They wanted to believe Sungjin¡¯s promise to win, but the situation looked extremely bad. But he made it in the end. Although they couldn¡¯t trust him fully... he made it. ¡°Ohhh. Master Sungjin and our queen has saved us.¡± Some became emotional and started to cry. It was a victory that saved thier lives so no one thought it was stupid to cry. The staff and patients at the hospital were the same. As soon as Nania heard the news, she fell down on her knees. She dropped her te of medicine, but she didn¡¯t care. Oh... thank god... She would kill herself if she had to go back to that prison. She was so happy, not only for herself, but also for everyone in the hospital. ¡°Can I keep learning letters?¡± Lute asked her with his books in his arms. ¡°Of course, you can.¡± Nania was able to answer him with a smile. It was not just the extras from the Kingdom of Sevrantina who were happy. The extras from the three kingdoms, who now belonged to Sungjin, started to carefully talk about it. ¡°Will he really be generous to us?¡± ¡°I think people are exaggerating, that is too good to be true.¡± ¡°But still, if only a small part of if is true, our lives will be better, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°You are right.¡± They didn¡¯t wish for hospitals, that simply sounded like a fantasy. I hope he will reduce the 70% tax rate a little bit so that we don¡¯t have to starve. Maybe to 60% or... 50% when we have a bad harvest... I hope he won¡¯t take us as his prisoners for no reason... I heard that in his country, the heroes can¡¯t abuse the extras. The heroes cannot beat us up or use us for their means. But that must be a rumor. I hope he won¡¯t kill or disable us whenever he is in a bad mood. Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 19

Of course, there was someone who made a fuss. Sir Todam ran into the print house and used his skill to break the rotary press. A ball of fire burned the rotary press and all the books. ¡°What do you think you are doing!¡± Sir Lantern shouted with anger, but Sir Todam apologized as if it was not a big deal. ¡°Hmmm. Sorry. I just found out there were some misprints and spelling mistakes on my manuscript... I couldn¡¯t publish an iplete book...¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you can destroy my property!¡± ¡°I will repay you handsomely.¡± He knew that a rotary press was much cheaper than the price he had to pay if his book was published. But next to him, Gunan was apologizing to the staff of the print house. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. This is some cheese bread from my town... I will never let this happen again...¡± While apologizing obsequiously on the outside, he was swearing at Sir Todam in everynguage on the inside. That¡¯s why I told you to work on it when we found out who the winner was! Why did you have to be so stupid to make this mess! Gunan promised himself that he would never let Todam print his book before he was sure of the situation. ... The heroes of the Kingdom of Sevrantina gathered to whisper and gossip. ¡°I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t try to work for the three kingdoms.¡± ¡°Those two who went there are screwed.¡± ¡°Yes, the difference in force didn¡¯t really matter with that guy.¡± ¡°Shhh, that guy? watch your mouth.¡± ¡°Oh... yeah. Hmm.¡± ¡°Do you think... he... is really... going to unify... the four kingdoms?¡± If so, he would have an even higher status than Queen Ereka or any other king from the four kingdoms. Moreover, he would create a new bnce of power with Rupellion and Eldorado. They started to think that maybe they should forget about their pride in being a hero and start being nice to him. Of course, for them, Sungjin was a merciless tyrant who took away all the rights from the heroes while helping the extras. But it was a better idea to be nice to him and try to keep some of their rights if they couldn¡¯t get rid of him. No, but first... Should we wait and see? The alliance of the three kingdoms was still much stronger. And since they made a mistake once, maybe they wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake again. Anyways, the military ns could not be re-used. If we need to kiss ass, we should start now. It wasplicated for them. They didn¡¯t want to lose their pride against an extra, but Sungjin was abusing their rights. If they could be the first ones to gain his trust, that would make their lives easier. Sungjin was bing something much more than an extra. ... Sungjin¡¯s team was in a festive mood, but they didn¡¯t start a festival right away. ¡°Let¡¯s take care of the lives of the extras from the new territories.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been working on it. We will provide food and build up more hospitals. We are also working on the legal structure to protect them and the list of officials we are appointing for each part of the territories.¡± Ereka¡¯s answer made Sungjin smile. ¡°That was fast.¡± ¡°No problem. While you were busy making a n to win the battle, I was working on what I was able to do.¡± ¡°No, you did a great job.¡± Sungjin nodded. It was clearly Sungjin who won the battle, and he had no ns to pretend to be modest. It was his intelligence that overcame their difference of strength. With this victory, he could expand their territory and could try to be an Arc Master, but he couldn¡¯t build up a good country through this victory. Since Ereka was ying her part and taking care of state affairs, this was truly helpful for Sungjin. Onest thing that could make this perfect would be Eustasia... but that won¡¯t be easy. She was a loyal servant of the enemy king. Although her king was a tyrant, she was still trying to serve him right. And Sungjin understood that his argument to take care of the people wouldn¡¯t work for Eustasia, who was loyal to her king. I can¡¯t make her understand a democracy with a few conversations. Making her admit my ability was the first step in persuading her. While he was deep in thought, Jenna shook her knife tail. ¡°Sungjin Oppa. Let¡¯s stop talking about serious things and have fun! Let¡¯s celebrate our victory! Party, party! Let¡¯s have a party!¡± Just like a cute little puppy asking for a little bone, her eyes were shining bright. I will drug him and put him in the same room with the queen... But her thoughts were not as cute as how she looked. ¡°Jenna. Don¡¯t bother Sungjin.¡± ¡°No, It¡¯s okay. We need to celebrate a day like this,¡± said Sungjin, standing up. ¡°Let¡¯s dere themencement of the festival.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin. I will open the warehouse and get ready.¡± Ereka¡¯s smile was soft and warm. * * * At the party. Drenched in wine and ambiance, Sungjin took Ereka to the terrace under the moonlight. ¡°We should celebrate.¡± ¡°Yes. You look greater than ever.¡± Although you never looked less than great, she added silently. ¡°You look more beautiful tonight.¡± Then he held her in her arms and kissed her. It was strong and passionate. A red general opened a pink door and rushed in. Ugh... She was shivering with embarrassment, but soon, she started to loosen up. ¡°Ereka?¡± ¡°Huh. Yes, we should announce the details and pick the venue... give me a minute.¡± Ereka woke up from her fantasy. She knew that it was not true, but she couldn¡¯t help herself imagining it from time to time. Ereka blushed and ran away while Sungjin was not sure what he did. Is she exhausted? I should have asked someone else, not Ereka. People were so wrong to think that he could read people¡¯s minds and was only pretending to be a level 0. * * * Chapter 14 Where there was light, there were shadows, and just like this, the people against Sungjin¡¯s victory made their move. It was a ce where the strong light was filling up the space. There was a golden stream flowing like water, and there were so many treasures shining like stars. On the way, there were secret treasures with legends and mythology lining up just like a reviewing stand of knights. The air was vibrating by an invisible force. Count Satirus walked in carefully. This is truly a fearful ce... He was able to sweet talk to the mad King Seyzo II, but he was terrified of this ce. And that was natural. The king sitting at the end of the path overshadowed everything; he looked like the one true person with authority. ¡°Count Satirus is here to report, Your Majesty,¡± said Count Satirus as he bowed. All he was able to see was a stream of water and the silhouette of a person. In front of the silhouette, there were numerous chess pieces with mystical colors tangled up with each other. ¡°Report.¡± It was not a loud voice, but the voice echoed in his head, and Count Satirus felt his soul shrinking due to it. ¡°As you ordered, I provoked the mad king by telling him that the extra was trying to kill him and start a war. And also, I tried to lead him to kill everyone who was rted or working with the extra after the war to weaken the forces of the four kingdoms.¡± Count Satirus tried hard to emphasize that he was trying his best to follow the order. ¡°And I also encouraged the tyranny of the mad king to worsen his rtionship with Eustasia.¡± He did everything to follow the order. ¡°But... but... I didn¡¯t know that the extra would win on all three battlefields. Please show me mercy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a useless man.¡± Count Satirus felt a huge pressure pushing him down. Ugh... He was suffocated, and it was not just his feelings. It was an amplified feeling of gravity that made a 60-kg weight a 6-ton weight. That was a miraculous act by the silhouette without a sound. He was way too strong. Count Satirus was just like an ant crushed by a man. He felt his bones breaking, but there was nothing he could do but ask for mercy. ¡°But you started a war among the four kingdoms. So I will let you live this time.¡± Count Satirus was able to breathe again, and happy that he saved his life, he asked the silhouette, ¡°Then, what should I do?¡± ¡°So he won all three battles.¡± The silhouette became pensive as if that was not what he expected. The chess pieces in front him moved by themselves to rearrange themselves. White pieces pushed away the ck ones to expand the board. ¡°I should think differently. Now the strongest of the four kingdoms is the Kingdom of Sevrantina.¡± ¡°Then...¡± ¡°I should give a present to the weak. Take this.¡± The ¡°thing¡± dropped in front of Count Satirus, and it startled him. The bad omening from ¡°the thing¡± made him suffer just by looking at it, and knowing what that was, he didn¡¯t dare to pick it up. ¡°Can I give it to them?¡± ¡°I should invest this for a bigger profit.¡± ¡°But would they... use it...?¡± ¡°Anyone with a sound mind wouldn¡¯t, and even a mad man would not easily use it. But when a mad man is cornered, he has no choice but to use it.¡± ck chess pieces started to jump madly, and they broke the chessboard made of wood. But still, they were cornered and had no choice but to keep jumping madly. They looked like they would rather go crazy than give in to the power of the white pieces. ¡°Ah...¡± Count Satirus bowed down. Although the extra was using various gimmicks, his master had next-level insight. He thought that at the end of the day, his master had everything within his grasp. Sungjin was able to win once or twice, but he would just be a piece on his master¡¯s chessboard. ¡°Understood, master.¡± * * * The heroes of the three kingdoms were in a panic. There was no other word to describe the situation. The lost a war that they never thought they would. That also meant that they might lose again. They were thinking of dividing up the Kingdom of Sevrantina, but now, they were living in fear of being conquered by the extra. In the castle of the kingdom of Carania, Seyzo II, who lost one-third of its territory, threw his ss at Eustasia who was kneeling in front of him. The ss shattered into pieces, and red wine covered her face. It looked like blood. ¡°You brought shame to me! It¡¯s all your fault!¡± ¡°Forgive me.¡± Eustasia didn¡¯t even try to clean her face up. Frankly speaking, it was clear that they would have won if Seyzo II followed Eustasia¡¯s advice. She was the only one who defeated Rittier and fought against Sungjin. If Seyzo II didn¡¯t jump into the trap, it would have been possible for them to win. It was the king who ignored her advice and failed, but yet it was Eustasia who was apologizing. Knowing the king, I should have taken care of him rather than just concentrate on defeating Rittier. Or I should have known that Sungjin was trying to destroy my sword. She thought it was her fault for not being able to read through Sungjin¡¯s n. ¡°What will you do!?¡± the king roared. ¡°I don¡¯t want to make an excuse as a defeated general, but we still have two-thirds of ournd. I will find a way to keep it.¡± ¡°How can I trust you!?¡± ¡°I understand that you can¡¯t trust a defeated general. But Sungjin is not really that strong; he just has ns to defend by creating traps. I will find a n to stop him when we are on the defensive side. Please give me a chance.¡± ¡°Shut up! Leave now!¡± ¡°I wille back with a n for victory.¡± After taking all the anger from the king, Eustasia went back to her ce. Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 20

Her adjutant general started toin as soon as he saw her. ¡°It was the king who ignored your advice and walked into the enemy¡¯s trap. You are the one who fought against two top generals from the enemy. Why do you have to be the one to take responsibility for the defeat?¡± ¡°Stop it. We lost one-third of ournd. It is natural that the king is disappointed. Moreover, I was not able to cover for his mistake, so it was my fault.¡± ¡°It is absurd to me you for not being able to do the job of three generals, while the king was not even able to do half of his job.¡± ¡°Stop it. What I need is not me-shifting but to find a way to protect our country. From now on, I will work on a military n, so don¡¯t let anyone in until I allow it.¡± ¡°Understood, General.¡± Her adjutant general had no choice but to bow down. Now, I must admit that he is powerful. She didn¡¯t know if Sungjin also had enough power and capacity to fight against the Holy Nation, Rupellion, and the Golden Nation, Eldorado. Objectively speaking, it was possible that the short, bloody glory from the unification of the four kingdoms would lead him to miserable destruction. But at least, her initial thought that the alliance of the three kingdoms had the upper hand against him waspletely wrong. He is a strong man... He was not just someone who would talk about his idea but was someone who had the potential to break through the walls of reality. But we still have a stronger force; we just lost our spirit to fight. And Sungjin was able to be strong because he was on the defensive. Sungjin was not the first one to use his knowledge on his own terrain. His traps and ns were just the next level of intelligence. I need to concentrate on defense, andter, I can recover ournd. She thought that if Sungjin took his time, she could try to maintain the front lines of her army, and if Sungjin rushed to take over, she could defend and maybe recover hernd as well. All I need is one thing¡ªI need to study and prepare the battlefield thoroughly to give him no chance to use his tactics. She opened the maps of the battlefields. But I must admit that his intelligence is superior. I need to start by admitting that. She had to admit that he would find an unimaginable way of using any given situation to his advantage. So she tried to prepare the battlefield where he couldn¡¯t use his ns so that she could utilize her superior number of military forces. I still have enough of a chance. When he defeated the Blood Ruler, Riad, his victory was not a wless one. She concentrated on trying to find the best way to achieve her goal. ... On the third day, her adjutant general tried to make her take a break. ¡°General. Even if you have a lot of Heroic Power, I think you need to take it easy. Please take a break.¡± ¡°Our country is in danger. The king must be restless as well. I will take a break after I set up a clear n.¡± ¡°But what if you end up losing your health...¡± ¡°If I need to rest, I will rest after setting up a n. Now stop distracting me and leave.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself, General.¡± * * * Fifteen dayster, she finally left her mansion. The sun was almost violently shining, and she was holding a few maps in her hands. Fifteen days of no sleep and no food was exhausting even for her, who was level 7. But she was walking fast. I can protect my country with this. She couldn¡¯t wait to report the n to the king and help him to stop worrying. Even though Sungjin is strong, if we are fully prepared and ready to defend, it won¡¯t be easy for him to attack us. She was quite sure this time. Concentrate on defending on a battlefield that was thoroughly prepared. She was sure this n would stop Sungjin who had a superior level of intelligence. Now I need to report this to my king. She had to think about their lostnd, but she was certain she would be able to defend for now. It hurts to think about the lostnd and people belong... huh... When she thought of that, she couldn¡¯t help but make a bitter smile. Sungjin¡¯snd was not like Eldorado or Rupellion. The people who were now ruled by Sungjin must be overly happy by now. What they feared was to be ruled by Seyzo II again. To limit the privilege of the heroes and protect the people, his idea of a Merciful Rulership is... a great cause. The heroes would hate it and stand against it, but the people would support him for his great cause. Since he would never be able to have the legitimacy as a hero, that was the best path he had chosen to be an Arc Master. But still... I¡¯m a loyal servant of Seyzo II. It was her job to make the people feel that life under Seyzo II¡¯s ruling was good, not hand over the country to a better king. First, I should protect my country, and then I will lead my king to do better. Now, I will only think of my king. She promised herself and rushed to the castle, but the scene in front of the castle stopped her. There was a huge pit, and there were human beings crawling around inside. If they were little babies in a living room, that would be something cute to look at. But they were all grown-ups and had cracks all over their bodies. They were bleeding, and there were some ck and wet, unknown creatures wriggling in their wounds. It was a miserable scene that was not easy to look at. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Ughhhhh.¡± Their eyes were begging her to kill them, but they couldn¡¯t even speak. When they opened their mouths, their tongues were gone. Some dark-colored maggots were recing their tongues and eating them from the inside. But soon, they couldn¡¯t even beg for mercy with their eyes. ¡°UGHHHHH.¡± Suddenly a maggot cracked their eyeball and crawled out. Eustasia tried not to fall down. She was a general who had been to numerous battles, but this was upsetting. This... this... If killing innocent people was a great sin, she didn¡¯t know what to call this. The people became the host of a strangely shaped monster and were slowly dying in pain. Being killed by a sword or beaten by a monster would be a merciful deathpared to this. Even the guards around the pit were shaking around it. ¡°What is going on?¡± When she asked, a solder answered in a trembling voice. ¡°The king...¡± ¡°The king?¡± ¡°To get rid of that ruthless extra, sacrificing the other extras would be seen as a loyal act and...¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t have anything to do with this.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t really know. We were ordered to throw these extras into the pit and to throw something on them that looked like ck seeds. And then this is happening.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± She didn¡¯t ask more. It was an order from the king, the soldiers wouldn¡¯t know anything. Although she didn¡¯t know much about magic, it was clear to her that this was some kind of a sacrificing ritual. What is... Going on in the king¡¯s mind? Now she had to run to the castle. She couldn¡¯t leave the extras dying like that. When she entered the castle, she was able to hear some cheerful music. ¡°Where¡¯s the king?¡± ¡°He is enjoying a party in the back garden,¡± a servant answered her quickly. ¡°At this time?¡± ¡°He... said... he had to get over this depressing situation...¡± ¡°Take me there!¡± ¡°Yes, General...¡± The servant tried not to upset her and led her to the back garden. And it was exactly as the servant had said. There was a morous party in the back garden. In the middle, Seyzo II was drunk between two beautiful girls who were not wearing much. And next to him, there were ten bottles of wine called ¡°Dragon Tears¡± imported from a farawaynd. They were worth three years¡¯ sry for an extra family. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Eustasia, you want a drink?¡± Seyzo II seemed to be in a good drunken mood; he was smiling, unlike when he was kicking her out earlier. ¡°This is not the time for this! We need to take care of the aftermath. Especially now since we¡¯ve been defeated, and there are so many things that we should take care of. Howe you are enjoying a party!¡± That was what she wanted to scream, but she didn¡¯t. Anyways, the king was not one who could understand the situation or stop even if she told him that. If he was a king who could understand the gravity of the situation, he wouldn¡¯t have started the party in the first ce. Eustasia knew all that and still served him. But... But... The party alone was not what was bothering her the most. These were not the appropriate actions of a great king, but it could be seen as a human act to get drunk to forget about the defeat for a short amount of time. But there was something that she couldn¡¯t stand... She tried not to shake or raise her voice. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. But before I try the wine, I have one question.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°On my way here, I saw some strangely shaped creatures. What are they?¡± ¡°Ohhhh, those!¡± Seyzo II held out his hand to show her his ring. He was supposed to be wearing a ring with the crest of the kingdom, but he was wearing somethingpletely different. There were two snakes twisting around each other, and there was a ck pearl in the middle instead of the crest. The ck pearl contained some kind of darkness, and the darkness was moving with strange evil power. ¡°While you were gone, I checked the secret warehouse of the castle, and I found this secret treasure that my ancestors left for me.¡± ¡°The rtionship between that and... the creatures...?¡± Eustasia asked. ¡°This is seal calls upon the strong monsters among the outer beings. Now I feel better about our situation,¡± said Seyzo II with a big smile on his face, but Eustasia looked shocked. Outer beings... Among the gods who created Valha, there were holy gods, evil gods and neutral gods. So heroes in this world were free to use the power of light or the power of darkness, whatever suited them. At the same time, those powers were restricted by the rules of the battlefield. But there was also a power that didn¡¯t adhere to the rules. It was different from the evil power from the evil god and was called the ¡°evil from elsewhere.¡± The creatures who were made up of this power were called ¡°aberrants from elsewhere¡± or ¡°outer beings.¡± They were a forbidden power, even for heroes. And the rules of the battlefield didn¡¯t apply to those beings. As long as they were onnd, they would destroy everything in their path. Ereka¡¯s father was killed by some creatures like that. Eustasia finally understood why there were so many extras in the pit. Unlike the evil from the evil god, outer beings were forbidden things, and they had to be constantly fed to be used. They offered a power that wasn¡¯t bound by the rules, one that was beyond the power of your level, but the people had to be sacrificed. So if one kept using the outer beings, all the people would have to be sacrificed, and the country would diminish. The ring was called the ¡°Forbidden Evil,¡± and it had such evil power. I need to stop this. She wouldn¡¯t expect Seyzo II to follow a Merciful Rulership. But there was a line even a king shouldn¡¯t cross. She had to stop this. She wanted to tell him to throw that ring away, but she couldn¡¯t. ¡°Your Highness. Here is the defense n that I¡¯ve promised.¡± First, she handed over the present to make the king feel better. ¡°Oh. This is it? Okay. Good.¡± Seyzo II took the scroll with a smile. ¡°Is there anything you want as a reward?¡± ¡°I serve my king with loyalty, I never expect a reward. If I can protect you from the enemy with my n, that would be the best reward for me.¡± ¡°I know your loyalty. But I want to grant you a reward. So tell me.¡± ¡°Then, I don¡¯t really want anything, but I¡¯m worried about your well-being.¡± ¡°A few sses of wine won¡¯t harm me.¡± ¡°Not the wine... but the ring with a bad omen... You should take care of yourself and rule for a long time, but through history, the users of the Forbidden Evil have all had bad ends.¡± ¡°Are you saying that this ring will do harm to me?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Eustasia bowed down and sighed silently. Actually, it was not about the well-being of the king; it was a forbidden power that no one should touch. She couldn¡¯t understand why the king lost his mind and used it. Is your madness getting worse even after being defeated by Sungjin? She nned to lead the king down a better path when the situation settled down. ¡°Your Highness. The other generals and I will protect the country with our lives. Please don¡¯t use such a n that could harm you. You are too important.¡± She was not trying to tell him to stop his tyranny, because that wouldn¡¯t work now. But if she could stop him from using this ring, that would bring the same result. This can help clean up the mess a little bit. She nned to think of what to doter. Looking at Eustasia, who was manipting the king as usual, the nobles around them agreed with her. They didn¡¯t have the guts to say anything to the king, but she was good at it and was loved by the king. That was natural because she was the most loyal servant of the king who protected the country and saved them when Eldorado attacked. ¡°Is that what you think?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Hmm, so that is what you think.¡± ¡°That power is strong, but it will harm you, so please trust me and keep it away from you.¡± Eustasia tried to nail it. ¡°Shut up!¡± The king suddenly shouted with anger. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°An evil force is trying to kill me! How dare you say that the power I¡¯ve got to fight against this evil force is something bad!¡± The king¡¯s anger sent a chill down Eustasia¡¯s spine. Something... is... wrong. Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 21

¡°But Your Highness, that is a power that will result in continual consequences.¡± ¡°Those consequences are just the petty lives of extras. How dare you deny me my ring of protection!¡± ¡°Your Highness... It is only but my concern which speaks for your well-being. As for the enemy, I promise to stop them.¡± ¡°On what grounds can you im as such when you have already suffered a defeat!¡± ¡°It is in the preventive measures I have given to you.¡± ¡°What power does a scrap of paper have!¡± The king ripped the scroll to shreds. ¡°Your Highness...¡± Eustasia paled. She didn¡¯t expect the king to rage so stronglypared to the submissive eptance he had shown to her in the past. Was he that deeply entrenched in the Forbidden Evil? Or? The mocking smile of Count Satirus flew her way. Could it be... He? Ha. It seems I¡¯ve done well to have swayed the king¡¯s mind beforehand. While Eustasia was holed up, he had reported to the king that he had received a spy¡¯s information that Eustasia was guaranteed a position with the enemy if she were to purposely fail in the next fight against Sungjin. The king shook off the usation saying he did not believe the report, yet... ¡°Your Highness. I am also saddened. But as your secret treasure will be his obstacle, as was mentioned in the secret pact, I am worried.¡± ¡°There would be no such thing. Stop.¡± His report had simply ended as such, but the effects were setting in at that moment. Ha ha ha. Even if he may not believe in such types of report, it does make one suspicious. It was applicable especially for people who had persecutory delusions like Seyzo II. If he was advised to throw away his Forbidden Evil that he relied upon, his would be thrown into a rage. It would have been better if he had ordered for her death, but I suppose his favor makes it difficult to go to such extremes. The situation was unfortunate, but even this small amount of progress was fulfilling enough. If Seyzo II used his Forbidden Evil and got out of control, therefore destroying both himself and Sungjin, that would have granted his wish anyways. Eustasia narrowed her eyes at the count and bit her lip. This is his work. She could see what he hadid out beforehand. But what angered her... was that she could only back down into the trap he had set even though she knew of its existence. This was her limit. It was her limit of advising the king. At this point, where she had bought on the king¡¯s anger, if she spoke any further, not only would the king¡¯s stubbornness grow but she would also be hurt from it. And there was no one but her who cared for the well-being of this country. She could only promise ater date and retreat. It would only be after the defeat of the enemy country that her position would be made clear. ¡°Your Highness. Please reconsider.¡± But what came out of her mouth was a different story. ¡°Please get rid of the ring for the sake of your people.¡± ¡°What did you say? Are you prioritizing the extra¡¯s lives above mine?¡± ¡°Your Highness may be the owner of this country, but it is only because of the people that taxes and very are possible.¡± ¡°I order you to be silent!¡± The king threw his jug of wine at her face. ss shattered and scattered all around. ¡°I¡¯ve favored you for so long... It is an obvious fact of loyalty that the extras should sacrifice their lives for my crisis! How dare you turn your back on my life for them!¡± ¡°It is for you that I speak as such. There exists a line that not even kings may cross!¡± Due to the circumstances, she knew she should retreat, but she could not do so. If he were to use the people as sacrifices, he would remain a tyrant forever. It wouldn¡¯t end there. Even if he was to borrow that vile power and stop Sungjin¡¯s path, he would keep relying on the power. In the end, he would rule as a tyrant until all the people had been sacrificed and therefore remain an evil king consumed by his own power. She had to stop this. She had to stop this no matter the cost. This would be a situation where the king would attack the enemy¡¯s ambush with but a few of his guards. A simr situation would have been where the king attacked an ambush with only a few apanying guards. There would be no tomorrow. He would certainly die. ¡°Your Highness! Who will you be the king of if you throw away all of your people!? Please throw that ring away!¡± ¡°Silence! Leave! Drag her out!¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± Eustasia called out in sorrow, but the guards dragged her out. Seyzo II ignored her. Your Highness... Seeing her buy into the king¡¯s wrath of her own vition, Count Satirus inwardly celebrated. Ha ha ha. This is a grand sess. To think that that wretch would force herself out. This is beyond expectations. After being dragged out of the castle grounds, Eustasia sighed continuously at the sight of the people crying in despair within therge pit in the ground. Your Highness... has your sense of judgment blurred to the point where you cannot judge even this? Where did this all go wrong? Even if she were to speak softly, it would be impossible to change the king¡¯s mind. The way to reassure the king and convince him was blocked. She could only admit that she had been brought to the brink of failure by Count Satirus. ... The soldiers were not happy at all when carting the caged people. They were carrying out orders in order to live themselves, but no one could tell whether that would be their awaiting future. To think that people would be massacred and fed to a monster. ¡°Die, you worthless king!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already given you our harvest of blood, sweat and tears; how dare you order us to be fed to this monster! Just die by the hands of the neighboring king, you madman!¡± The people screamed enraged and now uncaring of their fate. ¡°Watch your words. Be quiet!¡± The soldier beat the people in fear of being overheard. He did not want to, but if they did not, he did not know how the supervisors above him would react. ¡°Let them go.¡± ¡°What stupid being dares to... Huh?¡± The ring soldier shut his mouth at the natural gleam of silver in front of him. The offender¡¯s clothes were colorless and old, but her threatening presence had not changed. ¡°Grand Commander? But this...¡± ¡°There is no need for words. Let them all go.¡± The sword left Eustasia¡¯s hand willingly and cleaved the cart. The people, albeit momentarily confused, cheered. ¡°We... we¡¯re saved!¡± ¡°My lord! Have youe to save us!¡± ¡°Flee, all of you. I will report to the king myself.¡± As soon as she had finished her words, Eustasia kneeled. ¡°Your Highness. I plead to you with my life on the line. There is no country without its people. To kill them would mean that you, Your Highness will be killing yourself. Take my life instead.¡± Her voice, amplified by her Heroic Power, carried throughout the kingdom. The soldiers hesitated before leaving to report to their higher-ups. Soon after, Seyzo II appeared before her with a sickplexion. ¡°What do you, a Grand Commander, think you are doing!?¡± ¡°Your Majesty. I plead to you knowing that I have bought on your wrath. The owner of this country may be Your Majesty, but a country only exists due to its people. Please acknowledge that.¡± She pled with her head pressed into the ground. It was the type of respectful gesture that a Grand Commander would not have shown towards a king. ¡°Are you seriously intending to rebel? Why do you keep advising me to abandon this sacred object that will protect me! What do you n to do after I throw it away!?¡± ¡°I will protect your life until my end. I have never spent another thought after swearing myself to you.¡± ¡°Silence! If you truly cared about me, you would think of how to draw out the full extent of its power!¡± ¡°Your Highness. This is a power that should not be used.¡± ¡°I do not want to hear you any longer! Leave!¡± ¡°I cannot leave. If you truly wish to throw the people inside that pit, please throw me in there first.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± She shed tears before the king, who was throwing a tantrum. Her n was weak, as it was only to change someone¡¯s decision by sacrificing her own life. She knew it would be hard to change his mind with truthful and straightforward advice, and that instead, it would send him further into a rage. Yet... Only this time, she could not move back for the sake of tomorrow. Even if it was the smallest opportunity she had to take action in order to change the king¡¯s mind. This was a line that the king could not cross. ¡°Shut up! Simply leave immediately!¡± ¡°Unless you throw away that evil ring I cannot move a step from here.¡± She had no choice but to force the king to choose between the ring and her life. It was thest act of loyalty she could show. ¡°If you do not move away, I will charge you with treason!¡± Treason meant execution. ¡°Do so. I will show my honesty through death.¡± Unresisting to death, she would prove that she had no secret pact with Sungjin. That would show that she was serious about her advice. She would therefore die then and there to sway the king¡¯s mind. ¡°Three days! If you do not move within three days, I will execute you!¡± Seyzo II proimed to the entire people and turned away. However, Eustasia herself had no intention of turning back even if she were given 300 days. * * * The next day, rain poured. Cold rain thrashed her body thoroughly. The rags she wore to show her inadequacy in righting her king¡¯s mind beforehand gave no warmth. There was no reply from the king. She, too, did not move. The adjutant general approached her. ¡°Please cease. Any more, and you will be executed.¡± ¡°I believe in My Highness.¡± ¡°Even after witnessing that scene?¡± The adjutant general pointed towards the pit. There were already dposing bodies and maggots crawled about. She could not reply. ¡°The king has already gone mad.¡± ¡°Yes... he¡¯s not normal... but... I still wish to wager on the fact that there is righteousness somewhere within the depths of his mind.¡± That was not a belief but a wish. Even if she felt despair within her heart, it was still a prayer for the one she cared about. Perhaps it was a mother¡¯s heart that could not give up hope on a disappointing child. The adjutant general shook his head. ¡°Why do you do so? Loyalty is only given if the other deserves it.¡± ¡°I swore to him. By that, he deserves my loyalty.¡± ¡°That has a limit. You¡¯ve already done ten times more than what he could have possibly offered you. Even now, you¡¯re trying so hard for him, yet he has thrown you away.¡± ¡°Stop your nonsense.¡± ¡°Instead... instead... pledge allegiance to Master Sungjin.¡± ¡°He is our mothend¡¯s main enemy. Do not speak rashly.¡± ¡°No. He will receive you dly.¡± ¡°With what evidence do you speak such rash words?¡± Eustasia shouted in anger. ¡°Because what he sent you was not treasures or gold, but a cake with his sincerity.¡± ¡°Wha... what... what do you...¡± At that unexpected fact, she stammered. ¡°It was not a present of bribery but a present of sincerity. He is not simply ambitious, and I heard he has the same political views as you. Because you both share the same will, I am sure he will not treat you poorly.¡± ¡°Sha... Shame on you!¡± ¡°Did I say anything wrong?¡± Unlike her usual self where she would have demanded silence, Eustasia could not refute. The adjutant general¡¯s words were true. He was more observant than she had thought after having served her closely for long. Yes... I remember... he offered for us to work together several times. If she could not handle the overstepping of the king today and asked to work alongside her, Sungjin was sure to greet her warmly. ¡°Let¡¯s work together, not for the king but for the people.¡± Those words were honest. And if she were under his rule, she was sure she could achieve her goals. He was someone who aimed for the level of an Arc Master while spreading therge ideal of a country for the people. Compared to the current king, he was bound to hold better politics. Yes... How many times did she wish for her king to hold at least one-tenth of Sungjin¡¯s likeness? And at the same time, she could have achieved so much more in her life under Sungjin¡¯smand. Was that not the ideal life she wished for as she swore in as Seyzo¡¯s knight? The path the current king had given up on was open before her. Eustasia closed her eyes. ¡°Yes. He is truly a wonderful king. I understand why people would want him. Still... I will die as His Highness¡¯ servant.¡± At that time... Before Seyzo was a mad king, the day she was sworn in as a knight, the light that shone through the colored ss spilled across her shoulders. The pipe organs were solemn and majestic. It was a magical realm so different from the Pantheon¡¯s reality. The gods were watching through the light. She went forth and kneeled before the king. She swore before him. ¡°I swear to serve you as my king. May my fate reside in your Kingdom. To you, I give my glory. May all troubles be mine. May thest drop of my blood be for your undertakings. I, as your sword, as your knight, swear to destroy all evil which stands before our kingdom.¡± She had spoken in honesty. Even as she watched the king be twisted, her mind did not waver. Even if the king wavered, no, because he became unstable, she decided she would still stand firm. Loyalty was not something given when convenient and thrown away when inconvenient. To serve more fiercely when the times were harder¡ªthat was loyalty. She gave her all, not because the person being served was amazing, or smart, or gave her many things, but simply because she swore to serve them. She gave her all even while covering up all the negative parts of that person. Just like that poem which likened the loyalty to a king to a heartfelt crush, she was to step in for all the parts that the kingcked. Did she not swear so, after all? She would give every part of her mind just like the words she spoke when sworn. Her eyes shone more firmly within the downpour. ¡°Do you think that mad king will recognize you for this?!¡± ¡°I can only hope.¡± ¡°Commander... how could someone so smart be so stupidly stubborn!¡± The adjutant general kicked the ground as he ran from the ce. Eustasia slowly hung her head. I¡¯m sorry. Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 22

Three days passed. The imperialmand passed. I dere the execution of Eustasia. That was the decision of Seyzo II. * * * Chapter 15 The executionmenced in a sh. Although there should have been a legal court hearing, considering her status as a Grand Commander, that was ignored. There were no heroes who asked for her pardon. The party she formed at court ignored her to save themselves. Only the extras silently wept, watching Eustasia being dragged to the executioner¡¯s tform. But even they feared their king¡¯s wrath and could not speak a word. They inwardly pitied her. In this country... she was the only pir that stood for the people. Now that Commander Eustasia is gone, we¡¯re done for. Who can we trust at this stage where the king offers us as food? To think that a grandmander would be thrown away so easily. There was no one the king would not kill at the moment. Ah... Commander Eustasia... As they cried silent tears of despair, the cart that carried Eustasia reached the pit. Seyzo II had constructed arge patio before it to watch the procession. Beside himy bottles of wine which could feed several families of extras for one year. ¡°Your sin formitting treason against me is grace! Earn your forgiveness by death!¡± ¡°Your Majesty. I advise you for thest time.¡± Although she was chained, she could break through them easily. Yet she did not escape and simply advised. ¡°Please look after your people, at the very least. What reason would I have to speak falsities to you? Please ept my advice. ¡°Silence! Investigations have already proven your treasonous mind you wretch!¡± At Seyzo II¡¯s wave of the hand, the adjutant general was brought before her. The traces of torture were evident upon his body. His arms and legs flopped about, and it seemed that his spine had been broken as he could not stand. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Yes. Your Highness... Eustasia... Usually... spoke highly... of the neighboring king¡¯s potency as a king unlike Your Highness... and... gave him... the holy sword... and promised defeat in this uing battle...¡± As his eyes met Eustasia¡¯s, he halted his speech and lowered his head. It was thest apology of a man who had a broken spirit. ¡°Do you still deny this im!¡± At the king¡¯s rage, Eustasia silently cried. You¡¯ve suffered because of me. Not only her adjutant general, but there were also many more citizens to be thrown in the pit before her due to her inability to protect them. ¡°If I were to betray you, I would have done so long ago.¡± ¡°It has already been revealed! You¡¯ve yed your part as a spy. I need no excuses. Throw her in!¡± The soldiers silently raised her and threw her into the pit, and the awaiting ck beings raised themselves towards her. They abandoned the people they were eating and zeroed in on her at once. This was a special type of food. The endless greed gathered around her at once. This purity was delicious. Curse her. Vite her. Eat her. From head to toe. Let¡¯s finish her without a trace. Leave nothing behind. Their endless greed was filled with hunger. Eustasia closed her eyes, thinking that this was her end. If only Your Highness regrets this day in the future... But that was not going to happen. She was swallowed by the ck sea. The people finally shed tears at the disappearing hero. They knew their fate was not going to differ greatly. There was only despair and darkness. At that moment, a beam of light shone from within the ck sea. It was a pure and brilliant light that let no depraved masses of greed near it. ¡°Shield of All People!¡± Ereka slowly stood between the crowd with a golden shield in her hand. A hooded man threw himself into the pit and received Eustasia to be surrounded by the holy light. He proudly carried her bridal style. The beasts were bound to the darkness and could not approach her. Everyone¡¯s eyes fell upon he who walked from the parted ck sea. Who is he? It was a question everyone but Eustasia asked. Because she could tell who it was. He came. How could it be that fate would allow her to fall into his arms right after being abandoned by the king that she served? Was her life of servitude all for naught? Still in the end, she was but a woman in front of this man, despite her title of being the strongest general in all the four kingdoms. To think that her heart would race like this even afterpletely rejecting him before... This was just like his path of conquering what he wanted through strength and perseverance. ¡°What!?¡± At the show of this unexpected person, Seyzo II stood from his seat. ¡°What act is this!¡± ¡°I came to proim war.¡± The man who stood before the two threw away his cloak. A confident and manly structure. A straightforward and vigorous voice. Who could call him an extra upon seeing him in the midst of enemies? His name was Cha Sungjin. The man who currently stood at the center of scrutiny. He raised his fist towards Seyzo II and shouted. To be honest, he had practiced all this before a mirror before the rescue. It was not his style to put on a dramatic act, but at this point, he was calcting the impact his words and actions would have. He was trying to utilize them to the maximum. ¡°I, Sungjin, hereby announce the war promation with my ally, Queen Ereka, at the cost of allnds upon victory!¡± His shout tore the stale air, and it resounded clearly. ¡°I will willingly enter the warfield during the next march of war! All three kingdoms may stand against me at once. I will hold a satisfactory reward for all yournds!¡± A preemptive attack was always disadvantageous, especially since his power was that of a strategist. As he was in enemynds, putting his abilities to use was against the rules, and therefore, a penalty of a forced preemptive attack was applied to him. But he ignored the penalty and continued his announcement. ¡°And as apensation, I hereby rescue Eustasia!¡± As obvious as it was that he was the enemy nation¡¯s king, the extras instead looked towards him with reverence. He was a hero that had appeared before them when they were about to fall to their deaths. He... He¡¯s the next country¡¯s king who said he¡¯d make a country where we extras could live in peace? It¡¯s said he has the same level as us... I thought it was all some propaganda... But one fact was true: his ferocity that they witnessed was truly amazing. He was more confident and noble than all the other heroes they had seen. ¡°You... You dare!¡± Sungjin ignored Seyzo¡¯s madness and shouted louder. ¡°And listen, heroes of thisnd.¡± What he was about to say was important. If saving Eustasia was not important, he would not have practiced so earnestly. From here, he had to use strong charisma to enrapture and therefore convince the others to take action. ¡°Right now, your king may be Seyzo II, but when I conquer thisnd, think of what the extras will think of you when you capture them and throw them to their deaths! If you wish to continue saying that you had no choice, then think twice of what act you aremitting beforemitting it!¡± ¡°You lowly thing!¡± Seyzo II threw the wine bottle in his hand at Sungjin, but Sungjin caught it urately. ¡°The next day after the war has ended, let¡¯s see whose wine you will be drinking then.¡± He set down the wine bottle, and then he turned towards the people. ¡°I apologize for not being able to save you all sooner. But I wille to your aid soon. Until then, do not give up. Flee and hide. Remain strong! Tell everyone of this news!¡± This was what he had aimed for before the rescue mission. Saving Eustasia, obviously, making the people flee so as to prevent them from bing sacrifices, and making the heroes and soldiers who were after them band together. That was his strategy to decrease the numbers of sacrifices to be made. And Seyzo II, who realized this n, became more enraged. ¡°You, you, you bastard! I will kill you!¡± ck monsters appeared by his side, and they all poured towards Sungjin. Sungjin avoided them by a hair¡¯s breadth. ¡°Dieee!¡± Seyzo II shouted in madness, and even more dark creatures arose. But Sungjin, not losing his calm facade, had already moved back to a safe distance. And behind him, a Portal Stone was activated. ¡°I suggest you prepare yourself. When Ie back, I will be charging you for your crimes.¡± Disappearing into the portal, Sungjin returned home. ¡°You, you bastard!¡± Only the rage-induced voice of Seyzo II filled the skies. Sungjin¡¯s appearance was short but strong. The people immediately took to the wild mountains. The heroes and soldiers who had to capture them and offer them to King Seyzo II as sacrifices thought once more at their actions beforeing to a decision. And ultimately, they divided into two factions. One was the loyal party. It¡¯s going to be a defensive war for King Seyzo II. The king could win. And conquered by an extra would cause all of our awardednds to be confiscated. Even if the ratio may be 50-50, the king is better. It is in times like this that my position may strengthen by showing loyalty. On the opposite side, some started to change their minds. He¡¯s a king who tried to execute Eustasia, the very person who saved his country from Eldorado... Even if we did continue to be loyal... The oppositions also acknowledged Eustasia¡¯s feats. There was nothing more to be said of her followers. And if the Sevrantina Kingdom won the next war... We need to save ourselves in these times... The days ahead are dark even if that person wins, but a mad king won¡¯t be any better, so I should just wait and see how it turns out. We¡¯re not heroes, we should do just enough ording to our rank as soldiers. If it was just Sungjin¡¯s, words they would not have been as shaken. If it was just the abandonment of Eustasia, then they would not have been as shaken. But when the two events came together, the order began to break. The mad King Seyzo II¡¯s political power slowly weakened. And on top of that, as Sungjin had orchestrated, the number of citizens captured slowly decreased. ¡°Those... those bastards...¡± But that did not mean Seyzo II himself had been weakened. ¡°I will kill everyone... I will kill everyst one of them...¡± His burning gaze had descended from madness into the loss of reason. ¡°I will punish everyst one of you... I will not forgive you...¡± ¡°Your Highness. Dinner has been prepared.¡± A maidservant brought him his meal. Seyzo II brought the food to his mouth then suddenly threw the spoon. ¡°Why is the food so foul! You have turned treasonous against me, have you not!¡± ¡°No, Your Highness. Your Highness, it is the same as always...¡± The ck otherworldly beings covered her body before she could even finish her exnation. ¡°Kuh... kuk.¡± A moment of protest. In a sh, she disappeared within those ck things. ¡°Hah! Hahaha! Hahahaha!¡± Seyzo IIughed madly at the sight and whirled around. ¡°And who else has turned their backs on me? Who dares to go against me! It¡¯s you all!¡± The ck creatures started attacking more and more people. The servants all started to run and scream. But it was no use. One by one, they were captured and dead within the ck creatures¡¯ embrace. A few servants who found no escape kneeled before the king with tears. ¡°Please, save us.¡± ¡°Your Highness. We truly have no treasonous intentions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth. Please, think of us with pity.¡± Looking at the servants kneeling and begging on the floor, Seyzo II stopped his madness. ¡°You have no intentions to turn your back on me?¡± ¡°Sincerely.¡± King Seyzo II showed a benignant smile. ¡°Very well. If you all truly have no intentions of treason, then the Gods must help you, and therefore, the first person to leave this hall will live.¡± At the word of only one of them surviving, their faces hardened. ¡°The ones who cannot escape means that their sins have been proven!¡± At the same time, the monsters moved. ¡°Aah... Ahh!¡± The hesitant ones were immediately swallowed by the monsters, while the others ran as fast as they could. There was amotion as they pushed and pulled at each other, trying to get to the door first. Thest one to the door became the victor. The others were killed immediately. I lived... The survivor breathed in relief. She was far too happy to be held by guilt for surviving by sacrificing the others. She could not think much of anything other than that she had lived. But she could not move forward. Huh? She looked down and saw ck impurities sprouting from her legs. They started crawling up her body, and the intolerable pain spread a momentter. ¡°Ahhhck!¡± Did he not say she would live? Was she not alive? Her relief turned to fear, and hope turned to dread. Crunch. Crunch. Very slowly, the impurities starting eating from her legs up. ¡°If you were truly loyal, you would have sacrificed your life for me! Did you think I was fooled!¡± Seyzo II had no intentions of saving anyone from the start. He was simply trying to administer a grand punishment. ¡°You thought you had me fooled!? I will give you the slowest death!¡± Feet. Ankles. Thighs. Knees. Waist. Stomach. Chest. Shoulders. Neck. The impurities ate the servant¡¯s body in this order to give despair and make her watch her own body die slowly. Seyzo II knew how to cause more torment and pain in death. Feeling her life fade out, the servant cried soundlessly. Someone... this crazy king... She wished and begged for someone to punish him, if justice existed. She pled for it to be stopped before her family was destroyed. She pled and begged until her brains were eaten out, leaving only the remnants of hate and despair. Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 23

The rumors of the mad king who killed mercilessly with a reign of monsters spread like wildfire within the capital. The extras who had already been fleeing under Sungjin¡¯s advice ran even further away. The heroes who were edging away from the king started to refrain from entering the capital. Yet even in solitude, the king was theirnd¡¯s owner. There were still subordinates who decided to bet on the king¡¯s victory over Sungjin¡¯s. At the same time, monsters, instead of people, became the new military force of the imperial might. He did not be ¡®weak¡¯ in any way. And... Count Satirus, who had handed him the ring, was smiling. His solution was indeed on the mark. If they themselves had used the ring, it would have been hard to harmonize with it as perfectly as the king had. Even if the ring was called the Forbidden Evil due to the ending it would bring to both the tyrant and itself, the power it held was real. And because he had turned mad, Seyzo II could bring out the power in its entirety. Sungjin¡¯s provocation was to be his own grave. No one could stop the king. Those who were ignorant were weary of the Kingdom of Sevrantina¡¯s recent victory, but he was sure of the next result. Seyzo II and the two allied countries were to im victory. And afterwards, Seyzo II was to die by his own powers after spiraling out of control, therefore leaving the four-country alliance in ruins. The new king of Sevrantina decided to save a young girl and some multitude of extras. As a consequence, he brought upon himself a threat that he could not handle. He overlooked the destruction that a cornered, mad king could bring. He was a foolish man. Although others may call him noble. But that¡¯s how a fool self-destructs. Rightly so, his master¡¯s n was perfect. * * * Chapter 16 Upon arrival back to the Kingdom of Sevrantina, Sungjin turned to stare at Eustasia. ¡°I¡¯ll receive you as a refugee and prepare your quarters.¡± Eustasia faced him without a word of gratitude. ¡°Why did you save me? I was prepared.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Sungjin knew she was prepared for death. A king spiraling to madness. A rank of nobility out for their own gains. A group of people defeated without any means of defense. Within those limits, she had truly tried her best. He could not have done any better than what she had done if he was born in her ce and with her power. He was not confident enough to say that he could have. She had given all her loyalty, even giving her loyal advice through a close shave with death as her country abandoned her. That would have been a death no less honorable for a person of the sword. And just because the endeavor had failed, that did not mean one¡¯s will and work towards it was unworthy. But... ¡°I found your life too valuable to give up.¡± Eustasia could only sigh before the person who had decided to pick her life up where she had left it. ¡°You¡¯re annoying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you can overturn a game that¡¯s unfavorable.¡± ¡°Undertaking the risk of defeat to save me and some extras. Is that the way you rule?¡± One general, a part of the poption. Throwing that much away to slowly secure thends of the four kingdoms seemed more advantageous. Before those silver eyes imploring the truth, Sungjin only smirked. ¡°Nah, that was my personal greed.¡± ¡°What? The risks are muchrger than what you¡¯ve gained.¡± ¡°Ha. If you see this as the arena of Valha in which the gods held, then I suppose so. Normal contestants would be in a fervor trying to win. It was only after a win that rewards and others were given, after all. ¡°But I¡¯m aiming to be an Arc Master.¡± The champion of champions. The star of stars. ¡°If it¡¯s not a fair victory to my liking, it won¡¯t be satisfactory enough.¡± Leaving a girl he wanted to walk with, a loyal girl to die, and ignoring the masses who would die under the reign of a madman¡ªhe was not the type to calcte the gains and losses of a victory. To be an Arc Master in that manner, he would not be able to face himself. ¡°The danger of a preemptive strike? The danger of the Forbidden Evil? Ha. I¡¯ll im victory while crushing those underfoot. I don¡¯t need a victory without grandeur.¡± Eustasia was at a loss for words. This man... truly... His ambition was beyond overflowing. It was not as if she had not known, but for it to be to this extent... ¡°His Highness had grasped the Forbidden Evil. There may be someone working in the background. Even if there isn¡¯t, as the situation has turned this dire, there will be an attempt at mutual decimation. I told you before, did I not? Even if you win, the higher society will rebel devastatingly. That is bound to happen. And you¡¯re willing to shoulder all the responsibility?¡± ¡°Obviously. I¡¯m aiming to be an Arc Master, after all.¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes shone dangerously, and the tips of Eustasia¡¯s fingers trembled. At the feeling of being oppressed, her entire body eventually trembled. Even if the ruling ss was to seek a destructive end, he was aiming to surpass it head-on. He was to be ruthless until the very end. ¡°Rest for now and think of ways to stop Seyzo II with me for your people.¡± ¡°And if I refuse until the very end?¡± ¡°I mean it when I asked you to rest. I will not make you do anything by force and was simply offering.¡± He was very interested in having her as his team-mate. But loyalty is also the most valuable trait to her. He had said it was for the people, but if she refused, he had no thoughts of forcing the matter. He could forcibly stop crime, but a noble will was something he could not force to his standards. Eustasia sighed. As a visiting general, her position was obviously not of a hostage. It was of a guest. ¡°I refuse. As someone who has been captured by the enemy, I cannot be in any other position than that of a hostage.¡± Eustasia firmly closed her mouth. Truthfully, she wished to be held in the man¡¯s arms¡ªhow her heart had been beaten when they were escaping the pit of death¡ªbut she could not. She could not abandon her loyalty to the king, who had abandoned her. ¡°I have no cell to hold you in.¡± ¡°Then I shall ve. I will ve at the lowest maids work there is.¡± Sungjin did not force his opinion any further on the stubborn Eustasia. Even if his body rejected the idea, he knew the mind¡¯s will had to be followed sometimes. ¡°Very well. Do so. Jenna, take care of her.¡± ¡°Yes, Oppa!¡± Jenna agreed coyly, but her insides were twisting with jealousy. Tch. Oppa¡¯s still trying to help her until the very end. It would have been wiser to leave this stubborn girl alone. To think he would leave the queen to take care of this woman. No, well I suppose it¡¯s obvious that Oppa will have several consorts once he bes king but... She did not think she could stop that. But she hoped he would at least give the queen some official title before gathering his own harem. Yet beside him, Ereka remained smiling. It was not a forced smile and was one of relief and happiness, even though it wasn¡¯t the time to be smiling like that. Ugh. At least I should be wary. But how? Oppa¡¯s interest seems fixated solely on her. She couldn¡¯t show any wariness too obviously, as the smart oppa would notice. Ah, fine. I¡¯ll give her the hardest jobs so that she will wish to flee the empire and live in the ins of her own vition! One of the hardest jobs a newly hired maid would work. Jenna silently called for the most experienced maids. Soon after, Eustasia was given the jobs of moving around heavy nkets and curtains and peeling onions that would make one cry. And she was also tasked to clean the toilets. Jenna hid far away and waited for Eustasia to scream indignant, demanding who they thought she was. But... Eustasia was unresponsive. Even if the toilets were full of stench and excretions or she had to peel a bucketful of onions, she did every one determinedly. She was not talented, but she was devoted. What... what exactly is that heart of steel!? Jenna could not understand. She was a grandmander, and even before that, she was the daughter of a duke. She may have found the lowest rung of thedder pitiful, but she never would have tried their jobs before. Yet, she was not disheartened at the unfamiliarity. Instead, she faithfully fulfilled each and every one of her maid duties. Ughh. It was to the point where Jenna lost her strength to bully her. It is usually unnerving to have people around to help only for them to disappear, but how is she so calm? Should she not start sighing and despairing or something? When Jenna could not help herself anymore, she asked one of the maids to go ask. And... The reply came. ¡°I am living to the utmost as my fate requires. I have long abandoned any heart of me and pointing out wrongs.¡± Eustasia looked up at the skies. Why was her king so evil, and why did her country¡¯s heroes only look after themselves? If she had felt wronged at their actions, she would have given up a long time ago. ¡°It¡¯s not hard to do my best at a maid¡¯s work.¡± Arghhh. It¡¯s not working. Jenna wrung her tail. She tried to bring out the crying, tired face of a pathetic girl but failed. She was the enemy, but was she really the type of person Sungjin would be interested in? She kept getting the ufortable feeling that this woman would reappear. My Queen. I don¡¯t think it will be easy. But at least we¡¯ve got time from now on. * * * At the same time, Ereka was talking to Sungjin. ¡°Sungjin. Thank you.¡± ¡°Hm? For what?¡± ¡°For saving Miss Eustasia.¡± ¡°It was nothing. I only did so because I was interested in her as a teammate.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s also my friend.¡± ¡°Are you not worried about her being made to stay as a maid?¡± ¡°I¡¯m deeply reassured that at least she has not sacrificed herself. The future can always change if one stays alive.¡± ¡°Yes. That alone is reassuring.¡± ¡°I will try to convince her further on the idea of being teammates.¡± ¡°Please. But do not force it on her.¡± ¡°Yes. Of course.¡± Ereka smiled peacefully. It was unfortunate that Sungjin¡¯s entire attention was on Eustasia, but she was satisfied with her friend being alive for now. And if she changed her mind and came with us, it would be great for Sungjin and the people in all four countries. Pushing down the tiny spark of jealousy, she simply smiled. * * * Chapter 17 The next day, Sungjin was eating his breakfast when Eustasia as mixed within the maids who were serving the dishes. She was not in the attire of amander nor the attire of ady, but simply the attire of a maid. ¡°Hmm.¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes naturally slid towards her. Even if there was no special interest, it was the natural reaction of a man. The clean and simple maid¡¯s clothes revealed little and were efficient in the way the front apron was wrapped around her waist. It was the type of clothing that enhanced the feeling of a servant¡¯s position. But now that Eustasia was wearing it, he felt weird. There was her inner strength and abilities that could not be restricted by the clothes, yet she was standing there in them in silence, mannerly submission. It was a weird contrast that came with the rejection of having such a talented woman being lowered to such a position. But the confidence that she could do her job with ¡°diligence and politeness,¡± as required by the clothes, was there. ¡°I think you¡¯re pretty in these.¡± Sungjin praised innocently. Eustasia flinched. ¡°Is... that surprising sir.¡± It was the mannerly speech of the maids, yet her words were shaky. Ereka dropped the spoon she was holding. ¡°You... you do.¡± At their violent reactions, Sungjin showed confusion. Were my words that shocking? He was simply handing out apliment to the new clothes a female wore. Of course, they weren¡¯t empty words as he was being truly honest of her beauty. But to see everyone be so shaken by what he had said was strange. Or did neither receive suchpliments before? Both were beauties in their own right, and therefore, it would be surprising if that was the truth, but he supposed it could be possible. ¡°Hm hm. Let¡¯s just continue the meal.¡± Sungjin changed the subject at the awkward silence. ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± Ereka answered with a low voice. ¡°I will prepare new food.¡± Eustasia turned with shaky legs. * * * That night. Sungjin opened his bedroom door after a long, leisurely bath. If one had spent the day efficiently, it was also important to spend the night with enough rest. But his peaceful mind was shattered upon opening the door. Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 24

Sungjin blinked his eyes. And rubbed them. But he had not mistaken it. Eustasia was on his bed with a submissive pose that seemed to ask him to do whatever he wished with her. Although her arms gathered her chest and her knees were closed together out of embarrassment, she was also prepared to be deflowered by his hands. She had raised her head so as to face him confidently but her eyes kept sliding away. Her lean muscles were exuding beauty in the way they enhanced her firm lines but were unbingly shaking. Under the half-transparent cloth, she was trembling like a bow pulled taut. The one called the bestmander in the four kingdoms had transformed into a shy woman before him. A sight only he could see. She who none could imagine on a bed like so. A grandmander who was turning into a woman before a man. The fact that even her proud and noble self¡¯s feminine secrets could be conquered by him ignited a deep desire within him. A man was ready for his meal. Sungjin grindingly found the stability of his desire to finish up that eluring forbidden fruit. Wha...what is this? To maintain rationality as a person who had entered their teenage years was inconsiderably difficult. ¡°Uh... you there.¡± Sungjin wished to ask why she was on his bed in that position and in those clothes. But he could not speak. It was only after he nked his mind that he could see the woman, as though enjoying a fine scenery. But in a situation where his desires were shaking... Before a scene where the woman he thought charismatic and attractive was allowing him shyly... He was in the end a youthful teenager. Eustasia spoke first to him. ¡°I¡¯m...ready...so do as you...no, as sir pleases.¡± Her cheeks were dyed a shade brighter. Her silver eyes closed gently as if to say she could not handle the embarrassment further. ¡°Why?¡± Sungjin replied. What did she mean to do as he wished? Was it that? He was dizzily overwhelmed by the smell of a ripe fruit. The sea med his young blood under the burning sun. ¡°Well, if the victor wishes...it¡¯s the fate of the one captured to pay the price...I expected this much...when I was saved...¡± Frankly, she had faced him more confidently in her imagination. But it was not so simple in reality. She could fight bravely before all enemies, however. But to think her heart raced when a man was before her in bed. ¡°I suppose I, too, am a woman...but still...if this is my fate...¡± Sungjin had saved her with the consequence of an important advantage over the war. As her life had been extended by his desires, she had to ept her fate as she had epted her status as a captive. Since the beginning... Her fate may have been as such. It was perceived that as soon as they had met, her fate was set to be broken by his hands. What else could she do but to pay the price? But was this truly something negative? Honestly, she thought to herself before that if it was this man... Didn¡¯t she think of such thoughts several times. Even if it was fate, it was the truth that she was not rebelling against it. ¡°Uh... you see.¡± Sungjin approached her while saying so. At the presence of a man, she clenched her eyes shut. His hands wrapped around her shoulders. Sungjin¡¯s head whirled around. Instinct went before rationality. Stop any thoughts and savor this prey. Lure it. Such violent tendencies ran throughout his body. His blood boiled in his body. His rough breaths pressured her neck. Finally... She reaffirmed her conviction. Yet, at the same time her expectations grew. Fear was not the only reason her body had tensed. *** At the same time, Ereka silently raised her tea. But sour tea could not reassure her tearing heart. Beside her, Rittier was throwing her indignation out. ¡°Your Majesty, why did you help dress her before sending her to his chambers?¡± It was so. Before Eustasia entered the chamber, Ereka had provided the procedures of refining the body beforehand. ¡°This is about Sungjin, so I must provide the most attentive care, as moral dictates.¡± ¡°This is an entirely different matter! He has not even touched Your Majesty but had done so to that woman first, which is definitely a matter you could protest against, at least once.¡± Beside her, Jenna blinked her eyes as if to show her innocence regarding those matters but slowly nursed her tail within. This grandpa is finally saying something right for once in a while. She was also unsatisfied with Sungjin¡¯s attitude when he ran off to save Eustasia while leaving Queen Ereka behind, only to whisk her off to his chambers as soon as he had her in his grasp. ¡°To remind you of the facts, Sungjin has no responsibility towards me. Should we not be happy that he finally has a woman in mind?¡± ¡°But! Your Majesty also!¡± ¡°Well that...I...do find regretful.¡± A small bead of dew hung at the corner of Ereka¡¯s eyes. It would be a lie to say she had no feelings of jealousy. It would be self-delusional to think her heart did not hurt. She wished she was the one who was called to his chambers this night. Even that... She would have epted it if he had called both of them to his chambers. If he had decided to abandon his mind about distancing himself from a woman, there was no reason not to receive her as well. It was regretful and painful. ¡°But..dy Eustasia suits Sungjin very well.¡± ¡°Your Majesty has nothing less than her topare.¡± ¡°That...Sungjin decides.¡± Ereka swallowed another mouthful of tea. To turn back the first meeting between her and Sungjin was the worst. Compared to that, Eustasia and Sungjin had gone on splendidly well since their first meeting. His expression of joy in regards to that fact that he had met a good chess yer was something she had never seen ever since she was by his side. Was it only that? Sungjin had wanted Eustasia the entire time. He wanted her even if she was a loyal servant to her country and his enemy. And... Compared to myself who would have run this country to the ground without Sungjin¡¯s help, she is truly talented herself. She was more confident and talented than her and was knowledgeable in the matter of warfare, thereforeplementing him easily. ¡°She...would be a great help to achieving Sungjin¡¯s wishes. And...I can tell, she honestly...also has a desire for Sungjin.¡± She had only been his enemy as a loyal servant to her country; she had felt, as a fellow woman, that Eustasia¡¯s mind had already been turned to Sungjin. To congratte them as they finally joined together happily, that was what she should do to her savior and as a friend. Ereka smiled with tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine if Sungjin is happy.¡± ¡°But...! Your Majesty is also a queen of a country. An undefeatable level seven knight with Aegis. If it¡¯s about nobility, you would be ahead of her and never behind!¡± ¡°It is fine. I...¡± Ereka wiped her tears. ¡°Whether Sungjin likes me as a woman or not...¡± Even if Sungjin never saw her as a woman. ¡°I decided I would serve him forever. Compared to that, Lady Eustasia would hold regrets over the previous king if Sungjin does not affirm his rtionship with her. With such a crack in her walls, she would find it devastating. This is the best situation for everyone.¡± ¡°Your Majesty...¡± ¡°My Queen...¡± Before her benevolent mind, even Rittier had no choice but to close his mouth. Even so, he thought there was no need for her to help a man she loved to get along with another woman. But how could he change something she firmly believed was a rightful sacrifice. ¡°Everyone told me so. That there was no better rest for a hero than having a beauty in his arms. Than for him, who has saved the masses after battling for the entirety ofst year, that rest must surely be needed...¡± Although she would have been delighted if that was her. Although it pained her to know it was not. ¡°I will still be happy and bless them.¡± Before her seeking heart, it was more important for him to find his love. More so than her wish, his happiness was at the forefront, which was why she would greet him a congrattory greeting tomorrow morning. *** Sungjin grasped Eustasia¡¯s shoulder hard. ¡°Um. Well... I thank you for giving yourself to me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to enunciate, sir. It¡¯s an obvious role of the captive.¡± Eustasia made excuses by iming it was a duty. But she had no confidence to be sure, if she was asked. In honesty, was she doing this because she was forced? Or, was she trying to save her own reputation by iming she was forcibly taken against her wishes? ¡°You are really... mesmerizing.¡± ¡°You overpraise.¡± Eustasia peeked. Sungjin¡¯s expression was vibrant but his eyes were calm. Hmm...he¡¯s the type to speak gently and slowly set the mood. He was not the type to pounce immediately. Or was he going to continue this slow pace? Perhaps he would change his attitude in a moment¡¯s notice? Her curiosity and fear rose rapidly. ¡°But I can¡¯t take you in this manner.¡± ¡°What?¡± At her surprise, she forgot her resolution to speak respectfully. To say he wouldn¡¯t in this situation? ¡°I would satisfy my desires.¡± He would have definitely felt jubtion. ¡°But would lose something else far too important.¡± He should definitely keep to the rules that he would save these type of situations for someone who could truly love one another. Sungjin suppressed his burning desires. It would be the worst to hold a person he didn¡¯t love under the name of a prisoner after all. That would have been desire rather than instinct. ¡°What... What do you mean! Why are you stopping now! Then why did you call me here in the first ce!¡± Eustasia shouted as rage overtook her. She could not ce the exact reason for that either. It would have been better as he could not have done so out of duty. It would have ended with disappointing hope. Was it because her pride was hurt. Or... ? ¡°I never called you.¡± Sungjin denied wondering what misunderstanding she had. ¡°You called for me!¡± ¡°When? And who told you so?¡± ¡°What do you mean who! You told me I was pretty earlier today?¡± ¡°Yes? Well... yeah, I did.¡± What¡¯s the rtion between this and that? Sungjin did not understand. ¡°When higher-ups call a servant pretty, it means that they want them in the night to see to their desires. Are you telling me you didn¡¯t know that?¡± At Eustasia¡¯s nitpicking, Sungjin finally understood the true flow of this situation. ¡°That custom... exists.¡± It was so. That was the true story behind this situation. Sungjin truly did not know the roundabout way the nobility called for those nightly errands and other rituals within the court. He definitely possessed a brain that was different from others in warfare, and therefore used that upon reaching Valha to collect information regarding the current stream of wars but had no time to memorize all the petty mannerisms of the court. He was truly a stranded high school student in a different world. ¡°You... really didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Even if it was a situation that stemmed from his ignorance, Sungjin apologised for putting a woman in such an embarrassing ce. ¡°Eeeeek. Whatever! You¡¯re the king here anyways!¡± Eustasia threw the pillow at the king and ran from the chamber. It was not the way a maid would have treated a king but Sungjin only scratched his cheek. Ugh. Do I need to study court mannerisms too? I don¡¯t have time for that. Although he did get a nice view, thanks to his ignorance. It was an embarrassing mistake he wouldn¡¯t try twice. ¡ª Eustasia appeared before Ereka, who was wiping away her tears. ¡°Is it... already over?¡± ¡°It¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°He says he didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± And she ran after leaving those words, as showing her attire in front of others was embarrassing as well. After Eustasia disappeared, Ereka thought for awhile. And understood a momentter. ¡°Ah...I...I see.¡± Ereka realized her mistake and rubbed her palms. Oh dear. What to do? Sungjin must have been ufortable. I¡¯ve made Miss Eustasia suffer an embarrassment too. She should have thought that Sungjin was in the dark regarding pce culture. She had simply proceeded as she had assumed, as it was a sensitive matter to inquire about. Such a mistake... But she did not know what to do with the relief and happiness from such an embarrassing event. Ahh. I must be an evil woman. To think she had ced others in such a ce and rejoiced. I should not be like this... Rittier coughed beside her. ¡°Hm hm. I see...since he¡¯s all so profound, I had not realized he had been ignorant of such minor details.¡± ¡°Um, is everything alright?¡± Jenna blinked around as if to emphasize her innocence. But she was waving her tail around in joy. Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 25

*** The next day, Sungjin quietly called for Ereka. ¡°Ereka, I still have yet to learn of this world¡¯s customs,¡± Sungjin exined with a pleading look. ¡°Yes... Sungjin. I have beencent. It seemed as though you would know everything.¡± ¡°No, well I am the type to fight with strategies and knowledge. I¡¯m not denying that.¡± Awkward humbleness was only a lie. ¡°But how long do you think I¡¯ve been in this world? I¡¯ve been busily thinking about war, dissecting enemy countries, and studying the battlefield all this time.¡± His brain was indeed impressive. But he was not the all-knowing. He was truly busy gaining information exclusive to war and researching and thinking on it. He had gone with the flow on severalrge and obvious etiquettes but had been truly ignorant of these secretive traditions. ¡°So, what I¡¯m trying to say is that even if there may be different interpretations within the customs here, I would like you to take my words literally in my case.¡± ¡°I see how it is.¡± ¡°Yes. It is like that. So please, an event like yesterday...don¡¯t let it happen again.¡± Sungjin pleaded once again emphasizing his awkwardness. ¡°Yes. Sungjin. I will be more careful from now on.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Sungjin left muttering how embarrassing it was to even talk of the memory. Ereka reassured herself in the midst of feeling apologetic. Aah. Still, it¡¯s a relief. Even if she had brainwashed herself to be prepared, it came as a relief that the event was simply onerge misunderstanding. It was not like that. That meant she still had a chance. Although I do think he does not have anyone in mind... Although he was simply trying to gain a teammate. To be lovers from friends. To be couples from co-workers. She had heard several stories like those. But those scenarios applied not only to Eustasia but also to her. It means I still have a chance. Watching her actions from far away, Eustasia breathed out a sigh. She pouted while caressing her small but elegantly adorable breasts. Even if the entire thing was a mistake, we had gone that far. Whatever the reason, to think that she would be sent out after all that tension. Was she that unattractive to the point that she couldn¡¯t make another lose their reason to the wild? She was strangely upset. Hmph. Whatever. I was only so determined as a prisoner. She did not have any intention of dering an initiative after all. Still... For him to choose his future then his immediate greed. It is very much like him. She was upset but had to admit his decision made him favourably respectful. To think it would be a long-term strategy of attacking the mind before the body. So, he ultimately wants me not as a prisoner but his teammate. It was conflicting to have him treat her so well. He was not the one she swore to protect after all. But...how else was she to pay back the debt she owed him, if not with her body. How troubling. She smiled bitterly. Chapter 18 After a round of events, the day of the contest came. Under the condition of giving up all theirnd, which both parties agreed to, Sungjin and the three countries met on the battlefield. Initially, in Sungjin¡¯s proposal, the three-nation alliance had agreed that they would be able to regain all of theirnds back and more on an advantageous condition. Before the fight, where both parties¡¯ fates were to be decided, Sungjin visited Eustasia onest time. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you for thest time before tomorrow¡¯s fight: Will you not change your mind?¡± ¡°You¡¯re very persistent.¡± ¡°To offer loyalty to the utmost. That is one of the virtues, I suppose.¡± Honestly, Sungjin himself had never thought of pledging loyalty to an ¡®authority¡¯. For someone who was born into a democracy, he found it rather sinful for those who were voted into the ¡®authority¡¯ to not use it for the people. But that was his perception, and in the world of Valha, he epted that ¡®loyalty¡¯ was one of the sacred virtues people could hold in this age and culture. He would not be able to understand the others if he was so fixated on his judgemental values. But just because I respect it, doesn¡¯t mean I should leave it alone. Sungjin smirked. The convincing he would have to do from now on was also a kind of victory. He had perceived that there were two main virtues thatposed her as a warrior. One was her loyalty to the king. The other was her love to the people. To strain herself in finding the best solutions while maintaining both beliefs at heart, that was her. And now, he had to convince her which of the two she should prioritize. ¡°But is that undefeatable?¡± At Sungjin¡¯s question, Eustasia looked at him straightforwardly. Feeling this was a matter of winning or losing, she threw away her position as a servant and faced him as a warrior. Hence, it was also determined that she would die then and there, if push came to shove. ¡°Just because the king abandoned me, I abandon him¡ªI cannot do that. When a king is addled, it is the servant¡¯s duty to right his mind; I simply had not done my responsibilities.¡± ¡°Each to their me. But if that is so, is it also the people¡¯s failure as the king¡¯s servants to correct him?¡± ¡°That...¡± ¡°Moreover, not everything is about loyalty when you are a member of the hero¡¯s ranks. Is it not your duty to look after the people too?¡± ¡°Kuk.¡± Eustasia lowered her head. That was the only weakness she could not be confident of. If only her king was a bit more kingly. If only her king had been for the people, despite his ipetence. No, if at the very least, he had not stepped on them. Even if Sungjin was more brilliant, more powerful, and a more attractive man. Even if he was the one which made a woman¡¯s heart waver. She would have been able to forfeit her life confidently while under the oath of loyalty until the very end. But... ¡°Do think of the people. You know how many people are being sacrificed under the mad reign of Seyzo II. Although, I¡¯ve already decided to fight.¡± Sungjin petitioned respectfully. ¡°I only wish you were with me on this.¡± ¡°I...it is not that I feel nothing towards the suffering of those unfortunate people...but...¡± ¡°A wise one in my world once said this phrase: It is the servant¡¯s duty to serve a king. But, one whomits tyranny is not a king, simply a passing nobody with a crown.¡± It was the words of Mencius. But those words were convincing in a different world. After all, words were the limit of loyalty, ording to the founders of Confucianism, who believed in fidelity of loyalty. To drag down the tyrant who abandoned the people was not treason or rebellion but a rightful stand blessed with heaven¡¯s will. It was the reasoning of Mencius. Eustasia¡¯s voice shook minutely. ¡°I know those words. It¡¯s a famous saying from a continent far south.¡± For a servant to turn against the king was disloyalty. But there was a reasoning that a king who has abandoned all morals was not a ¡®king¡¯ but ¡®a sinner of tyranny,¡¯ therefore,mitting treason not disloyalty, as the oath was towards the ¡®king¡¯ and not the ¡®sinner¡¯. Other kings raged at the fact that loyalty was only given while they were ¡®king¡¯, but other heroes had validated this excuse once they had found a reason for a rebellion. Although, that reasoning was sometimes lost to whether it was being used for the ¡®people¡¯ when it was more often than not used for one¡¯s personal gains. She looked towards the skies once more. Yes...now...the people should not be sacrificed. On that, she had no choice but to agree. Did she not advise the king before death because she had thought the very same? Although it was a saying passed across continents, she spoke the words she had engraved in her mind. ¡°If the king does not listen to the servant¡¯s advice after three attempts the servant excuses oneself.¡± ¡°Ahh, yes. There was that too.¡± Sungjin smiled widely. Although Confucianism was known for enforcing absolute loyalty it was not the truth. The educational systems on earth had taught it in that variant, but Mencius himself had said a tyrant was not a king. Although there is no king to be loyal to in a democratic state. That structural reasoning was foreign and new to this world. But if the mind of the people was as Ereka¡¯s, in the name of her friend, he had been expecting Mencius¡¯ words to go through. A wrongful king may have abandoned her first, but she was too valuable to be buried with the talents she possessed under a past oath. The one-sided loyalty was a system that was useful for the nobility. Why must she run herself into the ground for a king who had done nothing for her? He did not acknowledge that people had to be loyal to a king who steps on one¡¯s individual rights. She had her own right to potential growth. He did not wish for such a life to be stepped on. ¡°Yes, I do agree that my king no longer has the right to be called a king.¡± Eustasia ultimately nodded her head. She could not deny it at this point, even if she wished for her king to be at least a half of Sungjin, even a quarter¡¯s worth. But the king she had pledged to was no longer simply ipetent but evil. It had turned from something less to something negative. If Sungjin dered he was enforcing good to save people¡¯s lives and therefore had to kill the king then she had no choice but to ept it. He had to win this fight. That was the only way for the people to be saved. If he loses, too many would lose their lives under the madness of Seyzo II. ¡°Yes...I had said you had no right in the beginning. That it was pointless hope that would be shredded before reality. But now...¡± Eustasia smiled bitterly. ¡°Yes. you do have the right to be the ruler of the four kingdoms.¡± He had the power and ambition to suppress all of the four kingdoms. She had already felt that after being defeated so many times in his hands. But that was not all. There was the grand purpose. He wished to look after not only his people but for those of other kingdoms. To him, the entire masses of the ins were to be his citizens. There was strength and purpose. She had no choice but to acknowledge his right as king. ¡°Then would youe with me?¡± Sungjin reached out his hand. He was confident he could do even better with her by his side. And half of his intentions were on the fact that she would be the perfect long-range dealer on his team on the path for him to be an Arc Master. The other half was that he hoped it would be best for everyone to have a known general whose purpose was with the people in his path to constructing a nation. Watching that exchange, Ereka silently smiled and nodded her head. Lady Eustasia had finally changed her mind It was a relief. She had agreed to Sungjin¡¯s thoughts that Eustasia was too valuable to rot in such a manner. Instead of the possibility that she could be their future long-term enemy, she wished for Eustasia to currently save her good graces and talents. And she could be d as it would help both Sungjin and the people. ¡°But still, no.¡± Yet, Eustasia shook her head firmly once more. ¡°Not me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Eustasia gathered her breath. Even though it was a secret she had been hiding since forever she had to say it now. Since he had given her his sincerity, it was only right that she should reply with honesty. ¡°Because the king is my father.¡± ¡°What?¡± This was unexpected. In the thousands of scenes that Sungjin had yed out in his mind this had not existed. His eyes had widened. Others around him had dropped their jaws to the floor. ¡°Seyzo II...is Grand General Eustasia¡¯s father?¡± ¡°No way. Your father is Count Lnd.¡± ¡°To the general public, it is said so.¡± Eustasia replied solemnly. ¡°You are speaking the truth. Ha, that means the king has concealed this.¡± ¡°Yes. I was born out of wedlock.¡± ¡°That is stranger. Even if you were born out of wedlock, you are royalty. Whether you were born of a consort, or even a married woman, the king could have taken you in if he wished. Especially since Seyzo II finds descendants precious.¡± Rittier doubted the truth of her words. ¡°Right. But only if the child was not born by an extra.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Usually a child born between a hero and an extra does not have skills. But there are rare circumstances, no?¡± ¡°That¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eustasia spoke firmly. That was the real reason why she held warmth towards the extras, even in her status as a hero. Because she remembered her ¡®mother¡¯ once looking at them. If she had received the royal heritage and followed in her father¡¯s footsteps as a naive elite she would have been a half who emphasized with the flowing blood of the lower levels. A different ¡®inconspicuous¡¯ child who was different from the normal third-ranking Minor. ¡°Per custom, it would have been normal to kill the annoying bastard child. But...His Highness did not do so.¡± Eustasia mumbled sadly. Killing was normal. But watching his daughter¡¯s wiggling hands, the past Seyzo II had muttered that this child was his own and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will protect you.¡± Even a king had his limits. But he crossed those limits and wandered across dangerous lines for his daughter. He had plotted with the Count who had no heir and was therefore wracking his brains, negotiating with him to turn this situation into a silent birth of the ¡®Count¡¯s daughter¡¯. The Count also agreed after bncing the profits and losses of epting this ¡®girl¡¯. And...due to the Count¡¯s sudden death, she inherited his position. The king silently supported her back and secretly raised her to her current position. And she repaid his grace by unleashing everything she had in the war against Eldorado. Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 26

¡°I know it is hard to believe...but His Majesty was...a caring father in his own way.¡± He was not a caring king towards his people. But he was caring towards his children and was not a tyrant towards his people. He simply held many suspicions and, after injuring his head due to a rebellion, started to hit the pedestal of madness. ¡°I see.¡± Sungjin could finally ept some aspects and nodded his head. ording to the information he received, there were times when Eustasia¡¯s advice towards Heyzo II teetered on the line. If it were any other servant, they would have crossed an unreturnable line. But strangely, the king was benevolent towards Eustacia. Not only that, he also epted her requests easily. She was ¡®the only¡¯ child left. Although ording to history, royal families often showed unstable rtionships between parent and child. Seyzo II, the mad king had been, in the end, a human who became gentle before his own daughter. And despite the risks and danger towards ¡®himself¡¯, he had raised his child. He had a thought that perhaps the king saw himself in the positive girl who was born out of wedlock, but what was more important than the reason would be the final decision. Even the mad king had been a human before his daughter. Although now he had tried to kill her too. ¡°I acknowledge your valid reason.¡± She lowered her gaze. A warrior had to use their sword in righteousness. Therefore, protecting the mad king with a realistic excuse did not give her a proper argument. ¡°I will not resent you for killing my father.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Still...I cannot participate in that fight.¡± Even her voice started wavering. She was not ignorant as to what was right and wrong, but with a dilemma she could not resolve she became smaller. ¡°Okay. I will not talk further about this issue.¡± Sungjin resolutely closed the conversation. ¡°Won¡¯t you me me for not differentiating emotions from war?¡± ¡°Even if it may be for the greater purpose, it¡¯s not my hobby to pit a child against their parents.¡± He grinned. He did not bring out any socratic reasons or ethical arguments. He closed the conversation with a word of his hobby. Seems like I really cannot do anything about this. Frankly, he had predicted that she would turn her mind. Even if she was a rule-abiding warrior who found great importance in loyalty in a world where such actions were praised, beneath that was a heart for the country and, therefore, a heart for the people thatposed the country. So he had expected that she would be with him in thest battle. But his predictions went out of line. When there is not enough data, variables are prone to have mistakes. Against Seyzo II, he had no choice but to fight with himself and his other teammates. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I brought forth this situation to prevent you from going further.¡± She respectfully grasped the edges of her skirt and lowered her head. It could be...that my situation... She had argued that it was for the best, but perhaps it was arrogance which yearned to correct her father and the country under the name of justice. In the past, she had said so proudly, but here she lost that confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. It¡¯s only the conditions and team members that have changed. Just because your personal emotions were entangled does not mean you have spoken falsely.¡± Sungjin did not ask her any further. He simply reassured her. ¡°You really think so?¡± ¡°There¡¯s more than one justice in the world, and if it¡¯s about personal emotions...¡± Sungjin pointed towards himself with his thumb. ¡°Mine is greater.¡± His motivations were truly the thirst for victory and conquering after all. Before the man who had epted her, even after fighting her so many times, Eustasia had no choice but to smile. She could not walk the same path as this man. She could not serve under a man who had killed her father. She would not hate him but would relocate to a ce where his power did not reach in the ins. ¡°But...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you... one thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The power that my father has grasped is evil but strong. You can feel the difference almost immediately. That is a cheat item, which allows the wearer to possess a strength outside of his level¡¯s domain.¡± With simple brute strength or strategy or anything else. ¡°It¡¯s different from the devil sword of the Blood Ruler. That was aplete conquering weapon within the rules of the Devil¡¯s attribute. But this is an abnormal power that is forbidden.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already faced it once before during the Blood Ruler¡¯s time. I¡¯m not so weak as to fail by underestimating an eerie variable that the other threatens me with.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s so, it¡¯s fine.¡± At Eustasia¡¯s words, Sungjin refrained from saying onest thing: That just because he did not underestimate, did not guarantee his victory. He simply used everything in his power in order to win. As a winner. As someone entrusted with others¡¯ lives. Chapter 19 The day of the war came. In the waiting room, Seyzo II muttered while winding ck substances around his arms and legs. ¡°Kill everyst one. Eat everyst one. I will punish by eating and ripping and shredding everyone.¡± In the same waiting room, the other two kings, who remained standing, shivered in disgust, wariness, and fear. Are we truly doing the right thing by allying with this bastard? They had thoughts about simply abandoning this entire mission simply due to the instinctive otherworldly revoltingness. But that was simply their emotions; once they thought about it rationally, this was a great chance. Let¡¯s just hold our tongues. We will take back our lostnds and must win this fight to protect the ones we currently have. And they felt by thest battle, if they fought by themselves, it would only result in defeat, one by one. If Seyzo II brought forth a disgusting but strong and mighty power into this, there were only positive words about it, not negative ones. For now, they would reim theirnds and think of everything else after their victory. It might even turn out to be a good thing. With that victory, they may be able to conquer the Kingdom of Sevrantina. And when Seyzo II is consumed by his own power, hisnd would be free for all without a ruler. If they ate all of that, they would havends twice the size they currently had. And if all else went fine by grasping the other kings¡¯ weaknesses, they would be able to achieve the great feat of uniting the four kingdoms. Even if we may not like this bastard now, we will use him. Even a mad person had his uses. It was befitting a king¡¯s te to use such characters too. They decided as such. Their desires had turned into revolting greed. ¡ª The camps of both sides were three to three. It was the result of epting Sungjin¡¯s proposal to fight with only the elites, leaving behind all the weak nuisances. Sungjin¡¯s grounds finished their preparations. The participating members were Sungjin, Ereka, and Jenna. He looked at the two and said,¡±We¡¯ll fight ording to n.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± ¡°Yes, Oppa.¡± ¡°If...¡± Sungjin paused to take a breath. ¡°If a variable that you cannot ount for appears, simply retreat.¡± He would have been able to guarantee his victory if it were the old Seyzo II. But the ring of Forbidden Evil had too many unknown variables. They had nned ording to the original breadth of knowledge but would have to y by hand after understanding the unknown power. ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t push myself, Oppa.¡± You will enter in three seconds. 3... 2... 1... 0. The battle began with the Valkyrie¡¯s announcement. ¡ª If observed critically, it was not a formation where Sungjin could win. The enemy was three level seven kings. And Seyzo II even had powers that could not be considered level seven with the Forbidden Evil. On the other side, Sungjin only had Ereka to contest King Ilkandii as the same level seven. Jenna, who was at level six, was a level below the same wizard upant level seven, King Leoric. And level zero, Sungjin, was obviously bound to fail in a matter of seconds against Seyzo II, even if he had the Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will. And in those conditions, a preemptive attack. It was a fight that simply could not be. But Sungjin informed all of the heroes of the four kingdoms quite confidently toe. It is a moment of history. I hope you alle and watch. At the slight threat that he would watch the level of ¡®loyalty¡¯ with whether other heroes maye to watch or not, the kings of the three kingdoms immediately called for everyone to assemble at the same the traitors were being punished, so nearly everyone of the four kingdoms was there. And the atmosphere... That extra bastard...no, he might really win? Of course, once analyzed, he was disadvantaged. But it wasn¡¯t once or twice Sungjin had thrown that perspectivepletely off its hinges. Once was a trick. Twice was a miracle. But a third even they did not understand, other than the fact that there was something to him. So for the people gathered, their opinions were divided in half. Half saying that this was reckless. The other half saying that there had to be something unimaginable Sungjin would show, as by the mood he had set, and, therefore, should not judge so early on. As I thought, does he have some sort of otherworldly power to manipte the opponent¡¯s mind; his level being a hoax? I heard that he had the power to foresee the future. I heard that he had the power to manipte fate. Because no one could believe the defeat at a ¡®real¡¯ extra¡¯s hands, they exchanged conspiracy theories that seemed to make sense of Sungjin¡¯s summoned background. Although all the rumors were wrong, it also meant that the heroes had a new perspective of him. The mood of the extras was also different from the past. There was worry prevalent as to whether Sungjin could really win. ¡°Still...wouldn¡¯t he be able to win like he always did?¡± ¡°Right? Even if we may not be able to see it, they would be able to see some path to victory, right?¡± It was not to the point of ¡®faith¡¯. But at least there was a level of ¡®expectations¡¯. Lute grasped his hands together while talking. ¡°Sister. Let¡¯s pray for Master Sungjin¡¯s victory again.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡± Nania smiled, suppressing her anxiousness. Sungjin had protected them several times, their dreams and wishes on his shoulders. He won against everyone who tried to step on it. Every time it had felt like a miracle. So let¡¯s not say there¡¯s nothing like impossible any longer. Let¡¯s believe and believe and be his strength. Their strength, which was onlyposed of prayers, would not have amounted to much, but they would still encourage him. That¡¯s what she decided. *** Eustasia, mingled with the other onlookers, watched the fight. So many are wishing for his victory and praying for it. She did not know whether justice existed within Sungjin. She also knew there was no room left to take a step back and correct mistakes one at a time. She was not wishing for her father¡¯s victory at this point. Father... She was simply pitying him. Where did it all go wrong? She had thought many times as to whether there was a path to save her father. But there was no other path. I don¡¯t even know what to pray for. The arena the three yers entered wasposed of arge tunnel, both above and below, and in the middle was a forest. As expected, there were mid-level mobs within the forests, so it was an area that could not be ignored. ¡°As nned, Ereka the North, Jenna the South, and I will take care of the forest.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In high possibility, North will have magician, King Leoric, as the enemy, and knight, King Ilkandii, down South. Seyzo II would probably go after me.¡± In the strange terrain, Sungjin predicted they would position themselves as thus. ¡°After that, ording to n.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If you do as we¡¯ve trained, you can win. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I trust you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my beest!¡± Sungjin¡¯s initial predictions went as nned. At the North was King Leoric, the South, King Ilkandii, and Seyzo II graced the forest. His observance, which had a one-sixth chance of seeding, was truly special. ¡°It¡¯s not as if the victors have been decided but...as expected there is no weakness.¡± That was the evaluation of the heroes. They were the same ss but if Jenna had gone against King Leoric, she would have been oppressed on all sides. Simrly, if Ereka, who had the same level but ack of experience, went against King Ilkandii in a one-to-one knight fight everyone predicted Sungjin would have lost quite stably. But his perceptiveness, which gave some leeway by setting the different sses against each other, was truly remarkable. Of course, the fact that his prediction was right on the first try did not guarantee his victory. It made no difference from predicting they were walking to their deaths into a burning building if they could not ovee the difference in strength. But who knows what else he has nned. The people did not dare open their mouths rashly. The risk of discussing a certain victor and having the other side win was toorge. Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 27

Jenna¡¯s ultimate magic spell was suppressed by King Leoric¡¯s ultimate magic spell in strength. Ereka was already being pressured in the contest of strength. Sungjin was too busy running away to do anything. But... Will they simply lose like this? To whoever was watching, they could not reach a conclusion as to whether Sungjin would lose or not because Sungjin¡¯s strategies had not been used yet. If it was a situation where the ¡®strategy¡¯ was used and was recovering from the three king¡¯s power his defeat would have been foretold, but the mood seemed to say the time wasn¡¯t right. What they did not understand, however, was what strategy could be possibly used in this situation. It was a situation where they would lose if nothing was used. This was the thought of everyone when Sungjin smirked. Now, time to turn the tables. It was all ording to n. Here. First, Ereka, as a knight, will handle the wizard, King Leoric, and Jenna, as a wizard, will handle King Ilkandii. The opponent will think this as an obvious n. After all, there¡¯s only a chance of victory if the opponent¡¯s level is too high by pitting opposite sses against each other. One week before the battle, Rittier objected against his n. But the opponent will try to change that. Right. They may think we are all the same, but it would be more reassuring to fight against a person just below their level. Then we should exchange... No, there is no need. Pretend as if you are being defeated because you¡¯ve missed the timing of repositioning yourselves. Even so...would they let their guard down? Rittier¡¯s worries were valid. Sungjin¡¯s strategies, until now, were to make the other yer let their guard down and strike their weakest point as the opportunity presented. That was only possible because he was being looked down upon as an extra. But as Sungjin was being recognized as something more than an extra, the opponents were being more careful. Of course they wouldn¡¯t, Sungjin acknowledged coolly. Then? Until now I¡¯ve only been using that strategy because it was the easiest. Now, I will show you something else. He would not rely on the opponent¡¯s pride forever when aiming for the top. I will push them to the point where they have no choice. It was not because one was afraid, not because there was ack of suspicion. Humans ultimately decided for the best to the best of their abilities. The control over information, the tweaking of understanding were fundamental to controlling the opponent. Letting one¡¯s guard down or being too prideful were simply the side effects of it. You may find my ns unsettling, but they would not let themselves be simply defeated by our hands. We will make theme to a decision without a choice. That¡¯s what we are aiming for. The two existences that do not kneel to the might of power or its representative. One who is both a genius and a military strategist, another who cleaves the heavens. The moment where the winners are decided by the two powers at y. Jenna suddenly stopped her magic and ran forth. ¡°Everyone attack!¡± She closed their distance in a blink and burrowed herself into King Leoric¡¯s body. ¡°Wha, what!¡± King Leoric was at a loss for words seeing Jenna who stopped her extreme magic midway and used a physical attack on him. This was a face-to-face battle between wizards. It was a binding contest as to whose magic was stronger. And a head-on contest between two extreme magics was very solemn. But why does she attack physically in the midst of it? Such magic! It didn¡¯t matter. Wizard sses were next in line to knight sses in terms of their defenses against magic. After receiving the attack, he could crush it with his As Fist. It was ording to his thoughts. The energy Jenna had expelledpletely from her body was only a small attack to him, incapable of cutting off King Leoric¡¯s magic. Such cheap tricks wouldn¡¯t work, he thought. He was wrong. The hammer hit him squarely in the middle of his abdomen. ¡°Khuk... khauuuck.¡± He copsed while vomiting blood. When the extremity and range of his magic spell were added together, there was no ss that could go against a same-level wizard. But because of that, they had a single weakness¡ªthey were easily distracted while creating the extreme magic. Even so, they were level seven. They were usually not weakened at a surprise attack... ¡°Ha...hammer...what did you...¡± The reason why Jenna¡¯s magic was centered around her hammer was also because she used it as a hereditary Vitium to the Shaman¡¯s position who served the god of war. It was a well-known fact, so King Leoric did not regard it beyond Jenna herself. Until he was beaten up, there was no point in asking. ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s a secret.¡± Jenna pped her tailfin and threw down her hammer once again. ¡°Ugh.¡± This time the hammer hammered against his insides. Smash. Smash. Jenna kept beating King Leoric up without pause. Before the attack, King Leoric could not do anything but watch his damage increase with a shivering body. He could not understand. How could a wizard abandon their magic for a physical attack. And how could the physical attacks be so powerful. Even if the object looked like a hammer, it was impossible for it to have high damage, but the inexplicable level of attack continued in a barrage. ¡°St...Kuk, stop... Keuuck...what do you think...as a wizard...Khuck.¡± ¡°Ehe. Winning is all. Goodbye.¡± Jenna kept pummelling King Leoric with a bright countenance. Finally, his body shattered into a million pieces. The body-double God had given him to use in this battlefield was proimed dead and disappeared. ¡°I woooon!¡± Jenna¡¯s tailfin shook vigorously. Ehe. Oppa was correct. There was no chance of a level six beating a level seven in a pure one-to-one magical duel. But that¡¯s why he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid a head-on fight. He wouldn¡¯t be able to break out of the fixture of a purely wizard¡¯s fight. After all, he was the type to have pride and positivity towards the ss of a wizard. Oong, but it¡¯s the truth that I¡¯m one level weaker than him. Right. So just this once, don¡¯t raise your spell power. Eh? Then? Use all your crystals to raise the attack power of the hammer. Who would have thought. For a wizard to raise not her spell power but her attack power. It was an unusual order, beyond shocking. I... I can do that? That¡¯s our path to victory. This order was only capable of being issued by Sungjin who used to win by using a surprise attack in the first half of the spell power casting wizard¡¯s contest after raising the attack power in a row. And in exchange, I also want you to learn basic martial arts from me starting now. Will I be able to do well with just that? Of course if a knight or warrior ss runs at you, you would not be able to escape with just the basics. But as a wizard, King Leoric did not know any physical fighting. The sweating and disgraceful movements did not befit a ¡®wizard¡¯ after all. It will work. I promise. Yes. I will try my best. It really did work. Oppa truly is great. ¡ª The ces where the spear of destruction went by was pitiable. In the middle of the ruins, Ereka barely stood with her armor destroyed. Beyond, even the trees that made up the forest were being destroyed. It was truly a might that was frightening. And... ¡°Kuohhhhhh!¡± At the very end of the remains was a ghost of ck mist, howling, with Sungjin, who was beside it, waving his hand in greeting. ¡°A... Abyssal Specter?¡± Seeing the ghost which ran towards him with an evil re, King Ilkandii¡¯s expression paled. ¡°This is not possible! The specter should not be there!¡± At his shout, Sungjin smiled. ¡°I know. You can calcte up to that point.¡± He should have received information that I used the movements of mid-grade monsters. And he would have been warned. But this was an area where there were no monsters. He was too sly to miss the opportunity that was given to him and was therefore using his best attacksfortably. ¡°That¡¯s why I brought them.¡± After attacking them slightly at the opposite side of the forest, he had dragged the monsters here at the right timing. Specterspared the two enemies between Sungjin, who had ran away after attacking it lightly, and King Ilkandii, who threw a strong projection but was slightly off course. Specter immediately decided that thetter was an enemy that should be eliminated first. King Ilkandii swung his spear around at the ghost covered in ck fog that ran towards him. ¡°Disappear you damned thing!¡± But at his continuous attacks, the ghost was only further enraged and went after the king with a higher concentration. Sungjin watched the scene leisurely. Ha. Abyssal Specter may be weak due to its intangible form but is strong against materialistic attacks. Ordinary materialistic attacks did not even work on it. Some attacks went through if there was a Heroic Power embedded in the weapon, but it took a while to pin the ghost down. The Abyssal Specter even had an ability to slow the opponent down, critical to a martial arts practitioner. Even if one was a level seven knight, to catch it would take a year. There was no time to wait. ¡°Ereka, let¡¯s do a joint attack.¡± Ereka breathed until her body had recovered. After that one attack, her heroic power had diminished greatly, but it had not dissipated. ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± With the Specter, Ereka, and Sungjin¡¯s attack, King Ilkandii¡¯s wounds increased significantly. A human only had two arms and to block three attacks at the same time was a demanding task. But even as he was being attacked, King Ilkandii shouted at the question that remained unresolved. He did not find it strange that the Specter was there. He also understood what Sungjin meant by ¡®bringing¡¯ it here. It was a timing that was too perfect to be believed, but he understood that such luck may follow. What he did not understand was... ¡°This is impossible! You should have been captured by Seyzo II! You should not have the leisure to fight here!¡± ¡°I had none, so I made some.¡± With that reply, Sungjin attacked King Ilkandii¡¯s neck. With that, the contestants came down to three to one. Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 28

Eustasia shook her head listening to their conversation I thought of that as well. But we can¡¯t use Ereka¡¯s method this time. Because... Seyzo II shouted with anger and rushed to their headquarters. ¡°How dare you! You tricked me!¡± He finally realized that Sungjin tricked him and led him to the wrong ce. Seyzo II also realized that the other two kings were executed and decided to stop ying with him; he had to attack Sungjin¡¯s military headquarters right away. The first turret was on his way, but he broke through the turret even without a barrier of minions. Strange-shaped monsters took the ray attack with their bodies. The mad king¡¯s march was a ruthless one of huge military force. The march of the mad king made Eustasia nervous. I can¡¯t use the second method that I thought of here either. Her second method was all three of them to go a side way to get rid of Seyzo II¡¯s headquarters while Seyzo II was heading towards them. It was a rare case but destroying the opponent¡¯s military headquarters was also a way to win. But... Although my father is alone, he would be faster to destroy our military headquarters. All her ns were impossible. There was only one thing left. A head-to-head fight against Seyzo II. But it was impossible to defeat him through a head-to-head fight. He was too strong to be defeated. Will Sungjin ovee my calctions? It didn¡¯t matter to Count Satirus. I didn¡¯t expect two kings to be useful anyway; now it¡¯s time for them to see the fearful power of the forbidden evil. Now the real game was about to start. When the mad King Seyzo II wins, he will execute everyone to burn thisnd to the ground, so it would be mission aplished. And if the extra wins... That was exactly what he wanted. Seyzo II would be cornered and go crazy. All he had to do was to wait and watch. Either way, he was ready to run away at anytime. Even with the strongest turret to protect their military headquarters, Seyzo II was three-faced. Technically, it was a three-to-one fight, but in reality, it was a three-to-hundreds fight. Countless monsters appeared in front of Seyzo II and started to attack them. It was a grotesque but amazing scene to see more than ten thousand mouths showing their teeth, dripping corrosive saliva. When the murky stream from the monsters swept, human beings disappeared without a trace. Just like a tiny boat in the middle of a storm, three of them were seized and swept. But then, a light came up. ¡°Aegis!¡± Ereka activated her ultimate skill, and the bright golden shield protected Sungjin, Jenna, and the turret. It was the power of God¡¯s dignity, given to the human from the goddess of protection. It wouldn¡¯t let the ugly, evil monsters dare to approach. But that noble shield had one fatal weakness: The owner had to fight the danger by herself.. Aiming at the weakness, evil creatures moved, targeting Ereka. But to react, Sungjin¡¯s team also made their moves. Sungjin started to y evil creatures with his holy sword. The spear and the sword married to create a strong gateway that didn¡¯t let them pass. But it was only a matter of time. As soon as Aegis disappeared, they would be attacked. Of course, they didn¡¯t waste their time. Jenna made magic square under her and cast Thor¡¯s hammer. The thunder roared, and lightening gathered. The holy soldier, Mjolnir of the god of war, came down with white-burning light. The gigantic hammer hit the ground covered with darkness. ¡°Mjolnir!¡± The army of ck evil creatures evaporated at once. A perfect counterattack against a huge army, Jenna¡¯s ultimate magic was a real joker of Sungjin¡¯s team. Did we win? Their wishful thinking didn¡¯tst long. ¡°How dare you!¡± While most of the evil creatures disappeared,yers of dead bodies made a dense protection for Seyzo II. They couldn¡¯t get rid of the dense force around Seyzo II, and Seyzo II wasted no time resummoning. Seyzo II¡¯s summoning skill was beyond ordinary; he was able to resummon against the ultimate magic. But Sungjin wasn¡¯t going to give him the chance. ¡°Jenna, go!¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Jenna activated her second skill: A Thousand Breakthroughs. Jenna became an energy mass and rushed to Seyzo II. She burned the evil monsters around him and approached the shooting range to activate her third skill right: ¡°Light balls!¡± Dozens of light balls exploded close range and blew up the resummoned monsters. Finally, Seyzo II¡¯s body was exposed. Jenna didn¡¯t miss the chance and held up her hammer. But... Woosh. Resummoned monsters coiled around her hammer and tied her arms and legs. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Jenna screamed; she had disgusting things crawling on her body, and Seyzo II started tough, triumphantly. ¡°You cocky thing. Die!¡± But he was forgetting one thing: Jenna wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Glorious Strike!¡± Ereka had been there, waiting for the right time to attack. Her sword headed toward him, cutting the air. The sword spurted heroic power and was aimed at Seyzo II, no longer protected by his army. It was a glorious blow. There was no chance of winning a long, drawn-out war against Seyzo II as he had limitless skill to summon, so Ereka decided to finish him while unprotected with a final blow. Her n was reasonable. The few creatures just summoned were all over Jenna, and there was nothing between Ereka and Seyzo II. ¡°Royal Decree: Guard!¡± Seyzo II opened his hand to create a wall with letters to stop her spear. The two powers collided and exploded between them. Ereka looked down. ¡°Ah...!¡± Everyone was distracted by the evil monsters summoned by the forbidden evil, but Seyzo II was a level seven caster. Although he was not as strong as the King Leoric, Seyzo II had three regr skills and an ultimate skill. He exchanged his ultimate skill with the forbidden evil, but he still had three skills left. And during this fierce fight, the effects of those skills were tremendous. Ereka didn¡¯t stop. She attacked him with other skills without waiting. ¡°Golden Star Stream!¡± Her spear attacked Seyzo II continuously. The bright light of the spear attacked him eighteen times; Seyzo II didn¡¯t stand there but fought back. ¡°Royal Decree: Exile.¡± The shockwave pushed Ereka away. Seyzo II¡¯s spell pushed her, cancelling Ereka¡¯s attack. ¡°Royal Decree: Shackle!¡± Chains of letters and resummoned monsters tied her up. ¡°Willful Defense.¡± Ereka¡¯s heroic power exploded, blowing up the chains and monsters simultaneously. But her heroic power didn¡¯t do much more than that. Seyzo II¡¯s three magic skills were too strong and cancelled Ereka¡¯s continuous attack. Jenna used all her skills. Ereka used all her skills. But Seyzo II was standing without any injury. Their skills had destroyed his army, nothing more. Seyzo II had endless power he could without cooling time, but Ereka and Jenna had to wait to reuse their skills. It was obvious Seyzo II would win in a long, drawn-out fight. Ereka was able to stop it once, but the summoned ck evil monsters started to cover her. She couldn¡¯t get rid of them this time. But then, another attack hit Seyzo II. A bright light from the holy sword came in a clean and sharp course, aiming at Seyzo II¡¯s neck. It had not only been Ereka that jumped into the smoke from the explosion. Sungjin had been there with Ereka when she was pouring everything on Seyzo II. This was the one possible moment to attack Seyzo II. Normally, Seyzo II¡¯s skill would have stopped Sungjin¡¯s attack, but in this moment, Sungjin was able to attack him. They used every card to make this attack work. This was their one shot to turn the battle around. Sungjin¡¯s sword cut the flesh, broke the bones, and sttered blood, but... The sword hit Seyzo II¡¯s left arm, not his neck. ¡°You!¡± Seyzo II felt outrage that a mere extra touched his body, but with his reflex of level seven, he covered his neck with his left arm. And there was no next attack; resummoned ck monsters covered Sungjin¡¯s holy sword and tied his legs, so he couldn¡¯t run away. ¡°Hahaha. Hahahaha!¡± Seyzo II was sure of his victory andughed with madness All three of them were covered with dark, evil monsters It seemed like that was the end of this fight. Dark despairs made bizarre sounds to celebrate their victory. It was an orchestra from hell. * * * Now, people waiting outside of the temple understood who was winning. Sungjin¡¯s n was great. But Seyzo II¡¯s power was even greater, and he made all of Sungjin¡¯s ns useless. Absolute power of Seyzo II was dominating everything Maybe it was expected that Sungjin would take the upper hand despite their weak force, but this was an unexpected evolvement of the battle. ¡°Seyzo II...¡± ¡°Won...¡± ¡°This is the power of...the forbidden evil.¡± It was a fearful power. They all knew that it was a power of madness, and it wouldn¡¯t have a happy ending. But in this fight, it was clearly a strong power...or rather an absolute power. ¡°Hahaha. I knew that an extra couldn¡¯tpete with our king!¡± A person reading the situation started to praise Seyzo II. ¡°The king has won!¡± ¡°Long live the king!¡± The heroes from each kingdom praised their own king. This was how it went. Eustasia bit her lower lip. It was her king¡¯s victory, but she could not celebrate it. She worried how many lives Seyzo II would kill with that power. I was hoping... that you ... would stop him... Should I have stopped him? But she knew she was not someone who could do that. She was on the fence about whether she had to fight the king or serve the king; she couldn¡¯t be a useful force from Sungjin¡¯s side, notpared to Ereka or Jenna. Now...people of this kingdom are doomed. It was the fault of hers and her father¡¯s. But she also felt bad for Sungjin. If Sungjin was a hero with a level, he would have won. But the gods didn¡¯t allow him to be a king of the four kingdoms because he was an extra, and he didn¡¯t have enough power to achieve that. While she was looking at the sky, she sighed, and the people behind her dropped their heads in despair. Sungjin kept his promise that he woulde to save them but failed to win. An extra...couldn¡¯t fight the heroes... Building up a country for the people was just a dream. [Blue team won.] The Valkyrie announced the result. It was not just an announcement of victory but also that the four kingdoms and the people belonging to them were doomed. ¡°Yeah, so the Blue Team won... wait.. Huh? Blue Team?¡± One of the heroes realized something was wrong. Blue Team was Sungjin¡¯s team. He doubted his memory and looked at the screen again. There were Sungjin, Ereka, and Jenna in the heavenly light. ¡°What... what happened?¡± This happened when everyone was sure the madness won: With his right arm and both legs tied by the evil monsters,Sungjin stretched his left arm out and grabbed Seyzo II¡¯s wrist. ¡°What!¡± Seyzo II thought it was a joke. A grab from a mere extra could not damage him like a knight or warrior. Sungjin didn¡¯t try to crush his wrist; instead, he held it up slightly. And... A beam from the turret hit his finger. More specifically, the beam hit his ring. Crack. The ring was not broken by one blow. But it distorted the contract and made the dark monsters fade. The monsters didn¡¯t belong to this world. The ring and monsters summoned by the sacrifices were not allowed to be in this world. So, when the contract that brought them to this world was weakened, the monsters faded for a moment. ¡°Noooooo!¡± Seyzo II realized what had just happened and rushed back to wait for the recovery of the ring. But the light of the holy sword pierced his heart first. ¡°Ugh...¡± Sungjin attacked him as soon as his right arm was freed. ¡°I...I...you...mere...¡± The bitter voice of Seyzo II was hisst word before exiled from the battlefield. The heavenly light lit up Sungjin, Ereka, and Jenna. The Valkyrie came down in front of them. [Blue Team won.] The announcement echoed in the battlefield. ¡°We won!¡± ¡°We made it.¡± ¡°That was close.¡± Sungjin smiled, looking at Ereka and Jenna. He was on guard because he didn¡¯t know the real power of the forbidden evil. And since he had struggled to fight against the Blood Ruler, he was thoroughly prepared this time. It was extremely strong. But... It was not anything he couldn¡¯t handle, although he had to use every card he had and more. [Gods acknowledge your victory and grand this nectar...] The Valkyrie granted nectar for the three of them. ¡°Hurray!! Leveling up!¡± ¡°Thank you for letting me join you for the victory.¡± ¡°We all fought together. You deserve this,¡± Sungjin answered with a grin. And he got the biggest booty from this fight: Although he wouldn¡¯t get a level, all the new conquerednds were now Sungjin¡¯s. Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 29

¡°An ex...extra...no, master Sungjin...won...or should I say it was a glorious victory?¡± One of the heroes started to talk nonsense, but other heroes around him understood: no one there was able to believe what they had just seen. ¡°Oh, Master Sungjin¡¯s intelligence made the forbidden evil powerless,¡± said another hero, pretending that he never cheered for Seyzo II. They were smart enough to understand which king they had to follow. Sungjin had just conquered all four kingdoms; they had to be friendly with him. Hope no one will tell Sungjin what I¡¯ve just said. Next to the confused heroes, Sir Todam smiled and told Mr. Gunan. ¡°I¡¯m d I decided not to say anything until I found out what happened. Haha. They were stupid to rush.¡± ¡°You are a man of wisdom.¡± Your decision? I told you to do that! Mr. Gunan smiled while telling Sir Todam the opposite of what he was thinking. Other extras were excited as well. They were about to give up everything, but at thest moment, Sungjin changed it; so, their excitement multiplied. To make the watermelon taste sweeter, it was better to put salt on it rather than sugar. ¡°Oh...¡± ¡°He won!¡± ¡°Hurray!¡± Chapter 21 Eustasia was also deeply impressed. ... yes. He didn¡¯t have any more skills left. Sungjin still had his left hand, the turret. Did he consider that possibility and keep his left arm, using his right arm as bait? That¡¯s impossible. Eustasia thought it was impossible. There was no such thing as ¡®maybe¡¯ in Sungjin¡¯s n. Sungjin surely considered the maximum power of the forbidden evil and nned to use everyst power they had with one-hundred percent of their force to fight against Seyzo II. If Imanded his team, I would have done the same until the first half but would have ended up losing due to the endless power of the forbidden evil. To bring out the best of the limited force would be the small difference between her and Sungjin that she couldn¡¯t ovee. It was the difference between a smart general who used the perfectly-formed rules of engagement and a genius who used them while thinking one step ahead. I¡¯m impressed; I will congratte your victory for now. The massacre by Eustasia¡¯s father, the mad king, was stopped. You¡¯re really strong. The level didn¡¯t matter. The winner was the strong one. Since he defeated everyone and took over all four kingdoms, Sungjin was qualified to be a king of the unified kingdoms. What he could do with the Holy Nation and the Golden Nation would be a matter forter; now, he had proved himself qualified to be a king. Eustasia could argue with nothing. As a loser, she was praising the winner. Bye. I will leave before I see you. It would be awkward to face Sungjin because she knew that it was for everyone, and he just finished her father. She couldn¡¯t congratte him for finishing her father. Unlike the excitement from Sungjin¡¯s team, the waiting room of the three kings was in heavy air. ¡°We are really...defeated...?¡± King Ilkandi murmured in disbelief. ¡°No way! This can¡¯t be true!¡± King Leoric was also in denial. The countries belonged to them; there was no way Sungjin had just won, taking away the country and power from them. It was just impossible that a mere extra had taken their countries away from them. ¡°You¡¯re right. An extra can¡¯t be a king. We can¡¯t let that happen.¡± Despite the fact that he was the loser of the battle, Seyzo II was not in despair. His eyes were ring with even more anger and madness. ¡°But...now...we have no other way.¡± King Ilkandi sat down in despair. They had just lost all theirnds, and now they were prisoners. The status was not the biggest concern; without Sungjin¡¯s mercy, they couldn¡¯t even survive. Denying it wouldn¡¯t change their reality. ¡°There¡¯s still a way!¡± Seyzo II shouted out. ¡°What do you...¡± ¡°Whatever people say, I can¡¯t let an extra be a king! I will punish him! I believe you two would happily sacrifice yourselves for the bigger cause!¡± ¡°What are you talking about... What?!¡± While they were trying to understand, Seyzo II raised the ring and shouted: ¡°I sacrifice myself!¡± A dark stream filled up the waiting room, and before they realized it, King Ilkandi and King Leoric were swept into the stream. Sungjin and his team heard the sound of an explosion from the temple before they even finished celebrating their victory. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ereka asked nervously. ¡°Everyone out.¡± Sungjin went out hoping the sound was not what he thought it was, but the worst case scenario was waiting for him outside. The waiting room of the purple team was gone, and a dark ocean was rapidly expanding the territory from the disappeared room. In the middle of the ocean, Seyzo II wasughing with absolute madness. ¡°An extra takes my kingdom away? Not going to happen! Come! My sealed evil monster, let¡¯s destroy this world!¡± A ck piece of meat coiled around him, as if protecting him, and the ck ocean kept expanding. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°What is that?¡± While trying to understand the situation, the heroes and the extras felt a bad omen. There was a hole in the sky. From this dark hole, someone came down, connecting the dark hole in the sky to the ck ocean on the ground. The body slowlynded on the ground. It was huge, truly gigantic. The body didn¡¯t have a real form but looked like a globe with a diameter of a few hundred meters; it had countless mouths, and they gave the body a bizarre wavy movement. There was an endless number of snakesing out from the body. The snake-shaped things had mouths all over their bodies, and it was hard to tell which part was the head and which part was the tail or body. They looked more like tentacles. This was a strange-shaped monster that didn¡¯t exist in this world. There were no such huge creatures, either onnd or under the sea, and no such savageness or evilness could exist in this world. While everyone tried toprehend the situation, the evil monster started eating up things, and Sungjin quickly started tomand. ¡°Everyone get ready! Wizards and archers attack it from the distance! Knights, warriors, and assassins find your formation! Supports, get ready behind! Low levels, get into your formation, and high levels, rece the missing positions!¡± His charismatic voice caught everyone¡¯s attention right away. ¡°Take the wounded to the back. As soon as healed,e back to the position!¡± The heroes didn¡¯t know what to do, so they followed Sungjin¡¯smand. This was also an order from the man who has all the territory of the four kingdoms. ¡°The extras, evacuate! Evacuate cities and towns nearby!¡± With Sungjin¡¯s endlessmands, the battle against the transcendent evil monster had started. Count Satirus was watching and left with a big smile on his face. Hahaha. Seyzo II has finally gone crazy enough to make his final move, all thanks to the stupid extra. Sungjin did a great job to corner Seyzo II, and that only brought the catastrophe. Sungjin¡¯s victory was an ideal plot. The king¡¯s madness didn¡¯t stop with managing or feeding the monster. Seyzo II sacrificed two kings¡¯ lives and his own soul to bring the body to this world. It was impossible to manage the body, since it was a next-level evil monster, even among the outer beings. When Seyzo II¡¯s existence is exhausted, it will disappear as well, but that will give enough time to destroy a lot of things. The ally of the four kingdoms would be destroyed, maybe even disappear from the map. I hope only the half would disappear. So that his master would have something to conquer. But if everything is destroyed that also means I followed his order. Sungjin invited every hero from all four kingdoms to prepare for this situation. Since it was a fight against an evil monster outside of the battlefield, there was no limit to how many heroes could participate in the fight. I was prepared, but I really hope this wouldn¡¯t happen. He wished Seyzo II¡¯s forbidden evil was not something like this. He was a genius but didn¡¯t have all the information of this world. There were a lot of things that he didn¡¯t know. So Sungjin tried to n for different possibilities. Although he didn¡¯t want this to happen, he was still prepared. That was in his nature. ¡°Mjolnir!¡± Thor¡¯s hammer was activated. Thunder roared, and its power heated up the air; the ground recovered the normal flow of the power. Jenna¡¯s skill was the best from Sungjin¡¯s team for a wide-range destructive power, and she was not alone; other wizards started to activate their skills. Phoenix flew, and chunks of ice dropped. The ground cracked, and a strong wind started to swirl. Other heroes were also activating their skills and made their swords shine and their spears roar. But... It was useless. Although most of them were low level, a lot of heroes were there, and some had their ultimate skills. But still, nothing worked. Every attack worked as it was supposed to, but the monster had abnormal regenerative power. It was not regenerating; it was something beyond words. Gulp. Gulp. The damaged shape of the evil recovered in a heartbeat. The dark body grew without stopping. A new mouth with sharp teeth regenerated. The speed of its regeneration was beyond the rule of nature. Before heroes could reactivate their skills, the body was fully recovered. When they cut one head off, two heads spurted back. When they cut two heads, four heads spurted back. Every attack was valid, but the regenerating power of the monster canceled every attack. The fear started to overrule everyone. Sungjin had to admit that it was a risky situation. So this is my final challenge: to unify the four kingdoms. It wasn¡¯t that Sungjin hadn¡¯t thought of this possibility, the problem was that although prepared, the fight was not going well. Looking at Seyzo II¡¯s power, it was expected some evil monster like this would appear if the mad king decided to go crazy. He was a level-seven hero, not an awakened hero of level seven. Sungjin knew there was a clear limit to the power that Seyzo II could bring. That was the rule of this world and with that calction, Sungjin defeated him on the battlefield. But now, it was a fight outside of the battlefield, and he had brought all the heroes there to get ready. Sunjin was using all his intelligence, but he was facing an absolute power that he couldn¡¯t fight against. So, how should I manage this risk? In this desperately dangerous situation, Sungjin¡¯s brain started to work in full capacity. With madness, Seyzo II¡¯s voice came from the monster: ¡°Ah hahaha. Hahaha. The throne is mine. I will kill all the traitors! I invited this creature to punish you!¡± His obsession and power on the throne had already overruled him with madness, and his desire was endless, just like the evil monster endlessly regenerating itself and eating up everything around it. That¡¯s why the name of the evil was Infinite Greed. ¡°Now, Infinite Greed! Punish them!¡± Hydra. Even a hero who was a son of the god of wine couldn¡¯t kill it, so the evil monster had to be sealed. It was an evil monster that regenerated its head endlessly. When a hero cut a head, two heads spurted back; when a hero cut two heads, four heads spurted back. The mythology says it had nine heads. Nine was the biggest number among single digit numbers, so it was not an actual number but a way to express the infinity. It was an embodiment of the desire. It would keep killing, eating, and swallowing, but the hunger wouldn¡¯t stop. The endless desire would go crazy without no end. ¡°It¡¯s all mine! If you stand against me, I will kill you all! Eat you all!¡± Seyzo II, who brought the forbidden power to the world, became one with Hydra and murmured. * * * The army against the evil monster struggled. Considering the evil monster was not actually one thing but an endless army regenerating itself, maybe Sungjin¡¯s army was doing well. Is this the power of the forbidden evil? There was no way they could win; Sungjin was able to calcte that. No way to win, not with anybination of possibilities, and he knew that if they dragged on like this, they would be the first to be exhausted. But he didn¡¯t step back. So other heroes couldn¡¯t retreat. He could...run away now... Sungjin had a portal stone, and if he didn¡¯t want to look like he was retrieving, he could simply pretend that he wasn¡¯t by saying, ¡°Keep fighting; I willmand you from behind,¡± and run away. If he did that, the heroes could run away as well. And then that would happen over time. The evil monster that Seyzo II brought into this world was a self-destructive type. After time, the evil monster that didn¡¯t belong here would disappear; although, before disappearing, the evil monster would destroy countless towns and cities. A lot of the extras would die, but the remainingnd and people would still belong to Sungjin. With heroes alive, the military force would still be there. He would lose a bit of wealth, but the gods already granted the crest ofnds to him. But why was he trying to stop it with his life? Until when? Sunjing already knew what other heroes could calcte, but that didn¡¯t stop him from fighting. The ck tentacles attacked him, and he cut the tentacles with his shining holy sword. But, corrosive saliva sttered and burned his skin. Other heroes would have protected themselves, but Sungjin couldn¡¯t. His body was covered with wounds, while his clothes became messy. Fighting on the frontline, he was in the greatest danger but didn¡¯t order to retreat or to try to save himself. Maybe he was not the strongest, but his presence was. He was the pir of this instantly-formed army and kept them together to fight against the monster. But there was a limit to that as well. The army couldn¡¯t fight against the monster any longer. The winner was already decided, even before they started in a fight between an infinite evil monster and mortal human army. Chapter 55

Chapter 55: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 30

¡°Master Sungjin, we can¡¯t win this monster. Please order to retreat!¡± A hero begged Sungjin. ¡°No! If we retreat here, the people who don¡¯t evacuate all die!¡± Sungjin understood he was fighting a hopeless battle, but he also understood whom he was trying to protect. He didn¡¯t n to let them feel the despair and abuse by an unknown power. He couldn¡¯t step back and let that happen. ¡°But...but...we...no, Master Sungjin has to survive this. That evil monster will disappear in time, so spend some extras and save yourself.¡± ¡°Listen carefully!¡± Sungjin¡¯s loud voice announced not only to the heroes but to all of his army: ¡°In the world I¡¯m building, great rightse with great responsibility!¡± Everyone was equally important; still, some were strong, and some were weak. That was the difference between the heroes and the extras. That was the reality, and there was no denying it. Sungjin knew that as well. But he wouldn¡¯t allow the strong to use their power and status to have privilege over others. To enjoy more privileges, one should contribute more. That was Sungjin¡¯s rule. Some called it Noblesse Oblige; the nobility extends beyond mere entitlements and requires the person who holds such status to fulfill social responsibilities. ¡°If you want to keep your status with your money and power, you should fight here until the end!¡± Sungjin¡¯s voice silenced all the heroes for a second. They seemed to have forgotten about the terrible sound from the evil monster. ¡°That... that...¡± ¡°Your status, bloodline, family tree... that doesn¡¯t matter! Only your act will define your status!¡± But he didn¡¯t just pressure the heroes, Sungjin gave them a realistic solution: ¡°I¡¯m not saying you should die here. If we are annihted here that would be irresponsible, but we will fight until thest moment before we retreat. Then we will reform our army while evacuating the people.¡± Although he was fighting against infinity, he had no n to run away and save his life. He was ready to ept the inevitable damage, and there was no way he would allow anyone topromise people¡¯s lives. ¡°That is the duty of the heroes; get ready to put everything as a hero!¡± The heroes didn¡¯t know how to respond to Sungjin¡¯s order. They still wanted to run away. It was clear how terrible and dangerous it would be if they had to fight until thest moment and risking their lives for the extras didn¡¯t make sense. But they were able to understand what Sungjin was trying to do. He was one step ahead of the merciful rulership, a rulership that a few heroes considered as nonsense. The right is not entitled; ites with social responsibilities. They really didn¡¯t want to follow the idea or continue this terrible fight for the people. They were entitled to the noble right, and Sungjin was just talking nonsense. But running away from here wouldn¡¯t help them have a future. Sungjin was asking them to make a choice. Since he was not asking them to have an honorable death here, they thought maybe they should follow him; most of the heroes had no other choice and followed him unwillingly. But... There were some heroes who didn¡¯t. Sungjin... Ereka had tears in her eyes. You are always the one who is leading me to the way. She tried to follow the idea of the merciful rulership, but Sungjin was helping her follow the true way to create the ideal world. Sungjin was someone she wanted to serve with her everything. I will follow you. Rittier showed his respect by putting his hand on his chest. You are the man I approved to be my queen¡¯s partner. That was a great speech. Jenna shook her tail knife. Oh. Sungjin, Oppa, and my queen have a long way to go...but...that is why Sungjin, Oppa is such a great man. The evil monster made even louder noises, as if Sungjin¡¯s courage and spirit was upsetting it. The scratching sound with nails would be musicpared to the noise the monster was making. It was as if the noise was saying that it would destroy Sungjin¡¯s spirit and would keep spreading its evil. Countless snakes started to attack Sungjin again, and shiny sword started to cut the heads. When it almost looked like the same old fight, a snake soared from the ground. ¡°Ugh.¡± Sungjin felt the snake¡¯s sudden attack from the ground, but his level-zero body was limited in speed. The ck snake didn¡¯t miss the chance and attacked him from multiple directions, tying up his arms and legs and stopping his refined movements with his sword. KUOOOOOO. The monster made a high-pitched noise again, as if it was saying that it would kill and eat the courage. It looked like it was enjoying destroying the light and turning hope into despair. The deep, dark desire seemed to be excited. ¡°Sungjin!¡± Ereka tried to save him quickly but a bright silver light pierced the darkness. ¡°Sword in Mind.¡± It was Eustasia next to Sungjin with her bright hair that looked like moonlight. ¡°That was close.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± When Sungjin thanked her, Eustasiaughed. ¡°It seems like you need more people. Can I join?¡± Ereka was surprised by Eustasia¡¯s question. ¡°Eustasia?¡± ¡°Give me my sword back. Let¡¯s fight together.¡± Everyone was surprised because she had denied to join them until now. But some heroes simply thought maybe she decided to join the mainstream for now. If so, she should have joined when we started the fight. Why now? And Ereka, who knew the secret, was surprised for a different reason. Eustasia... She couldn¡¯t even imagine how difficult it was for Eustasia to decide this. Ereka¡¯s father was very strict, but Ereka still deeply respected her father until now. Thank you...I know it was not easy. Sungjin looked at Eustasia for a brief moment. ¡°Thank you.¡± He didn¡¯t ask her if she was okay because he knew it was not an easy decision, but she made her choice. Eustasia smiled instead of answering. She was nning to leave and stay low-key because Sungjin had enough power and courage to conquer the four kingdoms and punishing her mad father would be justice. But... She couldn¡¯t be with the man who killed her father, so she tried to disappear. Until... She saw the terrible scene... The scene that was engraved in her heart. Great rightse with great responsibility. That was the final puzzle piece thatpleted her decision to follow Sungjin. She kept questioning if he had abilities because he was just an extra, but she experienced his ability and admitted that he was capable of conquering the four kingdoms. But... There was something more than that. He had his power, and he had his leadership. But he had one more quality that made him deserving to be the king of the four kingdoms: He was the only one who took care of the people while other kings abandoned theirs. Not just his people, but he tried to save everyone in the four kingdoms. With a sincere heart, he willingly took people¡¯s lives as his responsibility. When the heroes were ready to run away from the gigantic evil creature, Sungjin, with the lowest level, fought against it. Ah. That¡¯s right. Eustasia looked at Sungjin. Although he didn¡¯t have a crown on his head, he had his spirit to fight the evil. Without any jewelry to decorate his body, his wounds were showing who he was. In the worst situation, she was able to see his true colors. His will to protect everyone, that was the real quality of a king. A country for the people. It was not a fake cause that an extra had advertised to conquer the world or a glory he had tried to force with his power. It was his true cause that he was keeping with his life. And... Father...you gave birth to me... All the power and luxury that Seyzo II was able to enjoy, the glory and honor that she was able to enjoy as a general came from the people. She knew that her father crossed the line a long time ago. Now I know. It was her responsibility to stop him, not only for the people but also to stop her father¡¯s sin before it was toote. This is my responsibility as a daughter as well. She activated her heroic power to remove her maid outfit and wear her shiny silver armor. Power or spirit was not able to change her mind, but a truthful heart changed it. She smiled to answer the man who made her fall in love. ¡°No need. It is also for my father. I should stop him to help him.¡± ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s fight together.¡± To protect people, Sungjin gave back the Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will to Eustasia. ¡°Thanks. Let¡¯s make it brief because we don¡¯t have time.¡± Eustasia kneeled in front of Sungjin. ¡°You granted me the sword; I give my life to you. My king. You are the one with The power of the king, And the leadership of the king, With the heart of a king. I ept you as my king. My destiny will be with your kingdom. You will take the glory. I will take the hardship. Every drop of my blood is to serve you. Now I am your sword, And your knight. I will stop all the evil against your rulership.¡± It was an oath to the king that she had made to Seyzo II before. But now, it was different. When she made it to Seyzo II, it was a ceremony followed by the costume; but now, she was making her oath with her soul. It was a true oath, and she was proud to say that she was serving a great king. So now, she was able to proudly say the name of a dead knight who fought against a hundred thousand enemies to protect his country. ¡°Vitium Sessio Rnd the Pdin!¡± He was a legendary knight with a legendary tale. When his king was betrayed by a retainer and attacked from the back by surprise, he protected his king and the kingdom with his life. The legend said there was nothing that his holy sword couldn¡¯t cut because a messenger from heaven gave him the sword to protect justice, and the light from the sword was shining for eternity. The holy sword started to shine even brighter to show the letters on the body. The light from the sword was brighter than ever. Everyone sensed the sword was finally showing its true nature it had been hiding. ¡°Do you have a n?¡± She asked Sungjin again, knowing that Sungjin had ordered to fight until thest moment before retreating. Sungjin answered with a grin: ¡°Yeah, retreating is thest thing I want to do. I¡¯m still trying to find a way to finish it here.¡± If not, a lot of people would lose their ces. His brain understood the cruel reality, but his heart didn¡¯t give up easily. In this absolute despair, without any possible answer, he was still trying to find a way to save everyone. There was no giving up. That was how he fought against anything. ¡°What is the best solution for now?¡± ¡°Like I said, we need to rotate and keep our defense line. I was thinking of supporting the ambush from ten sides...but now you have joined. I think we can win. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°You think highly of me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m being objective.¡± ¡°Okay. Then I will give you my real ultimate skill,¡± Eustasiaughed. ¡°Your real ultimate skill? What are you talking about?¡± Rittier asked her if her ultimate skill was the flying sword. ¡°She must have an ultimate skill that she couldn¡¯t use.¡± When Sungjin said it was not that she didn¡¯t but couldn¡¯t, Eustasia nodded thinking he was really fast. ¡°Yeah, I couldn¡¯t. I was talking about reality but wasn¡¯t sure what I was doing was justice, and the holy sword didn¡¯t allow me to use its real power.¡± That was herst secret. People thought the flying sword was her ultimate skill, but that was only half the truth. And she was about to use the full ultimate skill. The ultimate skill was given only to the knight the holy sword epted. The power was open to the knights who were true to the holy sword. That¡¯s why she was not able to use the power until now. Eustasia knew that she could use it now. The holy sword would ept her because the path she decided to take with Sungjn was true justice. She activated her heroic power into the holy sword. ¡°I ask you: This is a fight for justice, not for me but for the people I have to protect and for the people I¡¯m fighting with; please give me the power.¡± She heard the answer in her head. ¡°My knight, I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Eustasia was surprised. Did the holy sword... talk? ¡°The day you would follow justice without shame, this glorious day. Now, call my real name.¡± Oh, you¡¯ve been waiting. ¡°Now, look. This is the true power of the Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will. I will let you find your way to victory with this power. Command me.¡± She showed the true ultimate skill to Sungjin, and it made Sungjin smile. ¡°As I guessed. Okay. Now we can win!¡± All the heroes were confused. What could Eustasia¡¯s ultimate skill be? And even if it is a powerful one, would Sungjin be able to stop the infinite army of evil? While everyone was confused with questions, Sungjin ordered everyone. ¡°Do you think it will work?¡± When Eustasia asked him back, Sungjin answered. ¡°I trust you.¡± ¡°Then I shall fulfill your expectation.¡± She smiled and held her sword. ¡°Get ready.¡± ¡°Okay. Here Ie!¡± Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 31

Sungjin checked the timing. After heroes recharged their skills, Sungjin signed them. Everyone attacked the evil monster with their skills at once. Fire. Ice. Wind. Lightening. Invisible explosion. Sword attack. Spear attack. The ck ocean evaporated for a second, attacked by numerous kinds of power. Countless heads were gone, and there was only the body left. But the undead body tried to pull out other heads. This desire wanted death. This evil wanted despair. This injustice tried to destroy everything. It refused to disappear and tried again to get its heads back and destroy everything. At that moment, the silver knight shouted out the name to punish the evil monster. ¡°The Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will, Durandal!¡± A pir of light rose up to the sky. The light pierced and scattered the cloud to show twelve holy swords. It was a reflection from one sword, but there was no illusion. Every sword was an embodiment of the light. It looked like twelve shining stars in the sky. It was the glorious presence of the sword given by heaven. ¡°Hereby I repeat my oath!¡± A dozen swords lit up the evil covering the ground. The evil wriggled with fear and roared when the light touched it, knowing it was facing its nemesis. Growling sounds echoed around it. Eustasia¡¯s voice stopped the sounds, and the twelve stars came down to the ground, one by one. ¡°I shall be brave facing evil.¡± The sword dropped on the evil. No, it was not a sword. ¡°I shall tell the truth.¡± Shooting stars flew down. Like justice from heaven, the sword attacked the evil from above. ¡°I shall protect the weak.¡± The light opened the way. Hydra stretched its heads with a roar of agony, expressing that it refused the punishment. ¡°I shall follow the right way.¡± But Hydra¡¯s movement was useless; the light cut and crossed the darkness, and Sungjin ran through the path made by light. ¡°I shall raise the vision!¡± They made no promises and had no time to practice. But Eustasia and Sungjin worked in a perfect harmony. ¡°I shall not pursue wealth, power, or status.¡± Eustasia shot her swords as if she already knew where Sungjin was headed, and Sungjin ran as if he already knew which way Eustasia was going to attack. ¡°I shall live with pride and dignity.¡± A narrow path opened, only to close up right away. There was no way to stop or step back, but Sungjin was running without hesitation. It was either a ruthless move, risking his life, or courage that would save everyone. ¡°Hence, my life...¡± The eleventh path had opened, and Sungjin was finally able to see Seyzo II covered with the ck flesh of monster on the other side. ¡°...would be the sword of justice!¡± The twelfth sword showed its glorious light to be nailed down on the ground. My dear father...goodbye. That was the final blow of justice. And to fight against it, Hydra concentrated its regenerating power to its core and created an evil wall of darkness. A fierce fight of the light against the darkness. Dark desire swallowed the bright justice of light. And the light burnt the darkness. At thest moment, a beam of light came out to burn the darkness, like a star¡¯s explosion before disappearing; and there was no darkness left. But... ¡°Ah hahahaha!¡± Seyzo IIughed; he was sure he stopped the attack. The darkness around him was gone, but the core was still there. The sword stabbed around his heart. If he was human, he would have already died, but he was not even bleeding. There was just some ck liquid around the wound. He was no longer human. He had given up everything to be one with Hydra and bared the attack from the twelfth sword. It was a dreadful power, but he was able to stop it; now, he was reviving the ocean of darkness. A ck wall of flesh started to cover him again. The ultimate skill needed cooling time. ¡°I won!¡± At that moment, Sungjin answered while holding Durandal: ¡°No. We won.¡± Eustasia had spent all her power, all her will, and even her spirit for the twelfth attack. Now, she had no power to even hold the sword. Sungjin seeded her will. They collided a few times and stood against each other. But they had the same end-goal. A world where the people are safe from evil power. A world where they could protect the people. They wanted the same world; their hearts were connected. With that heart, the holy sword answered Sungjin. The master of the sword approved him as a true king, so the sword took him as its king to follow. The holy sword shone with the justice from heaven, and the ocean of darkness lost its ce under the starlight. The light broke the symbol of the contract on the mad king¡¯s finger. He couldn¡¯t have won by himself, Eustasia either. But together, they were able to defeat this gigantic evil. ¡°Nooooooo!¡± The ring broke, and all the evil creatures summoned by the ring disappeared, one by one. ¡°Ghooooo.¡± Hydra was an immortal evil monster. Even the beloved son of the highest god couldn¡¯t kill the infinite desire, Hydra. It was an embodiment of the desire. It was immortal but also sealed. Hydra didn¡¯t belong to this world; when it lost the core of the power that summoned it, it was exiled right away. The ocean of darkness started to disappear. The dirty flesh of it started to disappear like mist under the sun. It was the end of despair. The evil that was trying to destroy everything was finally punished by justice and disappeared. A unified dream and the will of a boy and a girl stopped the madness of desire. In the middle, there was just an old man losing his life as the contract with evil came to its end. ¡°My throne...my throne...¡± Seyzo II was still murmuring when Eustasia approached him. ¡°Father, it is over now.¡± ¡°Eustasia?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about losing your power anymore,¡± said Eustasia, holding him in her arms. ¡°Is it...now I can sleep without drinking...¡± Like a baby in mother¡¯s arms, the mad king closed his eyes with a smile of relief. The crown that was too heavy for him dropped from his head showing his white hair, weak neck, tiny shoulders, and stooped body. Seyzo II¡¯s body shrank to show his bones, and he stopped breathing. ¡°If...there¡¯s an afterlife, I don¡¯t know how to atone for my sins...¡± A tear dropped from Eustasia¡¯s eyes. She wished her father didn¡¯t have to be the king. ¡°I will help your atonement. Please...lose...your madness.¡± Seyzo II became ck ash that scattered and disappeared. He couldn¡¯t be in this world because he had unified with ¡®Outer Being¡¯. Nobody knew what kind of end he had to face, but nobody mourned for him. No... There was one person. ¡°I know he was an unforgivable tyrant.¡± Eustasia wiped her tears away to bow with one arm on her chest and the other on her back. It was a gesture of a general to show her gratitude. ¡°But thank you for giving me a chance to say goodbye.¡± She didn¡¯t want to deny what he had done was wrong. But still... He was not a great father, but she remembered that he loved her with all his heart; although, it was a long time ago. ¡°I will be your sword, as promised.¡± It was not amitment she was making lightly. ¡°I will join you to make this continent and this world be a merciful world for the people.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No, thank you for giving me a chance to make up for my father¡¯s sins.¡± Eustasia smiled with tears in her eyes. ¡°Now go; you need to lead as a hero who unified the four kingdoms.¡± ¡°Okay. See youter.¡± To give her time to mourn, Sungjin went back to his army of heroes. ¡°We won!¡± Sungjin announced the victory. It was not a mechanical voice of the Valkyrie, but the voice of a real man echoing the reality outside of the battlefield. ¡°H...hurray!¡± ¡°Hurray!¡± Some hesitated. But when a few who realized what had happened started to cheer, everyone joined to celebrate. Now, not only Sungjin¡¯s team but all the heroes agreed on one thing. So, the four kingdoms are now in the era of this man... He just yed an immortal evil monster... Is he a real...deal? He may be a tyrant who took away their rights and talked about duties, but he was truly strong. Following him was the way to victory and fighting against him would be doom. There was no way to deny that this man, who yed three kings, is the only king. Heroes started to cheer for him more and more. Epilogue Unification of the four kingdoms. Now Sungjin made it. Now the four kingdoms became one, and Sungjin owned one of the biggest kingdoms in the continent, one with a third of the continent. That also meant that no one could say such a thing as a mere extra of level zero. At least in public, anyway. Sir Todam finally knew which book to publish and wrote the epilogue.. The extras were impressed and surprised that the hospitals were built, taxes were reduced, and heroes couldn¡¯t abuse them anymore. They never imagined this kind of country could even exist. Lute, a kid of extra ss, chanted with excitement: ¡°See? Sungjin won! I will keep studying, so that I will be a great healer just like Sungjin is a great king!¡± Nania smoothed down Lute¡¯s hair. ¡°Yes...study hard. I know you can make it.¡± She witnessed it as well. A level zero extra became a king and approved by everyone. He didn¡¯t get it from his family or bloodline but with his own will and abilities. He built schools to help the extras study and train themselves. Lute was really looking up to the king and trying his best to be someone like him. Maybe...really... Maybe he would be a healer in Sungjin¡¯s kingdom. She always thought there was no way to ovee the cruel reality, and that made her an adult; but now, she was able to dream, maybe. I would love to see that. No hunger, no suffering from disease, being shown mercy. That was already great, but Sungjin was letting people ¡®dream¡¯. Letting people dream that there would be a better future for them and their children. The world was excited with the king from elsewhere. Most of the heroes were not happy with the change but had no choice but to follow. No one had the courage to fight against the king who unified the four kingdoms. They had to follow Sungjin¡¯s rule that rightse with duties and to have the rights, they needed to work for it. Heroes with healing skills were assigned to the hospital, and heroes with magic worked fornd remation or building the canal. They wereining that they had to use their noble skills on such humble tasks, but they had to earn ¡®money¡¯ because they no longer hadnd for tax andbor of the extras. But at least they could justify this as if to follow Sungjin¡¯s merciful rulership, not because they wanted to save their lives. Sir Todam was busy working on the second volume. Master Sungjin, who achieved the great task of unifying the four kingdoms, became the ruler of the greatnd and got an absolute power. With his power, he protected his people...any other king before him was not able to achieve such a thing. Among his works were schools... Looking at it, Mr. Gunan had a hard time not wanting to punch him in the face. Yeah, so I worked for nothing to n the next book! The king talked about merciful rulership. A noble couldn¡¯t abuse a ¡°minor ss¡± like him. But well, that was no use for Mr. Gunan now. People paying his sry were giving him a lot of pressure to support Sir. Todam to publish the second volume as soon as possible after the great sess of the first volume. My vacation...would be a dream... He wanted to ask Sungjin not only to stop the nobles but to also stop the abusive writer as well. As the owner of the four kingdoms, crests of the four kingdoms shone on Sungjin¡¯s arm. Status report of yournd. Poption: 63,270,000 Area: 720,000 km2 GBP: 149.5423 trillion dilent... It is mine, but it¡¯s quite big, I must admit. Considering the civilization of Valha, this was a vast poption with huge territory. It was not just thend and poption. Endless gold and jewels, food, resources, and castles all around the continent were all his. But that wasn¡¯t all. He had power for legition, jurisdiction, and administration. It was beyond the power of presidents or prime ministers. There was also a line of heroes kneeled to thank him to let them keep their status, although not all of them were sincere. Over 60 million extras were among his people. He would have more on his way to bing an Arc Master, and he already had massive power and responsibilities. It was more than just winning in the world the gods created for a game, these were real hefty responsibilities. Thankfully, he had a new member who could help him now. Chapter 57

Chapter 57: Vol. 2 ¨C Episode 32

He asked Eustasia to do one thing. ¡°I want you to take care of training the other heroes that do not work with me directly. I want you to allocate the soldiers as well.¡± Listening to Sungjin¡¯s order, Ereka smiled. Then Eustasia can keep her position as a general. That¡¯s great. But Jenna sighed. Hmph. My queen. She doesn¡¯t know...well, she can be good help, though. Sungjin¡¯s intelligence was superior without any question. But he needed the support of the military force to make his intelligence work even better. He now had a huge territory, which meant it was possible he would have to fight multiple battles at the same time. It was clear he had to train a bigger team. ¡°You want me to be a great general for you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t train them to fight against an unexpected case like you.¡± ¡°Regr but tough training would be enough.¡± If she could do that, Sungjin would be able to concentrate on other things. The military n was just for a big fight; on a regr fight, it was important to be prepared with a regr training routine. Eustasia smiled and answered. ¡°Okay. I used to be a general so doing the same thing, but for you, is something I can do.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I made an oath to serve you, so this is something I should do.¡± ¡°About that: thank you for your gesture, but I just need a teammate. I will be the leader, but I am not nning to be your boss.¡± ¡°Haha. Ereka told me about natural human rights. That is such an amazing idea,¡± said Eustasia nodding, thinking that she was able to understand his acts and words based on the idea. Not mercy from the top, but a world where everyone has their own rights. It¡¯s the right for the people to have hospitals and schools, to live like humans. She was surprised he was able to think of such a revolutionary idea. Is it because he is from a fantasy world? It¡¯s just surprising, and that makes him even more charming. ¡°But as you have your own methods, I have mine. Since I made an oath to serve you as my king, we are not equal. If I can save only one of us, I would save you without hesitation,¡± she exined that was the loyal knight¡¯s duty. It was a strongment told nonchntly; it almost sounded like a joke. But everyone there understood she was saying it with such t emotion because the decision was engraved deep in her heart. She would be a loyal servant, just like she was for her father Seyzo II, or even moreso. Everyone understood that she would serve him with loyalty and love. For Sungjin, her heart and support was the biggest treasure he had won from the war. ¡°Hmm. But still be casual?¡± ¡°You want me to be formal? If you want me to, I will.¡± ¡°No no. This is good. We should be teammates.¡± ¡°Hehe. I will keep it casual.¡± Unless it is a critical moment. Eustasia hid her thoughts with her smile. ¡°Thanks.¡± Sungjin knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to change her mind. I shouldn¡¯t let that kind of moment happen. He epted her offer in his own way and smiled. ¡°Although it is a bitte, I want you to reward me with two things since I promised to serve you.¡± ¡°Sure. I will do my best to give them to you if it¡¯s realistic.¡± ¡°First, since you are my king, you should win.¡± The defeat of the idealist is not just a failure of one person. ¡°You must win because it¡¯s for the people who are following you, who are protected by you, and who died for you.¡± She was shining in an even brighter silver. ¡°You must win in every battle toe.¡± Few victories were not enough. ¡°You need to keep winning until you stand on top to create a new world.¡± That was her first demand. She asked him to win to be the conqueror of this world and be a god called Arc Master and to start a new era. ¡°And for that end goal, you can use whatever you want from me.¡± ¡°Ha. That¡¯s what I want.¡± He smiled and epted such a heavy duty. Bing an Arc Master was his ambition and being on top of the world with his victory was his instinct. It was the dream he had had since he hade into this world. Using the power he got from his victory to protect people was something he had decided a long time ago. Sungjin had experienced abuse by power, so he knew how unfair and upsetting it could be. Therefore, Eustasia¡¯s first demand was not even a reward; it was something that he wanted. ¡°What¡¯s the second one?¡± ¡°I want to be your woman.¡± He was the conqueror of the four kingdoms with the ability to achieve even bigger things. But this man suddenly lost his word. ¡°...what?¡± ¡°If you can make me one of your queens that would be nice, but I wouldn¡¯t mind being your concubine.¡± ¡°Wait. Why?¡± Sungjin wanted to ask why she wanted to be ¡®his woman¡¯. ¡°Because you are already conqueror of the four kingdoms. Although I¡¯m from a good family -but just noble ones- being a concubine is not an unfair thing. I don¡¯t want to ask for too much,¡± Eustasia answered, misunderstanding Sungjin¡¯s question. ¡°No, not that part...I mean...why...marriage...¡± ¡°Why? Of course because I want to be yours.¡± ¡°But we¡¯ve never dated.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I know what kind of man you are. You made me dream with you, and I¡¯ve decided to support you with my life.¡± That was her decision as a general. ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural to be your woman when I¡¯m this devoted to you?¡± Who else would she love when she decided to devote her everything for a man? She served Seyzo II as a general and a daughter, but she wanted to serve Sungjin as a general and a lover. When she dered her reason, Ereka blushed. Eustasia, I envy you. Ereka had spent more time with Sungjin, but she was not able to be blunt like Eustasia. She barely asked him to marry her, and Ereka had no idea asking someone to marry her needed quite so much courage. Sungjin realized that Eustasia was serious. A marriage... She didn¡¯t mind being a concubine... That meant she wouldn¡¯t mind him doing whatever he wanted with her. Everyday, every morning, every night, whenever he wanted and whatever he wanted. She was telling him he could do whatever he wanted to fulfill his desire. He was reminded of her fit body and in his imagination, they were already in the same bed, naked. That¡¯s it, huh? Now it¡¯s my responsibility. He was asking her to join him, to fight next to him, to protect this world where ny-nine percent of people were abused. That¡¯s why he had asked her to join him, but he said he wanted her. It was not her fault that she misunderstood his words. Of course, as a man, he was attracted to her, even now. Huh, this is... He was ttered that an attractive woman was telling him that she wanted to devote everything to him. She was a strong, confident, and capable woman. She also had a warm heart for the people. If he wasn¡¯t ttered, something was wrong with him. Deep inside, his inner voice was telling him to ept this offer, but Sungjin ignored that inner voice and said: ¡°I¡¯m ttered that you think of me so highly.¡± He was very grateful and ttered ¡°But sorry, I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°You told me you would, if realistic.¡± ¡°That is not.¡± ¡°Why? Am I not really attractive as a woman?¡± ¡°No. You are such an amazing woman.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°I want to concentrate on bing an Arc Master. I don¡¯t have time for a rtionship.¡± He was a leader who had a responsibility to lead his team; if he decided to have a rtionship that would give him another responsibility as a man. A marriage would give him even more responsibilities, so the rtionship was out of the question. It was not only because he had to concentrate on bing an Arc Master; there was one more reason. Sungjin quickly looked at Ereka discreetly. He refused her marriage proposal. She said it is okay now, but I think she still likes me very much. Although he was not sure because there was an unclear line between love as a lover and as a teammate. Both of them were precious teammates for him, and he had to lead both of them as a leader. If he decided to date one, the other would feel excluded. He couldn¡¯t afford that risk. He decided to be an Arc Master and to treat his team fairly before entering a rtionship. ¡°Oh. That is your decision.¡± Eustasia sighed and then started tough. ¡°Okay. You didn¡¯t even touch Ereka or even try to have a servant serve you in bed, so marriage was maybe a bit far fetched. Okay, I¡¯ll take that request back.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°But!¡± Eustasia poked Sungjin¡¯s chest with her finger. ¡°The game is on. I will make you fall in love with me and ask me to marry you.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t know how to respond to that and scratched his cheek. ¡°I lost in battle, but I will win your love.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Don¡¯t try too hard.¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s always exciting to try to achieve the goal,¡± said Eustasia,ughing out loud. Sungjin decided not to argue with her anymore. This would be a tricky fight. It was hard for him not making a move on such an attractive woman, but he had no n to lose this game either. * * * While Sungjin was working on his grand n looking at the map of the continent, the girls gathered in the tea room. ¡°Let¡¯spete to see who can win his heart first.¡± Eustasia challenged Ereka. ¡°Let¡¯s not cheat or trick the other, but let¡¯s try to be as charming as possible andpete.¡± When Eustasia challenged, Ereka bit her lip. No, we won. Ereka was reminded of what Sungjin had said when he defeated Seyzo II. They really looked like they were connected, as if they were meant to be together. Am I losing this game? Should I ask for Sungjin¡¯s love? But I really love him more than she loves him. Ereka shook her head and told Eustasia while pouring tea gracefully: ¡°No. I won¡¯tpete.¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t lie to me; I know you love him.¡± ¡°I do. But that¡¯s why I don¡¯t want topete.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because Sungjin said he wants to concentrate on his goal. If I try to have his heart it would distract him.¡± She wanted to support him from behind, providing whatever he needed. He was already fighting a difficult fight, and she didn¡¯t want to burden him more. She promised to protect him and share all his hardships and pain. She didn¡¯t want to make his life more difficult than it was. She wanted to just be there for him, where he could reach her whenever he needed her. She wanted to let him know that she was there whenever he needed her, not pushing him. ¡°Then you would stay behind. I might be his first woman, and maybe he¡¯ll never take you as his woman.¡± Ereka hands trembled, and she spilled the water. ¡°Even if so...¡± She continued putting her cup down on the table. ¡°I want to put Sungjin¡¯s dream over mine. So my answer is still no.¡± She wanted to make Sungjin¡¯s life easier, even if that made her life more difficult with a broken heart. When Ereka made it clear that she wouldn¡¯tpete, Eustasia tossed her silver hair. ¡°What do you mean notpeting. That is so you, a siege warfare.¡± She sprung out of her seat. ¡°That is a great tactic for a siege. Ten out of ten. But I hate to work behind the scenes, so I will keep moving forward. We¡¯ll see who the winner will be.¡± ¡°I told you I wouldn¡¯tpete!¡± Jenna rolled her eyes with confusion thinking the world of adults is soplicated. But inside, she was thinking... Don¡¯t worry my queen! I will not let that happen! She was promising Ereka she would be her support. Whether Sungjin wanted it or not, there was another war happening around him, and the girls sensed this war was going to get bigger and bigger as Sungjin conquered more countries and saved more people. He was a man who would conquer the world. It was natural that there would be a lot of girls, and they were hoping that Sungjin would realize love was as joyful as victory. But they didn¡¯t know one thing: Sungjin didn¡¯t take one of them not only because of his goal and victory but also because he wanted to treat them fairly. The misunderstanding was building among them. The demidevil of the battlefield had no strategy on managing his rtionships. In the meantime, Sungjin was working hard on his n with map of the continent. Although he unified the four kingdoms, he was the weakest among the three forces of the continent. He felt like he was Shu Han in Romance of the Three Kingdoms after losing Jingzhou or a dark horse in a ser league, not a favorite. But this was just a subjective difference in military force; he was sure that he would find another teammate to join him. It¡¯s okay. I made Eustasia join, and I will get more people. With thebined power, he would defeat the abusive power and move forward. I should unify this continent to do that then head to the center. This is only the beginning of my journey to be an Arc Master. I will win first ce in this league of gods, Valha. The battle result was reported to someone. ¡°Even the Infinite Desire was destroyed.¡± On the floating chess board in front of him, white pieces pushed all the ck pieces off. The broken chessboard repaired without any crack. ¡°Forgive..forgive me. It was out of my power.¡± Count Satirus bowed down and couldn¡¯t look at the person in front of him. ¡°You were toozy to finish the situation there and left. I can¡¯t forgive you twice.¡± An invisible pressure crushed him. ¡°Ugh...ugh...give...give me...o...one more chance...¡± With a bone crushing sound, Count Satirus became a chunk of meat mixed with broken bones. The silhouette behind the water who got rid of the disappointing servant spoke with a quiet and low voice: ¡°The n for codestruction was a failure. Tsk. I should sell it at a loss, but...¡± Although he had lost a strong forbidden evil and secret treasure -the Ring of Infinite Desire- it didn¡¯t seem to bother him too much. The chess board reorganized the pieces itself. ¡°Good. I will use it as is.¡± Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 1

Prologue Rumble! Kaboom! The dark clouds covered the sky, making it hard to tell if it was day or night. Lightning was the only source of light. No human or animal should have been out in the relentless rain, yet two figures appeared; they were running in the darkness. One appeared to be a lion, although not a normal lion with its unusual color and shape. The other figure was a slender girl riding atop the lion. Steady rain drops pelted her soft skin without mercy; the cold air made her weak. The lion talked to the shivering girl. ¡°Rachel. Hang in there. When we cross the border and reach thend of the king from the other world, we will be able to rest.¡± Despite being exhausted, they were being chased and had to continue their journey. ¡°I¡¯m...okay, Kuga.¡± Holding the lion¡¯s back with her arms, breathing heavily, Rachel tried to smile at the lion; it was a faint smile. ¡°Compared to the pain, this is nothing.¡± ¡°Good. Hang in there. The king from the other world will save you. This is the future that the goddess promised you.¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t wait to meet him.¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes started to shine as if she was dreaming. Her dark eyes were pure and beautiful, like those of a child. ¡°Then I will be able toy down in a warm bed?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I can eat my fill of bread as well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her eyes shone even brighter when talking about her modest needs. On this dark and cold road, the only story that could soothe her was that of the king from the other world who would save her. ¡°I wonder what kind of man he is.¡± ¡°Hmm. People say he is a handsome, friendly man.¡± ¡°The goddess led me to him, so he would be the one to save me, right?¡± ¡°Of course. It was the goddess¡¯ word.¡± Kuga reassured Rachel who anxiously asked the same questions over and over. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet him and see what kind of king he is. Will he be tall or short? Rxed or strict? Will he be loud or quiet? There are so many things I want to know about him.¡± ¡°You will meet him soon.¡± ¡°How should I greet him? Smile and bow? Or should I put my hands together? Would it be okay to hug him? Or .... Ugh... ugh!¡± Rachel, chattering with excitement, suddenly stopped and fell, holding her chest. ¡°Ugh... Ahhh...¡± Like a bird falling from its nest, Rachel shivered endlessly. She cried in pain and held her chest as if she wanted to tear her heart from it. She had no energy to scream and was forced to moan. ¡°Ugh.¡± She couldn¡¯t hold the lion anymore and fell to the ground. Kuga quickly stopped to hold her. ¡°Rachel...¡± Kuga could only look at her with tears. Despite losing consciousness, the girl¡¯s pain remained. ¡°Ughhh!¡± The extreme pain covering her body eventually woke her up with a blood bubble on her mouth. She continued losing consciousness, waking up over and over until she finally calmed down. She looked at Kuga desperately and asked him with her feeble voice: ¡°He could...surely...save me, right?¡± From this miserable curse. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°I want to...see...Sungjin...as soon as possible...¡± Tears dropped from Rachel¡¯s eyes. Sungjin was the only one who could save her from this dark and cold journey. Chapter 1 The area that used to be called the ally of the four kingdoms was now under one ruler: Sungjin. He came from the other world called ¡®the Earth¡¯ and conquered the heroes who refused to allow a level zero extra to be a king. Using his intelligence and a handful of team members, he had been victor over the powerful heroes, and everyone feared him. Using that fear, Sungjin had changed from the feudal system, where heroes used to havend ording to their status, to the bureaucracy, where people got their sry ording to their duties. All the power was ultimately in his hands. Many heroes were against this revolutionary reformation, but since they were Sungjin¡¯s prisoners they had no choice but to follow him. Sungjin also established the legal system that forbade heroes with absolute power to abuse low-ss extras. Historians categorize this era as a new type of rulership deemed Natural Human Rights. Everyone, even if they are extra, has the right to live with freedom. It was a revolutionary idea one step ahead of the merciful rulership, the idea that heroes have to protect weak extras. Many believed the idea was putting the world order at risk. In addition to dering thew, Sungjin also enforced it. And now...someone was at trial for ignoring hisw. ¡°Viscount, I told you not to take away thend of the people.¡± ¡°It was not that...they used to have a shop on mynd...I decided I wanted to take care of thend by myself...¡± ¡°No, it was abandonednd and you told them if they revive it they could stay there. As soon as they opened a market, you took it away.¡± ¡°It was not that...the contract was over...¡± ¡°Even if the contract for a building ornd is over, you can¡¯t raise the rent over the limit. If you refuse to extend the contract, you mustpensate the tenant for their work that raised the value of the ce.¡± When Sungjin read the use, Viscount turned pale; he hadn¡¯t expected anyone to apply thew so strictly. ¡°Go and rest at home. Your fine is 10 times the amount of the damage.¡± ¡°M...m...Master Sungjin...¡± ¡°Take him away.¡± ¡°Forgive me,¡± Viscount cried, but Sungjin ignored him and instructed Ereka: ¡°Take the fine and give it to the victims.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± Looking at Viscount Mentis, other heroes broke out in a cold sweat. That will be our fate if we disobey Sungjin¡¯s rules. The fine would be 10 times the damage, and they would lose their status as heroes. Even an aristocrat like Viscount Mentis could be penniless. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too much to fine them 10 times the damage? Maybe you should just make them pay for the damage,¡± Rittier suggested carefully; Sungjin justughed. ¡°The abusive upper-ss heroes are hard to spot. I can¡¯t go easy on them.¡± Sungjin¡¯s exnation was not just for Rittier but for all the heroes who were there. ¡°So I have to make it clear, the price they will have to pay will be much higher than their deeds.¡± It was called Punitive Indemnification. Even Sungjin couldn¡¯t catch every abusive hero, and he made it clear that once caught, they would pay much more than the damage they caused; so even if they didn¡¯t care about justice, they would be careful to save themselves. ¡°Understood,¡± answered Rittier bowing down with no question. Other heroes will think twice before ignoring the new rules. ¡°Ereka, how are the new hospitals in the new territory?¡± Ereka looked ufortable and answered: ¡°This is the first time in history so many hospitals are being built around the country. It will take longer than expected.¡± Sungjin¡¯s order was straight-forward: build hospitals for people all around the country. But even a well-funded, simple order wouldn¡¯t make them appear overnight. They needed new buildings, healers, and nurses. They also needed a well-organized infrastructure to supply equipment and medicines in order for the hospital to function. It was easier in the kingdom of Sevrantina because thete king had prepared the base for the hospitals. It was a bigger challenge in the other three kingdoms because Ereka was starting from scratch. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought; take your time.¡± ¡°This is the correct way to do this, right? I¡¯m still trying to hurry for those in desperate need of a hospital right now,¡± Ereka sighed. ¡°I understand, but Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± Sungjin looked at Eustasia. ¡°How are things in your department?¡± ¡°Training and gear is good. And...¡± She put an Illusion Stone on the table. ¡°Here, this is the marine chart and the map I ordered.¡± The 3-D illusion from the stone showed detailed geography of each region and information on the ocean currents. ¡°Well done.¡± ¡°Why do you need these? They don¡¯t even show our battlefields.¡± On Earth, every area could be a potential battlefield; here, they didn¡¯t study other regions unless assigned to it for battle. ¡°Is it for the trade?¡± To revitalize the economy, they needed to promote trade and to do that, they needed to rearrange the trading route. ¡°Well, this and that,¡± Sungjin answered with a grin. That was the end of the national affairs meeting. ¡°Huh.¡± Sungjin breathed deeply. Although he was just overseeing things and letting others run the actual operations, taking care of the kingdom took a lot of time. Also, it was far-removed from things he liked to do, like fighting and games. But I can¡¯t stop. Whether he liked it or not, he was now the ruler of the four kingdoms and a lot of people were depending on him. While he didn¡¯t want to be an irresponsible king, he also didn¡¯t want to be a work-non-stop kind of king. I¡¯m d I have such a great team. They were great support on the battlefield and for national affairs. He looked at Ereka, Eustasia, and the others and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. Well done!¡± Eustasia quickly approached him. ¡°That¡¯s it? Well done? It was a lot of work toplete the map and the chart, and we worked hard on everything else.¡± ¡°Hmm, okay. What do you want?¡± ¡°The beach.¡± Eustasia¡¯s answer was simple and clear. ¡°A beach...? You want to have a private beach?¡± Sungjin was confused; he never thought she was interested in such things. Eustasia approached Sungjin and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go to the beach!¡± ¡°Oh. Now I get it.¡± Sungjin finally understood. ¡°It¡¯s still a bit early; the water will be chilly. Is that okay?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? The weather is beautiful. It would be perfect.¡± ¡°Hmm, you want a vacation?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s not asking too much, is it?¡± Sungjin hesitated for a second. Going to a beach together sounded like going on a date. Ereka sensed this and tried to stop Eustasia. ¡°Eustasia, Sungjin is busy; don¡¯t ask for too much.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯ve been working tirelessly for forever. We deserve a vacation. This isn¡¯t asking too much; besides, he told us to ask him for whatever we want as a reward.¡± ¡°You are right but...¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to put anymore pressure on Sungjin...¡± ¡°He needs a break too. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to go with him? Just imagine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Persuaded by Eustasia, Ereka started to imagine the beach, surfing waves, basking in the white sand, and ying under the bright sun. And...and... Chapter 59

Chapter 59: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 2

At a corner of a beach, hiding behind a huge rock, a couple in swimsuits look at each other. ¡°Sungjin, you make me nervous when you look at me like that.¡± When she looked away, blushing, Sungjin pulled her into his arms. ¡°Today, you look even more desirable than usual.¡± She was able to feel his firm chest in his arms. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t...¡± It was under the bright sunlight in an open space. ¡°I will take you here.¡± This is not a good idea... But she couldn¡¯t resist anymore. Sungjin pulled down her swimsuit and exposed her body. She tried to cover herself with her hands, but Sungjin grabbed them. Ereka looked like a girl dreaming on a beach, but the thoughts in her head were X rated. ¡°Hmm...¡± When Sungjin had seen Ereka excited about the beach, he scratched his head. He had arrived in this world in winter having finished the internal war in the kingdom of Sevrantina. He then unified the four kingdoms by spring. Up to that point, he had been busy reorganizing the unified kingdom. The summer ising, and we didn¡¯t even have a chance to go on a pic. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go to the beach.¡± ¡°Would... would it be okay?¡± Ereka held her hands together and asked him with expecting eyes. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s take a break for a week or so.¡± ¡°Th...then...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s n to go on a vacation next week,¡± said Sungjin standing up. ¡°Okay!¡± Ereka¡¯s voice revealed her excitement. ¡°See? You love it,¡± Eustasia said. ¡°Wow, the ocean, the ocean.¡± Jenna made waves with her tail knife. * * * Sungjin¡¯s girls were on preparation mode for their vacation. ¡°I have nothing to wear,¡± sighed Ereka standing in her dressing room full of clothes. She felt bad for the people who only had two outfits to rotate through. But there¡¯s...nothing I want to wear... She wanted to wear something graceful but with an erotic touch. Something that was not obviously seductive but made a guy want to undress her; something not showing too much skin but that could provoke imagination; something that would eventually lead to a sexy night. Hmm...Then what about the lingerie...just in case Sungjin wanted to see it. ¡°You should thank me,¡± Eustasia said while picking up her outfit next to Ereka. ¡°You¡¯re so excited now, why did you try to stop me?¡± ¡°I loved the idea, but I still didn¡¯t want to bother Sungjin.¡± ¡°He would have said no if he didn¡¯t think it was a good idea. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the type to feel pressured by mere words.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right...but...¡± ¡°But this is our chance.¡± ¡°Our...chance?.¡± ¡°Yes, our chance to be his girls.¡± Eustasia¡¯s answer surprised Ereka. ¡°Eu... Eustasia, be careful, people can hear us.¡± ¡°Who cares? Is there anyone who doesn¡¯t know I want to be his wife?¡± ¡°But....¡± ¡°Worry about yourself.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind bing his royal concubine, but you want to be his queen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...Sungjin¡¯s own business...no, even if I wanted...I didn¡¯t have a chance to hold his hand...let alone date...that is...a bit...¡± Filled with embarrassment, Ereka couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. Huh. Eustasia, I envy you. She was too shy to even talk about it; all she could do was dream of a romantic rtionship with Sungjin. On the other hand, Eustasia had no problem talking about it. Ereka had forgotten that she had asked Sungjin to marry her once. She envied Eustasia. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take this.¡± Eustasia picked up a super sexy bikini made with minimal cloth. There was so little material, it looked like either a defective product or a revolutionary one. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit... too much?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I should wear it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a bit cold.¡± ¡°Who cares? Do you wear your bikini to swim? No, you wear it to show off your body.¡± Again, Eustasia had no problem talking about it. ¡°But...that is a bit...¡± ¡°What are you going to wear?¡± ¡°I was thinking maybe this one.¡± Ereka¡¯s choice was a more conservative one-piece. ¡°That looks like a swimsuit for an eight-year-old child. Why do you want to waste your beautiful body?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want toe off too obvious.¡± ¡°Huh. As you wish. Just know, I am going to try and seduce him during this vacation,¡± said Eustasia before she walked out of the room. Ereka was left alone in the dressing room with her swimsuit in hand; she murmured: This is...not too bad... It covered her skin tightly and clearly showed the shape of her body. It was also a bit see-through when wet. I¡¯ll bring it. If Sungjin tried to make a move on her, she had no intention to stop him. Having no idea what the two girls had discussed, Sungjin looked at the marine chart. ¡°Good, the beach we are heading to has a warm current, so we should be able to go into the water without problem. ¡± He started to imagine the beach. We¡¯ll be in our swimsuits under the bright sun and be able to swim. Sungjin started to imagine the girls in their swimsuits. Even in normal clothes, they couldn¡¯t hide their amazing shapes. They would look even better in their swimsuits. Ereka had a perfect body with the golden ratio, while Eustasia had a tight and fit body. It excited him when he looked at them. Stop it. Although nobody was looking, he tried to restrain himself. They¡¯re going to the beach to swim, not for other things. It was just his imagination running wild. Huh...I should be careful out there. It was a brief daydream, but he was already excited. If he couldn¡¯t control himself, it would be obvious he was hard. I should avoid that embarrassing situation. They thought of him as a nice and reliable guy; he didn¡¯t want to make it obvious that he was just a normal guy with normal desires. I want to be a gentleman. I¡¯ll save the imagining for when I¡¯m alone. Unlike a demidevil of the battlefield, he decided not to be prepared for what may be waiting for him at the beach. To develop the thought further was rude; also, he had no idea what the two girls were nning to do. This was not the only thing he didn¡¯t know about. ¡°Ocean...the ocean...¡± Singing and shaking her tail knife, Jenna looked like a happy kid; she was very happy indeed. The ocean is the best idea. Haha. The best ce for the young couple to make a mistake. Pretending she was innocent, she overheard Rittier¡¯s n to guard their beach. ¡°It¡¯s a vacation of Master Sungjin and our queen. The path should be blocked around them, so that no one can disturb their vacation.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°We should also be careful not to ruin the mood if they try to be romantic. We have an important duty to guard the area.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Yeah, old man. I knew you would do something like this. Jenna nodded her tail knife. But that is a bit too basic. It was a loyal move to try to let Ereka and Sungjin have their privacy, but that wasn¡¯t enough. Jenna called the head maids. The maids, in turn, talked to Rittier. ¡°Sir Rittier. It is not enough to give them privacy.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time they¡¯ve gone to the beach and the romantic possibilities are endless. We can¡¯t let the body of our queen get scratches from the sand of the rocks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°So you should ce nice andfy beds at a few points.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°The location is an important factor as well. Let the queen stay next door to Master Sungjin and make sure there¡¯s a passage between their rooms.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I hadn¡¯t thought of that,¡± said Rittier ming himself that he was not loyal enough to think thoroughly. Jenna smiled now that everything was set. Unaware of the preparation going on, Sungjin packed his swimsuit. It¡¯s been a while; I should warm up. He wondered if the girls knew how to swim. Hmm. If they don¡¯t know how to swim, should I teach them? By holding hands... Then my skin would touch their skin... Our hot blood would make me... No, I should stop. He shook off his vulgar thoughts. Maybe it was a mistake to go to the beach. A mountain would have been better. Sungjin was not afraid of the enemies but was afraid of his instinct in such a precarious situation. He worried he would make a mistake. Huh. No way. He had decided not to have any rtionships, so he could focus on the battles. He didn¡¯t want to just take a girl with a momentary desire; he wasmitted to having a real rtionship. But he also knew that if he made advances, the girls would follow his lead. He couldn¡¯t let that happen. Stop. Stop it. He repeated this to himself, but the sex scene that was in his head didn¡¯t disappear easily. He was trying to stop himself, but he was a young man with hot blood; he knew he could handle both girls, or even more. Concentration. Concentration. With everyone¡¯s nsid out, the day of the beach vacation crept closer. Chapter 2 The day came, finally. Sungjin and his team decided to go to Bellia Beach with its beautiful white sand and emerald-colored sea. It was famous for the way the golden light of the sun made white waves. Today, it was a private beach. It was a vacation for a king, a ce where they could enjoy nature without any disturbance. But none of them were looking at the beautiful beach. Ereka¡¯s heart was pounding thinking of her swimsuit in her bag. When I get changed...will Sungjin like it? It took a while, but she finally found something she thought he would like; she had also worked out hard for today. She was worried Sungjin might think her wet, white swimsuit was too much. She also considered the possibility that he might like it. What if you tried to take it off to see the rest of my body? She was too shy to make the first move. Next to her, Eustasia was smiling. Hehe. I don¡¯t even have to get changed. She was already wearing her bikini instead of undies, and it barely covering anything. She also nned to disrobe in front of Sungjin. She had also nned to keep Sungjin¡¯s eyes on her until they found a moment of privacy. She thought wasting their youth was meaningless. Jenna was also anticipating her n to seed. Haha. I know I failed in the mountain, but on the beach, it will be much easier. Now there¡¯s a passage between Sungjin Oppa¡¯s and my queen¡¯s room. All she had to do was gently nudge Sungjin during the day, and it would hopefully lead them to have their private time at night. Sungjin was trying to remain calm. Hmm. I should be on my guard from now on. Soon they would be in their swimsuits showing off their bodies. It would be impossible to decide whose was better. Like different kinds of food, there were different kinds of beauty in women. He was not sure he could control himself. It was easier to control myself during battle... During war, it was easy to control his mind by concentrating on the victory. But this was a vacation on a beach; his battle mindset wouldn¡¯t work here. He had to have fun with them. I hope I¡¯m not going to cross the line. He looked at the two girls. Simply thinking of them in their swimsuits excited him. But then, the Illusion Stone he had packed started to ring. ¡°It¡¯s an emergency!¡± It was Count Nar, the head of the department of health in charge of the public hospital chain, who sent the message. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an epidemic!¡± Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 3

¡°An epidemic? Speak up!¡± The peaceful atmosphere disappeared. Sungjin¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°The Padral region and neighboring areas are beginning to show signs of an epidemic. The signs are...¡± Sungjin¡¯s expression turned darker. The region bordering the Holy Nation Rupellion. Was it a coincidence or intentional? Saving lives was the priority; he would have to worry about investigating a possible conspiracyter. ¡°Ereka, are there public medical fields established at Padral?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the furthest region from thends we have amassed.¡± ¡°Heroes are immune from normal epidemics, right?¡± ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s not a strong curse, they should be fine.¡± ¡°Count, did you find the medicine?¡± ¡°That...¡± ¡°That?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a normal epidemic.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°An aura of a curse is mixed within. It seems someone intentionally created this illness.¡± ¡°Any guess who that might be?¡± The Count hesitated several times before replying. ¡°Rupellion. This aura... only that nation deals with it.¡± ¡°Rupellion...a few days ago, there was a report that something in the direction of Rupellion had exuded a strong magic aura akin to the level of a ritual.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Eustasia confirmed beside him. ¡°Would you be able topare the aura found in the epidemic to the one previously expelled?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± The answer came back a momentter: ¡°They¡¯re the same.¡± ¡°As expected.¡± Sungjin tightened his fist. They would probably deny usations, but this evidence was proof. This was not the first time Rupellion had been involved with something like this. The country believed their god, Angramainyu, was the only true god. Therefore, they believed their experiments on human bodies after releasing epidemic curses was justified. They were the only country that conducted these experiments. Those Rupellion bastards. He was thinking of proiming war on them after they were properly prepared. His goal was to be an Arc Master anyway. On top of that, he did not want to abandon Rupellion, a country clinging to a mad god. But to think they made the first move. Damn it. If you want to start a fight, do it properly, bastards. Innocent people were being held hostage, and Sungjin¡¯s anger seethed even more intensely. He made up his mind that he would pay them back dearly. ¡°There¡¯s no medicine at all?¡± ¡°I apologize. We have been testing all kinds of medicine and searching for the counter curse; so far, nothing has worked.¡± ¡°There is no way to heal...¡± Sungjin went into deep thought before speaking further. ¡°Fine. For now, let¡¯s prevent the epidemic from spreading by quarantining the region. After the sequestration, divide the people into those suspected of infection and those who are healthy, and then call in the healers, especially the support ss heroes; gather everyone with healing abilities. Make sure boiled water is used...¡± Sungjin¡¯s didn¡¯t have a lot of medical knowledge. On Earth, he was nothing but a gamer. He had studied several diseases to deepen his knowledge of different strategies but that was about it. But by using basic knowledge of medicine from Earth, they may be able to lessen the impact of the epidemic; Sungjin could consider this a defensive move. I should think of this as a siege. He could better visualize his strategy if he thought of this as a healing game against illness. He would have limited materials, a limited workforce, and would be efficient with what he had in pulling out the hidden enemies. Under his orders, the national organizations moved quickly. The girls gave up the seashore and swore on going the following year. The heroesined behind Sungjin¡¯s back about having to move for the extras, but they knew they could not go against his orders. *** During all of this, a prayer meeting was held at the Holy Nation Rupellion¡¯s Fifth City District, Charlka. A brilliant bell resounded in the heavens. Puredies threw flowers from their baskets. The clear sun blessed the holy day. The praising voices of the children¡¯s choir was immacte. The solemn and regal atmosphere was so perfect people wondered if it was reality or fantasy. A man wearing a white clerical cor walked down the velvet road. His cor was spotless and had golden embedments and a majestic appearance when observed closely. Every step he took spread the scent of flowers. He was one of the ruling fourth generation of priests, the great priest of white, Azika. The other fourth generation priests, having already arrived, greeted him. They included the great priest of ck, Pangnilin, the great priest of blue, Dahama, and the great priest of scarlet, Nerth. Each priest had the highest artifact, and they were all level seven, experienced warriors. Each were in charge of a diocese the same size as thend Sungjin had conquered. It could be said that their powers were the greatest under the skies and above the people. Everyone in the nation bowed down before their strength. ¡°Wee. Let us begin.¡± ¡°Let my insufficient body serve this meeting.¡± Azika, the priest of white shouted, ¡°Listen. Humans!¡± Without using a magical device, his voice spread to all corners. It was a power granted by their god to spread the word of his religion. ¡°In the beginning, humans were created by our only god, Angramainyu, to serve as his weapon. But humans, seduced by false gods, forget they are servants, which is why they should die! Do you not throw away your tools when they do not serve their purpose?!¡± The Holy Nation Rupellion had a unique religion. They believed that the true god, Angramainyu, had made all humans, and all others would disappear on the day of judgment. Their core belief was that at thest ultimate battle, Angramainyu would win; those who had stood on the right side would survive while all others perished. ¡°But as our god is benevolent, he will give you all a chance to redeem yourselves.¡± Humans, originally bound for hell, can be saved. That was the true teaching of the Holy Nation Rupellion. And the method was to... ¡°To live in servitude towards the true god; this is the only way you can return to your original purpose.¡± Going against the gods was a human¡¯s most abominable sin. They were granted life to serve the true god as tools. ¡°If you do this, you will enter the true god¡¯s garden in your afterlife, where paradise offers you three harvests a year. It is a ce where you can serve your god and never fear starvation.¡± A current Earthian might question whether it was truly a paradise, but to the people of Rupellion, it was a true utopia. ¡°You must all grovel. You must beg our god, and kneel before me, the prophet of god! Do you serve?¡± ¡°Inshangra!¡± the masses replied in unison, meaning ¡®god willing¡¯ in Rupellion. ¡°Inshangra!¡± the priests replied in unison. Even the heroes kneeled before the great priests. ¡°Now, I will show you what happens to a believer and the punishment that befalls a non-believer. Drag them here!¡± With the white priest¡¯s words, part of the arena opened. The judges, wearing iron masks, dragged the sinners in on iron frames. The white priest stood before the first sinner. The sinner could not move; his arm and leg bones were shattered; he was lying down on the iron frame breathing heavily. Between the ripped skin, blood congealed and flies swarmed about. ¡°What sins do these people have?¡± ¡°They werete to the holy weekend meeting.¡± ¡°Ooh. Surely they werete to the holy prayer because they attended the night¡¯s meeting of the witches!¡± The judges reported one by one. ¡°Yes, this person offered the egg born of morning and not dusk as his sacrifice.¡± ¡°Ohh. It is heresy to not have offered the best!¡± ¡°Yes, this person fell moving bricks while constructing the new temple.¡± ¡°Dropping a brick to build the holy temple on Earth...you must have been ordered by the devil!¡± ¡°Yes, this person...¡± Infuriated, the great priest stomped his foot, and the ground shook. ¡°Unforgivable sins! Execute them all!¡± The sinners lost hope. If even tardiness was uneptable, no other sins would be forgiven. Although they differed in powers and preferences, the four priests had amon temper towards those who did not serve. There was no way anyone could be forgiven. ¡°Yes.¡± The judges ignited the fire in unison. Shaa. Suddenly, it began to rain. It was a bright day, but the rainfall doused the fires. ¡°Who dares...¡± The great priests, incensed that something had interfered with the judgment, stooped down at once. The strongest people suddenly kneeled. ¡°We greet the blessed one amongst all humans.¡± They pressed themselves to the ground as if they had never reigned before. The person who walked amidst them was a young man with a healthy body. He was dressed in no more than a worn toga, but his face was handsome and shook the hearts of all women. He had golden hair that cascaded to his chest and enhanced his beauty. His eyes were closed, but his walk was steady, radiating a mystique about him. For symbolic purpose, he carried a cane. His whole body had a power that overflowed. He was the core of Rupellion. The one who lived and died by god¡¯s will. The one who helped god¡¯s mission with humbleness and humility, despite his position. He was the High Priest Pedrian. He was a consolidated duopoly with Eldorado, and was one of the two mountains Sungjin had to ovee on his path to bing an Arc Master. It was said that his youthful features were proof of god¡¯s blessing after his appearance 100 years ago as god¡¯s messenger. ¡°Stand.¡± At his gentle word, the priests stood. ¡°Did the prayer meeting end?¡± ¡°Yes, your Excellency. We were about to educate them using the sinners as an example.¡± The priests stood up but were sping their hands together and bowing showing their utmost respect. ¡°Yes, I have heard their sins. But you see...¡± He clucked his tongue. ¡°Why do you punish them? You allck love. Love.¡± ¡°We apologize.¡± The great priests bowed lower. ¡°Punishing these sinners shows your undying faithfulness towards our god. However, the deeper the sin the more we must forgive them with love.¡± The dying sinner found hope in these words. Ahh, yes...the high priest speaks of love. His sin was that he had been tired and slept in. He was usually punctual but had stayed up the night before with his lover. Tardiness was usually not a big deal but some bastard had reported it, which made it a big deal. He thought surely a sin so small and unintentional would be forgiven. ¡°Their sins are so deeply embedded, if you kill them mercilessly how will they ever learn? Not only that...¡± The high priest pointed towards the masses. ¡°Those pitifulmbs will watch this light sentence and think these sins are mild not severe.¡± ¡°We apologize.¡± ¡°Do you understand? We must show endless love toward the pitiful masses. We must show them what urs in the depths of hell, with love, so they will fear and beg forgiveness.¡± ¡°Your servants werecking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Do better from now on; let me see you try.¡± The high priest smiled benevolently as he sat down. ¡°Yes.¡± The priest of white, Azika¡¯s fingers touched the sinner¡¯s body. A mythical power shone and the wounds across his body healed at once: his broken bones reconnected, recing congealed blood was new skin. God¡¯s powersy not only in punishment but also forgiveness. To revive a person that was on death¡¯s doorstep with one touch was the power of the white priest. Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Vol. 3 Ep. 4

Within the arena, followers recognized God¡¯s power and fell to their knees singing praises. ¡°It is a believer¡¯s mandatory responsibility to attend the weekly meeting! Not showing up is considered unfaithful! If you are unfaithful, your punishment will not be light in hell!¡± Azika turned towards the crimson great priest, Nerth, who raised his hand inpliance, and crimson fire whipped around the sinner¡¯s body. Absolute faith. With unquestioning faith, the priests never forgave the unfaithful who went against God¡¯s absolute will. ¡°Kuhaaack!¡± All of the man¡¯s skin roasted within the fire. Humans found a burnt finger painful. Those watching gasped at imagining the pain being experienced. The priests knew exactly where a human¡¯s pain thresholdy, a threshold where the brain fails to recognize pain after it crosses a certain stage. Using that knowledge, a warm light of healing regenerates the body, and the body burns once more: punished and healed. The torture would be without end; the screams would never cease. Before the onught of pain, a living creature¡¯s instinct -even as the mind fails- is to keep screaming. ¡°Hurts... hurts... hurt... Kuahhhhack!¡± Being healed brought brief relief; the screams resumed with the disciplining. The people saw what punishment awaited them if they disobeyed the priests¡¯ rules and went to hell. Leaving the man to his torture, the other great priests scanned the remaining prisoners. An Irain elder shed tears of sadness before their watchful eyes. The others were given such severe retribution for their sins, she was bound to be tortured even more cruelly. She had gone against a strict rule regarding food when she fed forbidden fruit to a dying child to save his life. The vige child had fallen ill, and she had remembered her grandmother¡¯s story of eating the fruit to heal illness. She pitied the child and had fed him the fruit secretly... but was found out. Now she would surely be punished. The white priest¡¯s shouts echoed around the arena: ¡°We give you your punishment with a heart of love! May this suffering be engraved in your very bones!¡± The light exuded out of him and healed every prisoner simultaneously. To heal everyone at once was the ability of a person with God¡¯s trust. But benevolent power could also be turned into the power of punishment. ¡°For them to repent their sins, ce your love into hitting them to death! Pick up your stones!¡± In fear, the people followed the order. Stones rained upon the old woman, who felt her body being fractured. Gasps escaped her mouth as each and every hit caused a more severe pain. I really...was not... nning to go against God... I just... just... Really... This was all because she had pitied a dying child; because she had feltpassion for the child scratching at the rash covering his body until it bled; because she wanted to save the child¡¯s life. But her intentions went unnoticed. The stones continuously beat against her body. The great priest kept reviving her. ¡°Ah.... Aah...¡± Even in pain, Grandma Irain just wished for someone to acknowledge she had done this without any ill will. She wished for someone to pray on her behalf, so that her god would know this. At that moment, her eyes saw someone. It was the vige child, Kelt, whom she had secretly fed the fruit to. Child...you know, don¡¯t you? She begged with her eyes. Kelt flinched. Our eyes met! What happens if someone notices that I have some connections to that old witch? Then he would be used of unfaithfulness too. No. Not me! He was a faithful believer. He followed his only god. He wished for his salvation and feared his judgment. He was not the same as the non-believers. He did not drink the fruit because he wanted to. The witch had lost her mind and forced him to eat it.He was innocent. He followed his god. He didn¡¯t know that witch. He lifted a stone. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Puk. The stone hit Grandma Irain¡¯s eyes, crushing them. The boy she had saved had taken away her vision. A person¡¯s goodwill was nothingpared to God¡¯s salvation. The old woman could cry no longer. Not wanting to be used of sympathy, which could be interpreted as unfaithfulness, the people threw rocks with vigor. They were obedientmbs before the powerful priests. The ¡®punishment of love¡¯ continued all day. ¡°I will now deliver their souls to God!¡± With that shout, the priest of crimson lifted both arms, and the fire dropped down and torched everyone. People shivered in fear that they may be charred by the crimson great priest and all the other priests who possessed different powers. ¡°Yes, you are all doing well.¡± At the words of the High Priest, the great priests bowed. ¡°We are honored.¡± ¡°You understand. It is love. Love. If you love them, the length of time invested in punishment will not bother you. Instead, you must ponder whether you have given too painless a punishment and whether there is a more agonizing way to dole this out. You must think of it again and again.¡± The High Priest talked to them as if he were talking to children. ¡°We will abide.¡± The great priests obediently epted his teachings without question. How did the High Priestmand them so effortlessly? The people watching had no clue. Aside from the four great priests, no one knew what power the High Priest possessed. It was told that 100 years ago, he appeared under the name of the only god, Angramainyu, conquering Rupellion with unbelievable powers. But no details were revealed about how he wielded the power, the power that had be stronger after the war. The four priests were simply obedient to him. He was Rupellion¡¯s sole dictator. He already possessed the power Sungjin had only recently acquired. He was bestowed this control with the support of God¡¯s Garden.Only one thing was well-known about him: the words he had spoken after receiving a report of the new awakened king, Blood Ruler Riad. He is an immature rebel. I will scold him when I have the time, so leave him be. It was not a phrase of pride or underestimation but confidence. ¡°Good. Is everything going well aside from the prayer meetings?¡± At this gently-asked question, Pangnilin threw himself at the others feet. ¡°Your Excellency. Mycking power has overshot the grand temple and leaked into the heretds.¡± ¡°Which heretds?¡± ¡°Thend of the four-kingdom alliance.¡± ¡°What sins were administered?¡± ¡°It is an epidemic that makes a person vomit blood and shrivel to their death.¡± ¡°Hmhm. This is a very unfortunate event. Thosends arends that reject our god; their sins would be even deeper than those within ournds.¡± Pangnilin lowered his head. ¡°Your servant did not discipline the lower disciples enough.¡± ¡°Pitiful. Their sins should be given more love as they are deeper. They would not be able to realize their sins with light punishment.¡± By demonstrating hell in life, they would show love and help the heretics find their repentance. This was his teaching. The mad god hid beneath a peaceful smile. That was Pedrian. ¡°We arecking.¡± ¡°No, this must also contain some of God¡¯s teachings. The past is the past so do better moving forward.¡± Pangnilin, the ck great priest, was relieved. As expected, the High Priest was benevolent. What a relief. After several other reports, the High Priest spoke for the final time. ¡°Since it seems there are no other issues, I will begin myst fast for the grand temple.¡± ¡°Oh, atst.¡± ¡°If all the eight grand temples arepleted, this continent will be blessed with our god¡¯s love. Then, they will start their repentance and finally be god¡¯s ves.¡± ¡°I look forward to that day.¡± ¡°And for that, we will need sacrificial and sacred objects.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°If we do not have those two things, the eight grand temples will be pointless. Make sure this is taken care of.¡± ¡°Entrust me with this. I willplete this task with my life.¡± Thepletion of the eight grand temples was the hiddennd of repentance Rupellion had prepared after 100 years of standstill against Eldorado. If that waspleted, the judgment that would befall the continent would no longer be a ¡®miniature epidemic¡¯. It would beplete judgment that would give Rupellion the ultimate victory. Those heretics would kneel before their god. They would cry and beg for their god¡¯s forgiveness in endless torture, a repetetive cycle of not dying but not living. They would regret their past lives and repent again and again. Once more, the four great priests swore before the High Priest that they wouldplete this task. ¡°Yes, then I will take my leave.¡± The High Priest grabbed his cane and slowly walked out. He left without a trace, as when he had arrived. But his presence did not leave the arena, so the four great priests kept prostrating their faith until he waspletely gone. When it was finally gone, the four great priests could stand tall once more. ¡°It seems...that the day of our victory draws near.¡± ¡°Finally, the tug of war with the heretics wille to an end.¡± The end was in sight, and the excitement bolstered them. ¡°Haha! They will all kneel before our God and beg for their lives...or ask for immediate death. Hahaha! It will be a sight to see.¡± To conquer the continent and spread their beliefs, they would have to win in the ¡®battlefield¡¯ first. This was thew of the ¡®false gods¡¯. If their ¡®true god¡¯ descended down to this world, they could crush thosews easily. What they had prepared was a certain path to victory. Of course, they still needed time toplete the grand temples, and find sacrificial and sacred objects; but, as the sacrifices were already secured and the sacred object would arrive in time... ¡°There¡¯s trouble!¡± A lower priest came running in. ¡°What¡¯s the trouble?¡± ¡°The sacrifice... sacrifice...¡± ¡°What about the sacrifice?¡± ¡°It¡¯s disappeared.¡± ¡°What?!¡± The four priestsunched from their seats at the same time. The expressions on their faces changed instantly. ¡°Where could they disappear to?! They should have been sealed perfectly!¡± ¡°It should have been sealed with severalyers...but the shield hadn¡¯t shattered...¡± ¡°Exactly how did you stand guard?!¡± Their anger erupted. The High Priest had entered his fasting in order toplete the prayer. But he would return in a month, and if he finds out the sacrifices have disappeared...they would be the sacrifices; there was nothing else that could fulfill the Great Holy Grail. But how could the sacrifices disappear? They constructed a defense inescapable for a human. Perhaps, a god had interfered. There was no point in debating how; it would not solve the problem or take away their sins. The great priests looked at one another. What had happened had happened. ming was pointless. They were, after all, the four great priests who served Pedrian. ¡°We must find it all before the Excellency finishes his prayer!¡± ¡°Have God¡¯s Eye¡¯s first and second quarter... no, have the entire quarter find the sacrifices¡¯ whereabouts! No one rests until we find it!¡± the white great priest ordered. ¡°Yes, Your Eminence.¡± ¡°I will begin the search ritual! Whatever it was would not have been able to disperse the curse ced! Have the choir apany me!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Eminence.¡± The blue great priest also stood up immediately. ¡°Whoever is behind this incident could do it again if we don¡¯t find it. Use the Sword of Judgment to help solve this.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Eminence.¡± The great priests ran about frantically. Whoever had stolen the sacrifice had waited for the time when the High Priest Pedrian entered fasting. But for that person to think the other great priests were ipetent would have been a severe miscalction. They were of a different scale from the three warriors the Blood Ruler had ruled over with disappointment; they were experienced veterans of war. If they were within the four-kingdom alliance and not Rupellion, they would have been stronger than the king. High Priest Pedrian was simply too strong. But they had their own strengths, and they nowbined them in search of the object. Whoever had stolen this didn¡¯t know what they had gotten themselves into. Chapter 62

Chapter 62: Vol. 3 Ep. 5

Chapter 3 Sungjin visited Padral to assess the damage. Before his eyes was a scene far graver than reported. On a hospital bed, a newborn baby cried over and over. ¡°Uu, uwa.¡± It cried in pain, then fell asleep from exhaustion. It was torture. As it cried, blood seeped from its mouth due to its torn vocal chords. Outside, mother, separated from her child, had dropped to her knees and was begging: ¡°Please let my baby die in my arms. At least let me meet my baby!¡± Sungjin could not grant her request. Kuk... He understood the mother¡¯s request but also knew if he allowed it, the epidemic may spread. In this situation, he was powerless. Many others were also dying in agony. They vomited blood as their skin melted, but Sungjin could do nothing to help them. Damn those Rupellion bastards. These were his people serving him as king, and he could do nothing to protect them. The rulers of Rupellion had taken away their lives and reced it with endless torment. Rage and despair struck Sungjin at his core. I will not remain still. ¡°I will make sure Rupellion never does this again.¡± Sungjin swore to himself. Sungjin had, in fact, slowed down the spreading of the epidemic from Padral. The people praised his progress. He had implemented modern-day medical knowledge and ced heroes into the restricted areas; people within would not be abandoned but separated and healed ording to their illnesses. The people agreed in unison he had done all he could. Although he had returned to the capital, Sungjin remained uneasy. He recalled his time on Earth when his dreams were crushed by the Ministry of Gender Equality, and he had fallen into despair. But that was a despair of my dreams being denied. This was not the case for those who were dying from their diseases. They wouldn¡¯t be able to dream a new dream. At his frustration, he decided to take a walk on the mountain path and ponder his thoughts. Is there nothing more I can do? While the spread of the epidemic had been contained, the question remained of what to do with those who had already caught it. He said there was no medicine that had worked. All they could hope for was the person recovering by their own strength after administering an enhancing medicine. He knew worrying would not help anything. His mind was cool. But his heart felt suffocated. I will not be attacked any longer. He knew he was not the type of person to sit back and watch his people die. He would make Rupellion pay for what they had done. Suddenly... ¡°La.¡± A soothing song reached his ears. Although the voice was a little offkey, it was peaceful and warm, bright and calm. The song seeped into him and simmered down his frustration. Who? Near the stream was a young girl. The white clothes wrapped around her thin body from head to toe fluttered in the wind. A small green water bottle was attached to her waist. Her ck hair seemed to be infused with calmness, and her ck eyes looked like the night sky. She was gently cupping two hands to the air and mumbling between pink lips. Beside her was a lion with rainbow-colored fur. The spirit, who held more colors than any other lions, wasrger than the girl but did not seem to be a threat to her. It had even given its back for the girl to lean on. The lion¡¯s deep blue eyes reflected the depth of the stream around them. Not even a speck of dust existed within this peaceful, pure scene where warmth abounded and the heart healed. If he had been asked where the purest thing within the world existed, he would have replied that it was right here. She opened her mouth once more. ¡°La.¡± The song was not grand. There were no lyrics or hymns; she was simply humming as it went along. But it eased his mind like listening to a newborn bird¡¯s songs, and it wasn¡¯t only humans. The flying birds folded their wings and gathered round. The animals on the path started moving towards her: rabbits, squirrels, foxes, wolves, everything from herbivores to carnivores. Not only that, the branches of the trees leaned towards her. The leaves pointed towards her song. This is surreal. Sungjin forgot everything else as he admired the scene. It¡¯s beautiful. This child was loved by nature. It was a scene iprehensible to the logical mind; nevertheless, he epted the beautiful scene before him. The girl stood and walked while singing. She was jumping across the grass but slipped. ¡°Kyah.¡± She screamed as she rolled down to the stream; her white cloth was thrown off, but she did not fall in. The lion had caught her. ¡°Phuf.¡± Cute. Sungjin suddenly found her adorable andughed. While there were many mystical facets, a child was a child. She looked like a puppy ying tricks when she rolled down the hill, and he felt an urge to stroke her. ¡°Who is it?!¡± The lion heard hisughter and stood abruptly. ¡°Who are you?¡± the girl echoed in surprise. Sungjin came out with his hands in the air. ¡°No ill intentions. I only came near because I heard some pleasant singing while passing by.¡± At Sungjin¡¯s exnation, the girl¡¯s eyes focused on him. ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± But the girl did not lower her guard as she adjusted her clothes. Sungjin¡¯s eyes recognized therge wound on her back. That was no ordinary wound. It was a tattoo deliberately carved; it covered her entire back. This is the type of tattoo carved out by a knife to ce ink in the wound. It was the type of tattoo redone over and over throughout the duration of growth. Exactly who could have done that to a child? Sungjin was disgruntled as he imagined the situation. He knew even in the most peaceful scenes a wound could be lurking in the background. ¡°He... hello.¡± The ck-haired girl nodded. With her clear eyes, she continued investigating. She looked like a puppy worried the person before her would hit her. The lion also observed him with critical eyes. ¡°Are you really simply passing by?¡± ¡°Yes, I was taking a walk to gather my thoughts.¡± ¡°I see. Don¡¯t be offended that we¡¯re distrustful of you; we have our own situation.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s natural to be wary of a stranger in a forest.¡± Sungjin was also extremely curious about who they were. They were in the capital¡¯s back mountain. He always took his walks and began his training here; not just anyone could enter. Due to this privacy, he had held his risky meeting with Eustasia here. Exactly why are these two here? She questioned him as she continued straightening out her garment. ¡°Did you see... my... my back?¡± the girl whimpered. ¡°You did see... didn¡¯t you?¡± Her clear eyes were full of tears. The wounds on her back were deeper than the surface of her skin. ¡°Human, forget what you have seen just now. Or else...¡± The lion beside her drew his teeth to threaten him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell anyone,¡± Sungjin promised. ¡°You must not... must...¡± the girl begged as she wiped away her tears. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He did not wish to toy with this girl¡¯s mind. ¡°Thank you.¡± The girl finally smiled with relief. The scenery of peaceful spring flowers came back into focus. Just prior to her smile, he had felt sympathy and rage towards whoever had done this to the child. But her smile was the sort that made all of his negative emotions melt with warmth and tranquility. How could she make such a smile after so much torture? The type of garden the goddess of light would favor was right before him. What a mystical... child... ¡°My name is Rachel, and this is Sir Kuga.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Rachel. How did you enter this mountain?¡± ¡°Eh, that¡¯s...¡± While Rachel hesitated, Kuga replied for her: ¡°We¡¯re looking for the new owner of thisnd, the king from the other world, Cha Sungjin.¡± The official title Sungjin used for himself was ¡®Master¡¯, but most citizens simply called him king. ¡°You¡¯re looking for Sungjin?¡± It was strange to say his own name. ¡°Yes, we have something to tell him.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something only he must know.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Let¡¯s head down this mountain together. I¡¯ll let you meet him.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Oppa¡¯s really nice.¡± Sungjin smirked. The smile was full of yfulness. The girls greeted Sungjin when he came down the mountain. ¡°Wee back, Sungjin There¡¯s someone behind you.¡± Ereka greeted them with a soft smile. ¡°Eck?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± Kuga flinched. In that moment, Sungjin walked to ce himself between the girls and smiled widely. ¡°The girl is Rachel. The lion is Kuga.¡± ¡°Miss Rachel and Mister Kuga...why are they here?¡± Eustasia replied to Ereka: ¡°Can¡¯t you see?! It¡¯s a new candidate for the concubine position. Isn¡¯t that why she¡¯s here?¡± At the bbergasting theory, Sungjin almost fell to his knees. As if! Sometimes the women of this worldckmon sense. ¡°Miss Eustasia, there¡¯s no way. Miss Rachel is too young.¡± At least Ereka has somemon sense. ¡°Her youth doesn¡¯t matter. Even if they¡¯re young, it¡¯smon to arrange an engagement and get married when theye of age.¡± ¡°So Sungjin likes the younger ones.¡± Don¡¯t ept that. While the two talked casually, Jenna grabbed Sungjin¡¯s hands. ¡°Oppa, I¡¯m young.¡± While listening silently, Sungjin knew the matter may get out of hand if he didn¡¯t speak up. ¡°Stop, it¡¯s not like that!¡± He never understood how talented politicians and warriors talked of such matters. ¡°I brought these two because they are guests who were looking for me. Now, since you two have confirmed my identity, let them tell me their request.¡± Rachel carefully approached Sungjin. ¡°You really are Master Sungjin?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Really...¡± Suddenly, Rachel jumped into Sungjin¡¯s arms. ¡°You¡¯re Master Sungjin! Kyahhh!¡± She screeched as if she was the most devoted fan and he was her beloved idol. ¡°It¡¯s Master Sungjin! It¡¯s Master Sungjin!¡± Rachel rubbed both of her cheeks into his hard stomach expressing her happiness. The sight was so adorable that Sungjin let a smile escape. She really is like a puppy. It would have been exactly this feeling if he had a younger sister. He patted her back gently and asked: ¡°So why were you looking for me?¡± ¡°Rachel, mind your manners.¡± At Kuga¡¯s words, Rachel dropped away with a start. ¡°I apologize. Since I¡¯ve traveled so far with only you in my mind, I¡¯ve forgotten all the manners Kuga has taught me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just calm down and tell me what you want.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Great Majesty of the other world.¡± Rachel curtsied neatly and gathered her hands as if to pray. ¡°Please take me in.¡± Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 6

¡°What?!¡± The girls evaluated the child. ¡°As expected, she came here to be taken in.¡± At Eustasia¡¯s statement, Ereka rubbed her cheeks. ¡°For a child to fall in love with Sungjin from afar and search for him herself; that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°I agree that it¡¯s amazing, but to think he would ept the request. I can¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°If Sungjin¡¯s heart goes out to the girl, we won¡¯t be able to stop it. I admit I¡¯m jealous.¡± Beside them, Jenna raised her fishtail. Miss Eustasia¡¯s words were correct, My Queen! You should not bementing on Oppa¡¯s decisions! On top of that, if the young girl was epted, her status as the sole Loli would disappear, and she would have a very serious rival. ¡°Don¡¯t let me be misunderstood.¡± Sungjin silenced his teammates, who were getting out of control, and regarded Rachel once more. ¡°What do you mean by taking you in?¡± ¡°Scary bad people are chasing me. Please hide me.¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes reflected a lost puppy wet from the rain; he felt pity. ¡°Scary bad people?¡± Although the words were vague, the gears of Sungjin¡¯s mind started turning. ¡°You¡¯re being chased by the Holy Nation Rupellion.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± Kuga¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°Were you a human sacrifice for the Holy Nation?¡± ¡°Yes. The rumors of you having the ability to read people¡¯s minds seem to be true.¡± At Kuga¡¯s honest exmation, Sungjin smiled briefly. It was nothing like that. He had merely paid attention to the details: Firstly, Rachel¡¯s ent was not from the four kingdoms but from the areas around Rupellion. Secondly, the tattoo engraved on her back was the ¡°cursed tattoo,¡± full of symbols the Holy Nation used frequently. When he added those two pieces together, it was the only logical exnation. ¡°Since you seem to understand our situation, I have a simple request: Can you please provide a ce for us to hide within this country? Do not let the child be a sacrifice for those crazy religious bastards.¡± ¡°Stop. We cannot do that.¡± Before Sungjin could even reply, Eustasia stepped in. ¡°Why?¡± At Sungjin¡¯s question, she spoke: ¡°We¡¯re not ready to wage war against the Holy Nation. Although the four kingdoms are united, we have not finished unification within and securing the battlefields has only just begun. We are barely maintaining the peaceful bnce between the two great nations, Eldorado and Rupellion, as it is. If we provoke the Holy Nation, they could easily rip us apart.¡± Her words were cold but correct. ¡°But if we refuse to take them in, they will be sacrifices. They ran so far for help; my heart pities them.¡± Despite Ereka¡¯s advisement, Eustasia did not change her stance. ¡°This is a matter between nations. It¡¯s not a situation that can be resolved freely by one¡¯s own will. Feeling pity towards one person can lead to greater cmity. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± ¡°But...¡± Beside them, Jenna smiled brightly with an innocent face. Good. What¡¯s the point of having more rivals? ¡°Stop. There¡¯s no need to argue. I¡¯ve already decided.¡± At Sungjin¡¯s words, everyone fell silent. Rachel¡¯s eyes shook violently. Will Master Sungjin ept me? He will, right? Her palms had gotten sweaty. What if he does not ept me? She hade this far because Kuga had reassured her Sungjin would ept her, because she trusted him; but what if he was wrong? If Sungjin did not ept her, there was nowhere else she could turn. He was herst hope. But even if he refused... ¡°My answer...¡± Suddenly, Rittier ran towards them. ¡°Master Sungjin, there is an emissary from the Holy Nation of Rupellion requesting an emergency meeting.¡± ¡°Rupellion?¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Yes, he is the ck priest, Pangnilin, of the four great priests. His request is quite urgent.¡± For the past several years, ording to records, there had been no contact between the four kingdoms and the Holy Nation Rupellion. So what was behind a sudden request for a meeting after several years of silence? A congrattory message for uniting the four kingdoms should have been sent a long time ago. The atmosphere intensified. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll meet him.¡± Sungjin smiled at the fun ahead of him. It seemed that Rachel was not any ordinary sacrifice. He knew right away she was not ordinary as she had a speaking, spiritual lion with her. He had been nning to find out more about her after things had settled down. But for Rupellion to move this quickly. Rupellion was thend ruled by those who believed in a crazy god, thend that was hell on earth, where new heretics were used and tortured and eventually executed; the country where humans existed only to serve an insane god; the country that started the deadly epidemic, another obstacle he had to ovee in his path to bing an Arc Master. They had broken the silence first, the country who dered they wanted nothing to do with other heretic countries. Let me hear what you have to say. Everyone else was nervous and felt that the crux of the storm was upon them. Their country was rising amid silent power struggles. Watching him, Rachel shivered. ¡°Did those men... me... Did they find me? Is that it?¡± At her shivering, Kuga sighed. We were toote. It would have been different if Sungjin had already epted their request for asylum. The young king could have ignored the desperate request for a meeting, one surely devised to raise his pride. But that was no longer the case. The Holy Nation would probably begin to work delicate diplomacy of ying both sides against Sungjin... Sungjin had no special reason to protect Rachel. As the leader of a country, he would most certainly send Rachel back after receivingpensation. At that moment, Sungjing grabbed Rachel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will protect you.¡± ¡°Re... Really?¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Rachel and Kuga were surprised. Everyone around him was surprised. What he had epted was their request to hide them. But as the Holy Nation requested a meeting with him, the risk of doing so had increased. But to protect them despite all of this? ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But... the bad guys have found me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There is some greed on my part in epting your request; it will help me be an Arc Master.¡± Sungjin smirked. ¡°My n is also to prevent any more children like you being taken as sacrifices.¡± ¡°Really... you¡¯re going to protect me?¡± ¡°Yes, and I need you to remain calm. After the meeting with Rupellion, I want to hear your story.¡± ¡°Thank you, king of the other world...¡± ¡°That title is a bit awkward. Just call me Oppa.¡± ¡°O... ppa?¡± Rachel called out hesitantly. Her round eyes held tears. ¡°Yes, good job.¡± ¡°Oppa...thank you!¡± she cried out in relief and dangled on Sungjin¡¯s arms. My, my. I made her cry. He felt as if he had just saved his sister. Warm emotions gushed from the depths of his mind knowing such a weak and pure being was relying on him. ¡°Now, wait a moment.¡± Sungjin tapped her back lightly and turned. Apanying him to the meeting room, Eustasiained loudly: ¡°You could¡¯ve made a decision after you heard what Rupellion had to say.¡± ¡°If I had, the girl would have been shivering in fright until then.¡± With his back straightened, his chest seemedrge enough to hold a child. He had already lost too many people to Rupellion. Before, he had watched powerlessly. But no more. He would not be defeated by them any longer. He at least had the power to protect the child who hade running into his arms. He would not cast her out for Rupellion to stomp her apart, this sister-like girl he had just met. He could no longer let Rupellion step on anyone. ¡°You¡¯re right. How scared would she be if she knew she had run all this way only to be dragged back to that hell.¡± Ereka smiled peacefully. And that¡¯s the reason why I like you, Sungjin. He was a man full of coldness and apetitive spirit, but he was also the man who would save this child from her would-be captors. She believed if he became the Arc Master, the world would be a better ce. ¡°Ha! Both of you are right; it would be highly unusual if Rupellion broke their silence because of a single child.¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°So what.¡± ¡°But Rupellion, especially their High Priest, don¡¯t you know how strong they are? The limits of his skill and artifacts are unknown.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. No matter how strong the opponent is, in the end, they are all enemies I would have to defeat on my path to bing an Arc Master.¡± ¡°Then we would have a strong person as our enemy.¡± ¡°But we will be able to save a child and Eustasia.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You think Rupellion woulde to us only because of one sacrificial child?¡± At Sungjin¡¯s question, she paused. ¡°You mean...¡± ¡°It is said between the eight holy temples Rupellion¡¯s been building, thest one is finally at the end of the construction phase.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Eustasia grew quiet. The enemy considered the child important; she was an important representative of the sacrifice, a sacrifice to be used for purposes only the enemy knew of. It could be wise to keep the child. But I am curious. Was Sungjin keeping the child because she was pitiful or because she was a potentially important sacrifice? Was his decision made as a gentle brother...or a cold king? Or perhaps both? Eustasia smiled as she followed the king. Chapter 4 The girls gathered in the meeting room with the other ministers. Rupellion instigating a meeting was considered a national emergency that would probably go down in the history books. Rachel and Kuga hid in the next room to prevent any run-ins with the emissary. But they pressed their ears to the wall with nervous hearts. ¡°A portal is being made with your territory as the destination. The person wishing to pass through is the ck priest of Rupellion, Pangnilin. Do you ept?¡± At the Valkyrie¡¯s uninterested question, Sungjin, exercising one of his capacities as king, activated the territories as in and epted the request. ¡°I allow.¡± A momentter, the portal opened and an extremely thin man with ck cloth wrapped around him stepped through. Unlike the other ministers who wore fancy clothes ording to their stations, he was wearing all ck. But the ck, which looked in at first nce, was not a normal ck. It was aplete ck that did not reveal any color shining through. It was a color that did not exist on earth and wasn¡¯t created by any scientist; it was aplete ck of pure material, sold at the highest price. The clothes had been created from the wings torn from the Death Angel. The clothes were an artifact. Only the High Priest Pedrian had more strength to rule over a man with such a possession. ¡°Greetings, Master Sungjin, the new ruler of the southernnds. I am Pangnilin, the ck priest of Rupellion.¡± His monotone speech sounded like the words of a reaper. Despite the cold words that would have made any normal person shiver, Sungjin repliedzily: ¡°For now, I will greet you as a guest in my authority as owner. I will ensure your protection as you are here as an emissary.¡± His arrogant reply from where he sat on his throne exuded a bloodthirst that suppressed the macabre powers of the Death Angel. This...is the new strength of the southernnds. Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Vol. 3 Ep. 7

The ck priest, Pangnilin, carefully examined Sungjin. He possessed an appearance younger than that of the High Priest. But you cannot approximate an age simply by looking at one¡¯s features. The High Priest was well over 100 years old. Who knew how old the other world king was; the fierce vivacious energy he possessed was truly strong. A man with arge ambition equipped with the skills to back it up. A man who has the disadvantage of being level zero but decided to overstep such a penalty as if flimsy. He¡¯s strong... He felt the fierceness of a young champion but that was all. His enemy, the Holy Nation, was built by the High Priest Pedrian from the foundations to its current status. This barrier nted with their god¡¯s powers was akin to the tallest mountain range; even if the young warrior climbed it with fervor, he would starve and freeze to death. Sungjin was amazing, but their High Priest was beyond him. I¡¯ll avoid any conflicts for now. Both the Golden Wise King and Sungjin were bound to fall before their god when they recaptured the sacrifice andpleted the temples. There was no need toplicate matters further. ¡°A child previously kept under strict surveince has fled our country. I apologize.¡± ¡°There is no need for apologies.¡± ¡°Haha! Do ept it, please. It is rumored that due to that child, who is riddled with curses, your country has been gued by an epidemic. How can we not ask pardon for losing her?¡± Pangnilin apologized again. The ministers started to whisper. A cursed child was the reason behind the epidemic? Impossible...or is it the truth? No, you cannot trust everything Rupellion has to say... But if it is the truth. ¡°Very well, and how will you make amends?¡± Sungjin leisurely asked. ¡°As rpensation for your nation¡¯s loss, we will give you 10,000,000 dants for every lostbor force.¡± 10,000,000 for one extra! ¡°On top of that, we will provide you with an extra 300,000,000 dants for any damage caused.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Even if it was a trade between countries, the ministers hesitated; they weren¡¯t sure if they should be delighted or worried about therge sum being offered. Even if the epidemic...was caused because of the girl Rupellion had lost... Why would they rpense with such arge amount? Even if Sungjin¡¯s achievements were great, he was still a young leaderpared to Rupellion. Why would they be so willing to give away such arge sum of money? Nheless, they were ministers of a country, not simple AIs withinputers willed by bribery. They knew that when such a country made such a grand offer within an exchange, it could not be considered a gift but a demand. ¡°And your request?¡± ¡°Through our god¡¯s voice, we already know that the cursed child is here. Please hand her over so that we can seal her once more.¡± ¡°And what do you earn by sealing her?¡± Sungjin¡¯s question was sharp, but Pangnilin maintained a respectful smile. At least it¡¯s going ording to n so far. He knew Sungjin was not a man greedy for money. In fact, the information they had collected portrayed him as the type of person to protect the weak. If he had seen the runaway sacrifice, they knew he would not hand her over so easily. To persuade such a man to change his mind, they would need to give him apelling reason. This was another type of game. ¡°What our country earns is for no more disease to spread further due to that girl. For no more innocents to be harmed by her, and for our god¡¯s benevolence to reach this world...¡± ¡°You must think I¡¯m a fool. Stop wasting my time.¡± Sungjin intercepted his speech. ¡°Haha. I understand. We can¡¯t hide forever.¡± Pangnilin stepped back cooly. I knew you wouldn¡¯t be fooled. He had made that introductory speech purposefully, so Sungjin would believe he had seen through his tricks. This set the stage to trust his next words easier. ¡°The fact that the child has a deep curse in her is true, and we have used that curse to maintain a borderline ward between my country and Eldorado.¡± ¡°A ward...¡± ¡°Yes, so do return the child. I believe we have promised enoughpensation for your losses. You don¡¯t even know how that child is being used.¡± Pangnilin¡¯s words turned more convincing. After all, the war of the continent was between three countries and not two. If both countries could find an advantage, it was possible topromise. Sungjin¡¯s country would benefit more from the money than a curse they knew nothing about, and Rupellion recapturing the sacrifice was worth the mary investment. ¡°So that is your suggestion?¡± ¡°It is so.¡± Pangnilin was certain his words had moved Sungjin¡¯s servants. It was going ording to his predictions. The ministers said nothing aloud, but he knew they had decided to approve this offer within. This should be epted. Of course, we cannot simply say, ¡°Okay, we need to haggle the price.¡± Rupellion must have suggested that price assuming we would raise it. A cursed child that caused epidemics was a hot potato. If they could turn her in and receive thepensation that was enough. Pangnilin did not finish with simply that. Although the thread ofpromise was logical, to Sungjin it had an unstable quality. ¡°This is not only for the trust between our two countries. Unless the child is sealed, this cmity will continue. We are doing this also for the well-being of the masses; ourpensation can be used for caring after your people. Can¡¯t you agree this is advantageous for everyone?¡± It was also a matter of protecting the lives of the extras. He knew if he didn¡¯t make such an offering, Sungjin would not consider cooperating. After throwing every bargain he had out there, Pangnilin smiled thinly under his expressionless face. Retrieving the girl was the only thing that mattered. If he could use her as a sacrifice, he could give Sungjin what he had promised. For this one child, Sungjin would be given wealth that could improve the lives of many. The two men negotiating and making a deal was considered national politics. Buying a person walking the path of greatness something that wouldplement his grand purpose was what politics was all about. And... Rachel, listening in to the conversation in the next room, shivered with fear. ¡°It should be fine... Oppa... he said he promised... he wouldn¡¯t turn me over, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s... yes, of course. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Kuga hugged Rachel asking her to rx. But the lion¡¯s back had started to sweat. To think that the Holy Nation would do something like this. He knew Rachel was not going to be turned over so easily but had not expected such a strong move from the Holy Nation. Besides, the promise with Sungjin was only a verbal agreement. There was nothing binding him to his promise. It would be normal to change his mind. He was a king. Although he was being praised as a kind king who took care of his people, he also found his extras valuable. His generosity would have made him ept a pitiful child¡¯s request for a refuge; but as she was a cursed existence, it was right to throw her out for the greater good. They were even offering additionalpensation for his people tortured from the epidemic; how could he refuse? The ck priest hade with the best negotiation for a king like Sungjin. Sungjin replied, ¡°Fine. Take her...¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Master, don¡¯t you think you should receive morepensation?¡± The ministers tried to stop him but Sungjin continued. ¡°...after you defeat me.¡± Pangnilin¡¯s face turned to stone. ¡°Why? Our offer should be advantageous to us both.¡± ¡°But Rachel would be stomped on.¡± Rachel, the young naive child who ran to his arms believing in him. ¡°Do you think I am ignorant of what kind of country you are?¡± The country of authoritative holiness that treated the ones who were used of heretics with torture until the day turned as bleak as the graveness of their sins, not death but endless abuse. A country full of people who reported others as heretics so that themselves could be reassured of being faithful until the cycle repeated itself. Moreover, it was the country that had caused the epidemic and the deaths of the people whom he cared for. ¡°Are you about to ruin the rtions between our countries to protect one child? We¡¯ve already apologized for this matter.¡± ¡°Apologized?¡± What they had apologized for was the damage of his wealth. It was not an apology made for the devastation within the lives of those who were killed and their families. Sungjin stood from his seat. ¡°Your apology should be towards the people who have lost their lives and the lives of their precious ones!¡± His eyes were full of hate. Even the great ck priest, Pangnilin, briefly withdrew before his zing spirit, which seemed likely to torch whoever was standing before him. ¡°I don¡¯t need a false apology like yours!¡± To be swayed by money and swallow it with self-indulgence would turn him into the same type of tyrants out there. After all, he too had suffered being stepped on under the power of a higher authority. Sungjin sat back into his chair and arrogantly proimed: ¡°I will no longer let you step on Rachel or anyone else. That is my stance.¡± The great ck priest repositioned himself and exuded a frosty air. ¡°We will take her by force if you do not ept our offer.¡± It was a threat of a preemptive strike and to that, Sungjin... ¡°Stop barking and bite.¡± He twitched his finger. ¡°What a rude-!¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you to attack. I have promised Rachel protection and safety. If you want to break a man¡¯s promise, you should be prepared to forfeit your life.¡± ¡°You foolish man. This is yourst warning. Bring me the child. Then we will provide you with the promisedpensation. If you refuse, I have the right to dere the preemptive promation right here and now. Everyone will curse you as the fool who beckoned war to your country.¡± ¡°Do it,¡± Sungjin replied without fear. ¡°Fine! Be prepared!¡± The great ck priest exploded in wrath. ¡°Five days from now, on the day of war, we will punish your arrogance under god¡¯s name!¡± The meeting had ended in disaster. After the great ck priest left, the ministers attempted to reason with Sungjin. ¡°Master Sungjin, please reconsider this matter.¡± ¡°Yes, keeping her is riskier than handing her over.¡± ¡°What is greater?¡± ¡°Well, the immediate conflict between the Holy Nation...¡± ¡°Exactly. As they have proimed a preemptive attack, they will soon be handing over newnds. Would that not be a greater gain than some money? It would be a step on the path towards conquering the Holy Nation in the future.¡± His eyes were sharp like a predator who has seen its prey, and a sinister smile hung on his lips. He was confident he would be victorious despite the great fighting force behind his enemy. ¡°Yes?¡± The ministers¡¯ mouths hung open. What they wanted to say was that it was obvious who was the stronger between the two, so with what evidence did he... But if it weren¡¯t for his spirit, he would not have even attempted to unite the four kingdoms. Yes...he is this type of person. They wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him with their advice. They began to think of this as a defensive maneuver. The High Priest is in a league of his own... But it may be fine. It is said that the High Priest is busy with something else. I see...he has aimed for that brief moment then. Surely he had put some thought into it even if it seemed like an unreasonablepetitive provocation. I suppose. Master Sungjin did rush us in our preparations towards the next war campaigns; this could only mean he has already prepared something for the defensive maneuver. Pedrian was strong. The four great priests below him were also great in their own rights. But they had already experienced how dangerous Sungjin¡¯s strategies were in a defensive maneuver. The ministers¡¯ints had already dissipated. ¡°Well, if you win, it would be so.¡± ¡°Then you have your answer. There will be no more arguments over this matter.¡± ¡°We abide.¡± The ministers went away without further word. Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Vol. 3 Ep. 8

Rachel ran from the next room. ¡°Oppa. Really...I...You really aren¡¯t going to send me away?¡± She asked in tears while clinging on to Sungjin¡¯s legs. ¡°I promised a while ago.¡± Sungjin patted her with a smile that seemed to ask why she was so worried. Currently, he was not a ferocious predator but simply a protective older brother. ¡°But...those men...they said they would give you a lot of money and...¡± ¡°There will be no such thing as handing over someone I¡¯m looking after in exchange for money.¡± ¡°But...but...those men...he said they won¡¯t rest...¡± ¡°Of course they will attack. But don¡¯t worry.¡± Sungjin stroked Rachel¡¯s head. ¡°I will ste...no, scold them.¡± He was going to say that he would step on them, but he changed his words into simpler terms. ¡°Thank you, Oppa.¡± ¡°You can rx. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± ¡°Thank you. Ehehe.¡± Rachel sniffed while smiling. It was a first for her to be epted so warmly by someone. Everyone else had asked her to be the sacrifice so quickly, as she was a cursed child. It was as Kuga had said. This Oppa was the one who the goddess had sent to protect her, to save her. It was because of those words that she could trust and rely on him. He was more amazing then she had imagined. ¡°Oppa must really be someone the goddess had sent.¡± Rachel looked at Sungjin with a sparkle in her eyes. Sungjin rubbed his nose in pride at the unwavering trust the girl had thrust at him. It feels like I¡¯ve found my younger sister. Ereka sent a warm gaze while Eustasia sent a hopeless look. ¡°The goddess. Hmmm.¡± Sungjin scratched his chin. ¡°Why don¡¯t you introduce yourself first, including an exnation about being a cursed child? I need to know the specifics to n a solution.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a cursed child! I mean, I am cursed, but I¡¯m not!¡± She was trying to exin but her words made no sense. ¡°I¡¯ll exin for her,¡± Kuga interrupted. ¡°This child is god¡¯s child. She is the child of the goddess of healing and benevolence, not Rupellion¡¯s god, Angramainyu. I serve the goddess and am the child¡¯s spiritual guide.¡± Kuga let out a cough as if to remind them not to ignore him. ¡°Fine. But to be a god¡¯s child...¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard of one?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read it in historical records. If normal heroes received heroic powers from other worlds created by the gods then there will be one god who designates a special child to be born with the god¡¯s protection.¡± ¡°Yes, and Rachel is that child.¡± Ereka pped her hands in a sign of understanding. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why you say that you have been cursed but not. To Rupellion, you would be a cursed child, but to others you would be a child bestowed with god¡¯s blessings and protections.¡± ¡°Exactly. Originally, Rachel was supposed to be using her powers to heal the sick. But Rupellion knew of her birth a few continents away and kidnapped her, confining her to be used as their god¡¯s sacrifice. They did not kill her immediately because they wanted to provide a grown child as the sacrifice.¡± ¡°So Rachel has grown up confined until today?¡± ¡°Yes. She had not seen the outside world until I was given a mission to save her. I rescued her at the first opportunity.¡± ¡°To think she had never seen the outside.¡± ¡°That...was her life.¡± *** The girl did not know how the sun worked. She had never seen it. The world she knew consisted of the small rectangr space she could barelyy down and rest in, the cold walls and floor, the metal chains binding her legs. That was all. She did not know what kindness was; she had never received it before. The only words she had ever heard beyond the closed door were words full of ill intentions. Ahh. When will that sacrifice wretch die? I know. That thing will have to die quickly, so we can leave this annoying post. Although she never received any education, she could understand their words. As ¡®God¡¯s child¡¯, she was blessed with the gift of innate intelligence, which allowed her to learnnguages she had never heard before; she was ultimately hurt by the words she perceived. But the words were not the only thing that hurt her. Everyday, they engraved new tattoos into her, again and again. The knife buried itself deeply into her back and split open her young skin; the medicine they poured over the wounds always stung. Every time the wounds began to close up they reopened it, the repeating days.They said she was a cursed child. That was why she had to receive this punishment every day. When she was old enough, they said she would be sacrificed for their god to wash away her cursed sins. She believed them because it was all she ever heard. She never knew anything else until the appearance of the lion who opened the door one day and saved her. *** ¡°That¡¯s unjust... how could they to a child...¡± Ereka had unshed tears in her eyes. ¡°Ahhh.¡± Eustasia let out a heavy sigh relieving her emotions. Even Jenna¡¯s fishtail had risen in disbelief. Ugh. Even if she may be my future rival, this is too harsh. Sungjin did not say a word, but his fists were balled tightly enough to pulverize the air. He silently raged. His anger promised this type of violence would not go unpunished. The one who changed the oppressive atmosphere was Rachel. ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m okay now!¡± She shook both of her hands in the air and smiled brightly as if to tell them not to worry about her. ¡°Ever since I met Sir Kuga, I¡¯ve been better.¡± *** During their journey to escape, the lion told her many things: that she was not a cursed child but a child of the goddess of healing, an enemy of the god Angramainyu. He taught her that she had a mission to use her power to save those who were sick. Learning she was not a cursed child but a blessed child, Rachel grew excited. The lion taught her more things: that the people who had locked her up were evil people from the country of Rupellion; that there was a leader called Sungjin in thends to the South who went against the evil country. The lion said it was the goddess¡¯ will to have her led to him, so he would protect you. But she was to save the sick under his protection. While she was on the run, the girl imagined how the man called Sungjin would save her. The world she had seen outside was so beautiful that returning to Rupellion was unthinkable. *** ¡°It will be better from now on,¡± Sungjin promised. That was the promise Rachel wanted the most, and it was a promise that came from his heart. ¡°Yes, Oppa! Thank you!¡± Her bright smile made it hard to believe she was raised under such violent conditions. Sungjin finally understood why Rachel had followed him around so much since arriving. To him, she was a new face; but to her, he was someone she had pictured throughout the duration of their escape. The man who would save her, directed by the goddess. Although that goddess never asked me for permission and sent Rachel over as she willed. Regardless, he was not going to argue with the details of saving an abandoned child. He was thankful to be given the chance of protecting this child, whom he considered a sister. ¡°You can go wherever you want here. But the Holy Nation may attempt to kidnap you, so you must always have someone by your side.¡± Sungjin patted Rachel¡¯s head lightly. He was about to grant her the normal happiness any person should have ess to. ¡°Yes.¡± Rachel thought her Oppa¡¯s hand was quite warm. She finally understood what kindness and gentleness meant. It¡¯s great to meet someone with such gentleness. When Oppa pets me, it feels so warm. ¡°Ah. Right. Oppa, I have a gift for you.¡± ¡°A gift?¡± ¡°Yes. Since Oppa¡¯snds are riddled with the epidemic and the people are hurting, the goddess wanted me to give you the medicine.¡± Rachel pulled out a branch with fluttering leaves. It was simr to a Salix Koreensis, but the branch had an effervescent shade of gold with a fragrant scent. ¡°This is the medicine to the epidemic?¡± Sungjin was surprised at the unexpected gift. ¡°Yes! If people drink the water brewed with the leaves of this branch they will be healed!¡± Rachel shouted out without hesitation. ¡°You know that because you heard the goddess speak to you?¡± ¡°Yes, I can hear the words of the trees; apparently, that¡¯s how the goddessmunicates with me!¡± Sungjin stood from his seat. If anyone else had heard the child saying that she had found the cure to the epidemic that no other healers had found nor heard of, they would have snorted inughter. But if it was the child Rupellion had tried to take back with the offer of arge sum of money, it was sufficient to try the solution God¡¯s child had brought. ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s try it immediately. We will all head to Padral.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± If this was the truth, it was a matter of great importance. Sungjin¡¯s camp moved quickly. *** Sungjin¡¯s group arrived at the separation center where the most critical patients were housed. Although it was called a separation center, it was really just a ce where hopeless patients were taken to die, perhaps the medications easing their slow deaths. The patients strewn across the hospital beds were not in much better shape. The heroes, forced by Sungjin to attend to them, could only do the most minimum of care. ¡°Uuuu....¡± ¡°Uhuuuuuuu....¡± One of the epidemic¡¯s worst hallmarks was that a person¡¯s throat would constrict, making it impossible to breath properly. Even if imagining the harshest sore throat, these patients¡¯ torment was several times greater. At the cruel scene before her, Rachel sped her hands together. ¡°To think everyone was in such pain...¡± She almost became tearful but shook her head and shouted with vigor: ¡°I will heal everyone as the goddess wished!¡± She started boiling the branch in a bowl with hot water. Next, she scooped the water into tes and approached the patients. ¡°Drink this and get better.¡± Cough, cough. The patient had no strength to even get up. Rachel¡¯s face was sttered with blood and phlegm that spewed out of his mouth. ¡°You can entrust that to the adults.¡± Sungjin tried to stop her, but Rachel scrubbed her face with her white sleeves and smiled confidently. ¡°It¡¯s okay! I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯m the child of the goddess of healing after all! I can do things like this!¡± At her stubbornness, which contrasted her pleading tears, Sungjin did not try to stop her. Although she is young and weak... Although she may be a pitiful, abused child, although she is a child in need of protection, his instincts told him there was something more to her. He decided to watch over whatever the child did for the ill. Rachel supported the adult¡¯s neck, which was bigger than hers, and fed the boiled water to him. With one hand on his body and the other on his head, she prayed while stroking the patient¡¯s hair. ¡°Goddess, please allow my powers to relieve this person of pain.¡± It was a rough prayer without any formalities, but everyone watched with attentive eyes.Will the child known as God¡¯s child have special powers? Were the powers of the goddess she served real? A momentter there was a light. It was a pure, noble, and innocent white light that covered Rachel and all the patients. Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 9

The figure of a child gathering an adult into her arms conjured up images of the Holy Mother embracing a baby. The tormented patient¡¯s expression started to ease up. His rough breathing calmed down. The hardened pus covering his body began to wash away. The wounds caused by his scratching were repaired. The patient¡¯s original healthy self slowly emerged. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. I¡¯ve never seen such a clear white heroic power on any supporter!¡± Ereka eximed. ¡°Agreed,¡± Sungjin acknowledged. A god¡¯s child had suddenly appeared in his arms, a girl apanied by a five-colored spiritual lion who the followers of Angramainyu were trying to recapture. Although the mystery surrounding her had not beenpletely exined, one thing was certain: she could heal the sick. The patient slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine now.¡± Rachel stroked the patient¡¯s head once more. ¡°Now, the next person.¡± She went to the nearest patient, feeding him the boiled water and submitting a prayer. The benevolent light shone from her once more and saved another soul struggling in its torment. A young holy maiden was here. ¡°There¡¯s no need to test her any further,¡± Sungjin ordered the healers. ¡°Check what nt Rachel has brought and gather it in mass and figure out the details of the healing magic she¡¯s using; make sure all patients are given the treatment.¡± ¡°Yes, My Master.¡± Sungjin approached the girl. ¡°Rachel.¡± ¡°Yes, brother.¡± Sungjing nodded his head lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in a certain god. I am a realist who makes my own path.¡± It was the same even after he had arrived in Valha, where gods breathed their powers. He had refused the legendary great devil Lucifer¡¯s offer of inheriting his position; he couldn¡¯t rely on things like prayers. ¡°But I will show my respect and gratefulness towards this miracle, which has saved the people I could do nothing for. Thank you, Rachel.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m only carrying out the order of the goddess.¡± ¡°But that action has saved their lives. It¡¯s your achievement.¡± ¡°Ehhehe.¡± ¡°Now share your methods with the healers so you can take a break.¡± ¡°No! I still have some strength left! We can do it together so that more people can be saved!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sungjin ultimately stepped back. I guess there¡¯s no point. If she was a normal child, he would have told her not to wear herself out. He would have praised her, saying she had already done too much; then he would have fed her delicious sweets. But she was a holy maiden who had toplete God¡¯s mission to save patients; it was her job. As he had his path towards bing the ultimate Arc Master, she also had her path. I should not treat her like a child but respect her wishes. Still, it was admirable. Despite her pain, she was able to care deeply for others. She was mature and, therefore, more lovable and dear to him. He was proud to protect her from Rupellion. The healers started to swarm around Rachel questioning her. ¡°Did you bring the leaf of the Golden Koreensis?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the Golden Koreensis?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in this book. It¡¯s a branch of the tree family of...¡± While the healer spewed out scientific terms, Rachel tilted her head and gathered her hands into a prayer. She closed her eyes and then reopened them. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, ¡°that¡¯s the one.¡± It was as if someone had spoken to her. ¡°I thought so. To think, this was the only treatment for the epidemic... I suppose it was your skill that enhanced the healing abilities of the medicine after administering it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is stroking the head a vital part of the healing?¡± Rachel shook her head with round eyes. ¡°No. I did that because I felt revived when Oppa stroked my head. I thought if I did the same, the patients could get some strength from it also.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Sungjin, listening from the side, let hisughter slip. Oh dear... He had heard that children mimic adults, but he found the reason behind itical. They had all witnessed the miracle of her saving a hopeless patient, but still, a child was a child. ¡°She¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°Yes, cute.¡± Sungjin agreed with Ereka¡¯s assessment. ¡°This is not the time for cute. That girl...she has the ability as a supporter. If she is truly the goddess¡¯ child, she may have other talents up her sleeve. We need to find out,¡± Eustasia dered. ¡°Ahh. We should figure that out. But let¡¯s wait until she¡¯s done treating all the patients,¡± Sungjin replied leisurely. She was on a roll, and he could not bear to disturb her. Those riddled with the illness began to heal. Those struck by the epidemic could now be returned to health once the medicine was administered. Rachel was not a cursed child. She was a child delivering the cure. *** They moved towards the temple to confirm Rachel¡¯s level. ¡°Now, Miss Rachel, you must ce your hand here and say that you wish to confirm your information.¡± ¡°Yes, Unni.¡± Rachel did as Ereka directed and ced her hand on the central spiritual stone. It was already confirmed that Rachel had an ability. What remained was how much she had. Amid everyone¡¯s curiosity, the Valkyrie¡¯s voice resounded: Updating Status Information. Name: Rachel ss: Supporter Level: Seven. When that number was announced, gasps echoed throughout the temple. ¡°A level seven...¡± Currently, the only two level seven¡¯s in Sungjin¡¯s camp were Ereka and Eustasia. Even if Sungjin had an amazing strategic mind, he was stillcking in high heroic level heroespared to the other great nations. Discovering Rachel was his third level seven was an amazing stroke of luck. The supporter ss was traditionallycking throughout the four-country alliance. The current minister of the department of health was only a level four supporter; this new information about Rachel could turn the tides in his favor. Possessed skills: Protection of the Earth: Effects¡ªThe targeted two allies will have their attack and spell- casting skills enhanced for a certain period and reduced recasting time limit. Protection of the Wind: Effects¡ªThe targeted two allies will have their agilities and movements enhanced for a certain period and harmful effects on the status removed. Protection of the Sea: Effects¡ªThe targeted two allies will have their defense and resistance enhanced for a certain period; all damage will be healed. Ultimate skill, Protection of Light: Effects¡ªAll allies within the limited area will be healed. Unlimited area allowed on the battlefield and in reality... ¡°Every ally within the battlefield? That¡¯s amazing!¡± Ereka eximed. ¡°It is amazing.¡± Hundreds of strategies came to Sungjin at the thought of having Rachel as his teammate. The Valkyrie¡¯s voice, which was summarizing each effect, had a disy that detailed the numbers of each skill. Surprisingly, the numbers were directly proportional to Rachel¡¯s spell-casting ability. Rachel herself does not have the battle ability of a level seven. But when paired with another level seven, she has power beyond two level seven yers; when paired with two level seven yers, she would have the battle ability of four level seven yers. That was a simple calction. Her ultimate skill level was unfathomable if capable of healing all five allies on the battlefield, no matter the distance. ¡°This is beyond expectations. Ha! Thank goodness I didn¡¯t hand her over to Rupellion.¡± Eustasia raised both of her hands in agreement. ¡°Is it a good thing?¡± Rachel blinked her eyes; she had no idea what the reaction of the others meant. ¡°It¡¯s an amazing thing.¡± Ereka smiled as she held Rachel¡¯s hands. Kuga appeared beside her and patted her back with his big paws. ¡°Rachel, listen carefully. You may be still young, but you are a child selected and blessed with power by the goddess. To save other people and release yourself from the cure of the evil god, you must battle Rupellion with your powers. You must be determined to fight with Sungjin in the field.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. I will do my best!¡± Rachel raised both of her arms and promised. She then ran towards Sungjin with carefully-gathered hands and shining eyes. ¡°Oppa, Oppa! Tell me what I need to do.¡± Her smile told him she would do anything he asked; he felt another wave of adoration. I think this might be the emotion to teach one¡¯s younger sister everything. Sungjin pondered for a moment before deciding. ¡°Fine. I do anything, like telling you to leave the fight because you are a child.¡± His thoughts had nowpletely changed from when he had first arrived in Valha and had denied Ereka from joining the fight. ¡°Let¡¯s work together so that the evil gods will not be able to harm anyone anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, Oppa!¡± ¡°There are only five days left, but do you want to join our special training?¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying to stop the bad guys, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m trusting you. Even if it¡¯s the toughest training of all, I¡¯m going to endure everything!¡± Rachel replied confidently. ¡°Let¡¯s start today.¡± ¡°But Oppa, in return...¡± Rachel mumbled as she wriggled her fingers. ¡°Yes?¡± Sungjin waited. ¡°If I try hard...and save a lot of sick people... and chase away all the bad guys...then grant me a wish after everything¡¯s over?¡± ¡°What is that wish?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when the timees.¡± She looked like a child asking for gifts if she promised to be a nice girl; Sungjinughed once more. Well, there was a time when I was excited about Santa use. The problem was he figured out the truth too young. He supposed Rachel still had time to believe in such things. ¡°Okay, tell me when it¡¯s time.¡± Sungjin instinctively raised his hand and stroked her head. The gentle and soft stroking was warm. The other girls looked on with half adoration and half jealousy. ¡°Yes!¡± Rachel replied excitedly. ¡°Ehehehe.¡± She keptughing as she enjoyed Sunjin¡¯s hand. Theughter was so lovable, Sungjin could only smile in return. Behind him, Eustasia started whispering. ¡°Do you think that would be a date request?¡± Jenna raised her fishtail. That¡¯s entirely possible! Only Ereka smiled as if all was well. ¡°My goodness, Eustasia! What would young Rachel know?¡± My Queen, that¡¯s ignorance. Young people can be scary nowadays. Jenna swallowed back her sigh. And to think she would be on the same level as My Queen... Regarding her status, Rachel was not royalty, but as a holy maiden selected by the goddess, she was no less than the royalties in this world; but there were no supporters to rule. It was almost like she was as good as Ereka to be Sungjin¡¯s partner, giving him validity when Sungjin had conquered military and political might by his own hands. It¡¯s not the time to beughing so leisurely... Even amidst Jenna¡¯s uneasiness, Rachel grandly announced to the world her ce amongst Sungjin¡¯s team as the goddess¡¯ child who defeated the epidemic. *** Every undefeatable general exuded impressive power as they hovered in the air. The energy was so concentrated, it was hard to breathe. Amid everyone, the ownerid leisurely. Where curtains normally hung, water flowed. A servantid, prostrating. ¡°Rupellion and Sevrantina have shed, as you had nned.¡± Everything went ording to his ns. Listening to the report, the servant felt cold sweat dripping down his back. Exactly how far did his owner¡¯s ns reach? The precious sacrifice of Rupellion did not make it to Sungjin¡¯s arms because she was lucky. Before the protection of the goddess, there was the strategy of the Golden Wise King. The girl herself would never realize how the secret organizations, nted throughout the state by the Golden Wise King, had backed up her escape. ¡°The stupid king of Sevrantina immediately bit the feed you sent.¡± ¡°Stupid? Hahahahaha! How could that be possible?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He would have considered the interference of a conspiracy, not only the pure guidance of the goddess. Who else but me to corrode the rtionship between the two states? He would have doubted me a hundred times over.¡± ¡°Bu...but he immediately epted the sacrifice¡¯s request for asylum. He even refused the negotiations with Rupellion. There was no outward signs of suspicion...¡± ¡°He¡¯s just that kind of person.¡± ¡°Even if he...considered that some conspiracy was behind this?¡± ¡°Even if there was a conspiracy, if he believed the child¡¯s pitiful story was the truth then he would take her in.¡± A man who had no choice but to live that way due to his integrity that was Sungjin. And... The experienced way he used Sungjin¡¯s virtue against himself. A red light shed beyond the water curtain. The servant shivered in fear. Although he had not seen it before, ording to rumors, the Golden Wise King had dug out one of his own eyes to embed a sacred artifact called the wise gem. It allowed him to read other people¡¯s minds. Perhaps he had nned all this, having foreseen it through his special eye. As expected...the winner of this three-front confrontation...would be my king. Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 10

A courtier bowed down and advised the king: ¡°Four priests of Rupellion went to the battle and the Holy Pope Pedrian went into a fast prayer toplete the holy war, so he is not able to move at all. The best warriors of both nations are tied up at the moment. If we attack, we will be able to expand our territory effortlessly.¡± It was an obvious logical conclusion; missing this opportunity would be foolish. ¡°No, leave it.¡± The Golden Wise King thought differently. ¡°This is a situation where two opponents are fighting each other and, at the same time, cutting each other¡¯s throat. On the surface, it appears to be the fight of a ruthless and mad god, but they are both behaving rationally ording to their beliefs.¡± Neither would step down. Sungjin wouldn¡¯t give up the poor girl, and Rupellion wouldn¡¯t change their unwavering faith. ¡°Ah...!¡± ¡°If we make a move, they may have the opportunity to stop and rest. We need to attack them from the back where they have no chance to retreat. That way they will have no choice but to go on the defense.¡± He was looking at the big picture. His vision was beyond normal. The courtier was impressed and bowed down again. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Until then, just wait.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Chapter 5 In a mock battlefield, Ereka, Eustasia, Jenna, and Rachel were fighting against a huge wolf, the wolf of twilight. The legend said it was born from the blood of the transcendent monster, Fenrir, who killed gods in an effort to destroy the world at the Pantheon of Asgard. The power of the wolf was strong enough to make three level sevens and a level six struggle to fight against it. Unlike other neutral monsters, it had a tendency to attack first, making it difficult to approach. This also meant it was a good practice monster. Moreover, it was in the middle of the battlefield, so if anyone could hunt it down without getting damage, it would give enough buff and crystal to buy at least twoplete items. It was clear hunting it down would also mean victory. ¡°Arf!¡± With a threatening sound, the wolf attacked Ereka with its front paw. ¡°Ocean, bless me and my friends with your power.¡± A blueyer appeared with Rachel¡¯s prayer and covered Ereka. It augmented Ereka¡¯s already-powerful defense. But the wolf shredded the defenseyer and her armor, injuring her. Such a dreadful power of destruction from a legendary monster. But the four continued helping each other fight. ¡°The Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will¡ªDurandal!¡± Eustasia¡¯s shiny sword fell toward it. ¡°Mjolnir!¡± Thor¡¯s hammer reigned down upon the monster from the sky, but it was not enough to finish the wolf of twilight. It roared and attacked back. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The wolf jumped over Ereka and attacked Rachel. With Rachel¡¯s scream, the formation lost its shape; Sungjin¡¯s team was defeated. ¡°We¡¯ve failed.¡± With Eustasia¡¯s statement, Rachel apologized. ¡°Sorry, I keep missing the timing...¡± But Ereka cheered her up. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rachel. For someone that has never been to the battlefield, you¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°But...soon bad guys will arrive.¡± ¡°We still have time. With each practice, you¡¯re getting better, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Above all, we have Sungjin. He¡¯llpensate for our mistakes with strategic nning.¡± ¡°Sungjin Oppa would do that?!¡± ¡°Yes, we still need to do our best so as not to burden Sungjin but don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll try my best!¡± Looking at the tremendous teamwork, Sungjin was satisfied. Their camaraderie is quite good. The weakness was Rachel who had no battle experience. She has a high level and strong skills, but when the actual fight happens, she gets into a panic and ends up missing themand. This was why the four failed to hunt and kill the monster. We should work on strengthening that weak point with the remaining time. To win, he had to train them properly. * * * The four priests were also getting ready for battle. All of them were level seven. They knew Sungjin had fewer level sevens and that Rachel was inexperienced. Despite this, they knew they couldn¡¯t risk letting their guard down. The young warrior, Sungjin, had a special strength: his intelligence. They also had to win this war before the Holy Pope finished his prayer. Putting their lives at risk to win, they knew they could perform no less than their best. ¡°We must win this fight. You should maximize your sense.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The four priests walked into the mock battlefield to fight against the wolf of twilight. It was not a coincidence that they picked the same monster; they were aiming to hunt this strong creature to win. Admittedly, it was a difficult beast to kill but doing so would them give enough crystal to be victorious. The wolf of twilight was staring intensely at anyone trying to approach it. It didn¡¯t hesitate to attack as soon as someone came past the distance of safety. It had massive power and physical strength. Sungjin¡¯s team was covered with wounds and had failed to kill it, so it was not clear if the four priests would be able to catch it. Time passed, but nothing happened. Atst, something scratched the side of the monster. The monster was confused; it hadn¡¯t seen anythinging. But suddenly, there was a human at its side wearing a ck robe with ck wings. The tiny dagger produced a tiny scratch on its gigantic body; the monster attempted to tear the human up but couldn¡¯t. Suddenly, the soul left the monster¡¯s body, and it stopped breathing. The great ck priest, Pangnilin, silently looked at the dead wolf of twilight. He had killed it singlehandedly. ¡°You¡¯ve still got it.¡± The three other priests came over to praise him. ¡°It was nothing, just a puny trickpared to His Holiness.¡± ¡°Haha! Everything is a puny trickpared to him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But I think that was enough to make the young one fear us.¡± The great red priest praised Pangnilin, saying he was the only person who could kill the wolf of twilight without help. The Holy Pope could have, but it was impossible topare him with anyone. No other level seven heroes or assassins could have done it. ¡°We don¡¯t know that for sure.¡± Pangnilin didn¡¯t agree with the great red priest. ¡°He overcame the difference in force to conquer the four kingdoms. On this battle...while it¡¯s clear we¡¯re stronger, we must still try our best to win.¡± ¡°Yes, we must recover our offering to God.¡± They had to defeat Sungjin and take back thend and the offering to God before the Holy Pope finished his fast prayer. They had no ns to take it easy on their opponent. * * * After Rachel¡¯s training, Sungjin and his team gathered for a meeting to discuss the inevitable attack from Rupellion. ¡°How are you going to use the geography this time?¡± Eustasia didn¡¯t hide her excitement. ¡°Sungjin will find the best way,¡± said Ereka with a smile on her face, knowing that she could count on him. ¡°But will we be able to carry out his n?¡± ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re right but...there was that time he had to trick us to trick the enemies,¡± said Ereka again with a smile on her face, thinking if there was something Sungjin should have told us, he would have already. Rittier agreed with her. ¡°I trust him anyway. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s already prepared a few ns for the battle.¡± Listening to their conversation, Sungjin smiled and answered. ¡°I¡¯m not going to use any n to annihte them using geography this time.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Then, what is your n?¡± Everyone was expecting Sungjin¡¯s victory. He said he would win even if he had to fight against all four priests. But he was telling them that he had no n? ¡°But this time we have almost equal force, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Equal... is a bit of a stretch; we¡¯re weaker,¡± Rittier corrected. It was a four-on-four fight, and the enemies were four strong level seven priests who had fought in numerous battles. Sungin¡¯s team had only three level sevens, and Eustasia was the only one able to harness her power effectively; Ereka and Rachel were not currently so capable. ¡°Compared to other battles, I think this is the fairest fight, so far,¡± said Ereka agreeing with Rittier. ¡°So I don¡¯t need a brilliant n this time,¡± said Sungjinughing, like in the days when he used to be a gamer. Sinceing to Valha, he had never had a chance to fight a fair fight with equal force. He always relied on turning the tables with some brilliant n. This was the first time both sides were on somewhat equal footing. ¡°But we are still quite weaker than...¡± ¡°I know, but with this much difference...¡± Sungjin clenched his fist. ¡°I don¡¯t even need to use a n. I will defeat them with pure force...¡± He didn¡¯t want to waste ns on an enemy like this. This fight was a bit like when he was ying games back in his world. Thendscape was given, and he had to win by managing skills of heroes without nning. ¡°I disagree. Although they¡¯re not notably stronger from a superficial standpoint, they are much more experienced and have better artifacts. It would be arrogant not to do our best against this enemy.¡± When Eustasia disgreed, Sungjin shook his head. ¡°No. There are two reasons why I¡¯ve decided to go into this without a n.¡± ¡°What are they?¡± ¡°First off, to help us be prepared for the next battle. What if they are defeated by a n? Do you think they would rx after the first fight?¡± ¡°No. When we fought against the Blood Ruler, people thought she looked down on Sungjin because of his level, but it¡¯s different now. People know Sungjin is the conqueror of the four kingdoms; they would never let their guard down, even if we were the ones to attack in the next battle.¡± ¡°Correct. We can¡¯t let them drop their guard. Maybe the Holy Pope and the Golden Wise King would since they have ruled for over 100 years. We have only one way to make them feel inferior.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s better to defeat them quickly, right?¡± Ereka asked for Sungjin¡¯s confirmation on what she understood. ¡°Yes, don¡¯t forget. The Holy Nation is not our only enemy; there¡¯s Eldorado as well.¡± They couldn¡¯t simply concentrate on fighting the enemy in front of them. ¡°And...¡± Sungjin decided not to finish his sentence. The escape of Rachel was not only the help of the goddess, but also the doing of Eldorado. There was no evidence, but it was a possibility, a possibility he had to keep in mind. But Rachel doesn¡¯t have to know that. Even if Eldorado had nothing to do with her escape, they didn¡¯t want to miss this chance. ¡°They¡¯ve been quiet not because they don¡¯t want to intervene but because they¡¯re waiting for it to be a bigger fight.¡± ¡°What we need is a high speed march afterwards, correct?¡± Eustasia understood it had to be a dominant and fast victory so as not to let Eldorado intervene, just like when Sungjin unified the ally of the four kingdoms. Although in this case, the opponent was much more powerful. ¡°Yes, so we should win swiftly.¡± Sungjin dered this was the only way to stop the four priests¡¯ movements. Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 11

Everyone agreed with Sungjin. He was not thinking about the one battle in front of them but looking ahead for uing battles. He had the bigger picture in mind. ¡°But you said there were two reasons; what¡¯s the second one?¡± ¡°For fun.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We¡¯re fighting an enemy with equal force. I want to defeat them with a different method.¡± Sungjin smiled with his legs spread. Everyone was silent. ¡°For... fun?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a little careless?¡± At Eustasia¡¯s question, Sunjin answered with his interpretation. ¡°No, it¡¯s a levelheaded approach.¡± ¡°When you corner a rat, it will attack even a cat.¡± History was full of leaders who had only focused on the big picture and had failed to see the battle in front of them. Not to mention the fight was against the four priests, each ruling a parish the size of the ally of the four kingdoms. ¡°But what cat doesn¡¯t chase a scared rat?¡± Sungjin was referring to the priests as rats. ¡°They aren¡¯t rats.¡± ¡°And my dream isn¡¯t a cat.¡± When Sungjin answered, Eustasia stepped back. ¡°Huh, well...your first reason was good enough.¡± ¡°That sounds more like Sungjin. I like your way of thinking.¡± Ereka smiled because she knew Sungjin enjoyed his games. I¡¯m sure you miss the fun of it, Sungjin. She thought it was okay for him to take advantage of the chance before him. Besides, if needed, he would raise up and fight. ¡°Let¡¯s start training ordingly. The schedule is tight, so keep up.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Rachel, silent until then, raised her hand and answered first. Ugh. Another cute reaction. Jenna was vexed and shook her tail knife. This was the way Sungjin wanted to achieve his victory. Not just to defeat them in the usual way but to use his strongest weapon to win. While his opponents were thoroughly preparing for battle, Sungjin was able to calcte what was going on in the enemy camp. It was clear he made this battle much more difficult to fight, but heughed. We can have fun with this. He wanted to outrage them. They had a slightly stronger force, and they would fight hard; but, in the end, they would be defeated by Sungjin. He wanted them to feel the pain the people felt when they were abused by the cult. He wanted them to feel a drop of the pain the mother who had begged to be killed with her baby in her arms had felt. But next to him, Eustasia was worried. Would it be okay? She felt like the difference in force was perhaps bigger than they imagined. But she had no way to stop Sungjin; she would follow hismand just like everyone else on the team. Chapter 6 After a few days of arduous training, the time for battle finally arrived. It would be a four-on-four fight. This time, Sungjin didn¡¯t join thebat zone but stayed behind as amander. It was Jenna, Rachel, Ereka, and Eustasia who walked onto the battlefield. Sungjin stretched his legs in the waiting room and smiled. ¡°Go and get them.¡± His finalmand revealed his arrogant-like confidence. People didn¡¯t call him the brash lion king of the south for nothing. While looking at him, self-acimed historian, Sir Todam, worked on his manuscript. He looked like a young lion king of the jungle who had sent four lionesses for hunting. And his opponents were... The people looked at the field with mixed feelings. ¡°Do you think Sungjin will win this time?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Their belief in him had been built on past victories, but now the opponents were the strongest priests of Rupellion, a country much bigger than the ally of the four kingdoms. They were not sure if they should be rxed or worried. ¡°Master Sungjin has to win.¡± ¡°I heard Rupellion is a living hell...¡± It was a country of blind faith, where they massacre whole families if anyone is caught making the tiniest of mistakes, using them all of heresy. People were killed without making mistakes as well. Before, people didn¡¯t care about the battles of the ally of the four kingdoms. But now it was different. If Sungjin lost, it wouldn¡¯t just change the name of the ruler but would change the way they lived their lives, for the worse. Please let him win. They prayed to their gods, ones Rupellion disapproved of. In the meantime, the four priests of Rupellion were praying to their one and only god. ¡°Thy will be done as it is in heaven.¡± They had a brief meeting before starting the battle. ¡°The most important thing on this battlefield is the wolf of twilight that is ced in the middle.¡± ¡°This will guarantee our victory.¡± They were higher in levels and had more artifacts. But they were sure Sungjin had a n, so they couldn¡¯t rely on only this. Fearing they would be tricked, they avoided a frontal attack. ¡°But... the wolf of twilight would give us enough crystals to win this battle.¡± They agreed. For regr soldiers, cing the wolf of twilight in the middle would have been a dangerous distraction, one they couldn¡¯t catch even with all their force. While trying to hunt it, their enemy would attack them; it would be useless to hunt it after defeating their opponent. So the wolf of twilight was nothing more than practice in a mock battle... But we are not regr soldiers. More specifically, the great ck priest was not a regr soldier. He had his secret skill enabling him to kill the wolf of twilight in a heartbeat, and they were sure this skill secured their victory against Sungjin. The battle started. Ereka and the great blue priest, Dahama, shed. Dahama was a warrior with two fast weapons, one longsword and a short-sword. He used his longsword to attack Ereka while covering close range with his short-sword to defend. But that wasn¡¯t all he could do with his weapons; he was able to adapt them to the fight, making them look like an endless whirlwind that could pierce any enemy. Ereka remainedposed against him. Using her spear to attack and her shield to defend, everything was by the book; that also gave her opponent no opportunity to attack. Resembling an imprable rock, she didn¡¯t try to stop his advances and was not disturbed by the endless attack of his two swords. Neither of them was dominating; all they could do was collect crystals while checking each other. This n worked as long as it stayed a one-on-one fight. The great ck priest, Pangnilin, appeared behind Ereka; like death, he snuck up silently, hiding behind the shadows. Invisible Death Angel. That was his skill; the wolf of twilight never saw iting. It was a skill to move in the shadows and remain invisible until attacking. All assassins had skills to quietly approach the target, but his skill was next level. Should I attack her now? Pangnilin hesitated for a second but soon shook his head. Ereka didn¡¯t see him, but it was possible that Sungjin had anticipated he would appear. With Ereka being a knight with high defense power and his secret attack having low sess rate, he decided to proceed with his original n. Although he wanted to attack Ereka right away, he moved away to hunt neutral monsters. His first target was a man-eating nt with poisonous stingers. He held his two daggers, usually reserved for cutting throats¡¯ of the sacrifices, and as he approached the nt, he started to slice. The nt fought back with its poisonous stings, but it struggled against him. A sword finally cut off the head of the nt, and the owner of the sword got the crystal. The owner of the weapon was Eustasia. ¡°Huh?¡± Pangnilin looked at the dead nt in confusion before it became ashes. He almost killed the monster, and he fought back the poisonous stings from it. But before he was able to take his final blow, Eustasia cut in. The crystal was given to the one who ultimately killed it. She stole it. Pangnilin was a stoic priest; he didn¡¯t swear or be angry, but still, he fumed internally. The great general of the ally, Eustasia, is an archer with wide-range and vision using her secret sword freely in her range. But he didn¡¯t expect her to steal his monster like this. I should be careful not to let her get the final blow. Pangnilin moved to find another monster while carefully looking around him. So there¡¯s no enemy in this area. There was no flying sword either; he was sure this time he would take the crystal from the monster. He attacked the vindictive spirit, and... ¡°Judgement.¡± Eustasia activated her skill to maximize the attack power of her sword to take the final blow again. Pangnilin¡¯s calm face lost its calm. Is this...your n? It was his specialty to approach without notice to kill a target. He had nned to hide from the path and hunt neutral monsters in the forest, but Eustasia was using his skill against him. Far away from Pangnilin, Eustasia was smiling. I haven¡¯t even gotten started yet. She activated her skill to maximize her senses. Heaven¡¯s Net. Heaven¡¯s Net was the skill that prevented any evil from slipping away. So whenever Pangnilin was hunting a monster, it helped her to find his position; the super wide range of it made it impossible for Pangnilin to spot her. She was hiding from the assassin and when he exposed his position, she stole the monster. It was a nightmare for the ck priest. ¡°Therefore, a wise general strives to feed off the enemy. Each pound of food taken from the enemy is equivalent to twenty pounds you provide by yourself.¡± It was a quote from The Art of War, by Sun Tzu that Sungjin had referred to. He exined this was a tactic in games on Earth called stealing. On this battlefield, it was not food but crystals they were stealing; and the principle worked just the same. When Sungjin exined the tactic, he ordered her to do something unique butplicated. He always makes me do difficult things. But I must do it. He is counting on me. ¡°Since we are not using geography, we need to do the trail of strength from the beginning, and you are the core of that fight.¡± ¡°Huh. Me?¡± ¡°Yes. The end goal on the battlefield is to kill the enemy, but we can start off with blocking their supply by stealing their crystals.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t steal the crystals. You can¡¯t even share it with your team.¡± ¡°Yes, in principle, but you can snatch it.¡± This was Sungjin¡¯s solution: taking the final blow and stealing the crystals. The amount of crystals awarded depended on the level and speed of the attacker. But when one is targeting another¡¯s monster, their crystal rewards could be increased. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to stalk the great ck priest to steal his monsters?¡± ¡°Correct. It won¡¯t be easy, though. If you cut in too early, you would be helping him; if you miss the timing, your skills could be wasted. n carefully; I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°Hmm. Okay, if that¡¯s your order, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re capable of this.¡± Her special training was to learn the perfect timing to hit each monster on this battlefield. She knew every monster by heart, and now it was time to carry out the n. She wasn¡¯t going to let the great ck priest kill even one. Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 12

Eustasia¡¯s confidence was not misced. She had prevented Pangnilin from killing even one monster. After she stole the third monster, he switched from hunting monsters to hunting Eustasia. But... With her powerful vision and attack range, he couldn¡¯t even get close; Eustasia continued hunting and hiding from the priest. When his first method didn¡¯t work, he moved further away to another location, but Eustasia predicted his movements. Although he had tried an alternate approach, she always seemed to know his next move. Because... He is moving to the expected location. Eustasiaughed with Sungjin who was alsoughing outside of the battlefield. You¡¯re right. So you had me follow your order in detail so you didn¡¯t have to use your n. The only question was if this battle would end as Sungjin had predicted. He predicted all the priests would be in. She hoped he was right. The next thing Sungjin predicted was... Pangnilin to give up killing monsters. Ugh. There¡¯s no way of getting away from her. But the battle was far from over. He still had a hidden ace to turn the tables. All he needed was a bit of time. He joined the path where Ereka was fighting against the great blue priest. ¡°I should collect crystals here.¡± ¡°Are you giving up neutral monsters?¡± ¡°They¡¯re one step ahead. They¡¯re stealing my crystals, and I can¡¯t stop them.¡± They started to feel a shift in force, a shift where they knew what their enemies were doing but had no way to stop them. ¡°Okay.¡± The great blue priest let the great ck priest, Pangnilin, kill the minions. In the meantime, Eustasia was enjoying hunting monsters in the forest without anyone there to disrupt her. ¡°Everyone¡¯s doing great!¡± Sungjin smiled when he looked at their progress. Eustasia was doing a tremendous job following his orders. Now it was time for Ereka to use what she had learned from the training. Eustasia kicked the great ck priest out of the forest, but that didn¡¯t make Ereka¡¯s fight any easier. She had to fight two priests on the path. If she couldn¡¯t defeat them, Eustasia¡¯s work would put them at risk. But... Ereka observed the two priests in front of her. If I can¡¯t make it here, Sungjin¡¯s n will copse. That would change the destiny of Rachel and her people as well. She had to stop them to save at least a few people from the tyranny of the cult. She stood her ground to protect her people and the people she loved. She checked the attack range of the turret to make sure she hadn¡¯t overdone anything. She decided not to take all the minions but remained aggressive. She kept the front line as it was and collected crystals steadily. Sungjin, I¡¯m following your instructions. She was hoping Sungjin saw her. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re doing great!¡± There was a timeg, but when Ereka nced up, Sungjin looked at her beyond time and space and told her what she wanted to hear. I should praise her properly when the battle is over. It was the leader¡¯s duty to praise the team when they did a great job. One thing that made this battle slightly different was that he wasmanding the big picture, but he didn¡¯t try to use his n to finish the battle. They were using their training to suppress the opponents, the four great priests of Rupellion. His team was not just relying on his n but was starting to function as an army. Everyone is doing great. Both Eustasia with her sword and Ereka with her shield were beautiful. Drops of sweat rolled down from their beautiful skin. It made him want to take them to his bed... Hmph. Sungjin tried to sit up straight. Although all he had been doing was looking at them, having such inappropriate thoughts while they were giving their all was rude. But they became more and more attractive as he got to know them; the lion inside him tried to jump out whenever it could. Control yourself. Control. Sleeping with someone would make it awkward for the team. He also needed to check in on his two younger fighters. Jenna and Rachel were fighting against the great red priest and the great white priest. The fire of the great red priest was strong, but Rachel was able to protect and heal them. Jenna was hunting minions behind the turret with her long-range attack. The great white priest had strong power for defense and healing but was not advancing. Rachel tried to contain her anxiety and prayed. I¡¯m scared; what if I be their prisoner again? She was frightened she would be returned to the cage where she couldn¡¯t see the light. But Sungjin Oppa told her to trust him, and others reassured her that she could. Sungjin Oppa told me he would watch me... He taught her how to remain free. In a short amount of time, she had trained hard following his orders. Sungjin Oppa, I trust you. She didn¡¯t want to go back to that ce; she wanted to stay outside. Although they were not very scrupulous, they managed to collect an equal amount of crystals with their enemy. It looked like a kidbo struggle. That¡¯s good enough. Sungjin smiled softly. He didn¡¯t really expect much more than that from them. As long as they didn¡¯t make a huge mistake, Ereka¡¯s shield and Eustasia¡¯s sword were enough to defeat the priests. In the meantime, far away from the battlefield, Sir Todam was working on his manuscript. The young lion king looked at his girls with passionate eyes. Even though they couldn¡¯t see each other, it seemed there was something magical among them. The girls made eye contact as if they saw him watching them. They looked like they were asking him to reward them in bed that night for their achievements. If Sungjin read this, he would be angry about the false information, but Sir Todam continued his fiction. And the young lion king answered them with his arrogant but passionate look. He looked like he was about to call them all to his bed that night. Hmm. This is not enough. Sir Todam stopped his pen. It was the historian¡¯s job to interpret the story, and readers wanted something more provocative and exciting. A good story was important as well, though. Okay. Since Master Sungjin has a lot of female followers, I should redirect the story to disy more of his power. Want it or not, Sungjin was going to get an assortment of followers with his victory. The battle went on as Sungjin predicted. Since Eustasia was killing all the neutral monsters, their crystal collections increased. But... Now is the moment to turn this battle around. The great ck priest finally collected enough crystals and went back to his base to ask the Valkyrie to reproduce the thing he needed, the thing to defeat Sungjin¡¯s team. Pangnilin didn¡¯t go back to the path but headed to the center to find the wolf of twilight. Even if you find out, there will be no way to recover from this. But he wanted to end this battle before the enemy realized something was wrong. He was sure that was the best way to win. He made himself unrecognizable and approached the gigantic wolf that was nervously guarding his territory. So, this is it. Suddenly, six wings hidden behind his ck robe unfolded. This was the open position of his artifact, Death Angel¡¯s robe with wings. Two daggers from each hand cut the side of the wolf of twilight, leaving small scratches. But each time the dagger cut the wolf, a wing on the priest disappeared and appeared on the wolf. This was the ultimate skill of the great ck priest, Samael-God¡¯s Malice, the angel of death that takes souls. It was an angel of darkness with a grotesque appearance, also known as an angel of bad omen, but the legend said that he was the most loyal servant of god doing the dark deeds the other angels couldn¡¯t do... And the skill with his name was... To kill the enemy with six consecutive attacks. It was the secret skill of the ck priest who was able to hunt the wolf of twilight single-handedly, a skill no one else possessed. This was the attack of the most notorious assassin of the continent. This changes the game. With his sixth attack, Pangnilin¡¯s face disyed a dim smile. The amount of crystal from this monster was massive, and killing the monster would give them the Blessing of Ragnaros for a certain amount of time; this was a mighty power as well. If the four of them attacked, there was no way the enemy could fight them back. ¡°The Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will ¨C Durandal!¡± But the holy sword fell from the sky like a shooting star. Not going to happen this time! Pangnilin would make sure this time she couldn¡¯t steal the final blow... Even if Eustasia used all twelve of her ultimate skills, it wouldn¡¯t work. Pangnilin¡¯s attack was weak until the special power was activated when his sixth dagger attacked. So the wolf of twilight was still strong enough, and it was impossible for Eustasia to steal the final blow. Unlike the other monsters she stole from him, this one was out of her ability. Pangnilin would have been right if the holy sword was aiming at the wolf of twilight, but it was aimed at his dagger. What? Her first sword stopped his dagger. This was unexpected. But that wasn¡¯t going to stop him from finishing the wolf. Pangnilin tried to stab the wolf with the dagger again, only to be stopped by the second holy sword. Ugh. Twelve consecutive attacks with the speed of a shooting star and power that could slice steel; Pangnilin¡¯s dagger was overpowered by the attacks. Did you think it would be this easy to stop me? He fought back against the holy swords. Lord! Give me strength! With his power of faith, he fought back all twelve attacks of the holy sword, and then it was over. I made it. But his happiness didn¡¯tst. There was another thing that was over: the time limit of the death wings above the wolf of twilight. Damn! He failed to activate his ultimate skill, and now the only thing that was waiting for him was... ¡°Arf!¡± ...the monster that was about to attack him. Kaboom! The front paw of the wolf hit the ground. The ground cracked, and rocks fractured into pieces. Twang! When the wolf swung its tail, a dozen trees were broken. While its movements were small, the destructive power from them was massive, and the life of the great ck priest, Pangnilin, was at risk in front of it... Even a level seven knight Ereka would struggle with a blow, and he was just an assasin; with one blow, the angel of death would greet him. ¡°Help me.¡± He asked for a help. The wolf of twilight wouldn¡¯t leave its territory, so if he could get away, he would be able to save his life and find the next chance to attack. Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 13

¡°That¡¯s how you kill everyone, although only one has to die,¡± Sungjin said with a low voice thinking the battle was nearly over. On Earth, death was temporary in games; but here, an entire team could be killed while trying to defend one teammate. The healing power of the great white priest covered the great ck priest; the great blue priest defended against the second attack of the wolf¡¯s front paw. They each had a paw but were still trapped. However, they weren¡¯t alone. ¡°Mjolnir!¡± Jenna put the three priests in her attack range and activated Thor¡¯s hammer; next to her, Rachel was casting her prayer to reinforce the spell. ¡°Mother Earth, give us power.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± The priests realized they were in a critical situation; if they tried to avoid the spell, they would be crushed by the wolf¡¯s paws; if they remained in ce, Thor¡¯s hammer would destroy them. The great white priest cast his protection spell, but Eustasia¡¯s sword hit the white priest before he could finish. ¡°Not on my watch.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± But the great red priest shouted at Eustasia, ¡°It¡¯s me you need to worry about!¡± The great red priest activated his holy magic to stop Jenna. ¡°Pir of Judgement!¡± Burning pirs of fire hit every member of Sungjin¡¯s team with mes over a few meters high. ¡°Aegis!¡± Ereka shouted. The burning me was blocked by the light of protection, and Jenna was able to finalize her spell. Kaboom. Thor¡¯s hammer shook the ground, and lightning charred everything around it. It dried the river, demolished the rocks, and pulverized the trees. Mjolnir¡¯s destructive power, augmented by Rachel¡¯s prayer, became an ultimate skill that was above level six or level seven. Under such strength, the defense of both the red and blue priest were useless, and they were crushed by the monster. The ck and white priests were then captured. A light illuminated the battlefield. The Valkyrie came down to Sungjin¡¯s team. To celebrate your victory, the gods grant nectar... With this victory, everyone on Sungjin¡¯s team became stronger. Although no one had upgraded a level, they racked up more power, and thend that once belonged to the four priests now belonged to Sungjin¡¯s territory. In the waiting room, the Valkyrie addressed the ruler of the force. Sungjin, due to your team¡¯s victory, an equal amount of territory that you bet for this battle shall be yours... Sungjin got another crest ofnd on his arm. ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll take it.¡± It was not muchpared to the size of Rupellion, but the symbolic meaning of having it was immense People watching the battle were impressed. ¡°Our king is winner!¡± ¡°Those priests from Rupellion are running away!¡± ¡°I was a bit worried that the king¡¯s n would fail and we¡¯d all be prisoners before sundown.¡± ¡°Well, you can stop worrying now!.¡± People¡¯s faith in Sungjin was building, and they cheered for his victory. The heroes, equally impressed by Sungjin¡¯s ability, were less excited about the win. ¡°This was a different kind of triumph.¡± ¡°It was almost like a chess match, and we were just on the defense the whole time. It¡¯s like he left a few pieces on the board intentionally.¡± ¡°When a master ys with a lower level yer, they may leave a few pieces behind.¡± ¡°But then, he won...¡± ¡°The four priests were nothing against Sungjin.¡± ¡°Maybe the Holy Pope could be a suitable opponent for him?¡± But then, the heroes stopped. Sungjin was undoubtedly powerful, but a lot of things about the Holy Pope were unknown; and they weren¡¯t so sure about Sungjin¡¯s ability against him. ¡°Well, the Holy Pope wouldn¡¯t move so easily.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, and Eldorado wouldn¡¯t just be there watching from the sidelines.¡± They were invincible, but they had to keep an eye on each other. ¡°Hey guys, let¡¯s stop talking about hypothetical situations and just celebrate the victory!¡± ¡°The truth is he defeated them, and now we¡¯re strong enough to fight against Rupellion.¡± No longer were they considered the weak country that had to stay neutral between Eldorado and Rupellion. Under themand of Sungjin, the ally of the four kingdoms had be the thirdrgest power on the continent. This battle had made it clear that they could hold their own against the other two powerful nations. Sir Todam was finishing his manuscript. The young lion would heat up hisdies with passion and excitement from the conquest. That was Sungjin¡¯s life. If Sungjin had read it, he would have told Sir Todam not to abuse his freedom of speech. The four priests were deeply disappointed. ¡°We were...defeated.¡± ¡°What will His Holiness say when he returns from fasting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡± On the surface, it appeared to be a four-on-four battle, but it was actually the fifth yer, Sungjin, who had defeated them. They had no n to stop the attack until Rachel was turned over, but it was they who had been defeated; and Sungjin hadn¡¯t even used any tricks. The young lion king of the south; we¡¯ve heard that his specialty was making traps using the geography of the battlefield... So they had been prepared for that. Instead, Sungjin dominated them by force straight away. The only thing he had used was his meticulousmand with frighteningly urate predictions. ¡°Now when the Holy Popees out, we should follow his direction.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our only choice.¡± The four priests had no other way to make up for their failures. ¡°Once he realizes the sacrifice for God is gone, we can only hope for redemption.¡± The defeated generals had nothing to say; their excuses would make them look even more miserable. They left the battlefield to report to the Holy Pope and follow his will. Back at the kingdom, Sungjin¡¯s camp was in a festive mood. Everyone in the waiting room was excited. ¡°Hurray. We won again!¡± ¡°Hehehe. We won!¡± Jenna and Rachel were spinning holding hands. Huh. Jenna suddenly stopped and thought, ¡°What am I doing?¡± only to start spinning again with excitement. Damn, whatever. ¡°We defeated them with our force.¡± Eustasia was more than just impressed. ¡°That¡¯s Sungjin.¡± Ereka smiled as if she had foreseen this oue. Rachel stopped spinning with Jenna and ran to hold Sungjin¡¯s hands. ¡°Sungjin Oppa, we won!¡± ¡°Yes, well done,¡± Sungjin stroked her head softly. ¡°Those bad guys can¡¯t take me away anymore, right?¡± ¡°Right, and if they do decide toe back, I¡¯ll just kick them out again,¡± Sungjin promised, thinking a lovely child like Rachel has a right to sleep without fear. ¡°Thank you, Sungjin Oppa...thank you,¡± said Rachel with tears in her eyes. I¡¯m so happy that you...are...here. If I wouldn¡¯t have met you, I¡¯m sure I would have been captured and caged again. But Sungjin wouldn¡¯t let that happen to her. With him, she was able to see the light and no longer had to fear knives. She was able to drink water when thirsty and sleep in a warm bed instead of on a cold stone floor. She was so happy that Sungjin was there. Sunjing calmed Rachel down and thanked everyone else. ¡°Well done. It was a clean-cut victory, as nned.¡± ¡°It was a miserable failure for the priests,¡± said Eustasia with a smile. ¡°This feels different than other defeats,¡± said Ereka. In previous battles, Ereka had only felt like a small part of Sungin¡¯s n, but this time, she felt like she had directly contributed to the victory. When we have to face a strong enemy that requires more than just a n, I¡¯m sure I can fight again like today to support you. I will remember this feeling and work on my training. That¡¯s got to be why Sungjin decided to strategize the way he did. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to celebrate!¡± Sungjin suggested. Everyone answered cheerfully: ¡°Let¡¯s!¡± Chapter 7 Upon arrival back to the castle, they decided baths were in order before the celebration. ¡°Huh, I¡¯ve been working on my training so much, I¡¯ve hardly had time for a proper soak,¡± sighed Ereka touching her hair. Although still gorgeous, she didn¡¯t look perfectly manicured after battle and didn¡¯t want Sungjin to see her so unpolished. ¡°You¡¯re right; I need to take a bath as well. Then we can enjoy the party!¡± Eustasia agreed. She also didn¡¯t want to look messy when the guy she loved was standing right next to her. But Rachel looked like a puppy that didn¡¯t want to touch the water.. ¡°Ba...bath?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s take a bath. I know the rivers andkes outside are good, but we have too many nice facilities in this castle,¡± Ereka suggested to Rachel with a smile. ¡°Oh, I...¡± But Rachel didn¡¯t answer and stepped back to hide. ¡°Is it too much work to take a bath?¡± Ereka smiled and added. ¡°No. Hygiene is important.¡± ¡°I... well...¡± Rachel lost her voice for a moment but then, with a tiny voice, informed everyone: ¡°I don¡¯t...want to...show other people...other than Sungjin...I¡¯m too shy...¡± Ereka¡¯s eyes became wide with surprise. Rachel¡¯s words could have many different interpretations. What do you mean? Sungjin remembered that Rachel had showed him the cursed tattoo on her back when they had first met. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not something she wants to show everyone. But if he tried to exin, that would reveal her secret as well. ¡°Then you can just take a bath with me.¡± ¡°With you?¡± ¡°You would be okay with me, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Rachel was relieved. Thank god... She wasn¡¯t quite ready to show her tattoo to the others. So Rachel caught Sungjin¡¯s leg right away. When Jenna saw this, she took Sungjin¡¯s other leg. ¡°Then I will take a bath with you as well.¡± Sungjin looked at Jenna and pushed her away. ¡°You were okay with taking your own bath before. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He looked at her as if he was begging her not to do this to him; Jenna decided to give up. ¡°Booo. This is a discrimination.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, this is discrimination,¡± Eustasiained and dragged Sungjin¡¯s arm toward her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I want to take a bath with you.¡± Sungjin smiled. ¡°If we take a bath together, it wouldn¡¯t be just a bath.¡± When he politely refused, Eustasia answered: ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll serve your every need. I know how to serve a man for a bath. Do you think all I know is my sword and the battle?¡± Ereka blushed. ¡°Oh my, Eustasia...¡± But she was thinking about other things. I can do it...but no...I don¡¯t really know how. How do you serve a guy for a bath? Why didn¡¯t I study it before and when did she learn about it? She¡¯s so talented. What I can do is whatever Sungjin asks me to do. Ereka, clean my back with your breast. Is... is this okay? Her soft and toned breast contacted his back and started to move. It¡¯s not the best I¡¯ve had, but I will reward you for trying. Sungjin suddenly pulled her towards him. Now, I will wash you. Then his hands started to... With Ereka blushing even more and Eustasia looking like she was about to strip down, Sungjin told them clearly: ¡°Stop! I¡¯m just going to wash this child. Stop being inappropriate and take your baths by yourselves. Grow up!¡± Your joke was quite blunt, Eustasia. I would hope you wouldn¡¯t make such jokes in front of a child. Not knowing how serious the two of them were being, he left with Rachel before they could say anything else. Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 14

Sungjin changed into his bathing suit before getting into the tub. Next to him, Rachel was also getting changed. I end up wearing this here. Although Rachel was an innocent child, she was still a girl, and he didn¡¯t want to get naked with her in the bath. She had slender arms and legs with fair, soft skin that was almost pale. Her delicate hair reminded him of a kitten¡¯s fur. She was still a baby without any curves, but her slender and beautiful shape disyed her purity and innocence. She looked like a flower that had not yet bloomed, and that was just the front of her body. Her back housed hideous scars. Her bloody, ck tattoos were proof of the darkness and cruelty of this world. Herughter and innocence still shone through the darkness, however. This was something that lived on inside her despite her ordeal; her loveliness made him feel both empathy and pride. ¡°Sungjin Oppa...my back...it¡¯s really awful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sungjin stroked her hair; he knew that if he lied she would see through it. But he still wanted to make her feel better. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rachel. That scar can¡¯t change your real value.¡± ¡°But...¡± Rachel had tears in her eyes. She is very sensitive to this kind of thing. ¡°And I will find a way to remove it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, I will find a way, just wait and see.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sungjin Oppa! You¡¯re the best!¡± Rachel jumped into his arms with excitement. ¡°Wait,¡± Sungjin grabbed her shoulders and stopped her. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t have such close contact while undressed.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°...hmm...when a guy and a girl are just friends, it¡¯s not appropriate to get too close while naked,¡± Sungjin couldn¡¯t exin in much detail.. ¡°Oh. What is it?¡± Rachel was a bit confused and still wanted to hug him. Sungjin decided to change the subject. ¡°Now let¡¯s clean up. I¡¯ll help you with your back, and I¡¯m sure you can do the rest, right?¡± He decided a bit of distance was best. ¡°Okay, Sungjin Oppa. Huh, what are you hiding here?¡± Rachel asked as she pointed between his legs. Sungjin, usually quick with logic, didn¡¯t know how to answer Rachel¡¯s question. ¡°Oh...this...hmm...this...well, I just have a different physical shape from you.¡± That¡¯s right...she never even had a chance to learn basic things like this. She was able to listen to the voice of the goddess and stop the epidemic, but God didn¡¯t tell her the difference between guys and girls. ¡°Huh? Because you¡¯re an adult? Will I have that when I grow up?¡± ¡°No...you wouldn¡¯t because you¡¯re a girl.¡± ¡°Girls don¡¯t have it?¡± ¡°Only guys have it.¡± ¡°Wow! That sounds interesting!¡± ¡°Wait! Let¡¯s have some space between us,¡± said Sungjin stepping back to stop approaching Rachel. He was able to fight against the Blood Ruler and the Hydra, but he seemed to be having difficulty with Rachel in the nude. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not why but...hmm...I mean...¡± Sungjin developed a headache. On the battlefield, he was able to make a n to fight against enemies having ten times more force than his army, but this little girl was a challenge. He didn¡¯t know how to teach her the differences between guys and girls. It wouldn¡¯t be this ufortable if she were a boy. But he still had to teach her. ¡°Guys and girls are not supposed to have close contact, especially the part that we usually cover with clothes.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the rule.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She didn¡¯t understand, and Sungjin found it difficult to exin. ¡°Because that¡¯s only allowed for a lover.¡± ¡°Only lovers?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the same for guys, but girls shouldn¡¯t let others touch them for no reason.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± When Rachel answered, Sungjin felt relieved; but it was short-lived. ¡°Then Sungjin Oppa! I will be your lover! Then I can touch you, right?¡± Rachel approached him with excitement. ¡°No!¡± Sungjin quickly stepped back. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Bing a lover has to be consensual. I didn¡¯t consent. So the answer is no.¡± ¡°Huh...I...can¡¯t?¡± Rachel lowered her head with disappointment. With that look, Sungjin almost changed his mind, but he knew he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Because you¡¯re too young.¡± ¡°Young...I have to be older?¡± ¡°Yes, you need to grow up.¡± ¡°...can I just be your lover now?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But growing up takes too long!¡± ¡°You need to learn how to wait.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Rachel lowered her head with disappointment again. Huh, this is not easy... Sungjin now understood why people said it was difficult for a father to raise a daughter alone. ¡°Rachel.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin Oppa.¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re on the topic, you should know that you should be careful with guys.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because there are some guys who will want to touch your body and have nothing more to do with you.¡± ¡°They shouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Definitely not. It¡¯s only allowed for lovers. If random guys try to touch you, you should scream for help. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Good. Be careful with guys; some can be like wolves.¡± I am more of a lion than a wolf but still dangerous. ¡°Guys are like wolves,¡± Rachel repeated Sungjin¡¯s words only to ask him again: ¡°Hmm... but, then, you are a guy as well.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t have to be careful with Sungjin Oppa!¡± ¡°No, I mean...yes...I wouldn¡¯t do anything bad to you...¡± ¡°Sungjin Oppa is okay! I like Sungjin Oppa, so you can touch me even if we aren¡¯t lovers!¡± Rachel¡¯s smile was like sunshine, a pure invitation; she opened her arms and showed her body to him telling him he could touch whatever he wanted. ¡°...no, I shouldn¡¯t.¡± Sungjin almost fell to his knees with such a request. Sungjin was mistaken to think that it was just a bath with a child. She was not a baby anymore; her body was not that of an infant. Helping her wash herself would have been okay, but he wasn¡¯t expecting all of her difficult questions. This is out of my league. She was pure and lovely, but it was too much for him to teach her all those things. ¡°Rachel.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I was thinking since we¡¯re all a team now, we shouldn¡¯t keep your scars a secret anymore. ¡°But...¡± ¡°I understand it¡¯s embarrassing for you, but everyone on the team is kind.¡± ¡°Do you think so?¡± ¡°I promise you.¡± ¡°If you say so...¡± Rachel hesitated but ended up nodding to agree with Sungjin. ¡°Thank you, Rachel.¡± Sungjin covered himself up, led Rachel to the girl¡¯s bathroom, and knocked on the door. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± A voice responded right away. ¡°Sungjin? I¡¯m not mentally ready...not that I¡¯m not ready...¡± ¡°Okay,e in.¡± ¡°Hurray! It¡¯s Sungjin Oppa.¡± Hearing three different responses from three different people made Sungjin dizzy. They were amazing team members, but it was still a shock to deal with such intimate matters. Valha really is a different. It was hard to cope with Rachel¡¯s innocent questions, and the older girls were even more difficult to handle. When Rachel is asking embarrassing questions, it¡¯s cute, but when Ereka and Eustasia interrogate... I want to have them. Now they¡¯re in the bathtub, probably wanting to show off their beautiful naked bodies, telling him toe and join... I should stop. Sungjin fixed his clothes to cover himself up properly. He didn¡¯t want Rachel to see what he was hiding. She was too young. Let¡¯s deal with this. ¡°Rachel wants to take her bath with the girls.¡± ¡°Oh...I see,¡± Ereka said slightly disappointed. ¡°One more thing...¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°...can you teach her the differences between guys and girls? She was caged for a long time and has no idea.¡± In the past, Sungjin never tried to avoid or run away from problems. But sexual education for a girl was not a task he could carry out easily. ¡°Oh... Okay. Sure. I¡¯ll try my best.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you. Now, Rachel, get in and ask your questions to them.¡± Sungjin pushed Rachel into the bathroom and ran away before the others could see him. It was the 36th strategy from Sun Tzu¡¯s Art of War: if it bes obvious that your current course of action will lead to defeat then retreat and regroup. As long as you are not defeated, you still have a chance. They are girls, so they would be better teachers. That was Sungjin¡¯s line of reasoning, but... The girls were furious when they saw Rachel¡¯s back, but soon, Rachel feltfortable and asked them the questions she had posed earlier to Sungjin. ¡°You see, we¡¯re all women, so we can¡¯t have things like Sungjin Oppa.¡± ¡°Yes, Rachel. Guys and girls are different.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the benefit of being a girl?¡± Rachel asked. Ereka hesitated a bit before answering. ¡°Hmm...well...we¡¯re more flexible.¡± ¡°Flexible?¡± ¡°Yes, we have more flexible bodies.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so good about being flexible?¡± ¡°Oh...well...¡± Ereka wasn¡¯t sure how to best answer. Girls are more flexible, but guys have more strength. ¡°What else...oh...yes! We can wear pretty things.¡± ¡°Pretty things?¡± ¡°Yes, for example, a dress like this.¡± Ereka used her heroic power to conjure up an elegant gown. ¡°Wow!¡± Rachel didn¡¯t ask the benefit of wearing nice dresses. She loved what she saw. ¡°What else...¡± Eustasia cut in. ¡°Stop beating around the bush! You know the best thing about being a girl.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Even Ereka asked her. ¡°We can be lovers with Sungjin.¡± Ereka agreed with ps. ¡°Right. That¡¯s the most important thing to keep in mind.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Rachel responded with shiny eyes. ¡°When I tried to touch Sungjin Oppa¡¯s body, he said I couldn¡¯t because we weren¡¯t lovers. So when we be lovers, I can touch him as much as I want?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happens; when you¡¯re lovers and no one is watching, you can touch him as much as you want.¡± ¡°Wow! I get excited when Sungjin Oppa simply strokes down my hair.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re lovers, you can have close body contact, not just head or hands,¡± Ereka exined with blushing cheeks I would love it if Sungjin hugged me with his fit body... Watching Ereka¡¯s enamored expression, Rachel¡¯s eyes started to shine even more. ¡°I just want to hug him so tight...¡± ¡°I decided.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I will be Sungjin Oppa¡¯s lover!¡± ¡°Oh my, Rachel...Sungjin is such a charming guy,¡± Ereka nodded. It was so easy to fall in love with Sungjin, and Rachel had done just that. Since he had been her savior against Rupellion, it was natural that she would fall for him. Sungjin decided to keep Rachel, and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a good thing? We didn¡¯t even get a chance, and now she wants to snatch him?¡± When Eustasia asked her sharply, Ereka just smiled. ¡°What can I do? That¡¯s on Sungjin.¡± ¡°Is that your confidence speaking or have you given up hope?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s call it faith,¡± said Ereka making Jenna anxious. Your Highness...it¡¯s not the time to be generous... She felt it was quite risky as well. Ugh. She is a lolita like me... But the bigger problem was Rachel was a better lolita. She was innocent, uneducated, cursed like a tragic heroine, and took care of people like a saint. Rachel even had a higher level. Ahhhhh. My position is at risk... Unable to ess Jenna¡¯s thoughts, Rachel kept talking with a smile. ¡°Hehehe. I will be Sungjin Oppa¡¯s lover and hug him all night.¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a child, but she knows her goal. We¡¯re going to have to work harder.¡± ¡°But...Sungjin is really busy...¡± The girls continued their chat, perhaps not as educational of a talk as Sungjin had expected. Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 15

Sungjin finished his bath, looked out on the terrace, and rxed. The girls are still taking a bath; I hope Rachel is getting proper education. He thought it was a good idea to let the girls do the teaching. But then, Rachel ran into Sungjin¡¯s arms. ¡°Sungjin Oppa!¡± She ran to Sungjin like a puppy that hadn¡¯t seen her owner for three days. When she hugged him, he smelled the scent of sweet strawberries. She¡¯s a real cutie. Sungjin smiled unintentionally. ¡°Did you have a good bath?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Rachel answered with a happy voice. ¡°I have decided...¡± ¡°Decided what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be your lover!¡± Sungjin nearly choked. What did those girls tell her? ¡°So now I can hug you anytime I want to, right?¡± Rachel was in his arms before finishing her sentence. With that, her bathrobe loosened disying her soft and lovely skin. She had a beauty that had yet to bloom. ¡°Wait,¡± Sungjin quickly adjusted Rachel¡¯s bathrobe. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Only people that love each other can be lovers.¡± ¡°Huh? I like you; you don¡¯t like me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you. Love and like are two different feelings.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Sungjin couldn¡¯t find the answer. He thought she was too young to understand. Besides, I only have book knowledge not any actual experience. ¡°Hmm...it¡¯s something that you feel. When you have to ask, it means you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Oh...is it?¡± ¡°Yes. If it isn¡¯t love, we can¡¯t be lovers.¡± ¡°When do you think I¡¯ll know?¡± ¡°Later; it wille naturally.¡± Until now, Rachel was okay with Sungjin¡¯s rejection but after a series of them, Rachel became dispirited. ¡°But...what ifter neveres? I want to be your lover now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯lle naturally over time. Trust me.¡± ¡°But...what if...the time doesn¡¯te? I¡¯ve heard Rupellion is sending someone to try and recapture me.¡± Is that what she was worrying about? This didn¡¯t predicament didn¡¯t bother Sungjin, and his instincts returned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I promise we¡¯ll beat those bad guys, and you¡¯ll always be protected.¡± He had forgotten for a moment the abuse she had endured as a supposed cursed child, being caged and tortured for years. One victory wouldn¡¯t rid her of all the anxiety she had bottled up inside. She had only held her coolposure as a child of goddess to heal and help people who were in need. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course, and I will help you grow into an adult who can trust and even fall in love. So take your time and enjoy being a child for now.¡± I won¡¯t let this poor, brave girl be a sacrifice of Rupellion; I¡¯m going to make her dreamse true... ¡°Thenter I can be your lover, right?¡± ¡°...huh? Hmm...let¡¯s talk about that when you grow up. You can¡¯t control who you fall in love with.¡± I¡¯ll make some of her dreamse true, maybe not all. ¡°No! I will be your lover. Okay? Sungjin Oppa!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Teach me what I need to learn to be your lover. I¡¯ll try my best.¡± She was so cute and stubborn. She was like a nk canvas with infinite possibilities, and Sungjin had to stop the savage animal inside him that wanted to use the nk canvas. ¡°...that as well, maybeter. I have nothing I can teach you.¡± ¡°That as well?¡± ¡°There are things that you can do when you be older. Now, just do whatever you want to do and wait.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Rachel was disappointed but nodded. Sungjin started to worry about his future. It seems like being surrounded by girls is causing problems... History told of many conquerors with dilemmas caused by women, and Sungjin wondered if that would be the case for him as well. He decided not to worry about that and just to be more careful. Now all I have to worry about is the war with Rupellion. Eustasia was looking at them from a distance. ¡°Pfff. I wonder what kind of things Rachel is asking Sungjin to teach her.¡± ¡°Maybe he likes the natural ways?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. Aging different alcohol in distinct ways, that makes sense. The real connoisseurs enjoy all kinds of alcohol.¡± ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s like cake: both cheesecake and strawberry cake is delicious.¡± ¡°Right, right.¡± Listening to their conversation, Jenna pursed her tail knife. I don¡¯t have to worry about the kid taking Sungjin¡¯s attention away. I should just be more attractive in my own way. There was no limit in numbers for a conquerors¡¯ concubines. He could take as many as he wanted. Haha. I should help my queen, and then I should... Unlike Sungjin, her worries were not only about Rupellion. * * * Trouble from Rupellion wasing for Sungjin. The door of the Basilica opened; the Holy Pope had finally finished his fast prayer and arrived. He was walking with a springy step, cane in hand, and the Basilica was covered in a ck me. The gigantic building looked like it came from hell, and the sky above was dark. The ground was breathing sulfuric smoke, and the area around the Basilica wilted. Everything was losing its life, tormented and twisted. Trees became ck from curses, and the grass turned to ash. The animals were gone. What remained were aggressive red insects that looked like they would attack without mercy. The Holy Pope Pedrian was the only one with the ability to do such things, and the four priests kneeled before him. ¡°Your Excellency.¡± ¡°Did youe to greet me?¡± ¡°Please kill us.¡± ¡°What happened during my fast prayer?¡± the Holy Pope asked with a smile. ¡°So...¡± The four priests reported the events to the Holy Pope. Rachel, the child of the goddess, who was also the sacrifice to the Basilica, escaped. When they tried to get her back, they were defeated by Sungjin. The four priests had ruined 100 years of nning, and they waited to receive the Holy Pope¡¯s rage and punishment. ¡°That¡¯s what happened.¡± But the Holy Pope was not angry and his smile remained, like a generous teacher who understood the mistake of his young students. ¡°So the sacrifice escaped, and you weren¡¯t able to get her back from the young warrior?¡± ¡°Please kill us for our mistake.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t careful enough.¡± ¡°It was our fault to think it was impossible to break the seal. I also suspect the Golden Wise King of Eldorado was behind this but...we can¡¯t be sure. We failed to defeat the lion king of the south.¡± ¡°Chut chut. You let a petty thief from another world steal the sacrifice for God.¡± The Holy Pope referred to Sungjin, king of the ally of the four kingdoms, as a petty thief. ¡°But humans are imperfect. If you repent your sin sincerely, God will forgive you.¡± Despite the tenuous situation, the Holy Pope was calm; the four priestsid down and listened to the Holy Pope. Is he forgiving us? He is so generous. ¡°It¡¯s all in God¡¯s n.¡± But then, the Holy Pope¡¯s tone changed. ¡°The sacrifice can escape from mynd, but she can¡¯t escape from my hand that is the agent of God.¡± The air heated up with the Holy Pope¡¯s anger and obsession. ¡°The sacrifice that runs from her holy duty and the thief who touches the sacrifice, both need to repent in hell for their sins!¡± The four priests couldn¡¯t even look up; they realized the Holy Pope wasn¡¯t being generous but was directing his anger toward Rachel and Sungjin. ¡°They will know the weight of their unholy sins when choosing to go against God, and I shall bring the sacrifice back to the altar!¡± The Holy Pope dered this, and the four priests knew that Sungjin and Rachel would soon be punished. They were relieved. The Holy Pope began to calm down. ¡°With our holy object, we shall bring our sacrifice back. Prepare a boat.¡± An invisible power made the four priests stand up, without the Holy Pope so much as moving his finger. ¡°That means the holy object is...!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a boat?¡± ¡°Yes. When Ipleted the eight Basilicas, I received a revtion: a holy object that was waiting for a thousand years under the sea wille up to the surface.¡± ¡°We will prepare now!¡± The four priests moved quickly. Sungjin was amazing; his prediction was truly amazing. But the Holy Pope was not predicting; he received a revtion that was above and beyond prediction. When he said something would happen, that meant it would happen. Chapter 8 The day after the victory party, Kuga secretly asked for a meeting with Sungjin. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve defeated Rupellion, there¡¯s something you need to know about.¡± At the serious voice of Kuga, Sungjin¡¯s eyes became fixated. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something you should see. Would you follow me quietly?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Sungjin answered and followed. He arrived at the private room he had given Rachel for prayer. It was the ce where she prayed by herself every morning before starting her day. She had asked him not to allow anyone toe near it. Kuga asked him to be quiet and listen through the wall. When Sungjin put his ear on the wall, he was able to hear Rachel¡¯s voice. ¡°Goddess, I will cure a lot of people today as well,¡± Rachel¡¯s prayer was simple but sincere; it made Sungjin smile. He learned that faith could turn into extreme violence when it came to Rupellion, but when he looked at Rachel he knew faith could save people also. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best; I¡¯ll use the power you gave me to save everyone... so...¡± The prayer stopped abruptly. ¡°Ugh. Ahhhhh.¡± She tried not to scream out loud, but she couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. ¡°Ugh... ugh...¡± All she could do was moan as screaming was too painful. Not knowing who was behind the door listening, Rachel was crying. Goddess...when would you...end...my pain. She was trying her best to cure other people from pain while not even being able to help herself. It felt like her heart was pinned and knives were under her skin. It was like broken ss floating in her blood vessels. It was more than she would bear. The scariest thing was...the pain was getting worse. When she couldn¡¯t handle it anymore, she feared she would breathe herst breath. Would you save me before that? Please save me. I promise to be a good girl. She was screaming silently that she would save others as god¡¯s will, but to please send someone to save her... ¡°Goddess...I...I...want to... see...something...that is...called...spring.¡± Her prayer was desperate, but when Sungjin tried to get into the room, Kuga stopped him ¡°Please, leave her alone.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°This is not the first time, but she wanted to keep it secret. Since there¡¯s nothing anyone can do about this curse, she didn¡¯t want others to worry about her.¡± ¡°Rachel said that?¡± ¡°Yes, so please pretend that you don¡¯t know...¡± ¡°Get out of my way,¡± Sungjin pushed Kuga away. ¡°She wants to hide, but I want to help!¡± He ran into the room where Rachel was praying. Chapter 73

Chapter 73: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 16

¡°Rachel.¡± Sungjin held her in his arms; he could see she was in unbearable pain. As soon as he touched her, the agony spread to his body. Ugh! He almost screamed, but he stopped himself. He couldn¡¯t let Rachel hear his torment. ¡°Sungjin Oppa...leave me...alone...ugh...you too...¡± Despite her pain, Rachel still tried to push him away. ¡°That¡¯s why I tried to stop you,¡± Kuga sighed as he stood next to the pair. He knew if he even so much as hugged her, the curse would be transmitted to him as well. ¡°And that¡¯s why she wanted to keep it a secret.¡± While Kuga spoke, Sungjin heard another voice in his head. This sacrifice belongs to God. It was the Holy Pope, and Sungjin saw his apparition. You, unholy one, obey in front of the rage of God! You shall not covet what belongs to God. That was a warning. The brand on the child said Rachel¡¯s innocent body belonged to God and only the agent of God, the Holy Pope, could have her. If Sungjin was a normal human being, he would have stepped back and asked forgiveness, but Sungjin was not; he didn¡¯t let Rachel go and held her even tighter in his arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t know your pain until now.¡± He didn¡¯t scream, but tried to soothe Rachel, telling her that no matter what pain he had to feel, he wouldn¡¯t leave her. God or the Holy Pope didn¡¯t matter. Whatever force they use, I will never let you go. I will save you. Without a word, his hug told Rachel what he was thinking. ¡°Sungjin...Oppa...¡± Rachel tried to cry. Her soft skin cracked and her veins kept breaking and mending. Sungin was able to see that every nerve in her body was screaming. The tattoo on her back wriggled and ate into her skin. Sungjin had to feel the same pain. This child...had to feel this pain... Sungjin clenched his teeth so hard he almost bled in his mouth. Had he been alone in this pain, he would have been rolling around on the ground, but he couldn¡¯t let Rachel believe she had to bear this alone. Why did I only find out about this now? How can I save her? One victory against Rupellion was not enough. The saint who had saved everyone from the epidemic was suffering from the curse of the evil God. She was just a child and seeking refuge in his country was not enough to get away from the Holy Pope. The child was still abandoned in the darkness. I¡¯ll save you. I won¡¯t let you be alone anymore. I will defeat the Holy Pope and the evil God to finally free you. ¡°Ugh. Ahhhh!¡± Rachel started to cry. Through her anguish, Sungjin¡¯s presence was a relief to her. Where she could feel his body, she felt less pain. ¡°Ahhh!¡± The tears and screams she had tried to suppress erupted and Sungjin held her tightly in his arms. Although unable to stop the pain, he was able to promise her that he wouldn¡¯t leave her. He offered her the hope that she could be saved. Kuga looked at the two silently feeling both empathy and pity. ¡°Rachel...¡± ¡°Ugh...ugh...¡± Rachel¡¯s pain quieted down, but she was so exhausted that she fainted. She could have been more like a child and cried... To think, she had tried to hide such excruciating pain. She was not just an innocent and lovely girl, she was beyond lovely; she was like a lotus that had bloomed from the deep darkness of the world. She tried to bury her pain to protect others. ¡°Has she been carrying this misery all along?¡± Sungjin asked Kuga as he continued holding Rachel in his arms. ¡°Yes, every time the curse engraves deeper on her heart, it activates the pain.¡± ¡°The Holy Nation...what did they do to this child?¡± Sungjin¡¯s voice was ice cold. He was not angry but in a cold in rage. ¡°Her tattoo is not a tattoo; it¡¯s an embodiment of the curse. The real curse has been engraved on her heart.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the curse?¡± ¡°She gets the pains every day, and it further chains her heart and body. Eventually, the time wille when the evil God will take away her life.¡± ¡°When is that?¡± Kuga paused before answering the question. ¡°Her next birthday; we have six more months.¡± Sungjin now understood why Rachel said she hoped the day woulde when she would be grown up. It was not because of the fear that the fanatics of Rupellions maye after her. It was the fear of death she was fighting every day. It was through her pain that she realized her death was near. She had kept it to herself to prevent others from worrying about her. Sungjin would have preferred that she had been crying out for help. She thought she had no future; she thought she would never be an adult or fall in love with someone. But now, it was going to be different. I will give her that future. ¡°Tell me how to lift this curse.¡± ¡°You need to get the fruit of God.¡± ¡°The fruit of God?¡± With Sungjin¡¯s question, Kuga looked at him with his glowing rainbow-colored fur. It looked like a star hade down from the sky and was shining before him. Kuga¡¯s voice didn¡¯te from his mouth; the air around him vibrated and made the sound. Through a thousand years, the sentiment of the world has flowed underground to make an ocean of sentiments and to bloom one flower of a dream. Sungjin couldn¡¯t figure out if it was Kuga talking or the goddess. That is the crystalized miracle of god. When someone deserving holds the flower, the person¡¯s wish wille true. The light made ripples, disappeared, and Kuga took a deep breath. ¡°Those were the words of the goddess. The fruit of God is produced once every thousand years in secret.¡± ¡°The fruit of God...when is the next fruit due?¡± Sungjin eyes shone sharply. Believed to be a myth, if Kuga said the cure was the fruit of God, it had to be more than a myth. ¡°Yes, we should be able to catch the timing.¡± ¡°The child of God and the fruit of God...¡± ¡°The timing is not a coincidence.¡± ¡°Of course; where can we get the fruit of God?¡± ¡°On illusion ind.¡± ¡°Where is illusion ind?¡± Sungjin knew it was possibly in Valha. It was a ce where they had the power of gods, both mystery and magic together. A ce with an invincible shield and a cursed blood sword that could destroy a mountain. The fruit of God was real. ¡°It¡¯s in the middle of Asn Ocean on the east side from here. We can locate it on the marine chart, but the problem is it¡¯s in the middle of the ocean between Rupellion and the four kingdoms.¡± ¡°So, we should be the first ones there. Let¡¯s talk more about thatter.¡± ¡°Hmm...there¡¯s one more thing.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Kuga hesitated before speaking. ¡°I should tell you the whole truth. With the fruit, we can lift more than just the curse of Rachel.¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡°We could probably solve your issue with the level.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The legend says everything is possible with the miracle of God, and a thousand years ago... the fruit was used to give the level.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, well, the story is from a thousand years ago, so we can¡¯t be 100 percent sure, but it¡¯s most likely true.¡± Should he save Rachel or should he use the fruit to achieve his dreams? ¡°Got it,¡± Sungjin answered without hesitation. ¡°What will you do?¡± ¡°Save Rachel; that was the whole point from the beginning.¡± When he answered without dy, Kuga didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°But don¡¯t you want to get your level? Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve always wanted?¡± ¡°Wanted? I would say it¡¯s a necessity.¡± Sungjin knew to get to the center and then the sacred territory, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with only his intelligence and physical power as a human. His enemies were getting stronger and at some point he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight them without a new kind of power. But that¡¯s why... ¡°I will find a way myself. The fruit that can save the child has to be used for the child.¡± When Sungjin dered this confidently, Kuga bowed down. ¡°I apologize for thinking you needed time to make your decision.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s tell Rachel the good news.¡± Before he finished his sentence, Rachel woke up. ¡°Oh...Sungjin Oppa?¡± ¡°The next time you¡¯re in such horrible pain, tell me.¡± ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t want to make you worry about me.¡± ¡°Yes. I know sometimes I can¡¯t really help you, but...¡± Sungjin held Rachel¡¯s hands. ¡°I know, but I want to at least try to find a solution. Not knowing the pain of your team members is a sad thing.¡± ¡°Is...it?¡± ¡°It is. Let me worry about you and try to help you.¡± Rachel blushed. Oh...your arms are so warm and sweet. Sungjin¡¯s every word touched her heart. She was so happy that there was someone worrying about her and wishing she wouldn¡¯t feel pain. When he held her in his arms feeling the same pain...she felt bad but relieved. Before, when experiencing the pain, she sometimes doubted if the goddess would really save her; but when he hugged her, she felt like she was able to see a brighter future. ¡°Rachel, there¡¯s good news.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I know how to lift the curse; Kuga had a divine revtion.¡± Rachel¡¯s body was shivering with surprise. ¡°Re...really my curse can be lifted?¡± Kuga nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, the goddess revealed how.¡± ¡°The goddess...¡± Rachel didn¡¯t know what to say or do. ¡°Thank you...thank you...really thank you...¡± She started to cry again. ¡°Thank you for saving me...I will try...harder...from now on...¡± Sungjin had cheered her up. ¡°Now you don¡¯t have to hide your pain anymore.¡± ¡°So I can...be cured? I won¡¯t need to feel the pain anymore?¡± ¡°Yes, soon you will be,¡± Sungjin promised. ¡°...I¡¯m so happy...so happy...but I can¡¯t stop crying...¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re so happy,¡± Sungjin held her tight. Her body was so small and thin. She was a child of God who could hear the voice of nature, and she was the saint who had saved everyone from the epidemic. She was a supporter of level seven and, at the same time, just a little fragile child. A child hidden away from the sunlight until recently, one who religious fanatics had made a sacrifice, forced to feel pain tearing her body apart every day, the whole time waiting for the goddess to save her. That was Rachel. I will find the fruit of God to lift her curse. Sungjin promised himself again. There must be more than just a child of God or the fruit of God. Rupellion and Eldorado were hiding something, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Whatever conspiracy they were hiding, whatever n was waiting for me, I will keep going forward and save her. There must be people trying to use this, but I will save this little girl. ¡°I will save you.¡± Sungjin promised. ¡°Sungjin Oppa...thank you...¡± Chapter 74

Chapter 74: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 17

Rachel could not stop crying. ¡°Now, now. Let¡¯s stop that. You need to tell everyone you¡¯re leaving to cure yourself from the curse.¡± ¡°Oppa can go ahead. I will be right with you after washing my face.¡± ¡°Okay, after that, please join us in the meeting room.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rachel teared up once again after she had sent Sungjin away. She was still d. ¡°He is a veryforting presence to you,¡± Kuga said to Rachel. ¡°Hehe, I know.¡± ¡°He could have used God¡¯s fruit to gain himself a level but gave it up for you.¡± ¡°He did?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yes and without hesitation. He really does care for you.¡± ¡°Oppa...for me...¡± Rachel gathered her hands together. Her cheeks were colored a light red. Oppa... The one who guided her, gave her power, and taught her how to live was the goddess. But Oppa was the person who protected her in real life. She had already liked her brother, and now she liked him even more. Oppa, thank you so much. She swore to herself once again that she would do something for him in the near future. Something warm was starting to grow bigger within her chest. ****** Chapter 9 Sungjin gathered his teammates together immediately. Although surprised by Rachel¡¯s story and the existence of God¡¯s fruit, they agreed to join the search. ¡°To think, we may be able to save Miss Rachel; we should hurry.¡± At Ereka¡¯s words, Eustasia sighed. She gazed at Sungjin. Did you not think how much more you could achieve by gaining your level with that fruit? It was not as if she did not pity Rachel, but she believed that a king should look at the big picture. To gain some vigor as an emperor, one had to at least have a decisive personality. At the silent question, Sungjin only smirked. And why leave Rachel out of that world? After understanding Sungjin¡¯s smile, Eustasisa gave up. It¡¯s hopeless. It¡¯s just like him to desire victory even with the burden of a child. It looked like she would have to be the one to discuss realistic matters. ¡°The problem is that if this fruit is such a great holy thing other major powers would be attempting to go after it also.¡± ¡°I suppose. If others knew of this matter they would surely be aiming for this fruit.¡± Sungjin was not going to move with ignorant assumption. ¡°Kuga, if the oracle revealed this information to you, it¡¯s highly probable that the High Priest know of it as well, right?¡± Kuga thought for a moment before nodding his head. ¡°We can¡¯t know for certain, but we should be prepared.¡± ¡°Eldorado may be further away in the southern continents, but we need to cover all of our bases.¡± Sungjin thought for a moment before pulling out the world map. ¡°Pinpoint exactly where the ind is.¡± ¡°Here. It was originally a structure of six inds, but once every thousand years the seventh ind emerges. It remains for only one half of the day before re-submerging.¡± ¡°That means we need to reach the ind within that time period to obtain the fruit.¡± ¡°Correct. There is only one chance, and that chance is the next full moon.¡± ¡°Fine. It would be best to travel from Port Nandebrook. Eustasia, can you prepare thergest sailing ship?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need at least a week.¡± ¡°One week...would you be able to make it in time for the next full moon?¡± Suddenly Rachel raised her hand. ¡°I will ask the wind and seas to help!¡± ¡°Is that possible?¡± Rachel smiled widely. ¡°Of course! I need to try my best too!¡± ¡°Then there should be no problem. Now, all there¡¯s left is understanding the movement of the other powers...I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± ****** On the fifth day, the information department reported to him: ¡°Master Sungjin, a sailing ship has entered Port Schugrut of Rupellion, which you had ordered to be ced under watch. It seems to be preparing for immediate departure.¡± ¡°As expected. If Rupellion wishes to reach that ind, their starting point would be that port.¡± At the spy¡¯s dispatch, Sungjin smiled widely and turned towards Kuga. ¡°It seems like the oracle you were given has been received on their end too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the time to be smiling. If the fruit ends up in their hands, there will be no more paths to save Rachel.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Why are you smiling then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s boring to have a fight without an opponent.¡± It would be dull if his greatest foe did not have an informationwork asrge as his; he was not disappointed in that regard. Although, I am the one who will get the fruit. To save Rachel. ¡°I¡¯m going to win this fight.¡± ¡°Kuh, you¡¯re full of it.¡± ¡°Ha. I didn¡¯t say I would simply sit by and watch. Why do you think I ordered surveince on Port Schugrut?¡± As he thought more, an evil smile spread across his face. This search for the fruit was different from all of the other fights before. This was not a formal battle one would proim and enter with two teams fighting against one another. The imaginary ind where the fruit was to bear was not an ordinary ce. If it was a normal territory, it would have been divided and ruled with conditions andws as a god¡¯s realm, and the most important rule within those realms was the prevention of other heroes from shing with one another. But the imaginary ind did not have such rules, which meant if the battlefield¡¯s y ended within the battlefield, it could mean actual life or death. So what abilities could one have on the ind? No one had pondered this question. Why would those living in the desert ponder on how to survive within the jungle? ¡°Was it not to understand their movements and take preventive measures?¡± Kuga was not ignorant. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s that, but that¡¯s not all.¡± Only Sungjin who was unique enough to have nned another strategy. He looked towards Eustasia. ¡°Eustasia, are you ready?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it would normally take a week to prepare a sailing ship?¡± Kuga, who had thought there was yet two more days to prepare, tilted his head. ¡°Not that.¡± ¡°What else is there?¡± ¡°You will know soon enough. If I tell you, there will be no fun in watching the show.¡± ****** It waste night. The tide in Port Schugrut, where Rupellion¡¯s sailing boats were docked, were turned towards shore. Tiny boats quietly floated into the port with the tide. No one knew of the nearing vessels in the deep night. This world did not have a system of a surprise attack on docked crafts in the middle of the night. A battle urred on the battlefield. Why would they be wary of the port? The night raid was a sess. As soon as the small boats touched the shoreline, they started burning as one. ¡°Fire!¡± the people on the port shouted hurriedly, but it was toote. The small boats full of gunpowder and oil had already set the sailing boats on fire with uncontroble mes. Without time to repel or douse the mes, the sailing boats burned and sunk. The High Priest now had no transportation to the imaginary ind. ****** A momentter Eustasia reported to Sungjin: ¡°The fire attack seeded. Rupellion¡¯s boats were sunk.¡± Sungjin smiled. ¡°Tell everyone they did a good job while and hand out the promised rewards.¡± The meeting room¡¯s atmosphere turned bright immediately. ¡°I suppose Miss Rachel would be saved with this sabotage.¡± Ereka smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a strategy worthy of praise.¡± Rittier ced his hands on his chest to show his respect. ¡°There¡¯s no need for exaggeration.¡± ¡°I think it was amazing too.¡± Eustasia looked at Rittier at the same time. ¡°Float small vessels down with the tide to stop the enemy from sailing. It was a simple but effective surprise attack.¡± In a normal war, everyone else thought about how to fight against their hero enemies once already on the battlefield. That was war, after all. But Sungjin had to think a bit further because the imaginary ind was outside of God¡¯s realm; therefore, the fight could turn into a real life or death situation. To this world, war was about one¡¯s allied heroes and the enemy¡¯s heroes fighting head-on. That was the extent of their thoughts. But Sungjin had revealed another side. ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. It¡¯s happened several times on Earth, something like the Battle of Cis.¡± The British had used the same strategy when fighting the Spanish armada. It was a strategy learned easily with a bit of Earth¡¯s history in warfare, but to this world it was a new tactic. Sungjin wasn¡¯t confined to Valha¡¯s way of thinking. ¡°Your strategy was incredible. With this, the High Priest will be unable toe to the ind and wouldn¡¯t that be a victory?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ereka blinked her eyes as Eustasia had said everything she had wanted to say. ¡°Then it¡¯s guaranteed we¡¯ll get the fruit!¡± Rachel turned around and around in excitement as her skirt danced in the air. ¡°Yes, I will help you get it. But it¡¯s too early to let our guard down. We should hurry and get going.¡± Sungjin smiled with this promise but still proceeded with caution. We will seed with everything after securing victory. The sailing ship carrying them left the harbor. The atmosphere was lively in Sungjin¡¯s boat. If the High Priest could note to the ind at all, it was possible to achieve their objective without a fight. The fight against the Holy Nation could be dyed until after Rachel¡¯s curse was released. Although not a victory on the battlefield, it had been a triumph of strategy. ****** Sungjin¡¯s boat moved across the sea quickly. Although they didn¡¯t have a perfect map of the sea, it had its use. ¡°Goddess, please help move the boat faster.¡± The prayer was simple, but it resounded greatly. Around Rachel, who was holding her hands together, a ripple expanded with pure light. Nature had listened to her request. Wind began to gather; the hanging sails started to stretch; the sea trembled as it pushed the boat. With Rachel¡¯s wish, the wind and sea propelled them forward. Sungjin¡¯s boat arrived to their destination in record time. At the incredible picture, everyone cheered in admiration; it was a different type of otherworldliness to have nature respond to one¡¯s wishes, one almost expected from God¡¯s child. But there was a small problem. ¡°Uu...I¡¯m sorry, Sungjin.¡± Ereka, who had been suffering from seasickness, copsed on the bed. Beside her, Sungjin ced a wet towel on her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay; you usually take care of all of my daily needs, don¡¯t you?¡± She had prepared all the meals and teas to his tastes; the bedroom was always clean; his clothes were designed simr to the future he came from. He always knew Ereka was behind the maids¡¯ movements and was always thankful. ¡°Still....¡± ¡°For now, don¡¯t think of anything and take a break. It would be better to close your eyes too.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± ¡°Are you heating up? Your cheeks are red.¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Ereka smiled shyly. To be honest, it¡¯s not that... I¡¯m sorry yet so happy that you¡¯re nursing me. She knew she was imposing, but she was happy. She told herself she could be greedy for just this one journey. By the window, Jenna waved her tail. Ahh. It¡¯s a great atmosphere, My Queen, just like this. Eustasia started swaying and came to lie down near Ereka. ¡°Sorry, I think traveling by boat is a little hard for me too.¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°Could you nurse me too?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be sorry. I¡¯ll bring one more towel.¡± Sungjin stood from his seat. ¡°It seems you¡¯re just like me with this, Eustasia.¡± Ereka smiled as she felt something inmon with her. Sorry, honestly, I¡¯m fine. Eustasia apologized in her mind. She was someone who could absorb the movements of the water. The meager movements of the boat only amused her. But she did be jealous of the warm atmosphere these two were making. Let¡¯s enjoy it together. Jenna¡¯s tail stood up straight. Kaa. That thing, she dares interrupt the two. But if she moved too abruptly, she knew the ambience would be ruined. I¡¯ll hold back for now. The thought of her direct rival, Rachel, busy in her prayers gave her some relief. At Jenna¡¯s hostile re, Rachel quickly defended herself. ¡°Ah. Um. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to treat them. It¡¯s just that we want to arrive as quickly as possible, so Oppa told me to concentrate on moving the wind and the sea.¡± Jenna¡¯s tail went down. Sigh. What¡¯s the point of fighting with a child. What was the point of her being God¡¯s child? She seemed blind to what was happening. Through the sometimes tumultuous waves, the boat pushed forward and finally arrived on the ind, the non-existing but very real imaginary ind. Chapter 75

Chapter 75: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 18

Chapter 10 The Ermeth Archipgo was a mystical ce with six inds that few had visited. It was fortunate the archipgo was known in this world where maritime trade had not yet been developed. The six small inds were much more beautiful than imagined. Trees were full and lush, and wild birds of unknown species flew about. But that was not all Sungjin and his crew were looking for. ¡°The seventh ind should appear soon.¡± ¡°It will appear. It is the goddess¡¯ words,¡± Kuga ascertained, and he was right. It began with a whirlpool. The water swirled as if the dragon of the sea was dancing. The pool ignored thews of nature and curled upwards. It split once again and a face of dry earth appeared. One half waspletely ck and the other halfpletely white. It reminded one of basalt and marble, but the ind wasposed of twopletely different materials of rocks, which made it seem more like a piece of art. ¡°It¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± While the girls shouted, Sungjin silently enjoyed the spectacr sight. There are no words for it. This magical ind is truly another world. To think that he would see something in real life that he had only seen portrayed in movies. On Earth, these kinds of changes happened at a much slower pace. It seems appropriate that God¡¯s fruit would be on this ind. It was also unpredictable what would happen if God¡¯s fruit, blossoming only every thousand years, ended up in the hands of the High Priest. Factoring in the eight grand temples, God¡¯s child, God¡¯s fruit, Sungjin didn¡¯t know what the end result would be, but he knew it was something that should be prevented. If I gain the fruit first and use it to release Rachel from her curse, it would be hitting two birds with one stone. If Kuga was right that he could gain a level too it would be akin to killing three birds with one stone. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s put down the anchor here and approach on a smaller vessel.¡± At Sungjin¡¯s orders, everyone moved. The ind exuded a somewhat mystical atmosphere. Although the overall appearance was of an equteral triangle, one side was the shore and another a cliff. At the end of that cliff, where ck and white met in a single border, was one sole tree, leafless, with a single fruit about the size of Sungjin¡¯s fist. ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s nothing I need to know before grabbing the fruit?¡± Kuga confirmed once more: ¡°None. If there was, the goddess would have given additional information.¡± ¡°Fine, l trust your words.¡± ¡°But remember, the moment you get the fruit the ind will begin to sink.¡± ¡°Got it. Let¡¯s all move.¡± *** Meanwhile, the Holy Nation had turned into a bloodthirsty atmosphere. All the great priests kneeled before the High Priest Pedrian begging for their deaths. ¡°Your Excellency.¡± ¡°All the boats burned leaving no way to set sail?¡± ¡°We are truly sorry.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve let down your guard once more.¡± ¡°We did not think that he would use such tricks.¡± The High Priests bowed down; there was no need for exnation. Now Sungjin would be able to capture the fruit without opposition, but the High Priest wasn¡¯t angered. ¡°Let¡¯s not worry too much. A human¡¯s ns cannot overstep the ns of God.¡± ¡°But what should we do? We can¡¯t set sail.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll head towards the sea.¡± ¡°But...but we don¡¯t have a boat. We have ordered the boat docked at Port Eser toe immediately, but we must still wait three days for it to get here.¡± ¡°Why is there no boat? There¡¯s one there.¡± The High Priest pointed his walking stick with a soft smile. At the ce the High Priest had pointed was a very small boat that looked like it could barely hold five people. It was a boat the fishermen used. It had no sails and was made to move with oars. It had survived the fire because it had been docked in the corner. ¡°Look, there is the ship God has left for us.¡± The great priests quickly tried to hold back the High Priest. ¡°Your Excellency that small fishing boat will not work. The sea near the ind is too rough.¡± ¡°Yes, a new boat wille.¡± ¡°Where would you ce the supplies needed for the voyage?¡± ¡°And if we all board, there will be no space for Your Excellency¡¯s sleep.¡± ¡°Not only that, the boat will move slower; even if we leave early, it would take an eternity to get there.¡± Tap. The High Priest raised his stick and lightly tapped the heads of the great priests. It was a light hit, like the flick of a finger, but the great priests fell silent immediately. ¡°How could there be so little faith in those who call themselves great priests?¡± He walked towards the small rowboat without hesitation. The great priests followed him not knowing what to do. ¡°With God¡¯s protection, even with a rowboat, we¡¯ll be safe from even the most vicious storm.¡± It was absurd, but as the High Priest has said so it was advocated as truth. ¡°If God abandoned us, we could take a hundred sailing ships, and they would all be destroyed.¡± He boarded the rowboat. ¡°Now, everyone get on. We must recover the sacrifice for God.¡± The great priests were troubled. The small boat was definitely not equipped to take them all safely, or quickly, through the deep seas, and there was also no room for food or supplies to make the journey. Even if they made the treacherous trip to the imaginary ind, they would starve to death. The only reasonable thing to do would be to wait until the sailing boat arrived; Sungjin¡¯s strategy appeared to have proved sessful. But the High Priest¡¯s full strength was unknown to the group and the world. There was only one answer. ¡°Yes, Your Excellency.¡± They followed after him. The High Priest and the four great priests, the central power of Rupellion, began to board the small boat. It would be a long voyage, and there was not even a bed to sleep on. But the High Priest was not shaken in his determination. Instead, he stood on the end of the boat and prayed. ¡°God, guide us.¡± He worshipped a powerless, mad god. Normally, he would have beenughed at. But... Crash. With a resounding pitch, the water propelled the rowboat to move at a speed that was beyond its normal limits. ¡°With...with God¡¯s guidance.¡± The great priests kneeled. As the boat gained speed, the movements evened out. It was such smooth sailing that if they closed their eyes, they could imagine they were onnd. What else could this be called other than a miracle? As expected...of His Excellency, the High Priest. They also used the powers borrowed by a god, but it was of a different cut. But what about food and water? There was nothing on the rowboat. Even with record speed, it would be a long journey back and forth from the ind. The great priests pushed this out of their minds. If the High Priest prays, any problem would be solved. Their faith would provide for them. ¡°God, please have your children be not thirsty nor starved.¡± After he shouted, the light that poured from the High Priest wound around the great priests. Although they had not eaten, nor drank, nor slept, they were full of vitality. ¡°God,¡± the great priests prayed while kneeling. As expected, the High Priest was with God. It was the strength of a different dimension and made their powers appear miniscule inparison. He lived with God and acted with God. They were only to follow. They arrived on the imaginary ind in one piece, and the sailboat that Sungjin had docked came into view. ¡°Your Excellency, on the ind... there is already a docked boat. I think we¡¯re toote.¡± When the blue great priest began to panic, Pedrian scolded him. ¡°Calm down. To see a boat means the heretics have yet to run away with the stolen fruit.¡± ¡°You¡¯re correct.¡± ¡°You would have realized this if you would just stop and think; you¡¯ve all be timid after too many defeats.¡± ¡°We apologize.¡± ¡°Perhaps this is an opportunity. We may be able to demolish them all today. First, let¡¯s sink the boat of the heretics.¡± With a voice full of love, the High Priest nonchntly ordered their deaths. ¡°Those who have lusted after God¡¯s sacrifice, you shall repent at the bottom of the sea.¡± Under the benevolent voice was a cold anger reserved for Sungjin. It was the rage of the owner of a herd of sheep that had just ordered the death of the wolf that had stolen his sacrifice for God. ¡°It will be as you have ordered.¡± The great priests aimed their forces towards Sungjin¡¯s boat. The one lone boat was scrapped in the blink of an eye. With this, Sungjin and his team had no way of returning home. Of course, the rowboat Pedrian had used to get there was left, but it was only possible for the High Priest to travel the ocean in such a small boat safely. Huh, I suppose the great emperor of the south will die a meaningless death. The ck great priest, Pangnilin, thought this as he watched thest remains of the boat disappear. If, by the smallest chance, Sungjin won over themselves and the High Priest, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the ind. What remained for him was to sink along with the rest of the ind. If he had not attacked in the night he could have at least saved his own life. If that had happened, they would have taken the fruit and left early. Sungjin¡¯s group would have found nothing and returned with bare hands, though they would still have had a way home. But would that not also be God¡¯s ns? Afterwards, they went up the narrow path. They spotted Sungjin about to pick the fruit. It was ording to the High Priest¡¯s predictions. They had arrived just a moment toote. Pedrian and Sungjin¡¯s eyes met. Pedrian simply smiled a benevolent smile towards Sungjin who exuded a frigid air. No one could read his emotions under his closed eyes. ¡°Now that you have touched the fruit God has given us, what punishment should we administer for you to repent? No ordinary punishment will do.¡± With minor crimes being punished with repetitive torture and healing, the priests couldn¡¯t imagine what punishment would befall Sungjin. ¡°You¡¯re the head of that crazy faith?¡± Sungjin provoked him further. ¡°Hahahaha. There is much sin and corruption in your mouth, you and your pitiful existence. I should generously give you a chance to repent.¡± For Sungjin, it appeared to be toote to escape the fate that awaited him from the High Priest and the 4 great priests. Each and every one could overpower Sungjin, who was only level zero. It was enough to be wary of one person who could perform swordsmanship of perfect calctions but five to one, including the High Priest, was simply devastating. ¡°Oh? But I won¡¯t give you a chance,¡± Sungjin replied. With the fruit in his hands, he jumped off the cliff. Pangnilin was shocked; jumping from that height was suicide. From the cliff to the waters was 100 meters. It was a distance a level zero was certain to die of at that speed. Sungjin didn¡¯t seem like the type of man who wouldmit suicide or was it that he could not hand over the fruit? Kwaaaaa. Sungjin was alive. His sword had slowed his speed with suspension as he fell. He leisurely glided through the air andnded safely in the sea. Kuk. Was that it?! Pangnilin finally understood. He recognized the ck light in Sungjin¡¯s hands. The famous holy sword of heaven¡¯s will, Durandal. As Eustasia¡¯s could use long-ranged sword attacks freely, Sungjin used it as a flight tool; it was enough to avoid death by falling. To think he would use it in such a manner. But where was Eustasia who controlled the sword? The riddle was solved quickly. The sea split, and arge turtle emerged. The width of its back was enough to carry five people and a beast with space to spare. It was Rachel¡¯s second ability: to be loved by nature. Her songs and prayers moved nts and animals, even sea creatures. On its back were his other four teammates. Landing in a suitable spot, Sungjin returned the sword. ¡°Now, Eustasia. It¡¯s time.¡± At his order, she responded immediately. ¡°The Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will, Durandal!¡± The pure aura of the sword reached the heavens and disyed a sparkling light that then fell down. The speed of the sword was like a starfall. The twelve beautiful connected stars were judges of the sky, and the starsnded on the docked wooden boat. ¡°No!¡± The boat was destroyed before the priests had a chance to panic. It was a swift attack, and they had no words. ¡°You all can die.¡± Sungjin leisurely announced while drifting away from the ind on the sea turtle. Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 19

This ce was not the battlefield. It was also not within any region ruled by a god, which was why heroes could fight among themselves. Yet... Even heroes lost theirmon sense. Not only were heroes able to fight against each other, objects could be broken as before. Breaking the enemy¡¯s boat to take away their transportation was only part of the n. Sungjin had prepared for them to be chased down, despite having broken Rupellion¡¯s boat. He knew the priests could also use a god¡¯s ability. After all, the High Priest Pedrian had divided the continent into two. Rachel could raise the speed of the boat by calling forth the protection of the wind, so it was possible the High Priest could do the same. It was so. The design of his n not only aimed towards preventing the High Priest from moving but to drain his enemy¡¯s strength. Sungjin had dug a trap using the knowledge that the ind would sink once the fruit was taken. He had everyone wait under the cliff and was able to escape immediately after the appearance of the High Priest. This was his true n, and the result was an astounding sess. Rumble. The imaginary ind that appeared every thousand years started to sink. The earth sunk beneath the surface of the ocean, allowing the waters to consume it rapidly. The ind returned to the waters that it hade from. It became a death trap. He had waited for them intentionally, and they arrived right on time. Good bye. Sungjin smiled leisurely. The upper echelon of the Holy Nation Rupellion had been sealed. If the High Priest with his absolute charisma and authoritative tyranny was to disappear, the city would fall into chaos, and it would be easy game for the rest of the country. His only remainingpetition would be Eldorado. In addition, the conspiracy to use the eight grand temples and the holy fruit with Rachel as the sacrifice would end. He still was not sure of all the details of the conspiracy, but if those who were on the forefront, as he predicted, the project was sure to slow. The turtle that carried Sungjin and the rest of the team quickly began to swim far from the ind. ¡°It¡¯s aplete victory.¡± Eustasia smiled brightly at his side. There was no point in fighting on a battlefield. Several victories would have been required to conquer all of Rupellion, but if he could seed here all that was left were thoseckeys whose fate had been sealed. Before the gathering waters, the great priests had given up hope. Are we to die like this? The nearest ind from there was 10 kilometers away. If the sea was calm, they could have swam there, if they knew how to swim, which they didn¡¯t. But the seas surrounding them were violent whirlpools. With the high risk of being swept away, what was the point of even trying to cross several whirlpools at once? Although they were level seven heroes, to nature they were only humans. The High Priest stuck down his cane on the ground after seeing them on the ground with tears in their eyes. ¡°Get it together. It is in times like this that you should pray more fervently. Why are you like this?¡± ¡°Bu... but....¡± ¡°Our lives are about to be snuffed out after having walked into the enemy¡¯s trap...¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we are saddened for our lives, but we are worried that we have not aplished God¡¯s will.¡± Even in theirst moments, they reworded their thoughts, per their habits. ¡°There is no need to worry.¡± Disappointment resounded in his voice. ¡°When following God¡¯s orders, how could a mere human¡¯s n interfere in his will!¡± The High Priest shouted unlike his usual self. ¡°We have not even aplished our task given to us by God, so how could our God not give us strength when we pray with sincerity!¡± The High Priest raised his hands towards the sky. ¡°You lowly humans, watch your powerlessness before God! God, bring down your holy hand and save us all!¡± The High Priest shouted at the top of his lungs. This was not the shout of a human being. It was the voice of God shouting through a human¡¯s body as a medium. Bang. Bang. The eight holy temples constructed throughout thends of Rupellion shook as one. The ck mes, which had wound around the temples, shot upwards and made a pir between the earth and sky. It traversed the sky towards where the High priest stood. The power rocketed towards the High Priest. The power was a congregation of force beyond rules. The great priests could no nothing but quake in fear on the ground before the absolute power. His Excellency... Has finally released his powers... Pedrian opened his eyes. He swung his cane up and down as he shouted: ¡°God Hand!¡± Air exploded outwards. The ground split. A storm escaped above with a screech, and the ground ripped apart with a groan. The concentration of energy created in that moment was inexplicable by the rules and logic of nature. It was truly God¡¯s miracle. And... Arge handposed of ck mes shot forwards from the High Priest. As the hand passed, the sea split, and a road was created. It was transcendental. The power of nature was something from a lesser world. Before God¡¯s power, which had seated itself beyond the horizon, it could only grovel and make way. Crash. The bottom of the ocean, which they could walk upon, was created between the waters. ¡°Oooooh!¡± The great priests cried at the moving scene. He was right. What were they scared and worried about? What about the young lion of the south with a devilish strategic mind? They had their High Priest who stood on behalf of their God. So their enemy had burned their ships with a surprise night attack? Their High Priest could cross the ocean on a rowboat. Mother nature sunk their ship? Let them do so. Even if they did, their god would protect them. They slowly walked towards the neighboring ind. The seas could not approach the path God¡¯s hand had passed. ****** ¡°He...split the ocean?¡± Before the extraordinary amount of power, even Sungjin became speechless. It was the High Priest. Sungjin estimated he would have quite some power. So he dug two traps. He had tried to use the imaginary ind to submerge them under the ocean. Although I didn¡¯t know my prediction was way off. No one else could speak for a few moments. The Blood Ruler¡¯s awakened powers also caused destruction. But it was not to the point of splitting the ocean. They were in different leagues. After a long while, Eustasia finally opened her mouth. ¡°We should be called the victors in iming the fruit but...¡± That was a level that made it nowhere near a tie. If getting rid of the opponentpletely was a victory, gaining the fruit also had meaning. At the very least, they had found a way to save Rachel and with that had gotten rid of any ns the High Priest had. ¡°Our battles ahead will not be easy.¡± They knew this was not a level they could catch up to even with the current win under their belts. ¡°As expected...of the High Priest...I suppose.¡± Ereka recalled her showdown with the Blood Ruler and shivered. They had barely won, but it had truly been a bloodthirsty battle. Their victory was miraculous. But the enemy the Blood Ruler had to look up to and challenge, High Priest Pedrian, this power was the truth of his legacies. Jenna could not speak but trembled her tail. If she was before thatrge hand, she would have burned to death with a single attack. Rachel hung onto Kuga¡¯s tail and trembled in fear. Goddess...Help... The God which helped the High Priest was extremely strong. Could the goddess which guided her be their god¡¯s opponent? She certainly hoped she was. Dread settled into everyone¡¯s thoughts. And Sungjin... Barely held in hisughter. Ku. Kuhu. Yes. He is my new enemy. A suspenseful fight was waiting for him. He looked at the High Priest who was walking between the waves. Although they were heading towards opposite ends, he felt as if their eyes had met. His heartbeat soared. His blood boiled. He felt sympathy towards those stepped on by the High Priest, and he also felt apetitive spirit awaken within him. Pedrian possessed power that transcended others. He possessed powers beyond the Blood King. It was true his team had gained strength since then, but the enemy had grown stronger. The fight in the future would be brutal. Was this not the fight he had yearned for every since he began to aim for Arc Master after being summoned to this world? In consideration of Rachel and everyone else trembling in fright perhaps he should not be so uplifted yet. Hoo. But these were his undeniable instincts. He knew of this. Therefore... I must win. He would also win the fight with the High Priest. He must win, for Rachel and everyone else. This was his responsibility as leader of the kingdom. He was also responsible for his emotions. Against the strongest foe with no certainty of winning, he would wage the greatest fight of his life. It would be glorious. ****** The High Priest Pedrian looked towards Sungjin as he traveled across the divided sea. His cold eyes seemed to speak: You need not be happy for escaping this ce. We will chase them down soon enough, and the power that splits seas will punish you. You can have the fruit; everything is within God¡¯s hands. I will take back both the sacrifice and the fruit. He closed his eyes halfway. ¡°We will first return to our homnd. And...¡± A grave voice foretold: ¡°Afterwards, the enemy shall be punished in a most severe manner, and everything shall return to our God¡¯s hands.¡± The great priests bowed their heads as one. ¡°As you wish. Everything will be as God wants. Inshangra.¡± The first battle between Sungjin and the High Priest Pedrian ended in a tie. Sungjin¡¯s strategy moved the ocean, but Pedrian sted away the ocean.Their meeting ended with a simple recognition towards one another. But that was not the end. It was only the beginning of the violent struggle that held Rachel hostage in the middle. ****** Returning on the back of the turtle, Sungjin gave Rachel the fruit. ¡°Now, use this to unravel the curse.¡± Rachel looked at Sungjin and teared up once more. ¡°Thank you so much, Oppa...¡± ¡°Thankter and use it now.¡± Sungjin patted her head warmly. ¡°Yes.¡± Rachel swallowed the fruit. And... Nothing happened. ¡°Huh?¡± Rachel tilted her head and looked at Kuga. ¡°Uh, how do you use this?¡± ¡°Mm.... pray.¡± ¡°Ah. Right.¡± Rachel held the fruit and closed her eyes. ¡°Goddess, please lift the curse from me using the powers of this fruit. Please.... Please.¡± It was a short prayer, but the desire in the prayer was real. She clung to her goddess to relieve her from the pain she suffered through every day. But there was no reply. ¡°Goddess? Goddess?¡± Kuga frowned. ¡°Hmm...Rachel, I think the fruit is not ripe.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s almost there, but it seems you need to wait a little longer.¡± ¡°Uu.¡± Rachel pouted in disappointment. Even her infinite patience was disappointed by this. ¡°I wanted to use it right away.¡± ¡°What can we do? The goddess will tell us when it¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Still...¡± No one asked her to wait longer as the day to stop her pain was drawing near. They all knew very well what kind of pain each day brought. But there was nothing they could do about it. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no other way. Can Oppa hold onto this until then, so that the bad people can¡¯t steal it?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sungjin took the fruit. *** In the next moment, he was in an unfamiliar ce. The peaceful environment felt counterfeit. There were mes, but it was dark. On the pir where gold and silver ornaments hung, cold evil was all around. On the walls were heretical pictures of mocking gods and orders of renouncement. The pce itself seemed the be the center of hell, and in the midst of it was arge dragon of ck mes, evil but strong, corrupted but beautiful. ¡°You are... Ha. To see you again.¡± Sungjin grinned. He was looking at the Ruler of Ninehell, the enemy of Gods, the one who once bore the name of the brightest morning star; although he had many names on earth, he held the most famous title: Lucifer. Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 20

For him to appear twice... Although not quite sure how, Sungjin was certain there was something between Lucifer and himself. He hypothesized Ereka¡¯s forbidden summoning may have yed a part in the initial meeting, but perhaps he had miscalcted. Maybe even before the iplete summoning, he and I had already been connected on some level? Or perhaps Lucifer himself was a part of his summoning ritual, but he would have to figure that outter. ¡°Why do you show yourself?¡± ¡°I havee to you.¡± ¡°You willingly...¡± Sungjin believed there was truth in his words. ¡°You hold the fruit of God, and with that is your second opportunity.¡± ¡°A second chance. As expected...there must be a great power hidden within this fruit.¡± ¡°Correct. Although the initial sacrificial ritual failed, the fruit will give you a new opportunity. If you wish to gain my powers and reach the pinnacle of this world, speak.¡± ¡°My answer is the same.¡± ¡°For now, but a human¡¯s mind always changes at a crisis.¡± The lord of Ninehell was in no hurry. ¡°You will appear before me when you are ready with your new answer.¡± A strong wind passed by. *** ¡°Sungjin, are you okay?¡± Ereka shook his shoulder as she looked at him with a concerned expression. ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I was worried. You spaced out after touching the fruit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve met a face I never wanted to see again.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The power of the fruit is real.¡± Sungjin revealed no more about whom he had seen. ¡°Rachel, tell me when it¡¯s time to utilize the fruit.¡± ¡°Yes, Oppa.¡± Sungjin stopped talking to those around him and fell into deep thought. He could use the fruit too but knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to live with himself afterwards. To think if I used it, she then wouldn¡¯t be able to. Why would it only respond to one person; couldn¡¯t they both use it? It should not be that only I could use it. If he only used it on himself, Lucifer and the High Priest would not have been interested. Kuga had also said the fruit served one purpose only and had no other specific powers. Why wouldn¡¯t Rachel also be able to use it? The fruit is not ripe enough to cause the miracle, so I suppose I¡¯m the anomaly. Through Ereka¡¯s sacrifice ritual, he was almost connected to Lucifer; maybe that¡¯s why he could use the fruit earlier than anyone else. Or maybe Rachel needs a separate ritual for herself. Among his many theories, he could not whittle his thoughts into a specific one; there were too many unknown variables. When the time came, eliminating Rachel¡¯s pain was still the priority. But I should prepare for myself being able to use it also for the uing battle. Sungjin had made up his mind. The High Priest who could split the ocean had walked away. To promise a following fight meant that he would pull out all the stops for the next battle. Which means he knew there¡¯s still plenty of time to fight before Rachel can use the fruit to lift the curse. Today¡¯s victory was truly a tie.There was not much meaning in obtaining a fruit that couldn¡¯t be used. The High Priest would attempt to capture Rachel once again. The true fight woulde then. *** Sungjin and the High Priest went back to their respective countries and immediately started preparing for the next fight. Sungjin first gathered his team for a talk. ¡°As long as the fruit retains its power, the High Priest will aim for both Rachel and the fruit. He will fight to the death.¡± ¡°As expected...right?¡± Ereka replied worriedly. It would have been too easy if he left Rachel alone to be freed from her curse; they couldn¡¯t expect him to give up so easily. I should grow stronger to help stop the High Priest. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Rachel trembled. The scene of the High Priest Pedrian splitting the ocean hade as a shock for everyone. He was their future enemy. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for now. We should wait to move after Rachel¡¯s curse has been lifted. We will train steadily in the meantime.¡± He had be bloodthirsty, but he knew he must respect the differences in strength between the High Priest and his allies. It would be a fight of blood and sweat to the end. That doesn¡¯t mean I have any intention of stopping. Sungjin smirked. The High Priest would be an excellent opponent worth any preparation. The higher the mountain the more satisfying it is climbing to the top and to be in the position of challenger was something that required a lot ofpetitive spirit. There was nothing to do but prepare for the next battle logically and devise a fool-proof strategy. Kuga added a few words: ¡°When Rachel¡¯s curse is lifted, her powers, originally given by the goddess, should be restored. Although it will pale inparison to the High Priest¡¯s strength, she should still be able to offer some assistance.¡± Eustasia¡¯s eyes lit up at the good news. ¡°It will be a time of preparation until then. We should focus on defense and survival tactics.¡± ¡°We should.¡± Sungjin stood from his seat. ¡°Then let¡¯s start preparing right away. I¡¯vee up with a drill we can all practice.¡± So Sungjin and his team came up with a n to consolidate all their defensive force until Rachel¡¯s curse was lifted. It was the only logical solution. But Sungjin knew there was the possibility of another angle of attack. There was the probability of the High Priest dragging him down with whatever means he could. What mattered most, however, was the timing. Nothing will go as you n. He resolidified his determination to stop Pedrian. Chapter 11 The High Priest looked down at the seal below him on the highest level of the grand temple and prophesied: ¡°Now, the heretics will bring the sacrifice and sacred object before us willingly.¡± The great priests listened to his words like innocent pupils. ¡°We trust everything will happen as God has nned.¡± ¡°Everyone will witness God¡¯s ns.¡± Pedrian raised his staff towards the sky. ¡°Come! Powers! I order you as God¡¯s vessel!¡± He opened his eyes. The eight grand temples constructed throughout Rupellion shot into mes once more. A ck energy boiled, erupting into the sky. Eight pirs connected the sky to the ground. ¡°I order, under God¡¯s name, hell. Open those gates!¡± The power gathering from the pirs joined into one above the High Priest. It intensified and melded into the figure of arge door. Evil creatures wriggled around the door¡¯s frame. ¡°One who oversees pain, I order you under God¡¯s name.¡± The door opened slowly. ¡°Rise from the ground! Rise with spreading poison!¡± Dark purple smoke spurted from the gates. ¡°Azidahaka, one who spreads pain across the world!¡± Suddenly, the door was flung open to reveal a gigantic pair of snakes with wings. The ckish-purple snakes quivered and intertwined with each other. Their bodies spanned several hundred meters. The four great priests began to choke on the air. To be able to wield such magic... As expected of His Excellency... ¡°I order your mission under God¡¯s name. Punish the humans in the farawaynd of heretics. But do not kill them immediately, so that they would wish for repentance.¡± The High Priest pointed with his staff towards Sungjin¡¯snd. The snakes flew in the direction until they were out of sight. *** The next day, Sungjin, devoted to his defensive training, felt a strange shiver run down his neck. What¡¯s that about? There was nothing tangible happening; it was only instinct he felt. Others felt something was amiss as well. ¡°Sungjin, just now...¡± Ereka¡¯s face had a grim expression. The sky outside their window turned dark. Therge shadow of a snake appeared covering the entire sky. Sunlight disappeared. It was midday, and a darkness like this was a sinister omen. The maidservants moved quickly trying to light themps, but the darkness only deepened. ¡°Ahhh!!¡± Rachel suddenly copsed onto the floor with a scream of pain. ¡°Miss Rachel?¡± ¡°Rachel?¡± The two hurried to support her. What happened? There should be no attacks now. Rachel, who still carried the curse, had consistent bouts of pain, but she should have had no more today. ¡°Uwack!!¡± It was not only her. The shouts erupted from everywhere. ¡°Ahhhhh!!¡± Everyone within the capital screamed in pain, and it did not end there. Every human within range of the capital began screaming in pain. Only heroes had appeared to be resistant. The extras all screamed without exception. The pain ripped their bodies apart and gnawed at their senses. Where was thising from? They fell to the ground and rolled in tears. After receiving the report, Sungjin¡¯s face hardened. ¡°This...is the High Priest¡¯s next move.¡± He had predicted the High Priest woulde after Rachel and the fruit, so he focused on defensive maneuvers. He was even considering ignoring minor instigations. But... Creating a curse against the entire poption of a region would beparable to a bioterrorism attack, something the strongest countries had forbidden. Bastard, are you intending to include all citizens in a fight between us. ¡°Is there no cure?¡± Ereka asked in a hurry, but all the healers shook their heads. ¡°This is not an illness; it¡¯s a curse.¡± ¡°The curse is too strong for us to handle.¡± ¡°Looking at the origin of the direction it came from, it seems as if it is from Rupellion...¡± ¡°Unless the source of the curse is broken, we¡¯re powerless against it.¡± Every question met a negative response. Suddenly, a voice echoed from the skies: You pitiful people, you owe this pain to the cursed one within yournds. It was the voice of the High Priest Pedrian. Only we can stop the spread of the curse. Sungjin doubted the truth of his statements. But those in pain began to listen; they needed someone to me for what had befallen them. With God¡¯s love, I will cease your pain temporarily. At the end of those words, a shower of light descended from the darkness. The light was so bright and warm people forgot all about Rupellion¡¯s evil deeds. The pure light shone on the earth, and everyone¡¯s pain momentarily subsided. Did you feel that, humans? This is God¡¯s love. Sungjin tightened the grasp on his arms. ¡°This bastard is toying with us.¡± Sungjin knew the High Priest was behind all of this. He was the one who ced the curse just so he could pretend to stop it. Everything about Rachel was a lie; he could see that, but the citizens didn¡¯t know the whole story about her. Theirmon sense would be blocked further by the unbearable pain they were now in. Obviously, their faith would be swayed towards the person offering to end their torture. If you refuse God¡¯s love, it is obvious that his love will not be able to reach you. There will never be true salvation with a cursed presence by your side. The light became weaker. The name of such existence is Rachel. She is a girl your king did not recognize as evil and chose to protect. Petition for this girl to be turned away. It is only then you will be freed from the curse. If not, every day at this time the pain from the curse will overtake you. The High Priest stopped talking. The High Priest,pleting his curse on Sungjin¡¯s capital and surrounding regions, slowly sat down. He once again closed his eyes halfway. ¡°Now that I have given them a chance at redemption, let us wait and see what happens.¡± ¡°It is truly benevolent, Your Excellency.¡± The four great priests shouted their praises at his omnipotence. ¡°What have I done? God has used this body is all.¡± ¡°But it is Your Excellency¡¯s omnipotence that God has used with care.¡± ¡°I should rest now. I will watch the heretics¡¯ punishment.¡± ¡°We will take our leave.¡± The four great priest expressed their deepest regards and left. The High Priest, now alone, scooped up some water with a wooden bowl and flicked it with his finger. At that, Sungjin¡¯s capital was reflected. ¡°Now, show me your ugly truth.¡± Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 21

People gathered in the courtyard beyond the capital. These were people who did not wish to experience the hellish torture anymore. ¡°We must talk to the king!¡± ¡°He must save us and abandon the cursed child!¡± The spies Rupellion had nted shouted within the crowd. With the promise of immediate release from their agony, minds were swayed easily. ¡°Why did the king have a cursed witch by his side?¡± ¡°Apparently, the cursed witch possesses a strong power that helps him.¡± ¡°I thought the new king was on our side.¡± ¡°Is he choosing a girl who promises him power over us?¡± They believed the king had indulged himself in the witch¡¯s power and abandoned them. The once savior king was now believed to be directly responsible for this torment. The rumor spread like wildfire. It must be true; the people started to shout in mass. ¡°Abandon the witch, my king!¡± ¡°Please return as our savior!¡± They no longer sung praises of Sungjin as the hero who would protect them all. They were an angry mob prepared to use him as tyrant if he did not give up Rachel. The scene had gone ording to his ns; still, the High Priest had only hatred in his cold, emotionless eyes. ¡°Do you see, young lion of the south? These are the humans you wish to protect.¡± His expression was full of anger that he kept hidden from even the great priests. ¡°They are lowly and disgusting.¡± He continued his monologue as if he were talking to Sungjin: ¡°You put your life on the line for those people.¡± But humans weren¡¯t worth such a fight. These were the same people who would turn their backs on 10 blessings if one thing did not suit their interests. When there was something to gain, they sang praises of hero and savior. But when there was a loss, they criticized and dragged one down. Citizens could be so cowardly. The respect reserved for a king was nowhere to be found. Now that Sungjin seemed kind, they were whining. ¡°They are ignorant and detestable.¡± They couldn¡¯t even see through his tricks due to their pain. They would do anything to relieve it, including believing and rationalizing his lies. ¡°Humans are disgusting everywhere.¡± It was the same within the walls of Rupellion. The faithful groveled on their knees for saving. ¡°Filthy people who would do anything to be saved.¡± People were greedy, cruel, and foolish. They would condemn a fellow citizen to death if it meant saving their own skin. How vile they were, how evil. They would serve any God offering salvation, including Angramainyu, the creator of all evil. They cheered for that name willingly and asked only for themselves to be saved on thest day of victory. They clung to the thought they would be in his favor. They would sacrifice neighbor and friend, leaving this country in the evil god¡¯smand. They were worthless. Uwuuh... Sad cries resounded around Pedrian. Beside the High Priest were children who were mercilessly burned. These were spirits that appeared only when he was truly alone, pitiful children sacrificed by humans¡¯ evil deeds; sad lives stepped on by lying sheep who pretended they were innocent victims. They were children bound to this earth, his upleted responsibilities. Looking at the ghosts, the High Priest swore once more: ¡°It is soon.¡± The truth of the human nature of hell will be revealing its form. The sacrifice and the sacred object will be in his hands, and the time wille. Only then would the devils known as humans be able to gain their salvation. Going to hell was their only salvation after all. The mirror before him reflected Sungjin¡¯s capital once more. ¡°Now, what will you do, young lion? Will you throw Rachel away to maintain your poprity among the people?¡± If he wished to maintain his poprity and trust, he had no choice but to give up the girl. Rachel was innocent; the young lion knew this. But convincing the people was another story. Huhu. There used to be a food store once. The popr store was ruined once itspetition spread rumors it was putting unhealthy poison in the food. The people asked the store owner forpensation, held a riot, and the owner went to court to proim his innocence. The government official concluded no such thing had happened, but thepetitor once again spread rumors that the government official had received bribery to dere this. People who had rioted wanted to remain in a position of righteousness and attacked. The righteous will always think they are right. The corrupt will always be corrupt. Ultimately, the store owner¡¯s entire familymitted suicide, and the people celebrated saying they had received their due punishment. Those were humans. At this point, the victor had already been decided. ¡°Or will you push them back with soldiers to protect Rachel?¡± Sungjin¡¯s kingdom was on the brink of copse. ¡°Now, show me your truth, young lion.¡± ¡°Bring forth the witch!¡± When Sungjin did not release the soldiers, the protesting voices grew louder. Rachel trembled as she held on to Sungjin¡¯s leg. ¡°Oppa...I...I need to go right? Right?¡± She had heard the shouts of the people. ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to leave.¡± Sungjin shook his head firmly. ¡°But...those people are hurting. Like me...they will be hurt everyday.¡± Tears rained down from Rachel¡¯s eyes. ¡°I...am the goddess¡¯ child...saving ill people is my mission so...¡± This was the life mission given to her. If she did not follow, there would be no salvation. ¡°I will...will be fine. The goddess will save me after all, right, Sir Kuga?¡± ¡°Rachel...¡± Kuga could only call out her name in pity; he had no answer to give. ¡°But...I thought the goddess¡¯ salvation...was going to let me live...¡± Tears tumbled down her cheeks. ¡°It seems not...It seems it will be a ce to go after I die...It seems like... Uu...¡± ¡°Rachel...¡± Kuga didn¡¯t deny. Rachel took that as a positive answer. ¡°It¡¯s okay...I...Am the goddess¡¯ child...If the goddess wishes it...I need to follow...¡± At that moment, Sungjin gathered her up fiercely within his arms. ¡°Oppa?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t go. I don¡¯t care what the goddess has nned; I won¡¯t let it happen.¡± ¡°But...¡± Sungjin gathered her crying face into his chest and hugged her tightly. ¡°Goddess and salvation of the soul and whatever else doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re a child, and you¡¯re alive. You are entitled to all the good things in this world.¡± It was a promation Sungjin made to everyone, both humans and gods. Rachel was a tortured child, who thought of others before herself. She hid her pain so as not to be a burden. She dreamed of growing up fast to be an adult and find love. Ensuring that her modest wish would be granted was the right world. To think, she would even sacrifice herself. He would not run away and leave such a child to be stepped on. He would fight the enemy and win. ¡°But...Other people...Everyone...They¡¯re saying they want me to disappear... wishing for it...¡± ¡°You said you wanted to be an adult. You wanted to live!¡± ¡°Uu... But...¡± ¡°We need to go to the mountains and sea, watch springe around.¡± ¡°Uu...Uu...Uuwaa...I...I want to live. Uaah!¡± Rachel burst into tears. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die. Uaah. Even if I go to a better ce after death...I still have so much I want to do...I want to live. I will fix other people the best I can; I¡¯ll do my best...So I... I...I just want to live.¡± Even if her job was sacrificing herself for everyone, she still wanted to live. She wanted to live and see spring. She wanted to date Oppa. She wanted to do so many things. She had only just begun to learn what the outside world held. ¡°Then you will. Forget the goddess¡¯mand and everyone else¡¯s will. I can save you.¡± Sungjin stood. ¡°Re...ally? Really...I can live?¡± Rachel¡¯s cries died down. It was a wish she wanted so desperately but could not dare to hope for. Could Oppa really grant her that wish? Her heart started to beat. Her face heated. She felt something strange and inexplicably wonderful she had never felt in her life. ¡°Yes. Now, watch how I fight,¡± he said reassuringly before stepping towards the balcony of the castle. High Priest, if this is how you wish to fight then so be it. He would never hand over her; she was his sister. The stronger the evil was, the more it would be met with his unstoppable wisdom and determination. Rachel could only stare at his back. She always thought Oppa was strong but now... His back seemed to shine. Her heart thudded. Her face, once again, heated. Sungjin stood on the balcony. Using the magic stone with the power of the wind, he made sure everyone heard his voice and shouted: ¡°Everyone, hear! I will answer your request!¡± The people fell silent. Sungjin was a king who united the four kingdoms and had a firm charisma. ¡°This is a story of old: there once lived three buffalos that were close friends, so close, the lion knew he could not attack them easily. By using trickery, he demanded the white buffalo, telling his two friends if they didn¡¯t hand them over he would attack them. The two gave him the white buffalo. Afterwards, the lion threatened the ck buffalo; if he handed over the brown buffalo, he would not harm him. The ck buffalo abandoned his friend. When he became the only one left, the lion ate him as well.¡± This was a tale passed down on Earth and rtable in any region. ¡°Do you really believe you have been cursed due to Rachel? That is a lie! The truth is the High Priest is threatening you after having ced a curse on you!¡± His charismatic voice took control over the people. ¡°You think handing over Rachel will solve everything?¡± Sungjin pointed towards the edge with his hands. The people flinched. ¡°If the High Priest demands the people in the region of Saina to be submitted as sacrificial objects, are you going to let that happen? When he asks for the region of Asark, are you going to hand them over because they are not your family?¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes scanned each and every one. ¡°One by one, because they are not your troubles or your family, you would hand them over? Who will be with you when evil finally descends on all?!¡± His words echoed around the arena. ¡°Do you think I abandoned you all to save one person?¡± Sungjin ced his hand on his chest. ¡°I am fighting because I cannot hand over a single one of you!¡± That was his truth and his will as king, and he reported this to the people. ¡°Whoever serves me is under my protection! That goes for Rachel and any one of you!¡± Man or woman, child or senior, Sungjin would not submit to the demands of evil. If they demanded a person of the mountains, a person of the rivers, a person of the capital...he would not hand over a single one. The crowd fell silent. Sungjin was an emperor who ruled over everyone, and they were in awe. They knew he spoke truth when he said he would not hand over anyone. It was the heart of a king. Despite his promise, would they continue their requests to hand over the child? Would he ever demand their personal sacrifice? ¡°It is my wish for everyone¡¯s protection! You will not be able to stand on the battlefield or survive the violence of evil without standing together! I will fight at the forefront, and it is my wish for you all to fight behind me, a fight to defend each other!¡± Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 22

When had a king asked them to fight? When had the heroes asked them to help? This was a plea from the one who had protected them from the evil monsters and the Blood Ruler, a promise from the one who had defeated the darkness to provide them peace. His words were as important as his past feats. When the charismatic speech ended, a cheer came from a corner and quickly echoed throughout the arena. ¡°Woahhh!¡± Even the instigators the High Priest had nted were speechless before the might of the cheer. ¡°I will attack Rupellion! I will drag down the High Priest and stop this cursed ritual! But that will take time. Stand with me a little longer and endure this pain!¡± ¡°Hooray!¡± ¡°Hooray!¡± ¡°Gods, may the glory be with our king!¡± It was a cheer that shook the capital. ¡°Oppa...¡± ¡°Sungjin.¡± ¡°Ha. This is my king.¡± ****** At the reflection of the arena on his water mirror, the High Priest snorted. ¡°How lowly, only I know your true selves.¡± Humans are selfish at their core. They plead to be saved even at the cost of others. Right now they were simply seduced by the words of their leader who guaranteed safety. There was no way the worthless humans would endure painful torture for some unknown child. ¡°Their selfishness will soon be revealed.¡± The High Priest¡¯s staff pointed towards the skies once more. ck smoke whirled and spread above the crowd. ¡°Submit before the strength of God! To be saved bring the sacrifice!¡± From now on, the pain would be without reprieve; he would continue this until they screamed to be saved. ¡°Azidahaka, poison of despair and pestilence, curse them!¡± The sky above Sungjin¡¯s people grew increasingly darker. The evil energy that had blocked out the sun slowly came down from the sky like a snake. The shouts decreased at the smell of the highly concentrated curse. The snake, at first thought to be an illusion, proved to be real in the flesh, and a mist of poison descended towards the ground. ¡°Wha... What should we do?¡± The people could do nothing but panic. Earlier, they had been determined to fight with Sungjin but with the threat of torture once again looming, they became afraid. They were only human. At the sight, Ereka clenched her jaw. Sungjin had pled for people to fight with him. Just when it looked like they had picked up some courage, it was about to be broken before this act of violence. Ereka knew this evil power was trying to squash the bravery they had built up. A corrupt power was trying to torture the people¡¯s lives she wished to protect. Sungjin wished to fight against that power. She wanted to protect him. Father. She clenched her Shield of All People which held the light of the sun. Goddess of wisdom and protection, Athena, please grant me strength... She raised the shield as she shouted. ¡°Shield of All People!¡± The light of the sun fought against the descending dark purple poison. The image of Goddess Athena with her spear of victory and Aegis appeared faintly over the capital. On behalf of the sun which had been consumed by the poison, the shield shined brightly. The curse was strong, but the protection was stronger. It proimed that the light cannot be subdued by darkness and would protect thisnd from any curse. * * * The High Priest frowned and murmured. ¡°The shield of a fake god, how insolent.¡± He raised his staff. The ck power trembled violently. ¡°Move! How dare you protect such things like humans?!¡± ck energy coiled around Ereka¡¯s body in the image of a snake. ¡°Give me the sacrifice and admit defeat.¡± Rachel was something that belonged to his god. He would not forgive anyone who touched her. The poisonous snake ryed the words of the High Priest to her ear. She held the shield more tightly at the warning that she should not suffer on behalf of those worthless human beings. ¡°Why are you making them suffer?!¡± I am only revealing the truth. Humans would do anything for their ownfort. Humans would drag down others to escape their own pain. This world does not need the goddess¡¯ shield any longer. Step back. Ereka gritted her teeth. There was a grain of truth to his words. Humans were weak. When the Blood Ruler threatened theirnds, how many turned their backs? How many submitted? But... ¡°You¡¯re wrong. When protected, humans arepassionate and giving.¡± When living in peace, some people saw another person¡¯s pain and had empathy. Some people smiled and chose to help. Ha. They simply follow the rules of society that the strong impose. ¡°To submit to power, yes, that was probably true.¡± When encountering violence, humans turned weak and vile; when cornered, they ran or averted their eyes. But still, was it necessary to step on their feeble minds with one¡¯s power? Flowers broke when stepped on but bloomed when given care. ¡°I will protect their weak hearts. I will not be moved by you.¡± That was the oath she had sworn when she inherited the Shield of All People. She was determined to stand with Sungjin, and she would not step back. ****** The High Priest¡¯s eyes were burning with fury. His usual calmposure was gone, and intense emotions circted throughout his body. ¡°If you will not move, fine! I will step on you first! You will regret your decision and roll on the ground in pain!¡± I will watch how long your false words willst in a torture of hell. ¡°The truth shall win!¡± The ck energy became more fierce Wooo. Beside him, the ghosts cried louder. ****** The poisonous snake wrapped itself around her entire body. It turned her white skin ck as the poison seeped in. ¡°Aeut.¡± In the stream of pain tearing at her nerves, a painful sound that she could not hold back escaped. Her entire body had be wet with sweat, and she choked on the pain that seemed to rip her lungs away. The pain shot to her head; she had the sensation her insides were being eaten by bugs. ¡°Hah!¡± Behind her, the vague image of Athena seemed to dissipate. The agony was bringing Ereka closer to copse. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo yourself! This fight can only be won on the battlefield.¡± Sungjin¡¯s shout could be heard faintly. Sungjin... A voice told her to take a break. The shield of the goddess is a protection you do not deserve. This is not your ce to interfere. The snake whispered for her to stop. What should she do? Suddenly, her eyes met Rachel¡¯s eyes. Rachel watched helplessly. What should I do? Rachel floundered. She should tell her to rest, but she feared the pain would descend upon her. She had no words. She was scared. Watching Rachel, Ereka smiled quietly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sungjin. I canst a bit longer.¡± She raised her shield higher. The golden rays became brighter. This was her oath towards the Shield of All People. When violence was at the forefront, she would be there to stop it. Rachel¡¯s fear represented the fear of everyone. Had she not taken on the shield¡¯s responsibility to stop those faces from crying? ¡°High Priest, if you wish to step on anyone...¡± The poison gnawed at her spine. Her legs shook, and her arms trembled; still, she continued. ¡°You will have to break me first.¡± ****** A strong wind exploded behind the High Priest. ¡°So be it, I will step on you first!¡± His opponent¡¯s strength was at its limit. One push would break her. Her spirit may recover, but she would be physically destroyed. If she would not put the shield down, he would simply steal it. The eight grand temples had an abundance of power. The High Priest raised his staff. Uuuwohhh. Beside him, the ghosts hung on his arms and cried. The High Priest paused and lowered his staff. ¡°Sigh, are you worrying that I am overexerting myself? You¡¯re right. If I waste my strength here, the golden bug might move.¡± A thing like Ereka could be crushed with little effort, but giving the Golden Wise King an opportunity would not do. ¡°Fine, the truth will win when the timees. I will stop here for today.¡± He had already achieved part of his goal. The young lion would now willingly jump onto the altar with the sacrifice and fruit. It would not be toote to spread the truth after that. He closed his eyes once more and fell into meditation. Beside him, the ghosts cried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is nothing but suspended sentencing. I will keep the promise I made.¡± The snake released Ereka and disappeared into the sky. Ah...It¡¯s over. Ereka fainted. She had taken on more than she could handle. ¡°Ereka.¡± Sungjin hurriedly supported her back as she fell to the ground. ¡°You¡¯ve done so much.¡± Rachel stared helplessly at the scene before her. Oppa had taken all this on because of her, and now Unni was in a weakened state. They had done all this to protect her life. Oppa...Everyone...Thank you. She felt grateful and also a little embarrassed. The result of this fight was reported elsewhere. ¡°I think it is a tie. The defeat the High Priest had aimed for did not take ce.¡± The owner of Eldorado, the Wise Golden King, slowly stood as he received his servant¡¯s report. The horses on the floating chessboard before him moved around rapidly. The tension between the ck and white horse was strong. Although there were the same number of horses on either side, the ck horse seemed to be in a better position. ¡°We should say the position of the High Priest is more advantageous.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°The High Priest is not aiming for something like internal crises, although Sebrantina will have a damaged reputation if the extras ever rise again in their country. How would those people drag down that young lion?¡± ¡°You mean to say that the true aim of the High Priest is...¡± ¡°Now Sebrantina will attack the region where the High Priest awaits.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying he forced their hand?¡± ¡°Correct. They can¡¯t win without the use of power, and they have already suffered one move. Let¡¯s watch what happens next.¡± He will move when the fight is at its peak. His wiseness exuded a calm light. Chapter 80

Chapter 80: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 23

* * * Chapter 12 Ereka opened her eyes. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Sungjin smiled softly. ¡°Ah, I fainted.¡± ¡°Yes, you overdid yourself. Rachel treated you.¡± Sungjin raised his hand towards Rachel, who was beside him. ¡°Well done.¡± He tried to stroke her head, but Rachel suddenly stood up. Hmmm? She felt a strange sensation and avoided his touch; she spoke quickly with a blush: ¡°Since Unni is awake, I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± Rachel ran away abruptly. Sungjin smiled. Ah, right. She was caged all that time. He didn¡¯t understand why she was embarrassed about being excused; wasn¡¯t she the one who had requested they bathe together? Cough. Let¡¯s try and forget that happened. He had been quite shocked when she asked; she had a cute side to her. Unlike Sungjin who was smiling contently, Eustasia and Jenna looked knowingly at Rachel. They knew why she left so quickly. Sungjin carried on without any further thoughts on the matter. ¡°Ereka, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you so soon, but we need to discuss our next ns.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin, I¡¯m okay right now.¡± Ereka sat up straighter. Sungjin talked as he looked down at the map of the continent. ¡°Right now, we have prevented the riot, but there¡¯s no more time to wait. We must advance towards Rupellion immediately.¡± ¡°There is no other choice to save the cursed people but...¡± Eustasia made a doubtful face. She knew the reasoning behind Sungjin¡¯s decision; it was because of his reasoning that she had decided to serve him as king. But this was a fight that should not be done ording to the stratagems of war. Saving those cursed by the High Priest would mean sacrificing more to the evil enemies. As a general, she knew this fight should be prevented. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m aware of the difference between recklessness and bravado.¡± Sungjin smiled in reassurance. He understood the situation as well. I am walking into the trap of the High Priest knowingly. The cost of victory had gone up, and he knew it would possibly take many more victories topletely eradicate the High Priest¡¯s reign. Rupellion wasrge, and the grand temples were located in eight different locations.. They would have to prepare for, not only a long war against a stronger enemy but a third enemy behind them. The odds were stacked against them, but this also made the battle worthwhile. ¡°I¡¯ll win.¡± He extended his fist in the direction of Rupellion. How else could he achieve his position of Arc Master without oveing this challenge? After uniting the four allied countries, he knew Rupellion and Eldorado remained. He promised himself he would ovee them all. It was time to prove his words. It was an uncertain battle with a lot on the line, his dreams and other people¡¯s lives... Sungjin smiled towards Rachel who was staring at him with anxious trust. This was a battle with a child¡¯s life on the line as well; he had no choice but to win. ¡°Yes, Sungjin, we will definitely win.¡± Ereka spoke sternly. She recalled the tortured faces of the people after seeing Rachel¡¯s pain. A solid aura, like a shield, exuded from her. ¡°I will give everything I have in order to protect Sungjin, my teammates, and everyone from the pain. So use me as a shield and please win this fight.¡± She could not bear to see torment in the name of some mad god any longer. Rage outweighed fear. The High Priest was a fearsome enemy, but this was a fight she could not walk away from. She knew what she must do: she would give everything she had to ensure Sungjin the victory. ¡°Thank you; I knew we could count on you.¡± Watching the two lock eyes on each other, Eustasia snorted. ¡°Hmph, well, fine. I¡¯m already the sword that cuts down everything in your path.¡± She ced her sword on the table. ¡°You can wield it however you want.¡± She knew the difficulty of the decision he was making, but if that¡¯s the route he chose she would support and assist his decision. ¡°Me too! I¡¯ll devote my strength too.¡± Jenna swayed her tail as if to ask them to entrust her to a task. ¡°Thank you, everyone. We¡¯ll win.¡± Sungjin¡¯s announcement was given with confidence. His teammates had willingly stepped forth to fight with him, despite the odds. What could he possiblyck with teammates like that? The schemes of the High Priest and the Wise Golden King were nothing if he overcame everything by prevailing. ¡°Rachel needs to hear this too; she seems to be taking a while in the bathroom. Hmmm.¡± When Sungjin spoke of herte return, Ereka stepped forth. ¡°I¡¯ll go find her.¡± ¡°Ah, please.¡± ****** Ereka went looking for Rachel. Although she said she was going to the bathroom, she was found sitting in a corner of a balcony whimpering. ¡°Miss Rachel?¡± ¡°Ah, sister Ereka.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Tha...That....That is...¡± ¡°Did something happen? Are you worried about the threats of the High Priest?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Rachel shook her head. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°When I see Oppa...¡± ¡°When you see him?¡± ¡°My heart seems to beat harder...My face feels hot...And I can¡¯t stay next to him because, strangely, I feel embarrassed. Why do I feel like this? Do you think this is a new curse?¡± Rachel blinked her eyes in worry. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Ereka tried to hold back her smile but failed. How cute. Sungjin would not have noticed any changes in Rachel. He would probably think she was just being a child. But a young girl will eventually grow into a beautiful adult. Upon falling in love, her emotions would develop faster. Haa. There¡¯s an additional woman to Sungjin¡¯s list but...if it¡¯s Miss Rachel, I suppose there¡¯s nothing I can do. She was so cute and loveable. They should get along well as women who love the same man. It is her duty to lead them as the older sister. Organizing the inner pce was the duty of a wife for her husband, after all. Kyah. How embarrassing, I¡¯m acting as if I¡¯ve already married Sungjin. She hadn¡¯t. Still, it wasn¡¯t as if Sungjin had an official queen, so wouldn¡¯t she have to be in charge of the inner pce? ¡°It¡¯s okay, Miss Rachel. You feel like that because you havee to love Sungjin even more.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. You are turning into an adult. Perhaps, we will call it affection before love.¡± ¡°I really like Oppa...But when I see him...¡± ¡°Huhu. It¡¯s fine. That emotion willter grow to love, and you will seek out true lovers.¡± ¡°What should I do when I can¡¯t go near him?¡± ¡°Just try and keep yourposure and be slightly more courageous.¡± ¡°Courageous?¡± ¡°To be honest, I find my heart beating quite quickly when I¡¯m near Sungjin, too.¡± He tends to show new sides of himself every time she¡¯s around him. Perhaps, she, too, is falling in love everyday. Ereka rubbed her cheeks gently. ¡°But how do you remain by his side? Is it because you are an adult?¡± ¡°Of course, I think, as people grow older, they find their footing. People around me are saying I am of marrying age and offer encouragement.¡± Ereka smiled and patted Rachel¡¯s head. ¡°So, Miss Rachel, you will be fine. Be a little bold and practice standing next to Sungjin, so that when you be an adult you can hug him too.¡± ¡°I see. I need to start gathering my courage now on my way to bing an adult.¡± Rachel, who echoed her words, screeched to a halt. ¡°Um... But...¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No...Nothing! I¡¯ll find my strength eventually.¡± Rachel shook her head from side to side. ¡°So, let¡¯s go back. You like Sungjin don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, Unni.¡± Rachel nodded her head vigorously. When the two returned hand-in-hand, Sungjin smiled. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here, Rachel. I¡¯d like to talk to you about the battle with Rupellion.¡± ¡°Oppa! I¡¯ll be courageous!¡± Rachel replied immediately. ¡°Huh? Oh, well, sure. This is the time for courage, I suppose.¡± Sungjin nodded his head in agreement. The High Priest was strong, and they would need all the help they could get, including abative spirit. ¡°Yes, Oppa. I¡¯ll be brave.¡± Rachel replied again. Ereka smiled. ¡°Yes. We should win this fight and schedule an outing on the following day. In the summer, we will head down to the beach, jump in the leaves during fall, or y in the snow during winter. Perhaps visiting the spring blossoms will be nice? If we all go with Sungjin, it will surely be a fun time. Right, Miss Rachel?¡± ¡°A pic with Oppa and everyone...that¡¯s a great idea!¡± Rachel replied with sparkling eyes. She will win and live and go everywhere with Oppa. Goddess, please save me. Give me strength. She prayed in her mind. Sungjin watched the scene with satisfaction. Beside the queen, Jenna only sighed. Eustasia, intertwining her fingers, began to think. If she¡¯s a child that I cannot get rid of, it is better to have her as an ally, as Ereka. It¡¯s astounding how she does such things without even thinking. She was, however, inplete agreement with the pic n, including resuming the canceled beach vacation. With that, Sungjin raised the morale as he prepared for the battle with the High Priest. This didn¡¯t, however, change the fact that the road ahead would be a harsh one. ****** That night, Rachel prayed while looking at the moon. Goddess, please let me grow into an adult, so that I can hug Oppa. She then lowered her head. But what if she died because the bad guys took her away? That was the question she was unable to ask Ereka. Oppa and Unni said that they would protect her, but a corner of her mind was still unsettled. Adult...Adult...Ah.... As she pondered, her eyes shone, and she whispered towards the garden. ¡°Please teach me the quick way to be an adult.¡± ****** That night, Sungjin was awakened by an approaching presence. ¡°Oppa!¡± The voice was familiar. ¡°Ah, Rachel?¡± ¡°Can I lie down next to you?¡± ¡°Mmmm, yes.¡± Sungjin replied without opening his eyes. It seemed she hade to find him because of a nightmare. ¡°Ehehe.¡± With a brightughter, something soft and smooth attached itself to his body. It was an electric butfortable feeling. Huh? Something was off; Sungjin opened his eyes. The body lying next to him didn¡¯t seem like Rachel¡¯s. He was at a loss for words when he realized a mysterious woman was lying next to him. Her long ck hair reflected the moonlight. It was like the Milky Way of the night sky. The smiling soft red lips and white teeth carried the night¡¯s seductive whispers. But that was not all. The white clothes she wore ced an emphasis on revealing a woman¡¯s body: a thin waist, a robust chest, soft skin. It was seductive. His desire came to the forefront. The pinnacle of beauty any Easterner would dream of was before him, a beauty beyond praise. Who was this woman? The beast inside him shouted that there was no need to question such things and urged his instincts. ¡°Oppaa!¡± If the beauty had not jumped into his arms calling him Oppa, he did not know what he would have done. ¡°Ra... Rachel?¡± ¡°Yes! Oppa! Ehehe.¡± Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 24

When she smiled, she looked like a perfect pure beauty. Sungjin tried to keep his distance with her, so he picked up the nket and covered her up. ¡°Wait, what happened to your body?¡± ¡°I drank transformation juice.¡± ¡°Transformation juice...?¡± ¡°Yes, the trees told me. If I make a juice with a mix of herbs and trees, I can be an adult for a moment.¡± ¡°Why did you want to be an adult?¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t know what to do in this situation. He knew she was, in fact, Rachel, but the girl standing in front of him was so mature and seductive. ¡°Because an adult can hug Sungjin Oppa and be his lover as well!¡± She moved in closer to Sungjin, hoping he would respond to her advances; there was only a thin nket between them. And what is...this scent... He didn¡¯t know if it was the scent of transformation juice or the scent of her skin. She smelled like a beautiful flower under the moonlight; it was an alluring smell that aroused him. With all her efforts, he considered having her. But Sungjin pushed her away before he became a savage beast. She is just a child. Her loveliness was not something to take advantage of; it was something he had to protect. He murmured as he held Rachel¡¯s shoulder: ¡°So that¡¯s why you wanted to be an adult.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But Rachel, just having an adult body doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re an adult. Your mind has to be grown as well. Enjoying and experiencing childhood is the only way to be an adult.¡± ¡°Is it...necessary to grow up slowly?¡± ¡°The process of bing an adult is the most precious and joyful thing...¡± ¡°But...what if I can¡¯t be an adult? What if the bad guyse and get me before I get a chance?¡± That was your concern, I know. Sungjin wiped Rachel¡¯s tears and hugged her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rachel. I promise I¡¯ll protect you, and you¡¯ll live a long life. Trust me.¡± ¡°Do you really think so...?¡± ¡°Yes. You will learn things, one by one, including what love is and how to love.¡± With his repeated promises, Rachel felt less anxious. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, so don¡¯t rush things, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I will grow in time at my own pace.¡± Soon, the effects of the transformation juice wore off, and she became a little girl again. She became less alluring but still lovely. ¡°You are a good girl.¡± Sungjin hugged her tightly. I promise you will be an adult. I¡¯ll see to it that this happens. ¡°Thank you, Sungjin Oppa,¡± Rachel smiled at the secret they now shared. ****** Chapter 13 Sungjin soon attacked one of the eight Basilicas and dered war. The battlefield was long and narrow. The usual forest and/or neutral monsters Sungjin liked to utilize would not exist in this fight. It would be a straightforward attack without any tricks. There were not many paths, so it was impossible for the heroes to set traps. It would be a challenge for Sungjin, who was a strategist, to fight in this field. ¡°Do you think we can win on this type of terrain?¡± Eustasia asked Sungjin anxiously. Sungjin smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll win this despite the map.¡± It was the worst possible scenario. The enemy was stronger than ever while the map did no favors for Sungjin¡¯s team. Yes, this is a difficult situation. Sungjin didn¡¯t deny the fact that it was a disadvantageous situation. If he had a choice, the wise decision would probably have been to bow out. But it was a battle against the Holy Pope that he had no choice in; he would sh until the very end. This will be an uphill battle, but I know we can win. He was ready. A triumph in this battle would be detrimental to him achieving his goals. ¡°Did you prepare everything?¡± ¡°Yes, now...let¡¯s wait and see how it goes.¡± ¡°Yes, now, it¡¯s time to fight.¡± There was a lot at stake in this fight; their lives and the future of a child would hinge on today¡¯s battle. ****** While Sungjin prepared, his opponent rxed. ¡°The unholy rebels will be punished today.¡± The Holy Pope opened his eyes halfway and talked on behalf of God. ¡°Amen,¡± the four priests answered to the Holy Pope without doubt. The Holy Pope was the one who could cut the ocean in half. He knew Sungjin wouldn¡¯t be able to hide anything on this battlefield. It was going to be a fight of pure fortitude. The people of the kingdom of Sevrantina were watching the battle in fear. Although Sungjin was confident enough to challenge him, the Holy Pope of Rupellion had the upper hand. He was strong enough to curse people and sentence them to agony. They had been impressed by Sungjin¡¯s speech and decided to join this fight, but everyday the pain they had to endure made them weak. They, however, remained faithful. But what if Sungjin fails... What if they had to endure the curse of the Holy Pope forever? They didn¡¯t think they could live with such pain. Please...win for us. They sent prayers for Sungjin to save them. ****** The heroes were not delusional about the situation. ¡°This time...¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t even ready to defend ourselves; we can¡¯t attack now.¡± ¡°This is going to be tough.¡± They thought maybe the four girls could contend with the somewhat stronger four priests, but there was no way Sungjin could take on the Holy Pope. Also, the map showed no crystals for collecting on the single pathway, so there was no way to gather supplies. There was only one possible scenario: the Holy Pope would dominate the battle from start to finish. But they knew the young lion king wouldn¡¯t just run into the fire without any n. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to fight against the Holy Pope. Above all, nobody knew how strong the Holy Pope had be after his awakening. ****** People from Rupellion had no doubt the Holy Pope would defeat Sungjin. What¡¯s his name...Sungjin? He must not be very smart. Everythings will happen ording to God¡¯s will. Didn¡¯t they know acting against God¡¯s would give them only misery? Absolute obedience was the only right way to live. They couldn¡¯t understand why Sungjin didn¡¯t follow their creed, and they thought the people following Sungjin were equally short-sighted. Kelt was among them who were thinking the same thing: Idiots, they will end up stoned for heresy. They should follow God¡¯s will. I will be safe after this fight, but those heretic zealots will die miserably. I will stone them to show God my obedience. ****** The battle had started. There were only two ways to win: annihte the opponents or destroy their base. There were four turrets, and nobody knew how the battle would ultimately turn out. ¡°Let them feel the power of God.¡± Pedrian hit them with such strength, it appeared he wanted this fight to be a short one. Despite the windless air, the Holy Pope¡¯s robe fluttered. The ground shook. Even the priests next to him had a hard time standing still. The attack was wiping everything away around it; the screams sounded like they came up from hell. But the worst was yet toe. The Holy Pope held his cane up and opened his eyes. ¡°God Hand!¡± The ck hand made up of the me of darkness filled up the path. There was nowhere to hide. It was the hand of God that split the ocean. Nobody could get near it. The four turrets exploded with a single blow. Everything and everyone could have been destroyed by a single blow, ending the battle. ¡°Aegis!¡± Somehow, the shield of light was able to stop the hand. God¡¯s Dignity was the only thing that could stop the power of God. With the blessing of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and protection, Ereka held her shield. The golden halo covered everyone and protected them from the rage. But Ereka¡¯s ultimate skill wasn¡¯t strong enough to fight against the dominant power of the Holy Pope. Her shield couldn¡¯t protect her, and the Holy Pope shifted his attack to her. Sungjin¡¯s team did their best to counterattack. ¡°Ocean, protect us.¡± A blue shield covered Ereka. ¡°Willful Defense!¡± Ereka activated her own protective skill at the same time. She was a knight with the highest defense power, and she was able to use two defensive skills on top of Aegis; she became almost invincible. But she was not strong enough to fight against God. ¡°Ugh.¡± The gigantic hand grabbed Ereka and burned through her armor with the fire. It was not surprising the God Hand was strong enough to cancel Ereka¡¯s defense power. The four priests were thrilled to witness the Holy Pope¡¯s talents. Oh, that is the power of Your Holiness. They are useless in front of the Holy Pope. But then, Rachel started her prayer. ¡°Light, lead us and save us from pain.¡± Pure bright light covered Ereka to heal her wounds. Her broken armor recovered its color, and the power bnced from both sides. Using the Shield of all People, the invincible shield, the blessings of the light and oceans, four skills in total, they were able to stop the attack of the Holy Pope. ¡°You irreverent creatures,¡± the Holy Pope murmured unpleasantly. ¡°We still have the upper hand, clearly.¡± The great blue priestmented quickly to please the Holy Pope; it was true. It took Sungjin¡¯s team four skills tobat the Holy Pope¡¯s one. ¡°Now we will deal with them; let us support you.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± The Holy Pope moved away and allowed them to attack Sungjin and his team. The first turret was destroyed then the second. Sungjin¡¯s team was helpless. Sungjin wasmanding well and fighting against the priests using his martial arts, but his team was too weakpared to the priests. The simple geography of the field made it impossible to n any surprises. The priests managed to push Sungjin¡¯s team back to their base camp, and they struggled to protect the two remaining turrets. But... It was a struggle, and the priests were about to blow up two remaining turrets. Sungjin¡¯s team decided to go to the healing camp where the Valkyrie was staying to reload their power for the counter attack. ¡°Poor things,¡± said the Holy Pope and raised up his power to finish the fight. The wind started to shake the path again; the Holy Pope¡¯s eyes shined in various colors to show the God Hand behind him. ¡°God Hand!¡± A gigantic hand wiped them up and everything around them as well. Huge mes threatened to burn everything in their path. ¡°Aegis!¡± Ereka tried to protect them all, but she was not strong enough. ¡°Light, bless us and protect us.¡± Rachel used her ultimate skill, but it, too, was not enough. ¡°Mjolnir!¡± Jenna tried to fight back, but it appeared useless. The four priestsughed at her. Suddenly, Eustasia revealed ck marbles in her hand. She activated them with her crystals and threw them into the middle of the mes, creating a massive explosion. Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 25

****** It was an explosion beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. It was not something Jenna could have created with her skill, Mjolnir; the secret was...nitroglycerin. It was a highly explosive chemical used to make dynamite in the ck marble. ¡°I should be thankful for science sses,¡± Sungjin said to himself. Science had saved him. Although, he knew it wasn¡¯t the most modern or advanced explosive. Sungjin knew about high tech weapons but was not able to recreate them. He knew how to make a nuclear bomb with uranium enrichment, but that didn¡¯t mean that he could make it in this world. It was different for more primitive explosives, especially when he wasn¡¯t considering safety or stealth. Making a highly stable dynamite required better understanding of nitroglycerin, but for their immediate purpose, it was possible thanks to the heroes who went through some trial and error under hismand. All he had to do was to create a tiny amount, so that the Valkyrie could recreate them on the battlefield with crystals; this was Sungjin¡¯s counterattack. He knew the explosion had the potential to damage both sides, but Ereka was activating her Shield for all People; so, they were protected. Everyone was confused, including the four priests who had been torn to pieces. What happened? They had no idea what nitroglycerin was; they just knew Sungjin had done something. For a moment, it seemed like Sungjin was about to defeat the Holy Pope. The Holy Pope,ughing at their hope, shouted out: ¡°You shall serve God after death just like you did when you were alive, Eternal ve!¡± A wind came out from the center of the explosion and disappeared quickly. The four priests were gone, but the magical robe of the Holy Pope was clean without a stain, protected by the power of the great white priest. Next, six ck wings appeared behind Ereka. ¡°Ah...¡± Samuel...the great ck priest ultimate skill of killing regardless of the protection took Ereka¡¯s life away. Columns of fire dropped upon the other four. Rachel quickly cast her spell to fight against the ultimate skill of the great red priest. ¡°Ocean, protect us.¡± Rachel protected Eustasia and Sungjin, who had the lowest defense power, but Rachel and Jenna had to stand against the fire without any shield. Then, blue wind attacked them. It was the ultimate skill of the great blue priest. The wind of swords yed Jenna and started to attack Rachel. ¡°I won¡¯t let you.¡± Sungjin stepped in. His sword stopped few blows, and the attack ended. It took only a few seconds to kill Ereka and Jenna. Sungjin made it a five-on-one fight, but suddenly it became a three-on-one fight; that was the skill of the Holy Pope. The Eternal ve was a skill that allowed him to use the ultimate skills of dead members of his team. The condition was it could only be used once, but once was all it took. His power was next levelpared to the power of the Blood Ruler. It was clear the Holy Pope would reload his skill to use God Hand again, and it would be game over for Sungjin. Sungjin had no time to lose. ¡°Mother Earth, give us power.¡± Rachel¡¯s prayer augmented the attack power of Eustasia and Sungjin, and Eustasia activated her ultimate skill without wasting time. ¡°Durandal!¡± Twelve swords flew like shooting stars. Every sword was a heavenly judgment that could cut through anything. It broke rocks and destroyed buildings. It was a panorama of bright power. But the Holy Pope Pedrian stood like a mountain holding his cane. ¡°First Disciple¡¯s Staff.¡± His cane shot down the flying swords; they disappeared with sparks trailing behind them. The judgment from heaven couldn¡¯t prate the privilege blessed by God. One. Two. Three. Four... None of the twelve attacks made it through the cane of the Holy Pope. ¡°Ugh.¡± Eustasia pulled all her remaining power into her final blow. Until now, she was attacking him with the energy of her sword, now she was attacking him with her actual sword with the energy. It was her final blow. Sungjin moved quickly with Eustasia¡¯s attack. Until now, he was not able to move properly, but he wanted to add his blow on top of Eustasia¡¯s. Eustasia was aiming at the heart of the Holy Pope from the front, while Sungjin aimed at his heart from behind. But this simultaneous attack didn¡¯t seem to bother the Holy Pope. He knew the only attack that mattered was Eustasia¡¯s final blow. He didn¡¯t even bother with Sungjin¡¯s attack; this was the difference between the Holy Pope and other enemies that Sungjin had dealt with. The Holy Pope¡¯s defense power was beyond Sungjin¡¯s attack power, so Sungjin¡¯s attack didn¡¯t matter to the Holy Pope; it was like taking a dagger to a tank. The Holy Pope held his cane to stop Eustsia¡¯s sword. ng! Eustasia¡¯s sword broke into pieces with a sharp sound. Her final blow didn¡¯t work. At the same time, Sungjin¡¯s sword stabbed the back of the Holy Pope. The Holy Pope didn¡¯t bother looking back and simply raised the defense power of his robe. He didn¡¯t care about a stupid attack of a weak and useless human. The fight ended. Sungjin¡¯s sword pierced the heart of the Holy Pope. It was Sungjin¡¯s victory. ¡°Ugh?¡± The Holy Pope didn¡¯t know what had happened. The Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will, Durandal, was not something that could be broken into pieces so easily, and it was also impossible that Sungin¡¯s de could go through the robe of the Holy Pope. ¡°You...¡± ¡°We switched,¡± admitted Sungjin with a grin. When he pulled out his sword, the Holy Pope slowly fell down. The broken sword was not the holy sword. It was a counterfeit made by Sungjin¡¯s craftsman. Sungjin was holding the real holy sword. The holy sword had been painted to hide its bright light. That was it. From the beginning, Sungjin had been holding Durandal, while Eustasia was holding a fake Durandal with an explosive. The holy sword, Durandal, epted Eustasia as the owner but also epted Sungjin; therefore, he had been able to harness the real power of Durandal. When Sungjin stabbed the Holy Pope, Eustasia pulled her ultimate power into the sword, while simply swinging the fake one. Sungjin knew that even science wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to fight against the Holy Pope, which is why he prepared another trick. He predicted the Holy Pope would stop the twelve attacks and prepared his final feat. Eustasia went over to Sungjin and high-fived him. ¡°Well done!¡± ¡°Haha. We won, right?¡± It was worth the training for this final blow. The Holy Pope¡¯s body started to be ash. He was sentenced to death, and Sungjin¡¯s team won. ¡°We won?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes were shining. We defeated the scary Holy Pope. Sungjin Oppa did it. ¡°We won, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When Sungjin confirmed, Rachel began to cheer with her arms in the air. ¡°Hurray!¡± ¡°Hurray!¡± The people, who had been anxiously watching the battle, started to cheer with her. Sungjin won. Their protector defeated the Holy Pope. They knew the curse of the Holy Pope would be lifted. Sir Todam continued his writing: The young lion king defeated the Holy Pope at their first fight. Rupellion had a massive territory and the Holy Pope was thought undefeatable, but Sungjin proved he could fight against such a colossal power. People could no longer say he was just an ambitious young man. It was his victory. He was the hero of the day, having defeated the Holy Pope. Ereka had tears in her eyes. ¡°You made it.¡± Sungjin defeated the Holy Pope. She had missed out on Sungjin and Eustasia¡¯s high-five of victory... It¡¯s okay. I was able to sacrifice myself to assure victory. I will congratte you when you are back in the waiting room. ****** Feeling his body scattering, the Holy Pope closed his eyes. That was it. It was just a battlefield. Logically, there would be another battle next time, but how could truth lose? Wake up. Are you going to let the world go the other way? He was able to hear the voice of God, the one he had heard a hundred years ago. Ugh. He was also able to hear the sound of the lost souls crying out but unable to say a word. * * * It was a hundred years ago, when the holy priest was taking care of orphans while teaching people that heaven opens its door to the good people. Life was not easy for the orphans, but they were innocent. They all followed his teaching, didn¡¯t hate the world, and helped people in need with love. They were all good kids, and the priest also tried to help people around him. People were grateful for his help and told him they would live their lives following God¡¯s will, but the priest had to leave the ce for a while. When the thieves from surrounding areas attacked them, he had to handle it. He went to fight against them thinking it was God¡¯s will to defeat them. No, that¡¯s what he wanted to believe. But it turned out to be a scheme from a priest from another parish who wanted to kill him and take over his parish. He died and was angry at the priest who he thought had been on his side. How could a person who serves God do such a thing? He wanted power over the word of God? After a year, the priest went back to the orphanage. He couldn¡¯t understand how he was still walking around because he was clearly dead, but he didn¡¯t have time to think about it; he was in a hurry to check on the children. But the orphanage was not there. Where it once stood was just a burned building with burned bones. He didn¡¯t even know whom the bones belonged to. ¡°How...how dare you do such a thing?!¡± He was angry he knew he would never forgive the people who had done this. Three dayster, he used his cane to stab the heart of the priest who had tricked him. Maybe it was his rage, but he was much more powerful than before. ¡°For...forgive me...I was just...¡± Maybe it was not sincere, but the priest who betrayed him apologized. ¡°I forgive you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± It was okay that someone tried to kill him to take his status, maybe it was just a w of humans to do anything for power. But... ¡°But I won¡¯t forgive you! How dare you kill innocent children!¡± They were innocent and had nothing. His anger brought forth stronger power from his cane. ¡°Children?¡± The other priest didn¡¯t understand what children he was talking about and died with a confused face. What happened? The confusion apparent at the moment of death was not an act. The real killers are out there? The priest searched for truth and found out that it was not the bad priest who killed the children. The killers were good people, rather those people who pretended to be good and took his generosity. The hypocritic killers were...the vige people. They found out the new priest didn¡¯t like the now dead priest and worried that the new priest might harm them if he believed the rumor that the dead priest left a fortune to the orphans. When it was convenient, they quickly turned into robbers. That was the real color of a human being, the evil and ugly truth. What he saw was just another face of humans¡¯ greedy side. Do you understand how you should form this world? Angramainyu had spoken. When the priest heard the voice of the first and only creator of evil, he finally realized who had saved him and what he must do. He was the one who had to be called The Prophet. He was the one who had to prepare the world until the arrival of the Child of God. The truth of the world didn¡¯t stand on the good side, so he had to be the one to punish the wrong as a priest. Humans belonged in hell. Lead this world to the real truth. ¡°I take your order, my God.¡± Agreeing to reinforce the real truth, Pedrian signed a pact with Angramainyu. Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 26

* * * The Holy Pope¡¯s soul sparked again. I can¡¯t fall down here. I have a duty to purify this world. Humans are devils and need to be in hell to let their vindictive spirits rest. Then this world would be beautiful again. I can¡¯t die now. I can¡¯t be defeated by a group of people pursuing the false truth! That¡¯s right. Rise again. That is our pact. You should recreate this world. Angramainyu answered. ¡°Wait, something¡¯s wrong. Don¡¯t let your guard down!¡± Sungjin realized something was amiss and shouted. He had defeated everyone, including the Holy Pope, but the Valkyrie hadn¡¯te to dere his victory. Is this... One theory shed through Sungjin¡¯s mind. It was an ability certain champions had, although he had never witnessed it, and could be one held by the heroes of Valha. It was...rebirth. Sungjin thought, perhaps, it was thest skill the Holy Pope possessed. The darkness filled the air, and the voice echoed on the battlefield. It was not the voice of the Holy Pope, it was a voice of a transcendent revtion: ¡°You are disloyal to God. You won the fight between mortals.¡± The voice was announcing the victory of Sungjin, but the sound was overwhelming. Every word echoed in people¡¯s minds. ¡°I allow the victory of humans,¡± said the voice as if it was granting this defeat. ¡°But that is a sand castle built with the power of the world.¡± With the voice, the darkness became even darker. ¡°It can¡¯t reach heaven, and now I shall punish your arrogance by God¡¯s will!¡± It was time for punishment. The power of God was about the discipline the mortals. All eight Basilicas of Rupellion began to vibrate. One, two, three, four...eight. The Basilicas lit up at once, covered with dark me; the people became frightened. The ze burned, and the air moved with the me. Suddenly, the ck columns rose up to the sky, flew up through the clouds, and disappeared as if heading to another dimension. ****** A gigantic column fell from the sky and crashed to the ground where Sungjin was standing. It was the exact spot where the Holy Pope had died. Is this an invasion of an outer force?! Sungjin held his sword. It was foul y, but it was not the first time. When Ereka tried to sacrifice herself with the forbidden ritual, the power reached cross the wall of the battlefield. The wall of the battlefield was created by gods. Gods and devils could cross the line with their power. But how strong is the power this time? Sungjin was not the only one feeling it. The darkness that came from the sky was not just reviving the Holy Pope; it was stronger than that. It was a force mightier than the ultimate skill of the Holy Pope. What¡¯s going on and what kind of power is this? Is it... Sungjin had a theory he thought might reveal itself soon. The darkness concentrated to create the shape of a human. It was an image of the Holy Pope, but it was not the real him. It was a human and also a creature that was a transcendent level of a human. The dark aura from him painted the ground ck and colored the sky dark. Behind him, there was an abyss, an endless darkness; in the darkness, there were two red lights shining like eyes. The mechanical voice of the Valkyrie echoes around the battlefield. ss change admitted. It was not a regr situation; it was a power that broke the rules. Changed into a new ss: Avatar. Changed of abilities. Level: impossible to calcte. Attack power: impossible to calcte. Defence power: impossible to calcte. Magical power: impossible to calcte. Ugh. The Valkyrie¡¯s words sent a chill down Sungjin¡¯s spine. It was impossible to understand how strong the Holy Pope had be; it was definitely beyond the power of humans. This is not fair. Sungjin had won the fight cleanly using his wits, and God was about to upset the result. The priests were protected by God, but isn¡¯t it a foul y when God gets involved directly? It would be like if an owner got involved in a game and canceled the results he didn¡¯t agree with using money and power. It was more than just cheating. ¡°Time for atonement.¡± The Holy Pope¡¯s voice came from everywhere. ¡°Huh, what about this...the Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will¡ªDurandal!¡± Eustasia, attempting to interrupt the Holy Pope¡¯s n, activated her ultimate skill. I¡¯ve got to cut him off now, or he¡¯ll be able to collect even more power. What she released was the unstoppable Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will, the great sword of legend that the messenger of heaven gave to the knight to save the kingdom. Twelve swords came down to the ground like shooting stars. The attack made the monsters shiver in fear. ¡°Beautiful.¡± Pedrian, rather the incarnation of Angramainyu, praised the attack. ¡°Useless humans.¡± The Holy Pope stamped his cane on the ground and created an explosion that broke the twelve lights. All twelve swords scattered and disappeared; the real sword was the only one that started to attack the Cane of God. sh! With the sound of broken ss, the Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will broke into pieces, a tragic oue to Eustasia¡¯s desperate determination. ¡°Du... Durandal... cough...¡± Eustasia coughed blood when the artifact connected with her was broken. This is... the power of God... She was helpless. Destruction of a weapon was not easy. When Sungjin had attempted to break a magical sword with Durandal, he had found it extremely difficult. Now, Durandal, the unstoppable and unbreakable sword of legend, was...broken with a single blow... ¡°Poor human, Durandal¡¯s power only applies to mortals. Did you think you could use it on God as well?¡± She had witnessed a rank break, the rule of a lower rank wouldn¡¯t work for the higher rank¡¯s power. ¡°Be gone.¡± The dark me covered Eustasia. ¡°Huh.¡± She didn¡¯t even have time to scream before disappearing into ashes. It was the sudden death of a great warrior. ¡°You!¡± Sungjin tried to throw a final blow to the Holy Pope. ¡°Be gone.¡± With these words, Sungjin was sted back by an explosion in the air. ¡°Kneel,¡± said the Holy Pope, and the massive power of gravity pushed Sungjin to his knees. ¡°Ugh.¡± It was a dominance beyond the rules of nature; it was impossible for humans to resist or fight against it. Sungjin couldn¡¯t move. The Holy Pope looked at him as if he was looking at a tiny beetle on the ground. ¡°That is suitable for you. You will be punished to serve as an example of what others can expect when they rebel against God...¡± ¡°Shi*t!¡± Sungjin could only re at the Holy Pope; no martial art, calction, or movement would free him from the invisible restraint. There must be something I can do to escape this? He was not fighting against the Holy Pope; he was fighting against the evil God embodied in the Holy Pope. His strength transcended the level of humans and would make it impossible to fight. The power of the Holy Pope seemed endless. ****** Flump. Everyone began to kneel. They understood the immensity of the Holy Pope¡¯s control. They couldn¡¯t understand why he had hidden his power until now; some guessed he had built up the eight Basilicas solely for this purpose. People once believed the continent was under the bnce of power, but it appeared this was false. The Holy Pope was just taking time to finish everything at once, so no one could stand in his way. Sungjin was at his mercy. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± the Holy Pope said to Rachel as he smiled. With his gentle expression, he didn¡¯t look like the creator of all evil. He looked liked a savior. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to punish you, but lead you to the glory of God.¡± In his mind, he was trying to save her...but he was a savior of darkness. ¡°What are you trying to tell me?¡± Sungjin¡¯s instinct was to tell the Holy Pope to shut up, but he remained calm and assessed the situation. If the Holy Pope wanted to simply use Rachel as a sacrifice, he didn¡¯t have to do all of this. Are you nning to make her your toy? No, you¡¯re not that kind. There was something more that he wanted. Sungjin¡¯s eyes started to shine again. If he could find out what the Holy Pope wanted, maybe he still had a chance to ovee this. He had no ns on giving up. Let¡¯s think. He was just a mere human in front of God, but he still had a brain and could think for himself. The Holy Pope looked at Rachel. ¡°Do you still think the goddess will save you?¡± ¡°Yes... yes...The goddess promised me. If I save sick people, I will be able to lift the curse and have a better life,¡± answered Rachel with fear in her voice. The faith was the only thing that kept her going after escaping from Rupellion. She survived because she believed if she was good the goddess would save her. ¡°My poor girl, there is no goddess. It was a lie.¡± ¡°No, Kuga told me that the goddess would save me.¡± Rachel almost screamed. Kuga told me that and then led me to Sungjin Oppa, who has protected me up to this point. ¡°I will show you the truth.¡± The Holy Pope reached his hand into the air where there was a leash. When he pulled the leash, Kuga dropped to the ground. The Holy Pope mercilessly threw the lion to the ground. ¡°Ugh.¡± Kuga dropped with a bone-breaking sound, and the Holy Pope stamped his cane on the ground. ¡°Mirror of hell that takes the dead to the underworld, reveal the ugly truth!¡± A mirror with a golden frame appeared hazily and reflected a scene with Kuga. It was a scene from the past that the golden mirror reyed. A loyal subject of the Golden Wise King, Rainbow lion Kuga kneeled in front of his king and reported: ¡°Just like you nned, Rupellion and Sevrantina are going to sh.¡± He was reporting with amunication stone to the king who was far away. ¡°The foolish king of Sevrantina took the bait.¡± ¡°Foolish? Hahaha. He is not foolish.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t believe the message of the goddess and thought there was a conspiracy. Who else could n something like that? I¡¯m sure he doubted it more than a hundred times.¡± ¡°But...he granted asylum of the sacrifice...and refused to negotiate with Rupellion...he didn¡¯t even look like he was doubting...¡± ¡°That¡¯s how he is.¡± ¡°Although...he considered a conspiracy?¡± ¡°Even if there was a conspiracy, since the poor girl had to be saved, he took her in; that¡¯s the kind of man he is.¡± Kuga suggested the Golden King attack them while the Holy Pope and Sungjin were fighting. ¡°No way!¡± Rachel screamed. ¡°This is a lie! I can¡¯t believe what you¡¯re saying about Kuga.¡± ¡°It is the truth. The lion is a spy from the Golden Wise King.¡± The Holy Pope was telling them the truth, so they too could witness the nastiness of the world; people needed lies, but he was not covering anything up. ¡°Kuga created the goddess to trick you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! Kuga gave me the revtion from the goddess!¡± ¡°Look.¡± Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 27

The Mirror of Truth showed another scene. Kuga was getting orders from the Golden Wise King. ¡°Yes, I will tell them as you said about the ind of illusion and the fruit of God. If I tell them it was from the goddess they will believe me.¡± All the information was from the Golden Wise King, and he was being reported to by Kuga. ¡°Sungjin was able to calm down the people from the curse of the Holy Pope. But now he won¡¯t be able to avoid a sh.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true! Kuga, tell me that is not true!¡± begged Rachel. Kuga looked at Rachel and answered: ¡°Of course, the goddess...¡± ¡°The truth will defeat the lies.¡± When the Holy Pope ordered, Kuga shivered and small rainbow-colored marbles came out from his body. With this, Kuga lost his rainbow color and be a brown lion. His bright eyes lost the light and became grey. It was his real color without the power. His facial expression also changed significantly. He lost his sincere look and showed crossed eyes and a sly smile. Kuga shouted at Rachel: ¡°Hahaha, such a stupid little thing. Being caged up, you were gullible enough to believe everything I said. Thanks to you, I was able to help my king and get promotions.¡± ¡°Kuga...¡± ¡°The idiot next to you is the same! He doesn¡¯t know how to live this life! He was yed by my king!¡± ¡°No...no...Kuga. You helped me to escape.¡± The next moment the Mirror of Truth showed another scene. The door of a dark prison opened, and a lion came to a girl who had never seen the light. ¡°I came to save you following the order of the goddess.¡± ¡°Save me?¡± ¡°Poor thing, you are a child of the goddess,¡± his eyes showed the warmth of his heart. It was a beautiful scene of salvation, but a dark shadow was hidden behind the lion and showed his dark thoughts. I can¡¯t believe I need to travel this journey with this dirty, bloody girl on my back. My fur will get all dirty, but I have to do this for my promotion. The salvation was just a staged scene by the Golden Wise King. Even the light of the lion was an illusion made by the items hiding inside. ¡°No... no... when I was in pain... he showed mercy...¡± When Sungjin held Rachel in his arms, Kuga was looking at them; the dark shadow behind him revealed his dark thoughts again: Haha. That worked. He was easily tricked by this. Who told me he was smart? He was good at fighting but doesn¡¯t know anything about this world. I¡¯m getting my promotion for sure now, such an idiot; it would have been impossible to escape Rupelion without the help of my king. ¡°No... no... no....¡± The truth finally sunk in. Bang. The Holy Pope stamped his cane on the ground. Kuga¡¯s body broke apart into tiny pieces with his blood and intestines scattered on the ground. The scene was as disgusting as Kuga¡¯s mind. ¡°Kuga...The goddess...¡± Kuga was a lie, and it meant the goddess and the salvation were also a lie. Rachel fainted. ¡°Angramainyu is the only God. Evil is the only truth. I will show you the second proof!¡± The Holy Pope stamped his cane again; the dark me covered Sungjin and Rachel. ¡°Ugh.¡± Sungjin was able to stop screaming, but he couldn¡¯t stop the pain. All his nerves were heated up with the fire, but the mes did not burn his body; it was an endless punishment from hell. ¡°Ughhhh!!¡± Rachel started to scream with pain. ¡°Do you have any other God? Any gods to save the good? If so, pray. Pray to find out who would save you!¡± The Holy Pope held his cane high in the air, and the dark mes covered everyone outside of the battlefield. ¡°Ughhhhh!¡± The screams of the people shook the sky and the ground. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve been good? Do you think you are innocent? Then pray! Pray to save you! Pray to see who would save you!¡± The Holy Pope¡¯s words were directed at the people before him writhing on the ground. ¡°There¡¯s no such salvation.¡± If there was a salvation, the orphans wouldn¡¯t have been killed. This world was hell, although people tried to deny it. ¡°Ugh... ugh....¡± Rachel screamed with tears realizing there was no goddess to answer her prayer. The real God was... The Holy Pope was the only one with God. I thought if I follow the will of the goddess I would be saved. I thought I would have a chance to be an adult to date Sungjin Oppa. There was nothing left in her. She had built up her hope only to be left with deeper despair. It was even worse than physical pain; her soul was killed by the cruel truth. The Holy Pope was enjoying his victory. Humans talk about good when it benefits them or if they¡¯re seeking things such as respect or fame. Sometimes, powerful people put on a show in front of others to fool them or to make a deal. But as soon as they don¡¯t need to, they stop pretending. That was the truth of good and evil, and he was about to break that mask with the power of God. ¡°Now you see, humans! Angramainyu is the one and only God! ept him as your god to stop this pain!¡± The Holy Pope Pederian looked at Sungjin and Rachel. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve seen the truth, ask for forgiveness to God. Make an oath that you would help him to lead the world to his will. If you do so, God will take you under his arms,¡± said the Holy Pope holding the fruit of God in his hand. ¡°Now is the time to convert!¡± The fruit exploded, and the darkness covered Sungjin and Rachel. The Holy Pope raised his eyebrows. Were they both worth it? He didn¡¯t expect Sungjin to be covered by the power of the fruit of God. People said that he came from elsewhere...maybe that was true... but that doesn¡¯t matter. It didn¡¯t matter which one asked for forgiveness first. All he wanted was one of them to beg for mercy and say they would be willing to do anything. Rachel was a child of God; the other one was a human from another world summoned by princess Ereka and her forbidden ritual. Doesn¡¯t matter which one. He was standing in the altar of Angramainyu; any prayer for darkness would reach him. The king of darkness would open the door of hell and make this world a living nightmare as it¡¯s supposed to be. Finally, everything was in its ce. The truth would win. People from Rupllion started to believe they were the smart ones. When Sungjin stabbed the Holy Pope with his sword, they worried, but their God was the only winner. I hope no one noticed I was worried... They started to worry that others would have seen theirck of faith and report it to the priests. Kalt was one of them. See? I was right. The olddy, Irein, was senseless; nobody asked her to give him the juice. It was futile to stand against God. He followed God¡¯s will to punish her. It was her fault. So stop showing up in my dreams! Why... why?! You shouldn¡¯t be able to haunt my dreams anymore. God had won. Now everyone could see what happens when they disobey God. God was the only truth. * * * Sungjin shook his head. Ugh. What¡¯s going on? He was covered with ck mes, and a man with an evil smile stood in front of him. Bizarrely, he had another face on his back; Sungjin was not able to see the facial expression on the other face clearly. Two faced... is it? ¡°Yes, you are worthy of being a vessel. My name is Janus, guard of all gates.¡± He read my mind. ¡°Here, human minds built this altar for over a thousand years; now I ask you, who had reached the king of nine hells...¡± I am worthy? Sungjin looked around to see Rachel behind a transparent wall facing Janus. So she is worthy as well. Sungjin thought quickly about what he would ask Janus. ¡°You, who is aiming to be on the top of Valha, do you still have the same wish?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Sungjin knew lies wouldn¡¯t work in front of this god, so he answered truthfully. ¡°It won¡¯t work. You¡¯ll be crushed and will lose everything soon.¡± That was the verdict from the god. It was the truth; Sungjin had no hidden card to defeat the Holy Pope. ¡°The Holy Pope has his God behind him, but you only had the illusion of having a god protecting her. This was a losing game from the beginning..¡± One was blessed by a real god, while the other believed in a false god. It was clear who held the winning card. ¡°It¡¯s toote for regret.¡± ¡°Regret?¡± Sungjin stopped Janus. Although he was restrained by this power, his voice was clear and confident: ¡°So you can¡¯t really read everything in my mind?¡± He didn¡¯t have any regrets. ¡°The goddess was fake, so what? Don¡¯t get confused, the god of all gates!¡± Sungjin¡¯s spirit surged. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t think I believed in the blessing of a goddess!¡± Although it was a nice thought, he had never fully believed the tale of the goddess sending Rachel. ¡°I didn¡¯t promise to save her to get some reward from the goddess!¡± He hadn¡¯t done this because of a false tale or the thought of a reward. He just wanted to protect Rachel. ¡°The existence or the absence of goddess doesn¡¯t change anything. I don¡¯t regret my decision!¡± ¡°You...¡± ¡°Now should I read your mind? Are you about to ask me if I want to make a pact with Lucifer, the ruler of the nine hells?¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes shone sharply. Although at his lowest point, his mind remained made up. ¡°Is Ereka the price? Or is it Rachel? Or does he want the whole world? Those are probably the minor details. He needs my soul to keep his power.¡± ¡°Pfff. You are arrogant, human. What is your answer then? Do you want it or not? Do you want the highest position of this world as the sessor of the fallen morning star?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± answered Sungjin without hesitation. He had wanted to be an Arc Master with his own power having won fairly without cheating. If not, it was meaningless. ¡°So you want to remain noble and disappear as a defeated one?¡± ¡°No way,¡± Sungjin answered with a grin. If it was a game, he would have epted this, but this was a war; there were a lot of people were at risk if he didn¡¯t make it. He still had so many to protect. Rachel is like my little sister. Ereka is always taking care of me in the background. There¡¯s my strategic partner, Eustasia, and cute and ruthless Jenna. I have a lot of people I need to protect and take care of. ¡°Are you listening, Lucifer? You can use me as your vessel, but there¡¯s a condition. You can use me only until you defeat the Holy Pope who¡¯s be an incarnation of Angramainyu.¡± The offer gave Sungjin the advantage. ¡°So you don¡¯t want Angramainyu to take over this world, right?¡± If Lucifer was not interested total dominance, he wouldn¡¯t have contacted Sungjin in the first ce. ¡°So let¡¯s make this a mutual deal. What do you think?¡± ¡°Hahaha. You just offered something quite useless to God.¡± ¡°Well, when the fight is a tie, even a matchstick can be an advantage.¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t move a muscle. Currently, his only card was he was worthy of being a vessel. ¡°Lucifer will have to make his choice. If I can¡¯t save this world, it doesn¡¯t matter who rules, Angramainyu or Lucifer.¡± It didn¡¯t really matter that he would be the agent. Sungjin told him to walk away if he didn¡¯t believe him. He had no ns to bluff God. Then he got the answer. ¡°Stupid human, you are resisting, but the child made her choice.¡± The words of Janus caused Sungjin to look back at Rachel with empty eyes. ¡°No, Rachel!¡± Sungjin called out to her, but Rachel crossed her head with tears. I¡¯m sorry, Sungjin Oppa. You did so much for me. But like this...I can¡¯t... So this was the only way...because her goddess was not true. No salvation coulde from a fake goddess. So... She had to pray to the powerful. The pain from hell was unbearable. ¡°Save me,¡± she prayed. Chapter 85

Chapter 85: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 28

The dark me burned around Rachel. A door covered with snakes appeared in front of her. With an evil smile, Janus inquired: ¡°Good girl, ask now. Who do you want to be saved? Tell me your wish, and I will open the door!¡± The Holy Pope Pederian felt the vibration of powering from the darkness, and it filled him with joy. Finally, the gate of hell is opening! With the eight Basilicas and the sacrifice with the fruit of god on the altar, it was alling together. Rachel¡¯s wish to Janus would open the gates of hell, and the evil God would turn the world into a living nightmare. Before, she had been able to bear her pain and difficulties because she believed the goddess would help her. Now that her faith was gone, all she could do was pray to the real God, Angramainyu. She was standing in front of the altar of decadence with the fruit of human evil deeds. Whatever wish she prayed for woulde true in a format of darkness. Now, pray. Pray to save you! If she so prayed, the evil God would save her and make her an empress of darkness to rule this world. The dirty humans would fall into hell. Rachel answered: ¡°I don¡¯t want to feel this pain anymore. This is too much.¡± ¡°What will you give for your wish...this world?¡± Janus asked. A writing board of God appeared in front of her. Rachel¡¯sst word, if she promised to give the world to God, would open the gate of hell. Snakes started to breathe fire, and poisonous gas slithered out of the closed door. No, Rachel. Sungjin wanted to shout, but his voice couldn¡¯t reach her. Rachel slowly shook her head. ¡°No, I offer you myself!¡± she cried. ¡°So...stop torturing Sungjin Oppa...and the others...¡± ¡°Then you will be in the same pain for eternity. Is that what you want?¡± ¡°Yes...Sungjin Oppa...I don¡¯t want him to feel the pain...I¡¯ll take it all.¡± She knew how painful it would be because she was living it. The thought of having that torture again and again was dreadful, but she didn¡¯t want Sungjin Oppa, whom she loved so much, to feel that pain. It was not that she wanted that agony but... If there was no goddess and not everyone could be saved... She wanted to save him rather than saving herself; she cared for him that much. The goddess was not real...and Kuga was a liar. But Sungjin Oppa¡¯s love was real. She had heard it with her own ears. He said he didn¡¯t care if she was a child of god or not, he would save her. With or without the blessings of a goddess, with or without her power, he would still save her. He wanted to protect her even if it was a conspiracy of the Golden Wise King. She realized Sungjin would save her no matter the circumstances. He had been trying to teach her everything with love. I love Sungjin Oppa. Even if everything was an illusion, I still love him; this feeling is real, and I want to save him even if that means I go to hell. I don¡¯t want other people to feel the pain; it¡¯s too much. I want to save others just like Sungjin Oppa saved me. She would give up her salvation to save the others. ¡°I will go to hell.¡± ¡°You have made your choice,¡± Janus answered with authority. ¡°No!¡± Sungjin screamed and tried to reach out to her, but the transparent wall was unbreakable. The ckness rose up. Boiling water surrounded Rachel. It was a creation of human horror that was as dark as an abyss. ¡°Rachel!¡± Sungjin screamed, but Rachel smiled at him peacefully and mouthed a message so that he could read her lips: Goodbye Oppa...Thank you for everything...I was...happy for a little while. The malice from everyone tainted the pure white into ck, and the young girl disappeared into the darkness. It happened slowly, from her toes to her knees, her knees to her waist, her waist to her chest, and her chest to her neck. She was shivering in fear and holding her hands tight, but she was smiling at Sungjin with tears in her eyes. ¡°Rachel...¡± Sungjin tried to reach her, but she was too far away. Soon, the darkness swallowed her entire body. Hell started to boil with the sacrifice. ¡°Hahaha! That was the natural order!¡± Pederian dropped his holiness for a second tough cheerfully. It was time to introduce hell to the world. The devils disguised as humans would be saved by the inferno. ¡°Show yourself, my God, the creator of all evil, Angramainyu!¡± The darkness of Hades exploded, and in the ze a sliver of light appeared. ¡°What?¡± It was a pure bright lighting out to bloom, a white lotus flower. A sweet fresh scent came from the flower, and there was a door in its center. When it slowly opened, a holy bell chimed. It sounded like the whisper that heals all wounds. ¡°No...no way!¡± Pederian screamed with denial. It was impossible. It was the altar of decadency. It was in the center of the Basilica that he had built with the power of Angramainyu. The fruit was the essence of human thoughts umted for over a thousand years. It was a pure evil to bring out the darkness on the altar. ¡°Why is the door of heaven opening?¡± Janus turned his face and showed a warm and kind expression: ¡°The girl¡¯s prayer reached a god to open the door...¡± That was the prayer of Rachel. She hadn¡¯t asked for salvation in the afterlife or happiness in the present. She didn¡¯t ask for fame or respect; she just wanted to save people through self-sacrifice. She asked for no reward in return. It was love beyond salvation. Everything she believed in turned out to be lies, and every reprieve she was waiting for would nevere. But she still wanted to do good. Its name was...Unrequited Mercy. Her wish had reached the god to open the door that suited her. Sungjin stood up. ¡°That¡¯s right, if the fruit has been umting human thoughts, there must be light in it as well.¡± ¡°But this is the altar of Angramainyu!¡± Janus answered: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whose altar it is; her prayer headed to the light. Even the creator of evil can¡¯t change that.¡± ¡°No...no...This is impossible!¡± The Holy Pope remained in denial. People pretended to side with a good god only when they thought it would benefit them. When they think the evil god is stronger, they would sacrifice friends, family, anyone. Something was wrong; such dirty humans wouldn¡¯t wish for good. ¡°I¡¯ve done my job.¡± Janus disappeared. The door opened, and the goddess revealed herself. She was wearing a white robe as she sat atop the lotus and looked at people with merciful eyes. In her hand was a blue bottle. Inside the bottle was a form that would put out the hellfire and heal anyone; the form was called Avalokitevara. It actually went by many different names, but the core was simple: mercy. It was a mercy that didn¡¯t expect any reward. Rachel burst into tears. ¡°Goddess, you came to save me; you heard my prayer. You are real.¡± The goddess smiled and answered: ¡°No, little girl...¡± Rachel¡¯s tears dropped into her bottle. When the goddess tilted the bottle, the liquid inside made a musical sound. It was the holy water of salvation, the Honeydew. Legend said the Honeydew had saved the holy tree that had existed even before the creation of the world ¡°Your love opened my way.¡± The holy water filled with mercy doused the fire of sin that humans created with greed and guilt. It gently rained over everyone. The me covering Sungjin disappeared, and the fire zing the people outside of the battlefield withered away. The water also washed away the tattoo etched into Rachel¡¯s back. The darkness engraved on her heart disappeared. ¡°I won¡¯t ept this!¡± A dark force shot out from the Holy Pope and created a deep abyss behind him. The darkness roared to fight against the salvation of the light. ¡°The goddess made a grave error in appearing here! I will give this world to the one and only true god, Angramainyu!¡± The truth would win, hence darkness would be supreme victor! But the goddess blew a lotus blossom to Sungjin with a smile. ¡°Boy, your heart helped her to open this door. Take my power to finish this fight.¡± As soon as the lotus flower touched Sungjin, he felt a sensation of power transmitted to his body. The sensation was so strong, it was beyond words. ss change admitted. Changed into a new ss: a proxy of God. Change of abilities. Level: impossible to calcte. Attack power: impossible to calcte. Defense power: impossible to calcte. Magical power: impossible to calcte. A bright sword appeared in his hand; it was the ss Guidance Sword. It was another holy sword of a god from the center of the universe, Mandara; it had been used to discipline kings of darkness. The transparent sword would break the darkness covering the Holy Pope. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s fight!¡± Sungjin attacked. ¡°I hold the truth!¡± said the Holy Pope as he fought back with his cane. The sword and the cane shed. Where there was a god of darkness, there was a god of light. So it came down to the fight of a human against another human. The question was who would be stronger: the human blessed by a god of light or the human blessed by a god of darkness. ¡°This is a pretty even match; what¡¯s going to happen?!¡± Ereka said with worry. Eustasiaughed and answered: ¡°So they have almost the same amount of power from their god. Aren¡¯t you forgetting one thing?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Before Ereka could reply, Sungjin¡¯s sword cut the Holy Pope in half. The Holy Pope melted into the darkness and became the darkness himself... ¡°Die! A few hundred hands shot out from the darkness to attack Sungjin. Every hand was as powerful as the ultimate skill of the Holy Pope; this didn¡¯t seem to bother Sungjin. ¡°You¡¯re wasting a lot of power.¡± Sungjin was flying among raining hands with his refined movement. He avoided every hand he could while cutting those he couldn¡¯t. When he reached the darkness, Sungjin pushed his sword into the center, and the light exploded. ¡°Ughhh!¡± With a scream, the ckness scattered, and the Holy Pope appeared again in the same spot. Again, the cane shed with the sword. It was a fight of pure swordsmanship. ¡°Your movement is inefficient,¡± Sungjin informed the Holy Pope. ¡°Now do you get it?¡± Eustasia smiled as if she was telling everyone they didn¡¯t even have to cheer. Sungjin defeated the Holy Pope when they had fought as humans. This was a fight as proxies of gods, and neither one could use strategy. The Holy Pope used to fight against opponents with his dominant power supplied by God, while Sungjin fought against much stronger enemies with extreme tactics. They were fighting a fair fight now, but it felt different to them; it was shapeless and rhythmless. It was the movement of sword without thought. Even the Blood Ruler couldn¡¯t fight against it with pure swordsmanship. There was no way the Holy Pope could stop it. ¡°I still don¡¯t know which one is stronger, the light or the darkness...¡± Eustasia smiled. ¡°Our man is strong for sure.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right; Sungjin is strong.¡± His sword cut the cane and the Holy Pope in half. ¡°Ugh...¡± Blue team won. Finally, the Valkyrie dered the victory of the Blue team. It was the victory of the light, the victory of Sungjin and Rachel, the victory of a boy and a girl wanting to do good beyond the salvation of God. Chapter 86 - Vol. 3 – Episode 29

Chapter 86: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 29

The goddess looked at Rachel and smiled. ¡°Little girl, my time in this world is over, but my power will stay with you.¡± Rachel¡¯s bottle floated in the air and changed its color to match the goddess¡¯ bottle. ¡°Never lose the mindset of saving others.¡± ¡°Yes, my goddess! I will work hard! I will share my love with others.¡± The Valkyrie dered. Weapon obtained: the Honeydew Bottle ¨C Gratuitous Mercy. Ultimate skill has changed. Protection of the Light ¡ú The Honeydew Bottle ¨C Gratuitous Mercy: remove all the wounds of the army and recover from all damages.. Passive: The same amount bonus as the magical power added for all spells rted to healing/protection. Passive: Cooling time reduced by 40 percent for all spells rted to healing/protection. Spell power: 600. ¡°Wonderful, little girl. Embrace the world with your love for the boy.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Then the goddess looked at Sungjin, and Sungjin felt the transcendent power inside him fading away. Hmph. It was not a power I could keep. The power had been overwhelming; it could not bepared to level seven or eight. With it, he was fighting as a proxy of God. It was not a fight of humans. It was a fight that he had to win, but it was not his fight. If he held onto it to be an Arc Master, that wouldn¡¯t be his achievement. I don¡¯t need it anymore. It was enough that the power stopped the evil God from cheating. ¡°But I would deeply appreciate if you let me have some level,¡± said Sungjin hoping the goddess would reward him that much. ¡°It¡¯s not depending on me; it is on you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not epting the power of this world because you are not connected to this world.¡± ¡°I have no ns to sacrifice Ereka to have a connection with this world.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another way.¡± ¡°Another way?¡± ¡°If you have a deep connection with girls with different powers from this world, those powers will be connected to you as well.¡± As soon as the goddess finished speaking, she disappeared. ¡°Deep...connection?¡± Sungjin was confused. Deep connection with girls with different powers. What kind of deep connection? Connection as a man and a woman? Is it... ¡°W...wait! What do you mean by the connection...¡± But the goddess was already gone. ¡°Pff. If you wanted to help me, why didn¡¯t you just tell me...¡± In most situations, Sungjin wouldn¡¯t need any more clues. He would have discovered the answer himself; but this time, he was lost like a teenage boy. The clue made him think the answer was quite tricky. What do you want from me, goddess? Sungjin would figure it out eventually. Sungjin and Rachel returned to the waiting room. ¡°Congrattions!¡± ¡°Good job!¡± ¡°Sungjin Oppa! Way to go!¡± ¡°It was our victory. Well done, everyone,¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t im the victory alone. ¡°But Sungjin.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Well...nothing. Let¡¯s go back and party.¡± Ereka was blushing but smiled at Sungjin. ¡°We should celebrate, Rachel. You did a great job.¡± Sungjin praised Rachel. ¡°Hehehe. The goddess was real! I¡¯m...happy.¡± Everyone looked at Rachel with love. Sungjin¡¯s camp was full of happiness, but the Holy Pope¡¯s camp was in a panic. The four priests screamed in confusion. ¡°Your Excellency? Your Excellency! Wake up!¡± The great white priest used his healing power to wake the Holy Pope up, but it didn¡¯t fully work. He was slowly dying. Dying on the battlefield shouldn¡¯t kill a person in the waiting room, but this was a special case. Angramainyu had kept the Holy Pope alive for more than 100 years, and now the power of Angramainyu was fading away; he lost his force to stay alive. Pedrian couldn¡¯t even hear the four priests anymore. Is this...the end... He didn¡¯t understand why he lost this battle. This world was hell where devils called humans were living. He had been positive the creator of evil would win, and he had been on the side of truth. For the first time, the Holy Pope was able to hear the crying voice of vindictive spirits. S...t...o...p... Children cried out to him: We are sad we died like that... But we were happy to be with you. We don¡¯t want you to do such scary things. Oh, that¡¯s it. Pedrian started to cry as he remembered. They were such lovely children; they were worried about him even in death. The light had been with him, although he was not able to see it. ¡°Did I give you the pain...I was foolish...¡± When Rachel heard the Holy Pope, she hesitated. She came to check when she heard the screaming of the priests and heard the Holy Pope. What should I do? He was a bad guy who gave her nothing but pain. He caged her and when she escaped, he tried to put her back in the cage. He was the worst person in this world. But... He was apologizing as hey dying, and she felt sorry for him. Now, I¡¯m all cured. She held the hand of the Holy Pope and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m okay now. Don¡¯t do bad things again.¡± I will ept his apology. She decided to forgive him. ¡°Is that so...thank you,¡± said Pedrian with hisst breath. He was happy to see the children smiling for thest time. He had been wrong, but they smiled for him anyway. You¡¯re forgiving me. Yes...they were such a lovely children. Just like the darkness, the light was with me. Why did it take so long for me to realize... The four priests kneeled in front of Rachel. ¡°We will devote ourselves to you, Saint Rachel.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your God is more truthful than ours, so we shall follow you.¡± They bowed down. ¡°We want to follow the rightful faith; please forgive us and take us.¡± ¡°Take us.¡± ¡°Uh...well...¡± Rachel didn¡¯t know what to do and looked at Sungjin. ¡°Sungjin Oppa, what should I do?¡± Sungjin giggled. So, that was it. For the priests, the logic of the world was about divinity. So they are turning their back from the old God and trying to follow the new God who would give them the real salvation. What they wanted to follow was not the doctrine or the truth but the salvation. That was the nature of humans. To make Rupellion better, they would follow the new God. ¡°Take them. You already forgave their leader; you can give the followers a second chance, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin Oppa,¡± Rachel nodded with a bright smile. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t abuse people from now on.¡± ¡°Teach us the new rules; we will follow your word.¡± The four priests bowed down to the little girl. The people of Sevrantina cheered, but the people of Rupellion didn¡¯t know how to react; should they cheer or cry? They had lost the absolute power that had given them their unwavering faith for so long. Should we honor the fallen God? What if the new conqueror, Sungjin, is angry with us? Should we cheer? But...Would it be okay? The Holy Pope was forgivable for such things. They had no idea what to do. Kelt fell down on his knees. Angramainyu is defeated? My God was not an absolute power? Then... Then... I followed his rules, what now? God was the absolute truth because God has the absolute power. But the absolute power was...defeated by a bigger power... That means, the bigger power is holding the truth? Then... What about.... What I did.... What about...I stoned Irein... ¡°Ugh.... Ahhh...¡± Kelt burst into tears. He didn¡¯t know what to say and continued crying. It was the first time in his life he had shed tears. Epilogue Sungjin won only a small parcel of Rupellion from his fight against the Holy Pope. But the battle was over; everyone from Rupellion surrendered. The young lion king of the south defeated our God and the Holy Pope with his God, one stronger than ours. That was a good enough reason for them to obey. The new God was stronger than the old God. It would only be natural for them to follow the new power. All priests surrendered to Sungjin and Rachel. Sungjin took all of them under him, and he received a massive amount ofnd. Status report of yournd: Poption: 231,370,000 Area: 3,720,000 km2 GBP: 549.5423 trillion dilent That was half of the continent. That wasn¡¯t all. The four priests offered a great sword to Sungjin. The sword was presented on a cushion shining like a pure white morning star but also held ckness darker than the sunset. The handle of the sword was decorated with six wings. The wings changed color, just like the sword, between ck and white. The power of light and darkness lived in the weapon; it contained an undisputable power. Even Durandal, the Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will, would look like a normal sword in front of it. ¡°Please take this sword.¡± ¡°What kind of sword is this?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know its real status or abilities. The Holy Pope ordered us to seal it because a strong pagan power is hidden inside. Master Sungjin could open up the power of this sword.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check the status.¡± The Valkyrie said with a mechanical voice: Now that you have conquered the territory, the gods ept you as the master of the Holy Magical Sword, formerly sealed. Do you want to check the status of the sword? The Holy Magical Sword, that¡¯s a funny name. ¡°Yes,¡± Sungjin answered. Six wings spread in a heartbeat, and Sungjin saw the ability of the sword in front of him. Nickname: The Holy Magical Sword Crystal needed to activate the item: 3300 The Holy Sword Mode: Attack 200, defense 50, resistance 50, heroic power recovery 30 per second. The Magical Sword Mode: Attack 250, 30 percent recovery of the damage. The Real Name: The condition doesn¡¯t fit, can¡¯t be disclosed. Skills: The condition doesn¡¯t fit, can¡¯t be disclosed. The Holy Sword character 1: The condition doesn¡¯t fit, can¡¯t be disclosed. The Holy Sword character 2: The condition doesn¡¯t fit, can¡¯t be disclosed. The Magical Sword character 1: The condition doesn¡¯t fit, can¡¯t be disclosed. The Magical Sword character 2: The condition doesn¡¯t fit, can¡¯t be disclosed. With the same amount of crystals, a regr magic sword would have attack power of 100. The best sword of the four kingdoms, Durandal, had attack power of 200. But this Holy Magical Sword was much stronger. ¡°The average power is over Durandal...This is amazing!¡± Chapter 87 - Vol. 3 – Episode 30

Chapter 87: Vol. 3 ¨C Episode 30

Everything that once belonged to the Holy Pope Pedrian now belonged to Sungjin: thend, heroes, treasures, and people. It was a quick, clean defeat. Sungjin sat on his chair with satisfaction. That went better than expected. He had anticipated a long war fraught with many challenges, but with Rupellion¡¯s surrender, the victory was swift. So they expect the new God to save them... It seemed whichever God was ahead -be it good or evil- was the one they followed. Heughed to himself. I don¡¯t think this is what the goddess had intended. Sometimes different worlds had to follow different rules. People saw the miracle through their own philosophical and religious lenses; that was good enough. If he threw the freedom of religious faith to the people of Rupellion under the tyranny of faith, they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. He had seen situations like this on Earth. When the tyrant was kicked out, civil war and chaos took over. But Rachel¡¯s love was great. She showed the good that was beyond forgiveness. She was a real saint. But the king needed to create a world where it was easy to choose good over evil. It was Sungjin¡¯s work to create amunity where evil things need not be done to survive. Using Rachel, the extreme religious point of view could be toned down. Rachel was telling everyone that the new goddess doesn¡¯t like abusing people or hunting witches, and, so far, it was working well. Although some were confused that she was forgiving the unforgivable. The collection from the church was no longer obligatory, and the tax rate became as low as that of Sevrantina. This progress confused the people of Rupellion. They were happy but didn¡¯t understand how the system worked. They were so oppressed. Sungjin decided to take his time with this change. As the ruler, he didn¡¯t have to rush to implement anything. Yes, I have my homework. There was still Eldorado, the kingdom of the Golden Wise King, that took up half of the continent, the absolute power that was ruling the continent with the Holy Pope Pedrian. He had been the one who forced a fight, pitting Sungjin against Pedrian. This would be Sungjin¡¯sst task. Looking at Sungjin in deep thought, Rachel asked him with a bright smile: ¡°Sungjin Oppa, we are lovers now, right?¡± ¡°Haw,¡± Sungjin leaned against the wall for support. He felt like there was another huge task in front of him. ¡°Why?¡± He couldn¡¯t understand how she came to that conclusion. He was a smart man, but he had trouble understanding the thoughts of a child. ¡°Because we love each other.¡± ¡°How is that?¡± ¡°The goddess said your love tried to save me without any reward, and my love tried to save you from pain. So it is clear that we love each other!¡± It was then Sungjin was able to understand the logical flow in Rachel¡¯s head, and, with that, he developed a massive headache. ¡°Well, Rachel, about that. People don¡¯t be lovers based off just those actions.¡± ¡°Why? We love each other.¡± ¡°That is...different from the love you are talking about.¡± ¡°But the goddess said we love each other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...hmm...I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s not love...but it is more of a general kind of love rather than between lovers...something...like love for humanity, yes, humanity.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Rachel didn¡¯t understand, and Sungjin didn¡¯t know how to exin. The gods are continuing to challenge me. But he wouldn¡¯t give up; he was determined to make Rachel understand the difference between romantic love and tonic love. I won¡¯t give up this easily... ¡°I don¡¯t think I get it, but let¡¯s do the love between lovers as well. That will make it work!¡± She ran into his arms to make him feel her soft and lovely skin. He breathed in her sweet skin. Ugh. Sungjin didn¡¯t know what to do. She was lovely and innocent. Moreover, he saw how attractive she would be when she grew up, and that excited him. Stop. He must restrain himself; it was safer. ¡°R...Rachel. That¡¯s not the same. The love between lovers is not just being happy to see each other. Your heart pounds and you blush and feel shy...¡± ¡°That¡¯s how I feel when I look at you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sungjin looked at Rachel with nk eyes. ¡°When I look at you, my heart pounds; when I think of you my face bes red; when I¡¯m in your arms, I am so happy that I nearly pass out! That¡¯s love, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, Well...hmmm...that¡¯s...you¡¯re still young...now maybe...but it will be differentter...¡± ¡°I will keep loving you! I will be your lover forever!¡± ¡°Thank you for saying that...but let¡¯s talk more about thister.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Rachel kept asking questions, and it was getting more difficult for Sungjin to answer. What should I say? It was nice to think this cute and lovely child adored him andter when she turns into a beauty, she would still want to marry him. He wanted to keep her and take herter but... That¡¯s it. Sungjin stopped the thought of a beast inside him. He had to keep hisposure and get her young mind thinking in the right direction. Let¡¯s admit it, Rachel¡¯s mind is also a great love. She was still inexperienced, but she wanted to go to hell for him. That was love, the puppy love of a young child. ¡°Rachel.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin Oppa.¡± ¡°That is love.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes started to shine like stars. ¡°Yes, and thank you so much for loving me,¡± Sungjin answered sincerely. ¡°Hehehe.¡± Rachel blushed. ¡°But Rachel, the love between lovers is for when you are grown up both physically and mentally,¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t avoid Rachel¡¯s eyes and told her firmly. ¡°Hmm...Not now? Do I have to learn more to be an adult?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. I¡¯m not saying your love now is not as big or real as the love between lovers. It¡¯s just a love with different color. Your love has given me something very beautiful.¡± Passionate love between adults was a great thing, but the puppy love of this young child was also meaningful. ¡°So let¡¯s have our love that we can¡¯t haveter.¡± Sungjin smiled and softly stroked Rachel¡¯s head. ¡°When you grow up, let¡¯s talk about the love of adults. I want to cherish this moment.¡± ¡°Cherish this moment.¡± ¡°Yes. So now that we¡¯ve finished our work, should we go to the beach?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to...Yeah!¡± Rachelughed. She had failed to be Sungjin¡¯s lover, but she was happy that Sungjin appreciated her heart. She was happy to go to the beach with everyone. ¡°Yeah...the beach!¡± Sungjin was happy with the result. He was d he hadn¡¯t avoided her questions. This is the way to take the love from a child to an adult. Next to them, Ereka sighed. ¡°Which room should I give to Rachel?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her room; focus on how to drag him into your room.¡± With Eustasia¡¯sment, Ereka smiled gently. ¡°What can I do? Should I wait for Sungjin to take me?¡± ¡°You are not a bottle of wine that gets better with time.¡± ¡°He said he is busy with battles.¡± ¡°He keeps pushing it back because of your behavior! That¡¯s why I can¡¯t have him as well! When the frontline hesitates, the troops behind also struggle, don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯ll wait, and should we build more rooms in the castle? It¡¯s okay for now, but we may need more roomster.¡± ¡°Work on securing your honeymoon before worrying about other people¡¯s rooms.¡± Jenna sighed next to them. My queen has to rush a bit. Sniff. It is bing moreplicated because of her. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better not to make him wait anymore,¡± said Eustasia like a seductive snake. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You heard the goddess, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Huh? Oh...well...you mean...¡± ¡°Yes, that. Don¡¯t you think she meant that thing?¡± ¡°Do...do you think so?¡± Ereka¡¯s face became red. ¡°It¡¯s worth a try; it¡¯s a win-win for us.¡± ¡°But...what if all six of us need to do it...¡± ¡°Maybe, but maybe we could do it one by one, right?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Ereka nodded. If that¡¯s it, Sungjin would have his level and even if not...well... It didn¡¯t matter if that¡¯s what the goddess meant or not; they would have done it with or without a grand reason. Ereka became all red, but in her heart, she knew the goal she was now aiming for. ¡°I¡¯m telling you all this because of our friendship. But I might be the one to do the testing. I won¡¯t wait for you. You should know that,¡± rified Eustasia. ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Sungjin was around the corner and didn¡¯t hear the discussion among the girls. That was good. He had just solved a difficult task, and more wereing. It was better for now that he remain unaware. ****** As soon as he had cleared things up with Rachel, Sungjin tackled his next problem. I¡¯m facing myst fight. He looked at the map of the continent; half was already his. The other half belonged to Eldorado, the kingdom where gold rules everything, and there was the king Kapitle, ruler of the gold. I wouldn¡¯t expect gods to get involved again. It would be a human-on-human fight to find out who was the strongest of the continent. The first final of this game. If Kapitle wins, Sungjin would lose everything; if Sungjin wins, he could go forward as the conqueror of the continent. Of course I will win, but it will be a great fight. The Holy Pope Pedrian was a fanatic tyrant but on the battlefield, he was a truly strong adversary that had given Sungjin a thrill. He had no doubt that Kapitle would be an even better opponent. What kind of a battle awaits me, and what kind of new members will join us? His heart started to pound. ****** The Golden Wise King Kapitleughed when he heard that everyone from Rupellion had surrendered to Sungjin. The ck chess pieces in front of him all became white and rearranged themselves on the chessboard. ¡°Hahaha. That was unexpected.¡± A fight between a young lion and an old fanatic. He expected victory to take longer, but it turned out to be quite a simple fight. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing for me.¡± Pedrian was the difficult opponent, not Sungjin. He didn¡¯t know how Pedrian could have lost using eight great Basilicas and his God. Sungjin¡¯s intelligence and fighting skills were not something he could ignore, but he still considered him weaker than Pedrian. Sometimes, the weak will defeat the strong with luck. This would make it easier for other strong yers in the game. A child of god called on her god, a miracle I will only allow to happen once. She was nothing more than just a high-level supporter. But that much power is... Kaboom. The center of the chessboard copsed, and the board fell down. All the white pieces bounced and scattered. ¡°Young lion, I praise your victory with your luck and miracles. As a reward...¡± He stood up and sat down on his throne. ¡°I will deal with you.¡± When the hunt is over, the hunting dog had to be killed. Chapter 88 - Vol. 4 – Episode 1

Chapter 88: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 1

Prologue The Desert of Illusions was a special region among the manynds the Golden Wise King Kapitle ruled. It was originally a vastnd of greenery called the Green Land. But after the Day of Sorrow, it became a desert showing glimpses of its former glory with mirages. Heroes had long escaped the desert, and the few extras bound to thend barely scraped by as nomads in search of an oasis. There were no signs of its former glory left in the wastnd, aside from the few illusions that urred asionally. There were extravagant decorations and patterns on the castle walls, and there was plenty of light in every room. Phantasmic music echoed from within, tickling the ears, and the scent of delicious food pierced the nose. It was an amazing scene begging them to join, but the caravan¡¯s party was shivering in fear. This was a desert. A ce where only sand was meant to exist. Aside from the oasis, this was meant to be a wastnd where nothing survived, not even a cactus or scorpion. The building couldn¡¯t exist, but the mysterious castle sometimes appeared and lured people to it. A secret rumor had spread amongst the nomads regarding the castle. The illusionary castle appears before the most tired souls who cross the desert. There is a witch who eats them once they are lured in. A witch? Not a monster? I heard it could be a madman who steals a person¡¯s soul... The rumors were all different; this aroused even more fear at the uncertainty, an illusionary castle that contained an unknown existence within. Nothing had ever been confirmed as no one returned after stepping inside. They turned their shivering bodies. They had to get out of there quickly. One step, two steps, the moment they were about to escape the trap of death... Ring. A soul-shaking bell resounded. The bell had a magic that intrigued the senses. Ring, ring. There was a secretive allure to following the rhythm. Following this was the thick scent of roses, which curled around their bodies. After caressing them, it caused their flesh to burn red. They ultimately turned around even while thinking that they shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Ah...¡± At that moment, they saw it. The trap that caused every man to forget the existence of death. The flower that had bloomed atop the castle walls was a rose. No, it was an attractive woman with a beauty surpassing a rose. Her bright red hair swirled like roaring mes. The red lips below seemed to be full of blood, revealing a darker shade of red. The light purple cloth which was wrapped around her light brown skin was slightly transparent, covering and revealing at the same time. Her short skirt was split along the sides teasingly. Her chest was an astounding size, and her waist was narrow; the hips below red out revealing unforgettable lines. Every time she shook her body, the cloth twirled. Her strange, provocative dance heated the night. One step, two steps. The rumor of death awaiting within the castle was erased. Their bodies were possessed by the desire to see the woman close up. With excited bodies, they approached. Their eyes were bloodshot, and blood rushed to their heads. They were incapable of resisting their instincts. Suddenly, the castle disappeared, and with it, the beauty, music, and sweet scent. ¡°Ah...¡± The men who regained their senses turned to one another. They swallowed their disappointment as if woken from a dream but were immediately wrapped in fear having regained their bearings. I...I lived. If I had entered the castle... Who knew if the woman¡¯s true form was witch or monster. No one had returned alive to verify or dispel the rumors. They immediately turned and ran. But... Regret lurked in the deepest corners of their minds. If only I had taken a closer look... Perhaps they could have seen something better if they had taken a few more steps. Perhaps they could have seen the skin of her body covered in the translucent cloth. The woman was very seductive. Not simply beautiful, but a woman who could incite a man¡¯s instincts and desires. The figure was engraved into their brains, the illusionary castle, the woman who had briefly introduced herself. Although people said she was probably an old witch or a monster with the lower body of a snake, she was still the possessor of a deadly, seductive beauty. In front of her was a floating mirror. It reflected the figures of the men running away. ¡°Huhu. They¡¯re running. Weaklings.¡± Watching the shivering men who believed they¡¯d escaped death, she smiled mockingly. ¡°They think they were seduced.¡± She had simply been dancing for her own amusement, and they had happened upon her, uninvited. She had no interest in such pathetic men. What she wanted was the strongest man. The kind of man who could embrace her passionately. She found their stray thoughts amusing. ¡°Haa. Is there really no one like the man I¡¯m waiting for.¡± A ck crownded on her window-sill while she was sighing. The crow with the golden eyes opened its beak. ¡°An order.¡± The talking crow was definitely a spirit. ¡°Hm. What is it?¡± ¡°There is an opponent for you to face.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Cha Sungjin, the man who defeated the High Priest.¡± ¡°He defeated the High Priest?¡± Curiosity rose in the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have heard the rumors of a young lion in the southern kingdoms, but...¡± She licked her lips. It was the figure of a spider licking its lips before a prey. ¡°I thought the rumors had been exaggerated, but it¡¯s true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Haha. Fine, I should obviously greet such a man.¡± She crossed her legs as if she was aroused. It was an alluring thought. ¡°In order to steal everything he has.¡± The crow flew away. ¡°Of course.¡± After sending the crow off, she touched the mirror once more. ¡°Is it him? The person who is in possession of half of the continent after defeating the High Priest Pedrian?¡± She smiled after licking her lips. She lifted her hand to caress Sungjin¡¯s face. There was a fire in her eyes with her seductive gestures. ¡°Hm. Are you really a man who could defeat the Golden Wise King?¡± She mumbled with disbelief and expectation. ¡°Or were you simply lucky, havingpleted your role as a dispensable hunting dog to the Golden Wise King?¡± Her eyes smiled with curiosity in Sungjin. ¡°I will know whether he is a man worthy of my body once I meet him.¡± Her abundant chest shook. ¡°Haha. Would the possessor of half of this continent be able to rouse me?¡± She stered herself closer to Sungjin¡¯s body in the mirror in excitement. Her clothes swayed as her chest slid down the mirror. She hugged her chest gently. ¡°I will be there soon, young lion. From today onwards, you will be my target.¡± She ced a deep kiss on Sungjin¡¯s mouth reflected in the mirror. Then, she left, leaving behind a trail of thick perfume. She covered the castle under sand, so that it could not be discovered. But the mirror within the castle kept reflecting Sungjin covered in red lip gloss. It was like the pining of a passionate woman...but also, like a mark of death. * * * Chapter 1 First was the unification of the four kingdoms and soon after, the conquer of Rupellion. Although Sungjin possessed a summoned body from a different dimension with no heroic powers as a level zero, he had be emperor, ruling half of the continent. All that remained was the final battle with the Golden Wise King Kapitle. Critics debated endlessly on whether the strong, with his old and cruel traditions, or the new force, with his youth andpetitive spirit, would win. The continent had survived with three bnced powers until now, but everyone felt that this was the time for the continent to be united. There was no way Sungjin would stop here. He would continue until he reached a point ofplete unification or utter annihtion. The question was when that time woulde. Everyone predicted that the Golden Wise King would not remain still. Until now, the Golden Wise King had been cautious because he was worried about a confrontation with the High Priest. But will the Golden Wise King treat Sungjin equally in the manner he had with the High Priest? ¡°He wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh, of course not.¡± The heroes conversed between warm tea in a salon. ¡°Right now, the eight grand temples the Golden Wise King had been wary of have been destroyed; there is no hidden card the young lion can use.¡± The Wise King had not only been wary of the High Priest, but the power he could ask for from the interfering god if forced. Sungjin did not have such countermeasures. In the Golden Wise King¡¯s perspective, Sungjin had removed his rival for his benefit. It was perfect timing. ¡°Both will sh soon.¡± ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± ¡°Logically speaking, it would be the Golden Wise King...¡± ¡°But the young lion might be preparing something.¡± The people analyzed it from every angle. What is Sungjin preparing? Who should they be rooting for? Everyone was interested in what Sungjin was up to after having stabilized the Holy Nation. Chapter 89 - Vol. 4 – Episode 2

Chapter 89: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 2

It was mid-summer, and the team was taking a vacation. It was the right time to visit the beach, and everyone wished toplete what they had not finished before the war. There were no more obstacles. There were only five people on the cozy beach: Sungjin, Ereka, Eustasia, Rachel, and Jenna. Rittier had long prevented anyone from approaching by blocking off the street. I will do my utmost to prevent anyone from disrupting what you wish to do, Master Sungjin!. He didn¡¯t have to take it so seriously. Sungjin smiled recalling Rittier¡¯s shouts. But it would be a lie to say he wasn¡¯t enjoying the leisurely atmosphere with the lovely girls. ¡°Now, let¡¯s change and gather at the beach.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± After putting down their bags, they parted. While they were changing into their swimsuits, the girls nced at each other. Although their nces were very brief, it was a woman¡¯s ability to be able to perceive everything in a single moment. Ereka looked at Eustasia¡¯s well-trained body and looked at herself. She does have a toned, thin body. Ereka looked at the mirror. But I¡¯m not so bad either. From top to bottom, shouldn¡¯t she be able to call herself curvy? But her self-evaluation was not important. What will Sungjin think of me? I suppose he wouldn¡¯t be aroused. For Sungjin to initiate a romantic rtionship with her would probably never happen, no matter how many times she imagined it. But wouldn¡¯t this time be different? Until recently, Sungjin had been busy with conquests, but they were on vacation now. Perhaps, that meant Sungjin would be less restrained and react differently. Sungjin examined Ereka¡¯s blushing figure as he marched up to her. He grabbed her body, and they both fell on the sand. ¡°You¡¯ve bloomed beautifully.¡± ¡°Tha... Thank you.¡± Looking down on her neck, he brought his mouth closer to her. He bit down on her neck softly while ordering: ¡°Give me your beauty.¡± ¡°But... Here...¡± ¡°The white sand is the perfect setting.¡± ¡°But we shouldn¡¯t...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s forget about everything else and enjoy our youth.¡± Oh, if you are so forward I will be forced to... ¡°That kind of situation is forcing oneself rather than being forced.¡± Ereka was startled at Eustasia¡¯s words. ¡°Wha... What are you talking about?!¡± Did she identally say that out loud?! Eustasia snorted at her vehement denial. ¡°It¡¯s written on your face.¡± ¡°What are you saying? Don¡¯t presume things.¡± ¡°Stop denying, and let¡¯s n.¡± ¡°n?¡± ¡°He¡¯s wearing a swimsuit too. Let¡¯s start off with hanging onto each of his arms, saying we should start ying.¡± ¡°Hang on his arms?¡± ¡°Exactly. And then we will gradually lead his hands to a waist, stomach, thigh, or anywhere else.¡± ¡°Is...Is that not too forward...¡± ¡°What are you saying? We should deny ourselves passion on this kind of beach. Skinship is just the beginning. Starting from there, we will tease him into the bed with the excuse of appreciating the scenery. Then...¡± ¡°There¡¯s children...¡± ¡°Children should grow learning what the adults do to be better; the highlight of this n would be to excuse all three of us and go somece private.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± Ereka¡¯s cheeks med in embarrassment. What will they do after they disappear? ¡°But if he says that¡¯s not proper.¡± ¡°What proprietary? This is a vacation on a beach. We can ask for some things. No, we need to ask for many things.¡± ¡°Should we?¡± Ereka was nearly convinced. It was true that they were on a vacation, and Sungjin was enjoying the taste of victory and a break from battles. Shouldn¡¯t she be able to appeal that she would be there if he wanted her? ¡°You got it?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll try.¡± They were both determined. Rachel tilted her head. ¡°What are they talking about?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± Beside her, Jenna waved her tail. It¡¯s infuriating that they are about to approach him without me, but I¡¯ll overlook this since His Majesty wouldn¡¯t make a move otherwise. The n was just beginning. They had to seed; they wouldn¡¯t want the beds ced in the corners by Rittier to go to waste. They went to the beach with beating hearts. Sungjin greeted them... ... Already submerged in the water. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re finally out. The sea is cold; do some warmups before entering.¡± I didn¡¯t think he would be in the water already. Ugh, I was aiming for a natural skinship after hooking our arms together. He¡¯s always a move ahead of me. To think, he would disregard their ns and enter the waters. To think, he would attempt to swim aftering to the beach. But they couldn¡¯t stop him from swimming either. What should we do? Let me think for a moment. Eustasia shook her head at Ereka¡¯s questioning eyes. ¡°Haha. It¡¯s refreshing to enter the waters after so long.¡± Sungjinughed brightly, ignorant of the girls¡¯ frustrated hearts. Haa...Is he really just nning to swim? Ereka sighed in exasperation, but the truth was slightly moreplicated. Unlike Sungjin¡¯s upper half, which looked as if he was enjoying the great nature of the beach, below the water, the lower half of his body revealed his youth. Sungjin smiled in satisfaction. My prediction was correct. He knew that his healthy body would show a reaction as soon as the girls appeared in such an outfit. He also knew that this reaction would be shown quite clearly in his current swimsuit. He had escaped to the waters beforehand so as to hide it from thedies. Well, there¡¯s no other choice. He smiled to smooth out the interaction. He wouldn¡¯t be a man if he wasn¡¯t aroused by the beautiful sight before him. It was nice to take in the view without having them know all the details. Wow, they look amazing. This was a masterpiece drawn on a canvas called nature. Rachel still possessed her cuteness in her yellow swimsuit, which highlighted her youth. As the cursed tattoo had disappeared from her back, she was the evidence of what he had been able to protect, bouncing around the beach in excitement. Jenna, despite her attempts in hiding her pout, was still stubbornly cute. With a tube squeezed onto her with her tail swishing in the background, she looked very much like a puppy on the beach. They had pure and clean skin, they looked like two jellies bouncing around. But they didn¡¯t pose much of a problem as they were simply charming. The incentives of this masterpiecey somece else. Ereka with her white summer dress smiled at him. Her golden hair glowed under the sun and was brighter than the sun itself. Looking at the curves of her body caused music to sing in his ears. She was still soft despite the tenseness in all the hidden ces, and her chest protruded, simr to ripe peaches. Her waist was thin and her hips wide; there was nothing more to add to her body line. Her thighs were clear of any blemish. Summer was a season to be worshipped. Beside the shining sun was a moon that could not be ignored. It was Eustasia. Her long straight hair gave off a silver light. Her bold bikini showed the limit of fabric that could be used, giving a dangerous aura. How many women in the world would dare to pull that off? Aside the personality, if she did not have the courage, it would have been impossible. But she had the right. Her firmly-toned body did not have a single blemish. Her skin was well bnced to the point a drop of water would have simply rolled off her. Her breasts were barely covered and squeezed out at an elegant cut, and her movements were as smooth as the flowing water of nature. Her body seemed capable of reciprocating the force of a man and threw an invitation at him to try. He was certain that if he pressed on the skin it would be as tight as rubber yet soft as a pillow. Sigh...It¡¯s a sight that¡¯s unfortunate to be seen only by myself, but all the more valuable because I¡¯m the only one privy to it. Sungjin tasted the sight before him while smiling at the girls. He was satisfied by simply looking, but the girls were disappointed. Even on the beach he is.... Eustasia whispered to Ereka. ¡°This isn¡¯t fun. I¡¯ll try to cause a scene, so don¡¯t argue.¡± ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Watch.¡± Eustasia argued with Sungjin: ¡°Are we really going to swim by ourselves when we¡¯re at the beach?¡± When she put it as such, he couldn¡¯t object. Sungjin asked her: ¡°Is there something else you want to do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s y ball.¡± ¡°A ball game...What are the rules?¡± Sungjin was thinking of beach volleyball. But as this wasn¡¯t Earth, he didn¡¯t imagine that the rules would be the same. ¡°Simple: we divide into two teams and set up a goal in the waters of each team ordingly. A body fight is allowed to fight for the ball, but grabbing the opponent¡¯s body or hitting them is forbidden.¡± ¡°Hm...¡± You cannot hold the ball for more than 5 seconds, and you need to pass it to your team member or put in on the water to get it back.¡± It¡¯s simr to basketball. Although it wasn¡¯t exactly the same; this was a game without a victor. It was something that could be yedfortably. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try this. How should the teams be divided?¡± ¡°Huhu. Ereka and I will be on one team, so you can have a trio with Jenna and Rachel. Since they¡¯re kids, I¡¯ll let you count the two as one.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if he won or lost or enjoyed it. There was no need to gain a victory in this game. Sungjin decided tofortably aim for the win, but realized the truly difficult part of this game soon after. Hm, this is awkward. A bally in a big circle between two smaller circles. To be the victor, he would have to fight with his body, but... ¡°Ah, um...¡± As he approached Ereka with the ball, she shyly spoke: ¡°It¡¯s...It¡¯s still a game.¡± She pushed against Sungjin with her entire body... Her soft shoulder came into contact with his firm chest. The skin of a young man and woman came into contact. Her shaking golden hair tickled his side. As he fell back awkwardly, her chest shook. Under the sun the sight was truly abundant. Mm...This is. Sungjin missed the timing to grab the ball. In that second, Ereka passed the ball to Eustasia. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really good.¡± ¡°Ehe, My Queen, that was amazing!¡± Beside him the two young children spouted nonsense that didn¡¯t help. With that, a goal. Sungjin moved to score a counterpoint but... ¡°I¡¯ll steal that!¡± Eustasia threw her body at him boldly. ¡°Ha!¡± Sungjin read her movements and passed the ball to Jenna. ¡°Oh.¡± Even after he had sent the ball away, Eustasia didn¡¯t stop and fell straight into his arms. The line of her shoulder touched his chest. Her lean arms touched his abs. The scent of the sea and sweat on a woman¡¯s body hit his nose. She was literally naked aside from her barely-covered private parts. Uh. Sungjin suppressed the instinct to wrap around her. This is getting awkward. The rules of the game would have caused heated fights between men. But for it to stand between a man and a woman... He became ufortable and unsure. Or, perhaps that had been her aim all along. But to speak of a physical fight for a ball, there was no appropriate ce he could shove away, nheless the chest and hips. Hm. I should consider outfighting this instead. Sungjin gave up on winning immediately and turned to a strategy of whisking the ball away once it touched the water¡¯s surface. On top of that, he avoided any body contact and passed the ball away if he was tackled. This ultimately lowered the awkward situations...or so it seemed. Huhuhu. Now that the atmosphere¡¯s a bit more heated, it¡¯s time for the next step. Jenna waved her tail. Your Majesty, I¡¯ve prepared another trap. A solution that would truly cause a reaction out of Sungjin. The time was approaching for the medicine to react under the sun¡¯s heat. Chapter 90 - Vol. 4 – Episode 3 Chapter 90: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 3 Huhu. The time is... Now! A strange sound came from Ereka, who had just thrown her body at Sungjin to steal the ball. Riiip. And ording to the sound, her clothes had melted off her body. The white pieces of clothes fluttered in the wind, and her white skin was revealedpletely. Sungjin froze. Despite his chance to move away, he froze. At the same time, Ereka helplessly collided into Sungjin¡¯s arms. Under the burning sun, a pure white beauty was revealedpletely. ¡°Kyah!¡± Ereka panicked a beatter and hurriedly hid her chest. On top of that, she gathered her knees in order to sink lower. It was a hurried attempt in covering up as much as she could. But that made the sight more erotic. If she had been tantly confident, he would have felt that she was a healthy figure made from great nature¡¯s primitive ages. But her embarrassed and defenceless sight was like a fawn served on a tter for the lion. ¡°Kuk!¡± Sungjin couldn¡¯t respond, frozen in his ce. A weak beautifuldy who was extremely susceptible to his advances was rooted to her spot. In her own embarrassment she didn¡¯t dare to defend herself and remained crouched. An unintended attack while his defences were down. She gathered his attention because of her attempts to cover herself. The sight was much too lovely to ignore. Eustasia, who had been watching the entire scene beside him, silently praised the sneaky move. As expected of her, to reveal everything in an unforeseen situation. It is an amazing strategy that will shake his stubborn mind. And to think that she would put on a face of unexpectedness at her own reveal. Fine, then, I¡¯ll help. Eustasia drew up a figure of a sword within her mind. Except, this was not a sword to cut down enemies. It was a sword which could cut meager things like paper. And that sword sliced off the strings of Eustasia¡¯s bikini, which were barely holding on. Just like how she had imagined it in her mind. With the sound of rustling clothes, Eustasia¡¯s simming suit fell off her body. And her wless skin was revealed like the nakedness of primitives. ¡°Oh my, did I tighten the strings too much?¡± After iming the entire scene as an ident, she turned her body away. From Sungjin¡¯s point of view, he could only see the side of her body. But that view was more enticing, causing him to automatically dream up the image of what her front view would be. This is... Dangerous. Sungjin pressed down his instinctive question for Eustasia to turn around and averted his eyes. ¡°Ahaha... This is awkward. I¡¯ll do ap around that rock over there, so organize yourselves.¡± Sungjin first decided to remove himself from the situation. It was a strategic retreat. If he remained any longer, he didn¡¯t know what he would do. He turned into a beast when enticed. He immediately threw himself into the ocean. Ereka¡¯s face crumpled as she looked at Sungjin¡¯s figure disappearing among the waves. ¡°What should I do? Now Sungjin will think I¡¯m not modest enough.¡± ¡°Definitely not. I think for our first attempt this was a sess.¡± Eustasia smiled a knowing smile. Sungjin had turned away immediately, but she had seen that he was shaken by the disy. ¡°Huhu. He is not an impregnable fortress, I see. Well, I have achieved my greatest aplishment of my lifetime this holiday.¡± After the happening, Sungjin maintained an adequate distance. The girlsined about the modest game of sandcastles, wishing for a more interactive game, but he ignored them. If he was incited any further than this he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back. The girls felt his defensive atmosphere and realised they couldn¡¯t go any further that day. They helplessly went along. Night came. Sungjiny down on his bed. Still, it was quite fun today. The sandcastle they had built together was impressive. Under Ereka¡¯s orders, dinner was delicious, and the fireworks that hade after were equally as grand. There was a line they hadn¡¯t dare cross, but it was still fun. Games are fun, but a vacation has its own charms. Perhaps it was because he had never taken a family vacation after his father had passed away and his mother started working. There was something new about taking a vacation with several people. And on top of that, the ball game had been... Sungjin¡¯s brain immediately drew up that moment¡¯s scenery. It was especially beautiful. The bodies that shook vibrantly under the sun were like pieces of art. Sungjin bolted from his bed. It seems that I am too excited this evening. Or perhaps the food this evening was too good for the body. Or perhaps it was because the girls were right next door. Sungjin gave up sleeping and went out to the balcony. The stars filled the night sky. It was a clear sky that was impossible to see on earth, especially the cities. It¡¯s beautiful. Sungjin stood appreciating the night sky. ¡°Are you also unable to sleep?¡± someone asked beside him. When Sungjin turned around, Ereka was standing there. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here to view the night sky.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it together.¡± They decided to enjoy the coincidence and gathered in the balcony. ¡°What were you thinking about?¡± ¡°I was thinking about how nice it was to take a vacation all together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice. It seems I¡¯m not the only one.¡± Ereka smiled calmly. ¡°Although it would be nice to have this kind of opportunity again... we¡¯ll be busy soon, won¡¯t we?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unavoidable. I¡¯d prefer some time to prepare, but Kapitle won¡¯t wait.¡± The war wasn¡¯t over. He had attained Rupellion, but hisrgest foe, Eldorado and the Golden Wise King, still remained. And since the three-way bnce was gone, the power fight between two nations was inevitable. Who would gain the central power of the continent? It was apetition of ambitions between two men. ¡°But let¡¯s return when there¡¯s an opportunity. Everyone seemed to enjoy this. Ah, of course myself, too.¡± ¡°Yes, we should.¡± Ereka smiled brightly and stared at Sungjin¡¯s shoulder. After gathering her breath several times, she leaned her head on Sungjin¡¯s shoulder. Hm? Sungjin panicked briefly but didn¡¯t show it and tilted his shoulder slightly so that she could be morefortable. Phew. Ereka was silently relieved. Looking at the two with narrowed eyes, Jenna waved her tail under the nket. Uhuhu. Nice. The day had been Eustasia¡¯s time, but the night was Ereka¡¯s. I prepared, because I thought oppa might not be able to sleep. She had sent the other two into deep sleep for just that moment. Looking at the empty bottle, she smiled, satisfied. Then, Your Majesty, please spend a good time. Jenna burrowed under the nket. Ereka looked at the stars while leaning her body against Sungjin¡¯s shoulder. Even the same constetions looked different depending on who she was with. Right now, with Sungjin, the stars looked more brilliant. Ahh, I¡¯m so happy. She would be satisfied remaining in that position throughout the whole night. Would Sungjin know her racing heart? Did he know her infinite happiness at simply leaning her shoulder against his body? Was it because of the moonlight? Or the starlight? Or was it the whispering night? Ereka decided to work up her courage. But I should ease him into the conversation. She started with normal conversation. ¡°I have heard that the Golden Wise King ruthlessly exploits his people for his own greed. I¡¯ve heard that there were many who died of starvation, and several died inbor working in the mines.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve read the report.¡± The Golden Wise King Kapitle: he was a smart king. He didn¡¯t torture his people without reason. He didn¡¯t make his people suffer due to religion or suspicion. But he exploited them and treated them like objects, causing continuous death. Like how the wastewater was left to rot on earth, and the workers were left vulnerable because of thepany¡¯s disregard times ten. That had been Sungjin¡¯s thought while reading the report. ¡°If Sungjin wins, the people in that country will have easier lives.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Ereka smiled at Sungjin¡¯s promise. And I¡¯m sure there will be another woman who will vie for Sungjin in that country too, I suppose? Her smile was forlorn and clean and warm. It¡¯s hopeless. The person I love isn¡¯t someone who can be satisfied with a single country, after all. It was obvious he would gain as much affection there. But I have already decided to love him. So she would not be disappointed or sad about such things. Instead, she would maintain his inner court so that he could achieve anything he wanted. How could the sun shine on one flower? ¡°Sungjin.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve said something before about raising your level that the goddess had told you.¡± ¡°Hm? Ah, well.... Yes.¡± Sungjin, unlike himself, gave a vague confirmation. The clue that the goddess had given him was not certain. But she had said this: When you establish a deeper rtionship with the girls of their individual power in this world, their powers will also be shared with you. A deep rtionship. Did that mean that, or something else? It was a clue that was open to interpretation, but it was an embarrassing subject to bring up. ¡°Now that we are against the Golden Wise King, we need more than simple preparations. So...would you test that clue with me?¡± Test. Having said her piece, Ereka¡¯s cheeks turned red. I finally said it. She had said it as if to go along with the atmosphere, but it was a bold statement. Kyah, what should I do? How would Sungjin react? Sungjin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Ereka had implied it, but he knew what she was referring to. A certain invitation stemming from the right atmosphere. As soon as he thought of that, his body became excited and his blood raced. His head was already providing images. ¡°E... Ereka? That¡¯s.... It¡¯s not certain....¡± Even in the midst of his excitement, Sungjin attempted to worm his way out. ¡°Even if... we are interpreting it incorrectly, I¡¯m okay if it¡¯s Sungjin. I wish to see the world you create, too.¡± She could do it in confirmation. Ereka closed her eyes gently. At the sign that he was given permission to kiss her, or do something more, Sungjin¡¯s heart started to thud more heavily. Below the starry night sky. A girl giving him a permissive smile. He couldn¡¯t deny that it was lovely. With her illustrious hair and golden body, with her willing heart to do anything for him, she was beautiful in appearance and heart. The lion suddenly hugged the young fawn. Ereka¡¯s body trembled minutely. Fi... finally...? She had always imagined it, but experiencing it in reality was a different matter. Sungjin¡¯s breath tickled against her neck. She could feel that he was also excited by his breathing. Her cheeks turned red as her heartbeat raced. ¡°Thank you, Ereka.¡± Sungjin whispered. ¡°I¡¯m happy too.¡± Ereka replied in her mind. Her voice was not working. ¡°But I think it¡¯s wrong to experiment with this. Even if it¡¯s for a greater fight, I want to protect this for a true love.¡± ¡°I... I¡¯m okay with it.¡± ¡°I know. But this is something I want to protect as a man.¡± Not to use her beautiful heart as a way to achieve his victory but to protect it using his power. That was the kind of fight he wished to do. ¡°Sungjin.¡± ¡°For the people and the greater purpose. It¡¯s a beautiful thought, but let¡¯s leave that for love.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Sungjin let her go. ¡°I¡¯m tired now. I¡¯m retiring.¡± ¡°Yes. Good night.¡± Sungjin closed his door, returning to his room. Ereka looked up at the stars and sighed gently. It wasn¡¯t... something I said with the intention of sacrificing myself. She had been expectant even if she was scared and shy. But it¡¯s all right. Counting stars against his shoulder was a precious memory. She was going to keep it in her heart forever and smile, perhaps, everytime she recalled the moment. Besides, even if they hadn¡¯t gotten too far, Sungjin had hugged her. Sungjin¡¯s embrace wasrge and warm. Ereka rubbed her hands. But I¡¯m still disappointed. It would have been a better night if we had kissed. Perhaps ater day. She turned to her room in both disappointment and happiness. Chapter 91 - Vol. 4 – Episode 4

Chapter 91: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 4

Sugjin, who had returned to his bed,y awake with wide eyes. Phew, I barely held back. He had been truly tempted. He himself didn¡¯t know whether he had hugged Ereka out of decent denial... or for a small satisfaction to his desire. He had refused her cooly, but his body wouldn¡¯t calm down. He couldn¡¯t demand something of the girls next door either, so he decided to scrap the idea of sleeping. I can¡¯t sleep at all. No matter. He had made great memories today, after all. In order to repay Ereka¡¯s sincerity and to protect her heart, he had to win the battle between him and the Golden Wise King. Sungjin swore to himself once more. He had many things to do once he returned. ¡°I had heard that you were a man of spirit and power, enough to rule the continent, but it is disappointing to see that you haven¡¯t taken a single woman as your own.¡± The unexpected question came out of nowhere. Sungjin immediately sprang from his bed and fell into position. There was a mysterious woman who had not been in his room a moment prior. Red hair and red lips. And the dark brown skin which showed through the wrapped translucent fabric. A body that was filled in the right ces like steak. Hips and thighs which formed an attractive line, with a scented chest sweeter than honey. The woman exuded seductiveness, gifting an explosive joy once bit on. If Ereka lured men in with her lovely and cute charms, this woman pressed on a man¡¯s instincts with her dangerous and sharp aura. Her beauty which came with a sense of maturity from age and slyness was an entirely different beauty. It was something that would cause one to embrace first and ask questionster. Sungjin¡¯s eyes suddenly red sharper than a beast¡¯s. ¡°Because I had a stronger desire to protect her than to embrace her.¡± Examining her from head to toe, Sungjin came up with two evaluations. His logical side told him that she was someone of outstanding abilities. The second was his overwhelming instinct to conquer her. If it were any other man, he would have been swayed by his desire. But he was someone who disliked losing. He became even colder due to the extreme seduction. ¡°To protect. To think that you would put others before yourself. You are weaker than the rumours suggested.¡± The mysterious woman sighed as if she were disappointed. ¡°It is my preference to care than expand on boundless greed.¡± ¡°Caring and limiting oneself is the moral of the weak.¡± A ruler should be ruthless. ¡°How can you desire the continent when your heart is incapable of holding a single woman?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the opposite. If I am so weak as to be defeated by myself, I do not deserve the continent.¡± Even with Sungjin¡¯s reply, the woman was not assured. ¡°That is an answer unbefitting a ruler.¡± ¡°Are you disappointed?¡± ¡°I will not deny.¡± Sungjin smiled in amusement at the mysterious woman who tantly denied his logic. He always enjoyed a provocation, after all. ¡°Ha. What kind of man were you looking for?¡± ¡°I had been expecting a ruler who had stolen riches, beauties, countries, and who kept conquering.¡± Sungjin stepped forward. With his height and body, he exuded a dangerous aura. ¡°And are you saying that if I was such a person you would have thrown yourself at me?¡± ¡°Yes. Or would you be willing to begin now?¡± She lowered the fabric, which was already wrapped loosely around her body, a little more. Her body, which had been faintly peeking through the translucent clothes, revealed itself. Aside from the most important regions, her body gave off a dangerous yet mysterious aura. Her body called for him. It instigated the beast within him. Sungjin¡¯s beast fought against him before the woman¡¯s reckless disy. But he did not move ording to its desire. But he did smirk. ¡°Ha, amusing. But I refuse. A woman who serves her body without a single thought does not meet my preferences.¡± ¡°Ha. Do you not have an iota of greed? How would you face the Golden Wise King with such a weak heart?¡± ¡°A lion has the leisure to choose his prey.¡± ¡°Such leisure on a battlefield is only a weakness.¡± Sungjin simply stared bemusedly at the woman who could not ept his logic. It would be fun to restrain this woman with his power. But it was not his method to use power to do things. ¡°There is nothing I say that will satisfy you. If you are interested in whether I am weak or not, you are invited to watch the battle between myself and the Golden Wise King.¡± ¡°Is this an invitation?¡± Yes. Visit the capital formally. I will prepare a VIP seat for you.¡± He had his own methods. And they were definitely not weak. Sungjin went on the offensive and gave the woman a proposal instead. ¡°I understand. I will greet you formally soon.¡± She gave her regards politely and disappeared. She went as suddenly as she had revealed herself. Sungjin rapped his bedframe, staring at the empty ce the woman had just stood in. ¡°Now, should I consider her an enemy?¡± Any normal man would have lost his mind at the sight of her. A careful man would have guarded himself after sensing a danger in her. He would have wondered what intentions the woman had to approach him. But Sungjin was different. He enjoyed her beauty as it was, but wasn¡¯t swayed. And even if he felt the danger from her mysterious aura, he didn¡¯t be cautious. He had to fight the Golden Wise King anyway. Only one person could gain the continent. But if he could gain another woman out of his victory, that would make it more delightful. Solving the riddle. Finding out her intentions. Proving her perception of a weak man wrong. Everything was a type of game. He was going to receive every challenge the woman threw his way. Sungjin went to sleep with a racing heart. The next day. Ereka was humming as she woke up the next day. Eustasia watched her with suspicious eyes. ¡°What did you do yesterday?¡± ¡°What? Ah, I...¡± Ereka looked at the sun in the sky. ¡°I simply looked at some stars...¡± ¡°Hmph. You did it while I was sleeping, is that it?¡± ¡°No, nothing happened.¡± Ereka dered that nothing special happened, but Eustasia didn¡¯t bat an eye. ¡°Ha, fine. It¡¯s my turn now anyways,¡± Eustasia dered, showing off her swimsuit attire. Sungjin yawned, listening to their conversations. Oh, dear. It seemed as if today would be a more colorful day than yesterday. It seems like this vacation will be a series of obstacles. Or a series of entertainment. Seems like I shouldn¡¯t talk about yesterday¡¯s mysterious woman to the girls. The girls were burning up with determination, so bringing up that meeting would only cause misunderstandings. ¡°Oppa! Did you have a good night?¡± Rachel ran toward Sungjin without a clue as to what was going on. ¡°Yes. Did you?¡± Sungjin smiled despite the fact that he hadn¡¯t slept at all. ¡°Yes! I slept very well because I had so much fun yesterday! Let¡¯s have fun today, too!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Ah. But, oppa. There¡¯s something on you.¡± With that, Rachel pointed towards Sungjin¡¯s neck. The other girls also looked. There... Was a mark of a woman¡¯s lips. It was the mark of a vibrant red lipstick. ¡°...Sungjin?¡± Ereka¡¯s face hardened. It wasn¡¯t something she used. ¡°Hoh?¡± Eustasia also raised a questioning brow. A third woman?! Jenna¡¯s tail stood on edge. ¡°Oh.¡± Sungjin smiled bitterly. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Um...¡± At the continuous questions, Sungjin couldn¡¯t reply. Even so, he wondered how this situation could be resolved. I took a hit. When did the woman from yesterday leave the mark? There had been nothing when he had looked in the mirror that morning. She had done something to make it appear then, and it was a cruel joke. Ha. It¡¯s a disy of power saying she could do this. She hadn¡¯t simply left with a provocation. She was a woman who provoked hispetitive spirit and intrigue. I¡¯ll pay her back for this. But determining his revenge was one thing, and resolving this situation was another. ¡°Nothing happened, really.¡± ¡°Despite the evidence?¡± ¡°There was a woman who came to provoke me yesterday. She must have left this as a joke.¡± ¡°Is that...true?¡± Ereka asked hesitantly. ¡°Ah... I, I¡¯m not interrogating you!¡± Ereka waved her hands frantically. ¡°If Sungjin wants to, he can, of course.¡± Even while arguing that she wasn¡¯t going to fight, Ereka lowered her head timidly. ¡°No, nothing happened. I was pranked while I let down my guard.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, really.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Ereka smiled brightly, saying that she¡¯d believe Sungjin¡¯s words. ¡°Hmm. So? Who¡¯s the woman?¡± Eustasia kept asking. ¡°I have a theory, but I can¡¯t give a definite reply. Are we going to waste time on this? Let¡¯s enjoy this vacation.¡± ¡°Hmph. Changing the conversation, hm? Fine. What¡¯s the point of arguing. But you¡¯ll have to definitely y with us today.¡± ¡°Haha. Yes, ok.¡± Sungjin promised with the condition of it being a reward. Although it wasn¡¯t his fault. Whatever. It was his fault he got the mark after all. But I¡¯m worried about their request. And just as their day was about to start. The summoning stone they had brought just in case hummed. ¡°Master Sungjin, I have some news. The Golden Wise King has announced his provocation.¡± ¡°Oh... I see.¡± Sungjin held the stone. He licked his lips thoughtlessly. How unfortunate. That was his first emotion. Ah, I see. He recognized his emotion and made a strange face. As it turned out, he had been enjoying the vacation. The girls, who heard the news, started to frown. ¡°We should return.¡± Everyone knew it wasn¡¯t the time to be stubborn. It was simply unfortunate. Everyone knew that a war would be right around the corner, which made the vacation all the more important. He knew the Golden Wise King would make a move, but his speed was unexpected. ¡°Yes. But let¡¯se back when everything ends.¡± At Sungjin¡¯s words, the girls¡¯ expressions became better. ¡°Yes.¡± With that promise, they began to prepare. It was the start of a new war. Chapter 2 While Sungjin was enjoying his vacation, the Golden Wise King was vacationing as well. Except the vacation was not at the beach but at a strategy conference in the capital. The capital of Eldorado, Palkantier. The conference room was full of dukes and their servants. Normally, the gathering of the Golden Wise King and his six dukes happened once a year. This was because orders were usually given 1:1. But everyone had been called to gather, when it hadn¡¯t been a year. Every duke knew what it meant. It¡¯s time. The 100 years of stalemate is over. The Golden Wise King Kapitle and the High Priest Pedrian. And the four country alliance which bnced their powers. The continent had been split into three pieces and had not swayed its power bnce for over 100 years. Kapitle and Pedrian were wary of each other, and the four country alliance had bnced their powers. But now there was only Kapitle and Sungjin. There was no equilibrium to be found. It would take a moment for the bnce to tilt to one side. Who would it be? If Kapitle won, they would be able to keep their prosperity, but if Sungjin won, they were bound to be humiliated. But they didn¡¯t worry too much. After all, Kapitle¡¯s only enemy, Pedrian, had disappeared. If they thought about it, it was obvious that Sungjin, who had defeated Pedrian, was stronger. But they knew the truth. That extra didn¡¯t win with his own powers. The tables had turned on Pedrian because the summoning he had prepared had been unbnced and the opposing god had descended. But that was a one-time event. Sungjin himself was still a level 0. Moreover, it was said that Kapitle had manipted the situation. Even if the hunting dog had killed the tiger, in the end the tiger had been killed by the hunter. It was obvious what kind of fate the hunting dog would meet after having done its job. The world said Sungjin was a young lion from a different world, but they thought of him as a hunting dog to be put down. There was nothing to fear. Chapter 92 - Vol. 4 – Episode 5

Chapter 92: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 5

They entered the secret hall located in the middle of the capital. Gold, silver, and precious jewels rolled on the floor as if they were mere rocks. But the most important thing was something else. It was the artifacts with their own mysterious power that hovered in the corners of the hall. There was a sword. An axe. A spear, a bracelet, and a ring. If the High Priest Pedrian revealed his powers through the wards of the grand temples and the support of the evil god Angramainyu, Kapitle revealed his power through the artifacts he had gathered. They walked while guarding their eyes against the blinding light until they reached the curtain of water. Behind that curtain was the silhouette of a person. Although it was only a silhouette, its presence wasrge. A calmly glinting eye gave an oppressive aura despite the curtain. The ruler of Eldorado. The Golden Wise King Kapitle was there. Everyone in the continent knew of him, but at the same time only a few of his trusted subordinates ever saw him. The average subordinates had never seen Kapitle himself behind the curtain of water. ¡°I see everyone has arrived. Sit.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Before them was a table made of obsidian. A total of seven chairs wereid before it. Six belonged to the dukes. And thest chair belonged to Zakiya, the guardian of the secret castle in the desert. But even if six seats were filled, the seventh seat remained empty. ¡°I wonder what happened,¡± they said of Zakiya, who had not responded to Kapitle¡¯s order. Even if Zakiya had not revealed her true face during the meetings, she had never ignored Kapitle¡¯s order to gather. ¡°Huhu, no need to worry.¡± Kapitle¡¯s words resounded through the hall. At his words, the dukes simultaneously lowered their heads. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I have given Zakiya a special order.¡± ¡°As expected. We are reassured.¡± One reason Kapitle was called a Wise King was because of his ability to control and order his subordinates. If Zakiya¡¯s absence was due to his order, then there was nothing to be worried about. ¡°The n to pit the young lion and that old High Priest has worked.¡± ¡°Yes. It is due to your amazing strategy that the crazy religion has disappeared.¡± ¡°The eight grand temples he constructed have also been demolished, so there is no protection of the evil god lingering in thosends.¡± At Kapitle¡¯s words the dukes began praising his feat. ¡°Please, take the continent for yourself by defeating that extra.¡± ¡°I will be at the forefront.¡± ¡°No, I am better at strategies. Please give me the opportunity.¡± The dukes fought over themselves for the opportunity to stand at the forefront. Kapitle had a definite line between reward and punishment. If someone showed definite progress, he raised their position, and if someone¡¯s aplishments werecking, he rescinded their titles. That was why there was an obviouspetition for any opportunity to aplish something. ¡°There is no need to fight. I will go myself.¡± ¡°Your Majesty himself!¡± ¡°You¡¯d stand at the battlefield?¡± The voices of the dukes became louder. Even they had never seen Kapitle¡¯s true powers. They only submitted to his power and wless strategies that came from behind the curtain of water, mostly in fear. We can finally witness his Majesty¡¯s true powers. What powers does he have? When their curiosity had reached a peak, the curtain of water slowly started to move. The silhouette¡¯s true figure was revealing itself. It was the moment when his true figure, which most of his trusted subordinates had never seen, was revealed. He was an old man. But he wasn¡¯t a weak old man. The beard that had grown from his chin to his chest made him look strong. His body, which had been trained over endless decades, revealed a powerfully consolidated power and its vibrant movement. The crown on his head had white gold as its foundation with multiple precious jewels embedded in it. And one of his eyes was an ¡°ocr prosthesis.¡± A strange aura came from the jewel that was in the ce of an eye. Is that the legendary eye which is said to read people¡¯s minds? I¡¯ve heard that it reads people¡¯s future. No one knew the truth. They only feared him. Suddenly, Kapitle slid off his perch and ced one foot on the ground. Rumble. With only that single step, the entire room trembled. He waved his hand lightly. Crash. The air seemed to rush forward as one of the walls of the hall copsed. Is this a show of power? While the dukes fell into contemtion, Kapitle murmured, ¡°I haven¡¯t stood in so long, that I seem to be unable to control my power.¡± ¡°That was from standing?¡± ¡°As expected of Your Majesty.¡± His servants lowered their heads at the careless power, which had turned out to be not his true strength. They could win. Their ruler could beat Sungjin. ¡°Huhu. It seems like the time hase for me to reveal everything I¡¯ve gathered.¡± Kapitle raised his hand. That caused the artifacts hovering in the air to gather in front of him. Like the loyal pets of an owner. ¡°I will be warming up. You may watch.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Kapitle reached towards an artifact that looked like a string. The golden string was simply that, a string. It couldn¡¯t be called a weapon. But since Kapitle had chosen that over all of the other artifacts, it had to be special. What power did it hold? The string turned brighter in Kapitle¡¯s hands. At the same time, the gold and jewels on the floor trembled from an unknown force. A strange tension rose. And the dukes witnessed the power of the artifact Kapitle had chosen. After rolling around on the floor because of the interfering flow, they helplessly saw the results of such power under the pressure. Half of the hall had blown over. And the castle walls beyond had copsed. And beyond those ruins, a new moat had been created. And beyond that, a new crater was the copsed outer wall. And beyond that outer wall, the ground had split into a crevice. Looking at the destruction that had cut through half of their capital, they could only sit in excited trembles. ¡°This is... the power of His Majesty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable... No, it¡¯s otherworldly.¡± They would not have believed it had they not seen it. They had heard rumours that Pedrian had split the sea but couldn¡¯t confirm its validity. But one thing was true. If their ruler tried, he could do the same. They all had witnessed the true powers of the string Kapitle had chosen. Sungjin or Sujin that extra would be defeated under its power. Our ruler didn¡¯t really have a need for all his ns. But to use those ns despite his power made Kapitle a truly perfect ruler. The extra may have some strategies, but what¡¯s that before our ruler? Victory is ours. Kapitle looked at the destruction he had caused in satisfaction. ¡°Leave the ruins as they are. I will capture the extra and his servants as ve to fix this.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The dukes immediately understood that leaving this ruin was a part of his ¡°propaganda.¡± ¡°Now, go deliver my promation of war. The continent will be united under my rule.¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± The dukes moved in an immediate fervour. There was nothing to fear. * * * Chapter 3 The rumour that the Golden Wise King had sent his provocation to Sungjin rapidly spread through the continent. Although it had already been predicted, heroes were surprised at the rapid progress of events. ¡°As expected, the Golden Wise King must think of the young lion as a mere kitten.¡± ¡°He must be this bold because he has the confidence.¡± ¡°But... the young lion has beaten several opponents who had an absolute advantage over him.¡± ¡°But the Wise King¡¯s power made a ravine in the capital...¡± ¡°So who should we ultimately bet against?¡± The Golden Wise King was the traditional strongest of the continent. But whether Sungjin would win or lose was uncertain until the fight. These kinds of stories passed among the people every time they met. But these predictions and worries were not only among the heroes. But the extras showed no interest in the past wars because it didn¡¯t matter who won. Their lives weren¡¯t going to get better, as the heroes always exploited them no matter the ruler. But now it was different. Lute, who was studying to be a healer to fix his mother, set down his book to think. Will I be able to keep studying? He was young, but he knew the current affairs. If Sungjin won, he could keep studying. If the Golden Wise King won, he wouldn¡¯t be able to. It was a miracle in and of itself for an extra like him to be able to study. This miracle was only made possible under Sungjin¡¯s rule. Master Sungjin, please win. The young boy prayed with all his hope. His dreams and countless of other extras¡¯ dreams rested on Sungjin¡¯s victory. Suppressing their anxiousness, they prayed for Sungjin. On the other hand, extras under Kapitle¡¯s rule found a little hope in the uing battle. Farmer Nick looked at the crops he had grown. The golden crop was called ¡°agritian,¡± which apparently had a sweet vour when cooked. It was a valuable crop. ... Or so they said. Nick had only heard of its vour. He had never tasted it. Because he had never tasted the crop he had grown. The rice he gathered was always shipped to the capital without a grain left behind. Nick looked at the rice stalk in his arms without a single grain left in it and hung his head. It was said to be nutritious... But all they received was the red grain Ret, which was without vour or nutrition. It was always delivered mixed with sand, and they only received half of what they should receive. It was just enough to not starve them. Just enough to make them capable of working. He wished they could try that rice to their fill. But it was hopeless. He would never be able to eat that. Until he died. He turned to go home. Suddenly, the overseer grabbed him. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Lord? What is it?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m blind?¡± And he beat Nickto to the ground without an exnation. As he did, a small bag fell out of Nick¡¯s arms. ¡°To think you would try to steal the crops for the capital!¡± The small bag was something Nick had tried to steal. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lord.¡± ¡°Shut up, you bastard.¡± The overseer kicked Nick without restraint. ¡°Lord, please... Just once, please let me go.¡± Nick begged with tears. ¡°I have a child back home who¡¯s two this year. He¡¯s fallen sick from starvation so... please, forgive...¡± The grain was not for him to eat. He had stolen it for his child who was thin but his belly was bloated. He had stolen it, hoping his child would survive after eating it. At the story of the two year old, the overseer Nuiber felt a little empathy. He had a two year old child at home, too. All fathers felt the same. To feed their child at the risk of their own starvation. ¡°It wasn¡¯t for me. My child is dying... Please... Forgive...¡± Nick begged once more, grabbing onto Nuiber¡¯s leg. And Nuiber... Began kicking at Nick again. ¡°Don¡¯t start with those excuses! The rules are the rules!¡± Nuiber suppressed his weakened heart. If I overlook this, others might, too. If he didn¡¯t control the situation, his reputation would be at risk. If his reputation broke, his sry would decrease, and he might even be fired... Then his child would starve. He couldn¡¯t let it go. I need to protect my son. Nuiber beat up Nick even more and then red at the others. ¡°If you guys try to steal the grain, you will end up like him.¡± The surrounding farmer didn¡¯t say a thing. After the overseer left, the farmers dispersed and Nick slowly stood up. His entire body was covered in bloody bruises from the boot of the overseer, but a smile hung on his face. I did it. He felt his trousers. There was one more bag in them. The only bag the overseer saw was the one he had hid in his shirt. He had managed to steal another. Hold on, my son. I¡¯m going. If he gave his child the nutritious food, she would be able to live. He was sure. He ran home. He didn¡¯t know whether anyone else had noticed. ¡°Andrea, dad brought you something.¡± He shook the bag before the child. He gathered the sleeping child with a bright smile. Crash. And fell on the floor. The child¡¯s body... Had already turned cold. ¡°Andrea... Wake up... Wake up...¡± Despite his tears, the child didn¡¯t cry. ¡°Andrea...¡± Nick¡¯s despair rang through the house. This damned world... When would they ever be able to eat their fill? That capital who took everything from them. Let them be ruined. Nick held the child in hatred and despair. He would never be able to see his child again. He would have to live out the rest of his life alone. ... But that turned out to be wrong. Because he didn¡¯t wake up the next day, either. The cause was a burst artery in his brain due to impact. Nuiber confirmed his death. ¡°Kuk. To think he¡¯d die.¡± Nuiber panicked for a moment before turning around. ¡°Well, whatever. There¡¯s plenty of other people to fill his position.¡± There was nothing for him to be med for as long as he reported that he had done it as a warning. The nation¡¯s production didn¡¯t stop because of a death of one extra. Chapter 93 - Vol. 4 – Episode 6

Chapter 93: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 6

But, unlike Nick¡¯s assumption, not everyone who lived in the capital lived happily. People in the capital also walked around with empty gazes and carted grains with their hands clutching their stomachs. Every grain was for a single person. In the middle of Palkantier, there was arge well. The well was called ¡°the well where everything sleeps.¡± The well wasrge. It had a depth of one kilometer, after all. Even if a person looked inside it at noon, the bottom of the well couldn¡¯t be seen, and even when a stone was thrown inside, nothing could be heard. It was a mysterious ce. Going near the ce itself was dangerous, but it was always surrounded by people because they had to cart the grains into the well. The grains, which could have helped a hundred million families survive through the winter, disappeared down the drain. The darkness ate up everything, but it still wasn¡¯t filled, but a small light rose from the bottom. It was a golden liquid resembling gold but slightly different. One drop of liquid, which was too insignificant for the rice that had been sacrificed, soared up from the well and was sucked along a tunnel made of jewels. Its final destination was the chamber of the Golden King. Small drops of liquid umted in a huge gem ss, and the ss glowed when it was filled. Kapitle watched the scene with a satisfied smile. ¡°Huhu, I wonder what wille out this time.¡± The golden liquid in the ss disappeared. Instead, a ring with a cold aura coiled around it appeared. It had to be a powerful treasure with some ancient strength. That was the secret of the power behind the Golden Wise King Kapitle. As a result of eating earth¡¯s goods, the ¡°Infinite Well¡± reproduced every legendary armament into reality. Every production made during his 100 years of ruling over half of the continent was gathered for him¡ªfor the lower ss to have just enough not to die and for the overseers to have just enough to be attached to their position. Everything else was gathered for him. That was why ¡°¡®Golden¡± was in his title. Kapitle grabbed the ring. ¡°Hm...¡± And threw it. The ring became stuck in the other abandoned artifacts heaped on the floor. ¡°It¡¯s a level B.¡± It had no use among his other artifacts. Kapitle, who had lost interest, didn¡¯t look at the ring again. The ring, which was born out of what could have been a child¡¯s life, was abandoned in the corner of a warehouse. And the battle between the two men became closer. * * * Chapter 4 Returning from the trip, Sungjin did not immediately prepare for the war but checked on his internal court¡¯s affairs. It might have been a bit of a show of leisure, but it was more of a preliminary warning of what could happen if heroes abused the extra ss in his absence during the war. He summoned Count Letret to the capital. ¡°Did you summon me, Master Sungjin?¡± The count looked at him with a slight tremble. ¡°I have visited several school buildings in my absence.¡± ¡°I see.¡± At Sungjin¡¯s cold voice, the heroes who had lined up next to him started to sweat. ¡°I have checked the ounts for the school¡¯s spending and have found that the wood has been paid for over ten times the amount of market price.¡± ¡°Yes? Uh, that¡¯s...¡± ¡°It could be attributed to your ipetence of not knowing the market price, but that shouldn¡¯t be.¡± Count Letret began to seriously tremble. ¡°After buying the wood at that outrageous price, you¡¯d be returning some of the overpriced payment. It¡¯s a scam known as rebating.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not...¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen that the ss for the windows was weaker than what is regted. It couldn¡¯t even block the cold.¡± ¡°That...¡± ¡°But the money paid was equal to any average-priced window. You¡¯ve bought cheaper windows at the price of expensive ones.¡± ¡°Please, kill me instead.¡± Letret begged for death in forgiveness, but Sungjin¡¯s eyes only turned colder. ¡°I will not kill you. But I will punish you by demanding ten times the amount of money it takes to refurbish the schools.¡± ¡°Ten... Ten times...¡± He had begged for death, assuming he wouldn¡¯t really die, but Count Letret finally felt despair. ¡°Please... Please forgive...¡± ¡°I have forgiven you by letting you live. If those buildings you have built copse, those who die will be innocent lives.¡± The Count was speechless. The heroes beside him trembled. As expected of Master Sungjin. He¡¯s merciless. If I get caught trying to use some other methods, I¡¯ll be dead. They reaffirmed their thoughts that they wouldn¡¯t be able to gain advantages under Sungjin¡¯s rule. If they wished to protect their titles and sry, they couldn¡¯t be greedy any longer. The past was great. Yeah, it used to be good. We could make the extras do our bidding back then. The extras that God gave to serve the heroes were treated better than themselves. Building schools, building hospitals, restricting taxes, banning vices, and so on, were all evilws that restricted their legitimate rights and made only the extras happy. But what could they do? No matter how bad thew was, only more powerful devastation awaited if they were to stand against the powerful tyrant. Who could restore their right? Sungjin¡¯s eyes turned to the nobles, who were discussing discontent with their eyes. ¡°Those who exploit the tax for their own benefit will receive the same punishment.¡± The nobles flinched as if they were caught red-handed. They dared not disagree. Sungjin was not only strong but knew too much of this and that. ¡°Now, should we begin our counterattack on the Golden Wise King¡¯s promation?¡± Sungjin was about to proceed with the main itinerary when it became noisy. ¡°We¡¯ve been attacked!¡± soldiers screamed outside. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster¡¯s raid!¡± ¡°Go confirm.¡± At Sungjin¡¯smand, the toon of guards hurriedly rushed out. ¡°It¡¯s a demented! The infinite desire, Hydra, which was clearly defeated, has reappeared.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes shone sharply. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go take a look at whose prank this is.¡± Sungjin took the heroes to the balcony. It was ording to the shouts. A ck beast with an infinite amount of heads was running down the back mountain. The monster with infinite tooth-filled mouths on each of its many heads tried to take over the capital. Crack. With a roar, a tree was uprooted by its roots and disappeared into the monster. Roar. A rock was crushed under the monster. The earth shook, and a gigantic shadow swallowed up the light. ¡°We¡¯ll call for reinforcements from Rupellion,¡± Ereka said in a panic. Hydra, with the power of infinite regeneration, was indeed a fearful beast. Although once defeated, it had not died but had only been evicted by Sungjin defeating Seyzo II, who had been the source of the summoning. But where had this Hydrae from? Soldiers trembled without knowing what to do. ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m scared.¡± Rachel clung to Sungjin¡¯s leg, trembling. ¡°Uu, disgusting.¡± Jenna waved her tail, saying the Hydra monster was hideous. ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯sing!¡± the soldiers cried out. Ereka raised her shield instinctively. She couldn¡¯t let the Hydra attack the capital. ¡°The Shield of All People! AEGIS!¡± A golden barrier stopped the Hydra in its path, but Ereka could only hold on for a while. In the meantime, Sungjin had toe up with a solution. Sungjin grabbed the balcony railing. Is this the gift from Kapitle? Hydra, a monster of destruction with endless regeneration? He had defeated one only because he had known the source of the summon for certain. But this time? It seemed Kapitle had more than one way to summon the beast. It¡¯s a monster that cannot be summoned on the battlefield anyway, so he is testing my response with this. Then he would respond, but the power he wielded now was not like his power in the past. ¡°Contact Rupellion. Gather all the forces possible.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Eustasia moved quickly. In order to deal with infinite regeneration, only a one-hit attack was the best answer. Sungjin¡¯s men began to move. It was an unpredictable situation. Sungjin continued to observe the Hydra with sharp eyes. Is this being the same summoning asst time? Where is its core? Are regeneration strength and destructive power the same? ¡°I¡¯m in touch now. I¡¯ll call the first four priests first.¡± Sungjin lifted his hand at Eustasia¡¯s answer. ¡°No, nevermind. Tell them they don¡¯t need toe anymore.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ereka, lift your strength.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Trust me.¡± Everyone was puzzled at Sungjin¡¯s words. At the moment when the Hydra had been charging in, he had ordered everyone to stay still. But this was Sungjin. Ereka removed the shield, and Eustasia canceled the request for the dispatch. Hydra, free of any obstacles, swept into the capital. ¡°We need to avoid... Avoid it!¡± Sungjin smiled at the panicking nobles. ¡°It¡¯s fine. This hydra looks shy but¡ª¡± The Hydra made to attack Sungjin, but he did not move from his spot. ck darkness and sharp teeth pressed against him, and in the middle of it, Sungjin stood smiling. ¡°See?¡± That one word dispersed the magic. Everyone on the spot realized: an illusion! A deception loses its power once it is seen through. The Hydra disappeared at once. Sungjin smiled and looked around the hall. ¡°It was a pretty good show. But only until now.¡± Who was he talking to? The sound of bells drifted into the hall after he spoke. The brilliant sound had a mysterious and bright tone. Everyone¡¯s eyes naturally turned towards the source of the sound. There stood a woman who had not been there a second before. From her came a rich and thick scent of rose. It was as if the entire hall had been turned into a rose garden. The red hair bloomed splendidly, and the slightly tanned skin beneath it was flushed with water. She had covered her eyes with a, but it couldn¡¯t hide the sexy red lips beneath it. In front of the overflowing colors, which flowed despite her standing still, many men in the hall swallowed. Among all the beautiful women in the world, she was especially beautiful and strongly affected the men¡¯s sexual fantasies. Who was she? ¡°We meet again.¡± At Sungjin¡¯s words, the girls beside him seemed to understand. Ah... This is the woman who left the mark on Sungjin¡¯s neck. Oh, she¡¯s a mature beauty. Ereka sighed. ¡°Huh, it was her?¡± That was Eustasia¡¯s evaluation. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys start imagining weird stuff again.¡± Sungjin sighed at them and turned toward the mysterious woman. ¡°It was quite a gorgeous debut.¡± ¡°Huhu. The beauty of a woman may be a treasure to the king, but trickery is also necessary for the conqueror to conquer the continent. I wanted to show my value. How was it?¡± ¡°It was a nice illusion spell. If I hadn¡¯t noticed, I would have almost wasted all of my forces on a meager illusion.¡± When Sungjin praised her lightly, the slower ones finally figured out the situation. The mountain behind the capital was silent as usual. Hydra was an illusion she had created. But what was surprising was the scale and sophistication of the illusion. Although there were magical tools to help create an illusion, it was a huge matter to fool everyone with a huge monster that covered the mountains. But it wasn¡¯t simply amazing in its size. What was truly fearsome was the fact that it had looked alive and had been perfect enough that they couldn¡¯t tell whether it was real or fake. If the illusion was created based on fantasy, it had to reveal some clue that it was imperfect and fake. But among their numbers, the illusion had been precise enough that only Sungjin had realized it was fake. Even each and every head of the Hydra had been no different from the real one. Even if they had panicked due to their previous encounter with a Hydra, they wouldn¡¯t have kicked up such a fuss if they had realized it was fake. It ran a chill down their spines to think of what could have happened if the Hydra had been real. Who could create such a precise illusion to the point that they couldn¡¯t differentiate it from reality? ¡°Formally introduce yourself.¡± ¡°I greet you, Emperor of another world.¡± She bowed to Sungjin. At first nce, it was a normal move. However, the skin that was revealed in the movement of the flowing cloth created a seductive atmosphere. ¡°My name is Zakiya.¡± Chapter 94 - Vol 4 – Episode 7

Chapter 94: Vol 4 ¨C Episode 7

At the name, the hall descended into shouts. ¡°Impossible!¡± Of course, there was more than one woman with such a name, but a woman with the name Zakiya who could control such an illusion could only indicate one person. ¡°Kapitle¡¯s closest adviser.¡± ¡°Zakiya, the desert witch?¡± The owner of Eldorado, the final opponent of Sungjin, was Kapitle, and one of his seven closest advisors was Zakiya, the desert witch, an unidentified woman who lived in a deserted desert. ¡°Is she Zakiya?¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t tell. She¡¯s isn¡¯t known for illusions.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s told that no one knows what she looks like other than Kapitle.¡± Heroes gossiped among themselves. Desert witch Zakia. Unlike some of the better-known advisors, her identity was ambiguous. It wasn¡¯t clear whether Zakiya was a man or a woman. The official portrait of Zakiya was of her wrapped in purple mist, making her identity unclear. The nickname ¡°witch¡± was for those reasons. What was known was that Zakiya was very good at light maniption illusions and was a resident of the deserted desert of illusions. But was the woman truly Zakiya? ¡°I have heard that name before.¡± ¡°It is an honor to have my name recognized by Your Majesty. But may I ask something? How did you notice it was fake? I copied its exact likeness and considered it a masterpiece in its details.¡± ¡°I considered the shadows of the broken objects.¡± ¡°...Shadows. Huhu, in such a brief moment... Your observation skills are as the rumors say.¡± Even the bravest men would tremble before a monster¡¯s attack even if it might be an illusion. Huhu, how brave. His observation skills are outstanding, but his boldness is manly, too. ¡°But it was great workmanship. The nickname of ¡°desert witch¡± is not a dishonest name. So, are you here to ask for a VIP seat to the show?¡± What does a VIP seat mean? Did she bring the Golden Wise King¡¯s official promation of war? Everyone in the hall brimmed with curiosity. Zakiya knelt slowly. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then?¡± She ced her hand above her chest. ¡°If you grant me one thing, I will give you everything I have.¡± At the unexpected words, the hall was swept with astonishment and fear once again. Is Kapitle¡¯s closest advisor offering herself to Sungjin? But why? Yes, Sungjin¡¯s feats are many, but Kapitle, the traditional strongest of the continent, is still healthy. Is there a reason for her to throw away her original owner Kapitle and change to Sungjin? There is no sufficient reason. After all, it is Kapitle who is fairer to his heroes, not Sungjin. ¡°Hmm, you want to be my subordinate?¡± ¡°Yes. As his aide, I know many of his weaknesses.¡± ¡°Hoh, and you will share them with me?¡± ¡°Yes. I will give you this body, all my strength, and all my knowledge.¡± Her hands flowed down her side. Her thick body shook provocatively once again. ¡°Ha, that¡¯s a tempting offer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you see it that way.¡± It was a meeting between the emperor and the dancer. ¡°The reason? If you consider his strengths, Kapitle should be in the lead.¡± Sungjin nced up and down like a beast at the beauty offering herself. Zakiya conversely provoked him with an alluring smile to eat her. The beast in Sungjin wanted to eat and see the talented body. Her ripe body had the power to stimte desire with a simple look. But, contrary to his irritated lower body, his head was coldly leveled. It was clear that the Golden King¡¯s closest advisor was applying for asylum without reason. He was in a situation where he had to consider the entire request for asylum with suspicion. ¡°Of course. To be honest...¡± Zakiya gave a seductive smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been conflicted. I wasn¡¯t sure whether Your Majesty was strong enough to beat the Golden Wise King after all.¡± Rittier was immediately angered at the bold way the woman looked down on his master while seeking to vow her loyalty. ¡°Insolence!¡± ¡°Hear her out.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rettier nodded and stepped back. ¡°And now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still not convinced, but the only current opponent on the continent for the Golden Wise King is Your Majesty.¡± ¡°So, you are betting your future on me?¡± ¡°If you only make my one wishe true.¡± What is that one wish? The curiosity among the people of the hall soared. Zakiya was the closest advisor of Kapitle. It was obvious she knew many things about Kapitle¡¯s power. The value of such information was immense. By submitting herself whole, it meant not only her body but the information that could sway the entire power bnce of the continent. ¡°As for that one wish...¡± As she talked, she narrowed her eyes to a smile. The smiling wink in her eyes made clear that her teasing was not pure, and her tant seduction made the impression more intense. A sly beauty covets a man¡¯s youth and strength, offering him an embrace. It certainly stimtes the desire to conquer and upy the beauty by force. Other heroes envied Sungjin and swallowed their saliva. They supposed that for a man who conquered half of the continent, such a woman would appear. Next to him, Ereka sighed again. Ahh. A new woman has appeared for Sungjin again. It was bound to happen as his power grew, but to think it would happen so fast. A woman who is more mature and proficient than myself. Is Sungjin into those characteristics? But beyond beauty, she seemedpetent, and, most of all, her request for asylum came with the best information about their enemy, which would be a tremendous help that Sungjin could not refuse. Suddenly, Zakiya spoke. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you right now. I will assure you I will once I ascertain that Master Sungjin is a man who can fulfill my wishes. ¡± ¡°Ha, when will you say it, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll first give you my strength to win the first fight. After that, I will reveal my true wishes and give you everything I have,¡± Zakiya teased, as if suggesting she wouldn¡¯t enter his hands even though she had sessfully seduced him. ¡°It¡¯s an interesting condition.¡± Stimted by his desire to win, Sungjin smiled like a drooling lion. Suddenly, Eustasia interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re dishonest!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zakiyaughed provocatively. Her calmness was not disturbed by the attack. She exuded an air of having sessfully weathered all kinds of suffering. ¡°You are the closest aide of Kapitle and should not becking in anything you desire, but you are abandoning everything to switch sides without a guarantee of any proper position within our ranks?¡± Others nodded at Eustasia¡¯s point. If Zakiya had asked for a position after Sungjin had won a victory or somend, it would have made sense, but for her to reveal her desireter, what if she decided she didn¡¯t need anything from Sungjin then? ¡°Even if you say that you¡¯re nning to switch allegiances beforehand, that still doesn¡¯t make sense. You said yourself that you didn¡¯t trust Sungjin to beat Kapitle.¡± That usation was also correct. If Zakiya was convinced that Sungjin would win, Eustasia would have understood her desire to switch allegiances, but that wasn¡¯t the reason. Nice! Jenna stood next to her, nodding her tail in agreement. Where had that terrible thing appeared from, causing concerns for Her Majesty Queen Ereka? But Zakiya was smooth. ¡°Huhu. Yes, you may think so. But let us do as Sungjin wants. If you find me suspicious, you can proceed to kick me out. But if you really want to conquer the continent, why don¡¯t you try to put me in the palm of your hand? You¡¯d need me to bring down the Golden Wise King.¡± Zakiya foretold that they wouldn¡¯t be able to reveal the enemy¡¯s hidden hand with a single victory. How will Sungjin answer? Everyone waited for his next words. ¡°Fine. I ept this game.¡± Sungjin smiled. It was true that Zakiya¡¯s request for asylum was suspicious, but they would be taking a step back in fear if they turned her away. It was a recognized fact that Zakiya was an excellent illusionist and Kapitle¡¯s closest advisor. For whatever reason she approached them with, they could weaponize her as long as they could use the information she gave them effectively, although it was a double-edged sword. Wouldn¡¯t it be a question of his ability to deal with her? A fascinating and dangerous beauty, a ck rose with poisonous thorns. Therefore, Sungjin¡¯s desire to fight was on fire. I will turn the tables against this woman and reveal her true intentions. Both his warrior¡¯s brain and his lower body¡¯s beast expressed the desire. ¡°For now I will give you the title of guest and a house in the capital. y your part against Kapitle in the battle, then I will award you an official position.¡± ¡°I thank you for the opportunity.¡± Zakiya lifted her lips into a smile, thanking him for his hospitality. Her red lips were alluring. ¡°Wait with a cup of tea in the Blue Water Room. I will see you after the meeting. ¡± ¡°I receive yourmand.¡± Zakiya turned around and left the hall. Only the sound of the bell and the fragrance of a dark rose remained like a lingering aftertaste. As soon as Zakiya disappeared, Eustasia spoke. ¡°She may be a spy.¡± Rittier agreed. ¡°She may be pretending to surrender to hand over our information to Kapitle.¡± Jenna also insisted on warning him. ¡°There¡¯s also the problem of Kuga right now.¡± ¡°She thinks you wouldn¡¯t believe it if she only surrendered in person, so I can¡¯t help but think that she provoked you like she¡¯s waging a battle.¡± Eustasia once again criticized him. ¡°But Sungjin knows that and already has some thoughts. Don¡¯t you?¡± Ereka calmly smiled, saying she believed him. ¡°Ah. I don¡¯t think she really yearns for me, either.¡± Although she has a beauty that urges a person to get drunk on sight despite knowing it¡¯s a lie. He was not a man who lived on impulse. ¡°But I think it¡¯s possible that she¡¯s not absolutely loyal to Kapitle.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Well, at the moment, it¡¯s rather hasty to conclude.¡± Since ancient times, it was popr for spies to surrender to the enemy to lower their guards. It was a story that was also in the Art of War. However, Sungjin was reminded that in those cases, there had been some reason the spies gave in excuse to prompt the enemy to believe them, such as the Golden Wise King emotionally humiliating Zakiya, or having been chased from her position due to otherpetitors. There are two possibilities. One is that she did not bring up such excuses because of my intellect because the actual events had not transpired. The other is that she had contacted him for her own personal reasons. Or it could be moreplex. Although Kapitle had dispatched her as a spy, she could have taken the opportunity to weigh the advantages of himself and Kapitle and ultimately picked the winning side. After all, the type of person proficient in maneuvering around the world can change as much as the situation requires. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter which one is true.¡± ¡°You mean you don¡¯t care?¡± ¡°I can trick her into thinking that it would be more advantageous to stick to my side, make use of her, then abandon her.¡± Whether she was a double-edged sword, or a poisoned rose, or a woman with hidden intentions, he didn¡¯t care. It would be better for him to takeplete control. ¡°Are you going to make a false surrender a real surrender?¡± Eustasia widened her eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± Sungjinughed like a beast who had found its prey. ¡°That¡¯s just like you.¡± She shook her head. Really, yourpetitive spirit seems unending. Well, he is a man who wants to conquer the continent. It makes sense for him to conquer some suspect woman. But he hasn¡¯t even wed any of the girls yet, including me, but he continues to gather them. He¡¯s like a wine collector who doesn¡¯t drink the wine he collects. She grunted. Ereka also sighed gently. ¡°You¡¯re nning to get her this time?¡± She had been long resolved to stay silent, but¡ª ¡°She¡¯s an excellent illusionist. As an ally, she¡¯ll be a useful force in the fight against Kapitle. I will have her.¡± ¡°Only as a soldier?¡± Eustasia¡¯s underlying question was whether he was doing it because she was a woman. ¡°Of course,¡± Sungjin said, ignoring the beast in his lower regions with confidence. He couldn¡¯t take responsibility for an instinctive reaction he had not carried out consciously. The girls narrowed their eyes at him in disbelief but no longer challenged Sungjin¡¯s decision. ¡°It would be great if the witch of the desert Zakiya became an ally.¡± Ereka smiled with a smile that transcended everything. ¡°Hmph, but it doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be her. Do you have to take that poisonous rose?¡± Eustasia¡¯sining didn¡¯t stop. ¡°But when ites to illusions, she¡¯s unique. I still don¡¯t believe her intentions.¡± ¡°I know. But most human beings are inherently selfish. It¡¯s a ruler¡¯s ability to keep it in line.¡± A system that only expects human good cannotst long. The reason why goodness is precious is because it¡¯s rare, but that doesn¡¯t mean that because most human beings are selfish, they will only suffer from struggle and ruin. Human beings can also cooperate, makews, and do things for the benefit of each other. That¡¯s why Adam Smith set forth the theory of that invisible hand. Sungjin smiled, thinking he could have everything. ¡°Most hero sses are just protecting extras because they¡¯re scared of me, right? It¡¯s something like that with her, too.¡± And he would be satisfied if he could draw out her ability on the battlefield. Comrades that he could keep close to his heart like Eureka and Eustasia were precious people, but it was impossible to build a country with them alone. ¡°If you want to go that far, then fine. You might be able to take her in and control her.¡± ¡°Yes. So let¡¯s check her abilities first.¡± Sungjin rose from his seat, saying that the war had already started. Chapter 95 - Vol. 4 – Episode 8

Chapter 95: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 8

Soon after, Sungjin took everyone to find Zakiya. She was sitting in the shadowed corner of the room Sungjin had told her to stay in. She was looking at a bird under the sunlight¡ªa beautiful and seductive scene. People wondered what was in the mystery beauty¡¯s mind. No one was sure if she really wanted to follow Sungjin because Sungjin was the strongest yer or if she was just following the Golden Wise King¡¯s order and falsely surrendering. Some thought maybe she was hesitating, although she had already surrendered. ¡°Thank you foring, Master Sungjin.¡± ¡°Before I decide which position I will allocate you, I need to check your abilities. Let¡¯s go to the temple.¡± ¡°Sure. I will let you check everything about me.¡± They headed to the temple right away. Zakiya requested to show her status to the Valkyrie. [Updating status. Name: Zakiya ss: Assassin Level: 7] Level 7. She had a high level to be Kapitle¡¯s closest ally, and her ss, the assassin, was different from the knight Ereka, the archer Eustasia, the supporter Rachel, and the wizard Jenna. An assassin. Ereka remembered the revtion from the goddess. The goddess said that when Sungjin makes deep connections with girls from different sses... and Zakiya was the first high-level assassin to join the team. Ereka thought maybe the appearance of Zakiya was creating a bigger picture, although she wasn¡¯t sure if Zakiya could be trusted. The worst case scenario was that Zakiya would betray them at the critical moment, just like Kuga had. [Skills: ¨DEffects: Ruin of Silence: Effect¨Dmomentarily block the air around the enemy to damage them and keep them in silence to slow down the activation of their skill by disabling verbal ability. Wondering Dessert: Effect¨Ddamage the enemy and make the enemy lose sense of direction to slow down their movement. Mirage: Effect¨Dteleport to the target position in close range and distort the space around the target position. Reactivate the skill within five seconds toe back to the original position. The ultimate skill, The Kaleidoscope of Heaven: Effect¨Dmanipte light and sound to create an imaginary scene. The scene doesn¡¯t damage the enemy, but even if the enemy realizes it is an imaginary scene, the scene doesn¡¯t disappear.] The Kaleidoscope of Heaven. ¡°Haha.¡± Sungjinughed with joy. Others thought it was not a very useful skill because her ultimate skill couldn¡¯t damage the enemy, but Sungjin thought differently. Manipte light and sound to control information¡ªthat could be an ultimate secret weapon to maximize his ns and tactics. On top of that, he found her skills very useful because she could target a single enemy and neutralize and damage it. If she joins my team, she could be a great added value. The great ck priest Pangnilin, who was able to kill the enemy regardless of its level of power, was a great assassin, but Zakiya was a great assassin in a different way. Sungjin looked at Zakiya with sharp eyes. She was a sexy witch of illusion with a curvy body. As amander, he wanted to take her in his team to win battles, and as a guy, he wanted her body. ¡°How do you like me?¡± Zakiya asked Sungjin, showing her cleavage. ¡°Oh, I really like your skills.¡± Ereka for defense. Eustasia for long-range attack. Jenna for broader area attack. Rachel for healing and support. If he could have Zakiya for illusion and assassination, he would be able to y with more ns and tactics on the battlefield. ¡°Join the training today. I will train you.¡± It was a great deal for a suspicious exile. He had offered her a position in his direct team. With her skills, Zakiya was worth such an offer, but her allegiance was not clear. However, Sungjin was a great leader who could take such a dangerous new person under hismand. ¡°That is more than I expected. You are a strong spirit.¡± Zakiya bowed down and told Sungjin that she was impressed by his decision. ¡°I will support you with my best.¡± ¡°Sure. When we defeat Kapitle, if you perform meritorious deeds, I will reward you handsomely.¡± ¡°I will try my best to keep up with your training.¡± Sungjin took Zakiya as a member of his team. His decision looked a bit risky, but he made it clear that, spy or not, he would handle her in his own ways. And, if she was truthful, it was a great opportunity to enhance his team¡¯s power. Chapter 5 Sungjin called the four priests of Rupellion for a meeting. ¡°Did you want to see us, Master Sungjin?¡± After Sungjin merged the Holy Nation Rupellion, the four priests of Rupellion served Sungjin as their master. ¡°All of you are aware that Kapitle is nning to attack Essendale, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°The war has already begun, so I called you to give you a few tasks.¡± ¡°Your wish is ourmand.¡± The four priests bowed politely. ¡°I will lead the team to defend Essendale, but I want you guys to be our opponent in the mock battle.¡± ¡°Our pleasure.¡± The four priests were polite to take hismand. Although Sungjin was a new force in this world, they were more obedient to Sungjin than to any other heroes. It could be from the power of religion. ¡°Good. I will give you other tasks after the mock battle.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The mock battle started as Sungjin ordered. It was a battle of Ereka, Eustasia, Rachel, Jenna, and Zakiya against the four priests and the crusadermendatores. Both sides were very strong and well-trained, so the fight was expected to be a difficult one. Sungjin ordered them to start the training with the mock battle and started to think about things. Theing fight would define the winning side of the war between the two kingdoms. This is an important fight. He opened the map. First, thend of Essendale that the Golden Wise King would attack was at stake. Second, the fight would define the winning side of the war. Winning the battle would make the heroes stay with him, but losing the battle would make the heroes change their side. Last but not least... Zakiya was at stake. Sungjin didn¡¯t think it had been aplete lie when Zakiya had told him that she would devote her everything to him, because it was the nature of humans to want to be on the winning side, but she was not sure which side was the winning side yet. Winning the first battle must be the first task to convince her to join him, but just winning wouldn¡¯t be enough to convince her. I should dominate the fight to make her stand by my side. That wouldn¡¯t be a pure love, but that would at least conquer the heart of the beauty who pursues power. But if Kapitle won, she would think that Sungjin wouldn¡¯t be enough to go back to after going to the Golden Wise King with her spy tasks. He had to show his power if he wanted to convince her that being on his side would be better for her future. Ha. This is a double task that tests my power in a battle against my final enemy to unify the continent. Heughed joyfully. It was a fight that he couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t avoid. Now that he had a beautiful team member as a bootie, it was just a better thing for him. The only problem was that the power of the Golden Wise King Kapitle was still shrouded in darkness. Kapitle was an awaken hero like Pederian, who didn¡¯t show his ultimate skill to anyone. It was tricky to figure out the best n to use to fight against a strong opponent with unknown power. But this is a battle that I need to win. The biggest difference between Kapitle and Sungjin was their level, but their level didn¡¯t simply mean the difference in their personal power. For the heroes of this world, Kapitle was a strong opponent who was obviously strong, but they epted Sungjin¡¯s strength only because he kept winning, not because they thought Sungjin was truly strong. Moreover, Kapitle was cruel to the extras while very generous to the heroes. Kapitle provided massive wealth and power to his heroes. Sungjin was the opposite. Sungjin¡¯s kingdom was a great ce for the extras but not the heroes. The heroes didn¡¯t rebel only because they couldn¡¯t fight against Sungjin. If I lose this one, the heroes will migrate to the other side. It was the first battle but it was not a battle he could lose. The battle had begun before they had entered the battlefield. The first act was by Kapitle. He dered that he would lead the battle and demonstrated his extremely strong ¡°destructive skill¡± to his people. It was his way to tell his people that he had a strong power, so they didn¡¯t need to worry about the fight, and it was his way to warn the heroes on Sungjin¡¯s side to change sides before the battle. It¡¯s not only Zakiya. I¡¯m sure there are spies in my camp. Sungjin knew there would be people who would sell information to Kapitle on his ns and devices that he prepared for the battlefield. There was no way to stop them all. Anyways, Kapitle was not the only one with spies in the enemy¡¯s camp. Sungjin checked the information on Kapitle¡¯s skill that he got from his spy. The destructive power is the same level as the Holy Pope¡¯s ultimate skill God Hand before Pederian became Avatar. When Pederian had be an awaken Avatar, that was cheating, so Sungjin calcted that Kapitle must be an enemy with a simr level of power to Pedrian before he had cheated. But I defeated Pedrian, there¡¯s no reason I can¡¯t defeat Kapitle. Although he didn¡¯t know much about Kapitle¡¯s skill, which must be his hidden card, Kapitle didn¡¯t know Sungjin¡¯s n, either. Should I respond to his threat in my own way? Now, Sungjin was the strong power,manding Rupellion and the four kingdoms. He had more cards nowpared to the day when Ereka summoned him to this world. And he also had Zakiya, a double-edged poisonous rose in his team. That night, Zakiya lightly kicked a mirror in her room. The mirror showed a veil made of water, and behind the veil was the silhouette of the Golden Wise King. ¡°Did you approach the lion?¡± ¡°Yes. As youmanded, I provoked him and told him to try and have me.¡± ¡°Haha. Your beauty can be fatal for a young guy,¡± said Kapitle with augh. ¡°Of course, he is still suspicious, but he said he will take me under his wing for now to convince me to join him.¡± ¡°Well done.¡± ¡°And if he wins the first battle, I told him I will give him everything.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Haha. If he is a guy who can¡¯t even win the first battle, I don¡¯t have to be here as a spy. And if he wins the first battle, you will need my help, right?¡± ¡°Sure, that¡¯s a good idea. To provoke him, I think that would be enough.¡± ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡± Zakiya politely bowed to Kapitle. The mirror blurred again. Zakiya looked up and smiled dangerously and seductively. Hmm, the Golden Wise King is really good at reading people¡¯s minds and manipting them. It was Sungjin¡¯s stupidity that he didn¡¯t suspect that she could be a spy sent by Kapitle, but Kapitle¡¯s n to make Sungjin want to take her was clearly effective. The only question was how far Sungjin could go with the poison called Zakiya. I was expecting more from the great conqueror. The Sungjin she had met was an innocent boy who couldn¡¯t even take a woman he desired. She didn¡¯t understand how he hade this far. It was the Golden Wise King who made all this possible. She thought maybe he was hiding some great power that she was yet to witness. I hope thetter is the case. That would make this more interesting. I can¡¯t wait to see the first fight. Chapter 6 The battle day came quickly. The battlefield was in Essendale for a five-on-five fight. It was one of five routes where both Sungjin and Kapitle could attack each other. ording to the rules of this world, they couldn¡¯t just attack anywhere on the enemy¡¯s territory; they could only attack the front line near the border. That was why Sungjin had built a strong defensive line on the territory, because if Kapitle won the territory, the territory behind the defensive line had a weak defensive line, which would make it difficult for Sungjin to defend his kingdom, and Sungjin had no choice but to stop Kapitle. Five members he selected stood in front of him. ¡°You all remember the n, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± They all answered, and Sungjin nodded in satisfaction. ¡°As we all know, we don¡¯t know much about the ultimate skill of Kapitle, but at least we have a clue how strong his ultimate power could be.¡± It would be a skill as strong as God Hand of the Holy Pope. ¡°We can deal with it. Stick to the n.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± While everyone was answering Sungjin, Zakiya asked Sungjin with an ambiguous smile, ¡°What if I betray you? Are you sure you want me to be here for such an important fight?¡± Her question sounded both like a curious question and a threat, but Sungjinughed as if it was nothing to worry about. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Betray me, if you would like to. You will be the one who will regret it if you do so.¡± With or without you, I will win. Zakiya bowed down to Sungjin¡¯s confidence. ¡°Hehe, sure. Win this war. If you do so, I will follow you.¡± Her words were sweet but didn¡¯t sound sincere enough for him to trust them, but that really didn¡¯t matter to Sungjin. Her thoughts didn¡¯t matter to him¡ªthat was the nature of a business rtionship. Even if they didn¡¯t share the same vision and goal, if they had amon interest, they could be partners as long as the intereststed. If he couldn¡¯t handle such a partner, he surely couldn¡¯t conquer the continent. This would be a test to prove himself by winning the battle with an unknown force in his team. Chapter 96 - Vol. 4 – Episode 9

Chapter 96: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 9

The fight, which would decide who would be the ruler of the continent and how the lives of people would be, began. Sungjin was watching from the waiting room when his chosen soldiers walked onto the battlefield. From the other side, the Golden Wise King Kapitle walked onto the battlefield with his four selected lords from his kingdom. It was a five-on-five battle. Eustasia told everyone about Sungjin¡¯s first n on behalf of Sungjin. ¡°Our first objective is to get rid of everyone around Kapitle, who is the head of our enemy.¡± The n was to defeat them one-by-one by operating a formation of force that would be unexpected from the enemy side. It was a tactic Napoleon had used in many battles¡ªconcentrating superiorbat strength in one ce. It was one of Sungjin¡¯s specialties. First, he would defeat Kapitle¡¯s military force one-by-one, and then he would kill Kapitle when he was isted by himself. ¡°Sungjin rebuilt this battlefield to implement our n,¡± said Eustasia while pointing at the map with her finger. There were three curvy paths and two dense forests between paths on the battlefield, and there were tiny paths in the forests, so they could move around the forest by following the paths. And there were many neutral monsters in the forestpared to general battlefields. ¡°Three paths and two forests. We need to use them all to collect enough crystals. If we follow the rules, each one of us needs to take each location.¡± If they followed the rules, and the rules were the first trap Sungjin had prepared for Kapitle. ¡°We should expect them to take the bait,¡± said Eustasia with a smile. Kapitle ordered his four lords. ¡°Haha. The extra likes to defeat his enemy one-by-one, but we don¡¯t need to deal with such a stupid tactic.¡± His fake eyeball, which was said to see the future and read people¡¯s minds, shone with a suspicious light. ¡°You will be my force.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± When Kapitle raised his hand, the ring on his finger started to shine. ¡°All the creation of this world shall be my gold.¡± Light from his bracelet covered the four lords and crystallized their bodies from head to toe. ¡°The ring that contains infinite wealth, take everything with your light, Draupnir.¡± The crystallized bodies of the lords scattered. Their bodies became a scattered light that was sucked into the ring to increase Kapitle¡¯s crystal. The legend said it was the ring that was owned by the main God of Midgard, and now Kapitle was holding it to activate its full power. It was a symbol of gold itself, and the legend said the ring was able to endlessly duplicate itself. He sacrificed his army to own the equivalent amount of crystals. Kapitle was a king who valued items more than his team, but he was a very strong king, nheless. The ring created another secret treasure using the crystals. Kapitle¡¯s favorite weapon appeared in front of him. ¡°Haha. It is so beautiful.¡± He preferred the beautiful treasure more than his silly lords. Humans are weak and they betray. But gold was different. Wealth never betrayed anyone. Treasure was the true power, and the divine power of Draupnir could be the best counterattack against Sungjin¡¯s specialty of defeating the enemy one-by-one, because when there was only one person with all the power, defeating the enemy one-by-one wouldn¡¯t work. This is the end of one of his tricks. It is time for him to cash in the rest of them. Kapitle didn¡¯t waste a moment and ruthlessly marched to Sungjin¡¯s camp and turret. It was a march of absolute power. ¡°Marching in right away...¡± Sungjin crossed his arms, looking at the battle status. The power to transform your army into crystals¡ªthat¡¯s the power that suits the name the Golden Wise King. It reminds me of the Midas touch. The Midas touch was not just a legend. Kapitle stopped one of Sungjin¡¯s ns with his touch. But that is not everything I have prepared for you. Eustasia¡¯s Holy Sword Durandal tried to stop the Wise King from heading to the turret. The flying sword was powerful, free from the limitations of human movement, and could attack the target from all directions without stopping. The moment you thought it was attacking from the front, it would attack you from the back, and when you turned around, it would attack you from the side. It would attack you from above, and when you thought you had stopped it, it would attack you from below. That was the power of Flying Holy Sword:pletely free movement of the sword, which made human movement meaningless. ¡°Shield.¡± But to stop all the attacks from the Holy Sword, the Wise King only said one word and drew a shape in the air, and that was enough. A semi-transparent blue and goldyer covered Kapitle. Cling, cling, cling. It didn¡¯t matter how sharp the sword was or how refined the attack. There was no way to get through it. An absolute and divine power neutralized the Holy Sword. That was the ¡°True Rune.¡± It was the highest magical power that the God of Midgard, Odin, achieved travelling across the worlds of life and death. The concept from it became the absolute shield that stopped the unstoppable Holy Sword. ¡°Is that all you got?¡± Kapitle asked arrogantly. Eustasia¡¯s face lost its smile, and she called her team for backup. ¡°Everyone, gather around the final turret in the middle paths. I will form a cordon around it,¡± said Eustasia, and as soon as she finished speaking, she quickly pulled back. She didn¡¯t stay, even though there was Sungjin¡¯s turret to defend. It was a cowardly move, but she didn¡¯t have a chance against Kapitle without her sword. ¡°Running away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s stupid to try to stay here while I can¡¯t guard.¡± ¡°But I am not done with you yet,¡± said Kapitle, drawing another shape in the air with his finger. ¡°Fire.¡± Bam! Fire started to erupt around Eustasia. It was a simple shape from a finger tip, but the destructive power from it was much stronger than any magic cast from a proper magic square by other wizards. ¡°Ugh.¡± Eustasia didn¡¯t have enough to time to avoid the fire and became covered in fire. Her skin and armor were engulfed in mes. She couldn¡¯t fight, so she ran as fast as she could to escape. ¡°Pff. At least you have a talent in running away,¡± Kapitleughed at her, looking at her running away using the path in the forest. Haha. I am not going to walk into your trap. He didn¡¯t follow her, although it is amon battle tactic to finish an enemy who is wounded and easy to finish. But I know that is another speciality of yours, pretending that you¡¯re running away to lure the enemy into a trap. Sungjin¡¯s team had many different kinds of traps. Sometimes the trap was a neutral monster, and sometimes it was andscape. All Kapitle had to do was not walk into their traps. Even if Jenna joined the fight against him using the turret, it didn¡¯t matter, because he was much stronger than thebination of power they could gather. And that was the reason it was possible for Kapitle to just attack them right away. So what will you do to stop me now? Of course, there was no way to stop him. Kapitle effortlessly destroyed the turret and walked ahead, following the path. He was so confident¨Djust like a mountain that could stop a loud wind just with its existence. His march was majestic. But only for one more step. The next moment, the destroyed turret disappeared. All he could see was a wide open forest in front of him. ¡°Huh?¡± Kapitle thought he had been walking toward Sungjin¡¯s camp and had destroyed the turret along the way, but he was instead only walking on the path in the forest, and Eustasia, who had just run away from him, was with all her team members on the other side of the forest. Kapitle was confused for a brief moment but then started tough. ¡°Hahaha. Not bad. So you know how to make this kind of trick.¡± Hisughter showed his confidence that it didn¡¯t really matter if he was tricked. Zakiyaughed seductively, listening to theughter of Kapitle from far away. ¡°Haha. My ultimate skill can be useful if used like this.¡± Her ultimate skill: The Kaleidoscope of Heaven. She was able to create any illusion she wanted. Sungjin said it was a great skill that could be used in an unlimited number of ways, although it couldn¡¯t cause any direct damage to the enemy. Many people thought it was a difficult skill to utilize in battle, because even though an illusion could be an effective way to divert the enemy, once they found out it was an illusion, it hardly had any power. Unless it was an illusion that was close to the original, rather than a simple illusion, it wasn¡¯t very useful in a battle, especially in a battle against a strong opponent like Kapitle. Using my skill had actually been a great n. Filling the gap between her illusion and reality had been especially great. The weakest point of the illusion was that once the opponent suspected it was an illusion, the opponent could easily find its faults. In this case, they knew that if Kapitle was attacked by the turret, Kapitle would have realized the turret was an illusion Sungjin and his team had created. But Sungjin and Jenna used that fact against Kapitle. Jenna made it feel like Kapitle was attacked by the turret, but that was just a trick Sungjin and Jenna used to confuse him. The path was at a slightly different angle from the regr paths in the forest. It was so slight a difference that people couldn¡¯t realize it was an illusion, especially when there was a turret standing in front of them in the middle of the path. Jenna made it feel like Kapitle was attacked by the turret while Eustasia ran away calling for backup. Kapitle thought he had been marching and pushing them to the corner, but he actually had been lured into the middle of the forest as Sungjin had intended. And although Kapitle thought he wouldn¡¯t walk into Sungjin¡¯s trap by not following the running enemy... that was Sungjin¡¯s counter trap. He wanted to give Eustasia time to move away from Kapitle. Sungjin had already calcted the possibility that Kapitle wouldn¡¯t distribute the power and would simple try to attack right away. ¡°Now you know but toote,¡± said Sungjin outside of the battlefield,ughing at Kapitle. Kapitle was smart enough to realize that he had been tricked, but the smart thing he could have done was to not have been tricked at all. Kapitle was wise. He had studied Sungjin¡¯s battle history and had nned his attack ordingly. Sungjin had decided to use Kapitle¡¯s study against him to trick him into the n. It was a fight to read the opponent¡¯s next step before the opponent read his. ¡°Now start.¡± Although Sungjin couldn¡¯t talk to his team, they all knew what to do next. As soon as Sungjin said the words, the fire covered up the forest and left Kapitle in the middle of the fire surrounded by heat and poisonous smoke. Sungjin had made the forest easy to burn and had ced many neutral monsters in the forest as bait in order to burn the enemy to death when he walked into the forest. It was a trick. Sungjin had nned to make the enemy believe his n was to trick him with Zakiya¡¯s skill. Kapitle was trapped in the middle of a burning forest that could burn his organs with its heat, but he didn¡¯t look worried. ¡°Winter.¡± His hand made a shape in the air. The shape was the Rune of Legend found by Odin, the God of Midgard, while traveling across the world of the dead. The secret character activated the power, and the air started to freeze. The magical power overruled the rule of nature. The burning fire was covered by the cold air, and an ice wall formed around the burning forest. Kapitle walked out through the wall. He marched slowly. It was a true royal procession. He didn¡¯t rush or look around. The whole forest was burning, but there wasn¡¯t a hint of soot on Kapitle¡¯s robe. He slowly marched as if to prove his absolute power. Chapter 97 - Vol. 4 – Episode 10

Chapter 97: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 10

Sungjin¡¯s team stood at the end of the forest, watching Kapitle walking away. ¡°That¡¯s why people said he was one of the two absolute power yers, the other being the Holy Pope. Fire can¡¯t even touch him.¡± When Eustasia praised his skill, Ereka answered with her positive spirit. ¡°But I¡¯m sure he exhausted a bit of his power for sure. And Sungjin¡¯s real n is about to begin, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You are right. Hmph.¡± Can Kapitle easily beat our attack again? ¡°Everyone ready?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yeap,¡± Rachel and Jenna answered with a strong spirit. Kapitle slowly approached Sungjin¡¯s team. He didn¡¯t seem to care that there were five of his enemies gathered around the turret because of his arrogant belief in his own power. Jenna was the first one preparing the attack with the magic square of threeyers under her feet. Thunder started to fill the sky. A gigantic hammer made of white thunder fell from the sky and hit the ground. The destructive power that had covered up the sun and shook the ground made the air roar like thunder. ¡°Mjolnir!¡± It was an attack from God of war that yed the snake which was coiling up a world. The legend said the attack could destroy mountains and the sky with a single blow. Jenna was summoning a part of the power of Mjolnir to break everything in her attack range. But Kapitleughed at the majestic power as if it was child¡¯s y. ¡°Boring. It is worse than my boring weapons that I don¡¯t even know where I have put them.¡± He drew another rune in the air. ¡°The shield.¡± A blue and gold shield covered him before Mjolnir hit him. Kaboom. A loud explosion shook the ground. The ground was burned and the forest became ashes. There was nothing left but... Kapitle. ¡°That¡¯s the power of a fake.¡± When the thunder was gone, Kapitle stood without a scratch, as if he wanted to prove that he was the strongest of the continent. Thor¡¯s hammer was not strong enough to go through Kapitle¡¯s rune, although it was a sh of an ultimate skill against a normal skill. That was the difference between Jenna and Kapitle. Mjolnir disappeared in vain. At least, that was what everyone thought, but then the ground fell down. ¡°Huh?¡± The ground Kapitle had been standing on fell away along with everything around it. It was not a tiny trap. It had seemed like an earthquake, but it was not an earthquake. The ground fell down into an abyss, which was an impossible thing to happen on the battlefield¡ªthat was thest n Sungjin had prepared for the battle there. Sungjin already used the mountain as a trap by using an avnche and the river as a trap as well. Kapitle would have been more careful if he had known it was andscape with the possibility of a natural disaster. Sungjin, the young lion, who believed he had just bitten the enemy¡¯s throat, smiled, looking at the scene. ¡°It was not too difficult to figure out that Jenna¡¯s ultimate skill wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to attack you.¡± So I prepared something else. It was a ¡°sinkhole.¡± He had gotten rid of the underground water below the battlefield and had dug even further underneath it to make the ground unstable. Sungjin had used science to fight against Kapitle and had sessfully buried Kapitle underground. There was nowhere to step or stand on. Kapitle didn¡¯t have time to do anything but fall into the sinkhole¡¯s abyss. The arrogant Wise King fell down into the abyss without a bottom, and pieces of ground fell into the hole as if they were his tombstones. This was the hidden card that Sungjin had prepared to fight against the Golden Wise King. Sungjin had only used the fire to make Kapitle slightly exhaust his power, but this was the final blow: using the natural disaster. Level 7 wizard Leoric was killed by an avnche. It was impossible for humans to fight against nature if it was the power of a human. ¡°Neigh!¡± It was clearly the sound of a horse. It sounded like a horse but the sound was so loud it covered up the sound of the ground breaking. It was a roaring sound that reached the sky. ¡°Run. The wind that shakes up the world, Sleipnir!¡± When Kapitle ordered the wind, everyone then knew the cause of the roaring sound. Kaboom. The shock wave came out from the ground to shoot a ray of light to the sky. The gigantic tomb burying Kapitle disappeared in a second to reveal a horse from the legends with eight legs in the light. It was a mythical animal that Odin the King of Midgard rode, and it could run across the world over night. Its muscles were full with mythical power, and its eyes held thunder. It made a dragon look like a lizard beside it. Even a natural disaster was not strong enough to stop it. The golden reins on the mouth of the mythical horse was the source of power that enabled Kapitle to cut the capital in half. Even the sun was not bright enough in the light of the mythical horse standing in the sky. It didn¡¯t have any wings but stood on the air as if gravity was just a joke. The bright and grand scene impressed Ereka even though it was Ereka¡¯s enemy. ¡°That is... the Golden Wise King¡¯s ultimate skill.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Even Eustasia couldn¡¯t find a negative thing to say about it. ¡°It is overwhelming,¡± said Rachel in fear. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to be scared. Everyone get ready.¡± And that was true. ¡°Run, my lovely horse.¡± As soon as Kapitle ordered it, Sleipnir ran toward them from the sky. It was only a running horse, but it created light and heat by heating up the air, and its supersonic speed made shockwaves by beating the air. Its movement was a disaster itself. There was no army or wall that could stop it. The destructive power it made was even stronger than the ultimate skill of the Blood Ruler. There was only one way to stop it. ¡°Shield of all people! Aegis.¡± Ereka raised her weapon that she got from Athene and shouted. Golden light covered and protected everyone in Sungjin¡¯s team. As long as she stood still, nobody in her team could get hurt. But Kapitle didn¡¯t care. A conqueror is supposed to step on the person who stands in his way. ¡°Be gone!¡± Ereka tried to stand against the disaster with her shield, but once the power hit her, half of her armor was destroyed. ¡°Ugh.¡± The horse made a turn in the sky toe back at her at full speed. Although she was the knight with the strongest protection power, her power was not enough to stand against the mythical horse. ¡°Everyone, guard Ereka!¡± Rachel quickly cast her protecting and healing spell to help Ereka. ¡°Protection of the Sea.¡± A protectiveyer covered Ereka. ¡°Heal her by the blessing from the goddess.¡± The holy water of healing healed Ereka. But it didn¡¯tst long. The attack was faster than Rachel¡¯s healing. The mythical horse stepped on Ereka without mercy to make everything Rachel did for Ereka meaningless. And then it made a third attack. We can¡¯t be defeated like this. Sungjin¡¯s team moved quickly. ¡°The Holy Sword of Heaven¡¯s Will, Durandal!¡± A supersonic mythical horse had to slow down a bit when it makes a U-turn, and the shooting stars chose that moment to attack the horse. ¡°That doesn¡¯t work.¡± The mythical horse was faster than the shooting stars. Flying sword couldn¡¯t keep up with its speed. Eustasia¡¯s ultimate skill was useless in the face of the mythical horse. ¡°Wandering dessert.¡± Zakiya tied the mythical horse with her chains, although the chains were destroyed in a heartbeat from the power of the mythical horse, but that was the moment Eustasia needed to attack the horse. Kaboom. A blow hit the mythical horse to stop its crazy run and attack it multiple times. ¡°The shield.¡± Kapitle wasn¡¯t happy with the attack and drew a rune of protection. But Sungjin¡¯s team knew it was theirst chance to fight their enemy, so they had to go all in. ¡°Protection of the Earth.¡± Rachel¡¯s buff upgraded Eustasia¡¯s attacking power. ¡°Light Ball.¡± Jenna¡¯s attack supported the team. ¡°Ruin of Silence.¡± Everyone put everything into the attack, and Durandal hit the horse with its final blow ¡°Neigh.¡± The Holy Sword lost its power and fell down on the ground, but the mythical horse¡¯s head was cut, and it dragged Kapitle back to the ground. ¡°How dare you make me get down from my horse,¡± said Kapitle unpleasantly, but Sungjin¡¯s team couldn¡¯t answer. They were exhausted from using all of their powers, but they were also quite happy that they were able to stop him... Eustasia called her sword back and held it in her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s attack him now. We can defeat him now.¡± They used all the ns that Sungjin had prepared for the battlefield and all their skills. Although it wasn¡¯t enough to kill Kapitle, they had been able to make it thus far. If they could have abat fight, Kapitle would be out-numbered by them. If they could defeat Kapitle before he reloaded his skills, they would still have a chance. ¡°Yes.¡± That was right. This was the perfect time to attack Kapitle all together. It was the strong Golden Wise King, but, exhausted and without his skills, he was just an old man. ¡°Fly my sword.¡± Eustasia¡¯s sword started to fly again. ¡°Wind, bless us with your force.¡± Rachel cast herst spell to cheer everyone up. ¡°Thunder, in my hands.¡± Holding Thor¡¯s hammer in her hand, Jenna tried to squeeze out the remaining power that she had left. ¡°Here, my oath for protection.¡± Ereka¡¯s golden spear shone under the sunlight. ¡°Haha. I will use myst force for you.¡± Zakiya started to distort the light around her. And all five of them attacked Kapitle at once, only to make Kapitleugh. ¡°Haha. You made me use all my normal skills. I guess you are not too bad.¡± When heplimented them with arrogance, Sungjin¡¯s team froze. ¡°What?¡± Ereka¡¯s eyes became big with surprise. Only his normal skills? That means he didn¡¯t use his ultimate skill? The mythical horse... Sleipnir was not your ultimate skill? Eustasia froze as well. We used everything to stop one of his normal skills, not his ultimate skill? ¡°Huh?¡± It was so unexpected, even Sungjin was surprised. The power that cut the capital in half was not his ultimate skill? If that was not his ultimate skill, what could it possibly... Was it not Kapitle showing off but a trick to blind me? Was it his n to hide his real skill and show something else to distract Sungjin. But if the mythical horse was just a trick, how strong was the real power? This is the worst case scenario. Sungjin¡¯s eyes calmed and shone coldly. He had thought it was a possibility that Kapitle owned a strong power that could cancel all his ns, but he hoped that wasn¡¯t true. But Kapitle shouted out, as if it was the verdict, ¡°To reward your hard work, let me show you my ultimate skill.¡± The audience was in fear, not knowing what to expect. ¡°The Golden Wise King¡¯s real ultimate power...¡± ¡°Nobody has seen it before...¡± ¡°The mythical horse was not his ultimate skill...¡± Kapitle reached his hand into the empty space in front of him. The sky became dark and a few bolts of lightning struck the ground. The air vibrated to wee the great power and the invisible wave of the air was proving the power was greater than ever. Leaves fell down and the river made waves. Finally, he held a stick without any edges. Branches came out from the stick and coiled the Golden Wise King¡¯s arm, and his heroic power flowed into the stick... The stick began to show its runes and make a sharp point at one end. ¡°Be destroyed.¡± It was an absolute order, not from a human but from somewhere beyond the sky. ¡°The Holy Order of God King, ¨DGungnir!¡± The Golden Wise King unleashed the power of an ultimate secret treasure of the world; it was the holy spear that was the symbol of Odin, the king of Midgard. It was an absolute weapon. The legend said it had broken the magical sword of the human world simply by touching it. It was the strongest treasure of Odin. The strong power that came from it shook the ground like an ocean, creating a typhoon with the air. Humans had no chance to fight against it but were destroyed, as the order of God. Eustasia was hit by the power first, and her armor disappeared in a blink of an eye. The destructive wave wiped out everyone in Sungjin¡¯s team. They had nowhere to hide. While feeling their bodies breaking down, everyone in Sungjin¡¯s team felt awe and respect toward the divine power rather than despair. It was an impossible power that they couldn¡¯t fight against; that was the holy order from the king of Midgard. Nobody could disobey such a power. Struggle would be meaningless against such a strong force. Everything disappeared in a second, and the destructive wave swallowed everything. Shiny armor scattered into pieces and bodies tore apart. Only the golden shield was left rolling on the ground with its master, and the invincible protection was long gone. Around God¡¯s spear there was a ckhole that sucked everything around it. Everything, including the sky and the ground, was vacuumed into it. The air made another st, but there was nothing in the area. There was no trace of Sungjin¡¯s team. And the Valkyrie announced without any emotion: [Blue team annihted. Red team won.] Chapter 98 - Vol. 4 – Episode 11

Chapter 98: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 11

It was an annihtion. An annihtion by a single blow. As soon as Kapitle showed his real power, Sungin¡¯s team was annihted. The light came down from the sky to Kapitle, and the Valkyrie offered the nectar of gods to him. The conqueror¡¯s ss eye shone with bright light. He looked like the reincarnation of Odin. The audience lost their words and murmured, ¡°That is...Gungnir...¡± It was the best of the Golden Wise King¡¯s artifacts. It was the spear of God from Midgard Pantheon, who gave up his eye to get the ultimate wisdom. It was an artifact that contained the power of the king of gods. Ereka and Rachel had legendary artifacts, but their difference in level made the power different. The victory belonged to Kapitle. Chapter 7 The people watching the battle stayed silent. Sungjin¡¯s defeat in this battle didn¡¯t mean just a simple defeat; it was the first time Sungjin had been defeated. And it was such an impossible battle. It was his defense battle with all his ns. But the absolute power of Kapitle cancelled all of Sungjin¡¯s efforts. It wasn¡¯t even a close battle. There was no chance of victory as long as the power of Kapitle overruled everything else. It wouldn¡¯t matter how many times they tried. There is no way that Sungjin will win. Is the continent going to be conquered by Kapitle? All the extras from Sungjin¡¯s kingdom fell down on their knees in despair. Now the cruel tyranny of Kapitle was waiting for them. Their hope had been happiness under Sungjin¡¯s rulership, but it was all just a dream. Kapitle shouted to the people outside the battlefield. ¡°Hahaha. That is your power you¡¯ve been bragging about?¡± He was invincible. Maybe Pederian, who had be a reincarnation of God, could be his worthy opponent, but now there was no one who could fight against Kapitle. ¡°So people call you the conqueror from another world? But I think that name suits me better! Hahaha.¡± He used his n not because he didn¡¯t have a strong power. He didn¡¯t use his power only because it was possible that the Holy Pope Pedrian could use the power of God which could lead them both to the destruction. Kapitle was the strongest of all. With his power, the name conqueror suited him well. ¡°I will take everything you have from you!¡± Zakiya sighed and looked at Sungjin. She thought that he didn¡¯t look as spirited anymore. I thought Sungjin would be a worthy opponent against Kapitle, but if Kapitle has such a clear upper hand, maybe I should think again. It was useless to think that he was someone whom she could give everything to. Maybe nobody could fight against Kapitle. So everything will follow the Golden Wise King¡¯s will. If this was the limit of Sungjin, she couldn¡¯t give everything to him. Everyone around her doubted her intentions, but she was sincerely following Sungin¡¯smand to see his potential, but the results were disappointing. It wasn¡¯t only Zakiya who felt disappointment¡ªeveryone watching the battle felt the same. Even Sungjin isn¡¯t strong enough to defeat the Golden Wise King. Should we surrender to Kapitle now? Would he ept us if we try to join him now? Maybe it would be better than being a prisoner. Well, our life wasn¡¯t amazing under him anyway. Many heroes worried about their positions started to question if they had to change sides. The limit of Sungjin¡¯s power depended on Sungjin¡¯s charisma. But then the voice of Valkyrie changed the mood in the waiting room. [Chermunt battle. Team Sungjin won.] [Agrea battle. Team Sungjin won.] [Lintalgrid battle. Team Sungjin won.] [Chasshire battle. Team Sungjin won.] The Valkyrie announced the victory of Sungjin from multiple battlefields. What is going on? The heroes stopped saying it was over for Sungjin or that his intelligence was useless before Kapitle¡¯s level. The Valkyrie kept announcing. [The result of the battle was four victories and one defeat, so Chermunt, Agrea and Lintalgrid, three territories in total belong to Sungjin now.] It was a sudden announcement of battle results from four battlefields. People were shocked as soon as they understood its meaning. Then, a magic globe in front of Sungjin started to shine and show his army. Pangnilin, the great ck priest, reported to Sugnjin. ¡°The guardian of the saint and the ruler of Sevrantina. Master Sungjin, I followed your order to conquer Chermunt.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± The great blue priest also showed himself. ¡°I conquered Agrea as you ordered.¡± ¡°The Valkyrie told me. I will reward you as soon as you are back. Celebrate for now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to serve you during this holy war.¡± The great white priest and the great red priest reported their victory to Sungjin. Sungjin nodded slightly arrogantly and looked around. Everyone was overwhelmed by his look. The situation had changed what he looked like. People could see the halo of victory behind him. It was obvious that the Golden Wise King had defeated Sungjin in the battle. But... was it a real victory? Sungjin was defeated in the battle that he hadmanded. But... was it a real defeat? Regardless, the value of the territory at stake for each battle was the same, so, although there were some differences in members in the battles, the total result of the battle was the most important thing. A victory was a victory. It didn¡¯t matter who was fighting in the battle. Sunjing lost the battle but won the war. ¡°How dare you...¡± Kapitle could no longer be arrogant. He started to shiver with anger. Sungjin smiled at him provocatively. ¡°Are you confused? I¡¯m sure you knew there were many battles.¡± When Kapitle had dered war, Sungjin had also dered war against him. When he had been summoned to Valha, Ereka, Jenna and Rittier were the only heroes he had, but now he was ying a different game. He was able to fight with his first, second, third, fourth and fifth teams, and of course he had let his first team, his closest girls, fight against Kapitle. Well, I was hoping we would win on all the battlefields. The power of Kapitle had been beyond Sungjin¡¯s calctions. The Holy Order of God King, Gungnir, was strong enough to give him one victory, but Sungjin was still the winner. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect to lose on all the other battlefields, is that it?¡± Sungjin smiled at Kapitle and his miscalction that he would win at least half of them. Sungjin was the one defeated, but he was calm and full of spirit while Kapitle, the winner, looked miserable. ¡°I admit that you are the strongest on this continent with one man power.¡± Sungjin showed a winner¡¯s attitude by epting the strength of his opponent. Although it could sound like a mockery to you. Knowing that his praise could provoke Kapitle, he didn¡¯t stop. He had to look strong to keep his heroes together, and it would work for his advantage if Kapitle was provoked and made a mistake in anger. ¡°I allowed you to have a victory on the battlefield here. You fought hard,¡± said Sungjin arrogantly, as if he were granting a victory to Kapitle. ¡°But your army lost all the other battles.¡± His victory became his halo and added charisma on Sungjin¡¯s verdict. ¡°You could win the battle over and over again but you will still lose the war.¡± Kapitle was invincible on a battlefield, but it was only applicable on one battlefield, whereas Sungjin¡¯s n didn¡¯t require him to be on every single battlefield. That was why some of the greatest warriors who were invincible couldn¡¯t win the war even if they were winning battles. That was the difference between an invincible person and a tactician, who had the bigger picture. Sungjin stretched his fist toward Kapitle. ¡°I tell you, if you keep going like this, you will have to fight on your final territory that is left for you. You¡¯d better show your power before that happens.¡± That was not a bluff but a truth backed by evidence. Although he lost the battle of the selected force, but it was only the problem for Sungjin¡¯s ego. The real winner was Sungin. ¡°Hahaha. Hahaha...¡± Kapitleughed joyfully instead of going crazy with anger. ¡°Yes, if it is heaven¡¯s will that you are going to be the ruler of the continent, you don¡¯t want it to be boring without a strong opponent. So you want to rece Pedestrian with your power?¡± It was a painful defeat, but Kapitle was sure that he would be the final winner of the war. ¡°Good. I will take your resistance. Soon, you will find out about my other secret treasure,¡± said Kapitle, and he marched back to his castle. It didn¡¯t look like a march of a defeated general. He was still full of confidence and power, and nobody doubted that he still had a hidden card that he hadn¡¯t used yet. And Sungjin¡¯s answer to Kapitle¡¯s arrogance was his own. ¡°Ha. You have something left? Yeah, that would make it more interesting. Try to show me your power.¡± And people felt that Kapitle might be hiding a card but Sungjin didn¡¯t show all his power. It was a war to define the ruler of the continent. This was only a reconnaissance. The real battle was about to begin, and nobody knew who would be the winner. All they knew was that Sungjin looked glorious from winning the reconnaissance engagement. Zakiya shivered with excitement. He could be the one to defeat Kapitle. For a moment she doubted his ability but she rushed to the conclusion. Oh... maybe he is the guy... She thought maybe he was the guy who could make her secret wishe true. Maybe he was the one who was worth giving her everything to. She scanned Sungjin¡¯s body from head to toe. His strong and fit body was sexy and seductive. He looked like a glorious and powerful young lion that ruled the jungle. Should I? Maybe he is the one. That night people celebrated Sungjin¡¯s victory in his castle. Everyone was excited that Sungjin had defeated the strong power that was the only obstacle to unifying the continent. There were great drinks, and chefs presented their best on tes, and heroes started to praise Sungjin¡¯s greatness as if they werepeting¡ªat least, that was what they tried to show everyone else. ¡°Haha. It was a great n of the great Master Sungjin.¡± ¡°You are right. Although Kapitle is invincible, the war is more than just winning one battle.¡± ¡°Of course. Sungjin is the one who will conquer the continent.¡± They talked as if they wanted Sungjin to hear them. There was nobody who would dare say that it was the end of the world that an extra was about to conquer the continent or anything close to that, although they were thinking different things inside. Sigh... if that extra keeps ruling us... Our good old days are gone. Ugh, he took all mynds and now I need to survive on a low wage... They couldn¡¯t even dare take money from the extras, because that would only lead to their destruction. For the heroes, the era of Sungjin was the most exciting era for them, but they didn¡¯t have much choice. We should adopt ourselves to the reality. Sigh... We should survive. Wanting it or not, they cheered for Sungjin to let people hear them. Chapter 99 - Vol. 4 – Episode 12

Chapter 99: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 12

People were also celebrating outside the castle thanks to Sungjin, who had shared the food with the people opening his warehouse for them. Although their celebration was not as morous as the one in the castle, the extras were sincerely happy for the victory. The kingdom ruled by Sungjin was different from the kingdom ruled by Kapitle. The extras were happy that Sungjin protected their country where they could live like human beings. They celebrated with simple food with drinks and barbeque. And... Zakiya was looking at Sungjin, who was sitting in the middle of the party arrogantly. His throne was nicely decorated, but he wasn¡¯t wearing any kind of jewelry, possibly because he didn¡¯t need any. His victory was the greatest essory; it made him shine brighter than any crown. And the beautiful girls who were celebrating around him made people envy him more than any treasures. A beauty shining like sunlight, Ereka served him dishes that she had made herself. ¡°Sungjin, I cooked these to celebrate your victory.¡± Sungjin took a bite of a dessert made with cheese, fruits and nuts. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ereka blushed because she was happy enough to see him happy. ¡°Is this the way we celebrate our victory?¡± Eustasiained, approaching him closely, although she meant that a conqueror has to celebrate a victory by spending a hot night with beauties, but Sungjin justughed. ¡°The war has just begun. We still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°Pff.¡± She turned her head like a vexed cat. ¡°Sungjin oppa! I¡¯m so happy everything worked out well!¡± Rachel jumped up on Sungjin¡¯sp. ¡°You did a great job.¡± Sungjin gently stroked her head. ¡°Hehehe. Although I failed to defeat the Golden Wise King,¡± said Rachel, smiling like a little puppy. ¡°No. Keeping Kapitle on your battlefield was your job, so you did a great job.¡± ¡°Did I?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sungjin smiled gently, looking at a brightly smiling Rachel. The scene made Ereka blush and touch her cheeks. I want to sit on Sungjin as well... It made Jenna sharpen her tail into a knife. How dare she take my queen¡¯s ce! You are just blinded by the power of Rupellion! All these emotions were caused by Sungjin, who was a young lion king at the top of a safari with lionesses around him. Zakiya wet her lips like a seductive lioness. Haha. It is hard to know someone¡¯s mind. Sungjin looked like the hottest guy in this world. I guess I can give everything to this guy. If he could make her secret wishe true, she was ready to give him everything. Moving her body seductively, Zakiya walked to Sungjin. ng. ng Little bells made an attractive sound each step she made, and the scent of rose filled the hall. Heroes lost their words for a second to look at the girl who looked like a red rose under the moonlight. She put her hands together and kneeled in front of Sungjin. ¡°Congrattions on your victory.¡± ¡°Oh, you did a great job.¡± ¡°Can I offer you a dance to celebrate your victory?¡± ¡°Go on,¡± answered Sungjin with a smile. Zakiya stood up with a seductive smile in front of the conqueror with dignified attitude. ¡°Allow me.¡± She started by making a circle slowly. Her hands made a graceful curve while her breasts and hips slowly moved to create a seductive movement. The chiffon veil moving with her hand was beautiful, like a dance of thousand butterflies, and people could nce her beautiful skin underneath it. Every part of her body seemed to be heated. She started to speed up her dance movements, and when she moved her arms and legs, the veil floated beautifully. A drop of her sweat on her silky skin was hotter than a kiss, and her cleavage looked like a valley hiding a sensitive secret inside. Her dance was morous but not dirty, seductive, but also graceful, meant only for the conqueror. All the guys looking at her dancing sighed. Wow... That is amazing... It was Sungjin¡¯s status that made such a dancer offer to praise him with a dance; it was a dance that could only be offered to a conqueror. I¡¯m jealous. Getting jealous looks from all the guys, Sungjin watched Zakiya¡¯s dance as if it was something interesting. Hmm, not bad. Although he didn¡¯t know much about dances, it was not difficult to know that her dance was a dance of another level. Her every move was meticulously calcted, and it was not just the movement that was calcted. The sound of the bell, her perfume and even her breath have been meticulously orchestrated. It was a magical dance to seduce a man. It was not just a dance but an art. It is a good performance. She looked like the dancer Salome, who had seduced the king with her dance to head the prophet as her reward. Girls around Sungjin were deeply impressed watching her dance. Whatever her intentions were, her dancing was a pure art that took everyone¡¯s breath away. They forgot about everything else and watched the beautiful movement of the beautiful body. Finishing her dance, Zakiya kneeled in front of Sungjin again. ¡°Thank you for appreciating my little trick.¡± ¡°No, it was amazing,¡± said Sungjin, giving her apuse. Her artistic dance deserved praise. ¡°Now that you have defeated Kapitle, I would like to offer you my everything.¡± When she said ¡°everything,¡± people around Sungjin imagined a steamy scene. Wow, good for him. So he is collecting all the beauties from across the continent? That¡¯s the privilege of the conqueror, I guess. ¡°Everything?¡± ¡°Please make my secret wishe true.¡± ¡°Haha. You finally have the courage to tell me it?¡± Sungjinughed and he was willing to know what her secret wish was. Zakiya smiled seductively as well to make everyone even more curious. What could the wish of this beautiful dancer be? Her red lips started to move to say the words. ¡°The head of Kapitle.¡± Everyone was shocked. People had expected her to ask Sungjin to keep her in his garden or let her have somend. Some had thought that she possibly wanted treasure Kapitle had. Kapitle¡¯s head was an unexpected request. Sungjin was smiling but his eyes were shining sharply. ¡°Hmm. Even if you don¡¯t wish for that, I still need to fight to the death with Kapitle. But his head is what you want?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I would like to share the details in a more private ce.¡± ¡°Sure. Tell me after the party.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Heroes exchanged sighs, imagining a hot and private affair that would happen after the party. Now, the witch of illusion, who used to be loyal to Kapitle, is going to be taken by Sungjin? Is that it? The young lion is taking everything, conquering them one by one. Or... Maybe this dancer is hiding something fatal. The party was over, and Sungjin called Zakiya to his bedroom... But that was not the case. He only called her to the meeting room. Ereka and Eustasia stood next to him. Zakiya smiled. ¡°Haha. You won¡¯t allow me to be with you privately?¡± ¡°We are private enough.¡± ¡°So they are already one body and spirit with you, is that it?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ereka blushed and touched her cheeks in shyness. ¡°Oh my god, Zakiya,¡± said Ereka, thinking, what if people hear such a rumor? Although she didn¡¯t really care... ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± said Eustasia to confirm the potential rumor. ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Sungjin coughed and changed the subject. ¡°Stop talking nonsense and let¡¯s get to the point.¡± ¡°Of course, Your Highness. I want his head... to return his kindness.¡± Zakiya looked serious. ¡°Kindness?¡± It would have been easier to understand if she had said it was for revenge, but kindness didn¡¯t make sense to anyone. ¡°Yes, kindness. He took care of me when I became an orphan.¡± Zakiya¡¯s smile became even more mysterious. ¡°Do you know the desert of illusion?¡± ¡°I heard that¡¯s where you¡¯re staying. It is a ruin that can¡¯t function as actualnd.¡± It belonged to the Golden Wise King, but it was a ruin without any battlefields, which meant it was just a ruin that wasn¡¯t worth a fight. ¡°You are right. It looks like this.¡± Sungjin¡¯s room became a bleak desert without anything in it¡ªnot even a cactus. There wasn¡¯t a single scorpion or camel. ¡°It is a bleak desert, worse than what I have heard.¡± ¡°Yes, but it used to be called Greend.¡± Suddenly, the scenery changed. They were able to see a green field around them. There were a few cows loitering around the field, and a child was napping under a tree. Fluffy clouds were floating in the blue sky. It was a peaceful and cozy scene. ¡°It was a beautiful ce,¡± Zakiya mumbled, thinking of the beautiful scene from her childhood. The seductive dancer used to be a child as well, when her parents looked like her perfect heroes and the world was full of fun things. A young boy was chasing young Zakiya. ¡°Zakiya, wait for me.¡± ¡°Speed up,¡± said Zakiya, and left her brother to run ahead. ¡°Zakiya...¡± Her brother stopped at the front gate of the castle, panting. ¡°Haha, I am crossing!¡± Zakiya wanted to tease her brother, so she crossed the bridge by herself. ¡°Ugh... I don¡¯t care. I will rest a bit here.¡± Her brotherined andy down on the ground. Should I wait for him? Young Zakiya changed her mind and stopped when her brother was a hundred meters away. The next moment, a pir of light struck the ground. ¡°Huh?¡± Hyperdense energy covered up the castle to melt down the wall and the columns made of stones, not to mention the people inside. What is going on? Zakiya looked at it nkly without understanding what was happening. She saw the light swallow her brother and melt him down, but she couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. Everything happened too fast. The next moment, the pir of light expanded. Zakiya lost consciousness in the wave of lighting toward her. The next moment, the illusion changed scenes. There was no green field or happy vige anymore. Only the desert. There were no ying kids or a crow looking for dead bodies. Not even a bug looking for rotting meat. There was only red sand of the desert of death. There was only one person alive. That was the unconscious Zakiya, who was lying down on the ground. For some unknown reason, the pir of light hadn¡¯t harmed her. ¡°Huh?¡± Zakiya woke up and looked around. ¡°Father? Mother? Limad!¡± She called her father. She called her mother and her brother. But no one answered. She was too young, and the disaster was too terrible. She didn¡¯t know what to do but keep crying and passing out. ¡°The ident called the tragedy of Greend? I heard that ident made Greend a desert and killed 99 percent of the habitants.¡± Looking at Ereka, who felt sorry for her, Zakiya only smiled. ¡°Yes. I survived thanks to the family heirloom: the talisman of the sun. But I was too young to know any of those things.¡± Without any help, she would have died from exhaustion, but there was someone who had saved her. ¡°Are you awake now? You bothered me, but your parents were loyal to me, so I will forgive you.¡± When she opened her eyes, she was able to see an old king with absolute power. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m your and your parents¡¯ king. I will be your guardian until you grow up. You shall be a loyal and useful servant when you grow up.¡± That was an order, but at the same time, it was a new direction for the child who was dying alone. ¡°Yes.¡± Zakiya nodded desperately, fearing that her savior would abandon her to die alone if she disobeyed him. Chapter 100 - Vol. 4 – Episode 13

Chapter 100: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 13

Zakiya smiled, reminiscing the old days. ¡°He took me under him and became my guardian when I lost my family.¡± ¡°Hmm. He did?¡± Eustasia asked in disbelief. ¡°Maybe he was a nice person to his entourage, but he was cruel to his people in general,¡± Ereka said in conclusion. ¡°It wasn¡¯t something to be called mercy.¡± It was not a bad thing to take care of an orphan and it was not a strange thing, because there were many people who took care of children. Although Kapitle was a cruel king, but it was not an impossible thing. ¡°Yes. He was quite strict, but I was grateful that he saved me.¡± ¡°He was strict?¡± ¡°He told me only the fittest can survive and raised me as an illusionist and a spy.¡± ¡°Since he was the one who saved you, you worked hard to meet his expectations,¡± Sungjin said, and Zakiya agreed right away. ¡°Yes. I was desperate to survive and to get approval from him...¡± She grew up as the Golden Wise King Kapitle molded her to be, in fear of being abandoned. ¡°I was scared that I would be abandoned, but I tried my best to please him because he saved my life.¡± Her heartwarming story started to be sad. ¡°Until I found out that the ident was caused by Kapitle.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ereka¡¯s eyes became big with surprise. ¡°The ident was...caused by Kapitle?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why? Greend was his, and those habitants were his people.¡± Ereka¡¯s question asking why a king would make his people suffer wasn¡¯t naive; it was rather a reasonable question. Kapitle could have collected more taxes or exploited morebor rather than burn hisnd and his people. ¡°Haha. You are right. He didn¡¯t mean to cause the ident because he didn¡¯t want to lose anybor force.¡± ¡°Then...¡± ¡°He was experimenting with my secret family heirloom ¡°The Eye of Ra.¡± My parents tried to stop him to unseal it but Kapitle¡¯s greed used the The Eye of Ra.¡± Ra was the God of sun in Egyptian Pantheon and the strongest God. His eye meant the Sun itself, and it was too strong to activate on the battlefield. But Kapitle wanted its potential and yed with The Eye of Ra. ¡°Like that, he burned everyone in my family and people who lived in the area.¡± Zakiya¡¯s face looked terrible when she said it. She didn¡¯t look like a seductive dancer but a revengeful spirit. ¡°The worst part was that I followed him... without knowing the truth.¡± People could feel her sorrow. She was following her enemy, who had taken everything away from her and had yed her. ¡°He was not taking care of me to make atonement for his sins. He kept me because only my family bloodline could use the talisman of the sun to control The Eye of Ra. He just wanted to use me.¡± The shock I got when I found out the truth. ¡°He was... the true reason why I became myself.¡± Then everyone realized what she meant by ¡°the kindness.¡± She was being ironic. ¡°But I also knew he would kill me with a snap of his fingers if I tried to have my revenge, so... I stayed. I stayed pretending I didn¡¯t know anything and stayed loyal to him.¡± ¡°Were you looking for a chance?¡± ¡°Yes. I was expecting the final battle between the Holy Pope Pedrian and Kapitle to seize the opportunity to betray him at the fatal moment.¡± She didn¡¯t care who would be the conqueror of the continent, even if it was a devil, who was worse than Kapitle. All she cared about was a revenge. So she waited and waited, pretending she was a loyal servant to Kapitle. ¡°But you came in unexpectedly. My offer is the same. If you give me Kapitle¡¯s head, I will give you everything I¡¯ve got.¡± She made an oath, showing her cleavage. ¡°Good.¡± Sungjin epted her offer. ¡°I want to defeat him for my ambition, but you deserve a chance to cut his throat.¡± With amon enemy, they could be a team, although one was nning to save everyone while the other had a more personal reason: a family revenge. ¡°Thank you.¡± They looked at each other andughed to seal the pact. Zakiya kneeled and kissed Sungjin¡¯s hand. ¡°I will offer you the biggest secret, my family heirloom, to prove my loyalty.¡± ¡°The biggest secret?¡± ¡°The method to control The Eye of Ra.¡± ¡°Hmm, isn¡¯t it something only you can handle?¡± ¡°But If you prepare a few things, I can do as you wish.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have to get into the enemy¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be easy to sneak in, but as soon as I get in and set the key, the Pyramid in the Sky will activate the protection, then there¡¯s nothing Kapitle could do.¡± ¡°So, if I can provide the chance to set the key, you can do whatever and whenever?¡± ¡°You are right. Once you have it, you can destroy Kapitle¡¯s capital, then you won¡¯t even have to fight a battle to win the war.¡± Zakiya showed a gentle smile, and Sungjin¡¯s brain started to quickly calcte things. ¡°The real power of The Eye of Ra...¡± ¡°Here¡¯s my report to help you understand it.¡± Zakiya showed the illusion stone. Pirs of light started to rain from the sky. The heated air expanded, and a white light globe covered the ground. A piece of the sun came down to the ground. It was a disaster from God. A gigantic cloud that looked like a mushroom exploded toward the sky, and the heat storm wiped up the ground. It reminded Sungjin of something simr from Earth. ¡°So it is not a tactical weapon but... a strategic weapon.¡± It was not a weapon to bring on the battlefield. It¡¯s a nuclear bomb¡ªnot a tactical one but a strategic one. There was a reason why The Eye of Ra burned Zakiya¡¯s hometown and created a desert out of it. ¡°Those pirs of light came from The Eye of Ra?¡± ¡°Yes. When you activate The Eye of Ra in the center of the Pyramid of the Sky, you can punish the area you want to punish.¡± ¡°That is way too powerful... ¡± It was not a weapon just for fighting against Kapitle. ¡°But Kapitle can¡¯t use it now, correct?¡± ¡°Correct. Because he can¡¯t use it without the talisman of the sun that I have. He tried to use it without the talisman and lost his territory. I¡¯m sure once was enough for such a mistake.¡± ¡°But you can handle it?¡± ¡°Yes. I told Kapitle that I didn¡¯t know how, but I was just pretending. I found out the way to use it.¡± The beauty was offering a weapon that was equivalent to a strategic nuclear weapon. It was an attractive offer for Sungjin: the power and the beauty. Having the chance to conquer both at once, Sungjin smiled like a beast and looked at Zakiya. With her eyes, Zakiya asked him if he wanted her seductive body, and Sungjin enjoyed her body with his eyes. ¡°Great. That is a powerful weapon.¡± ¡°Let me start finding a way to sneak in.¡± ¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t use that way.¡± Sungjin chilled the heated mood in a second with his answer, and Zakiya became confused. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because this weapon wouldn¡¯t only kill Kapitle but everyone around him.¡± ¡°But it is the way to conquer the continent. It would be wiser to make a few sacrifices to for sure get the victory.¡± There were only a few people living therepared to the whole continent, and Sungjin had more things to win than lose if he used the weapon. ¡°Although you have the upper hand now, Kapitle has been umting a lot of secret treasures and secret weapons for a long time. If this bes a long war, we don¡¯t know what could happen. A victory is a victory with or without sacrifices. Won¡¯t you reconsider?¡± ¡°You are right. People who would do anything to win have a better chance at victory.¡± Sungjin nodded. He knew that giving Kapitle a chance to strike back was a stupid idea if the victory was the only thing of Sungjin¡¯s concern. ¡°Then why not do it?¡± ¡°For me, the victory is not the end goal but a means to an end. If I win by killing innocent people, that would be meaningless for me.¡± ¡°Hmph. That is your way. Is that it? Just as people said.¡± Zakiya sighed. Rumors could be lies; she expected him to be more ruthless because he was an ambitious conqueror. He wasn¡¯t worried about losing a territory. Sungjin didn¡¯t want to use the forbidden power to protect his people. ¡°It can be risky to pursue perfection.¡± ¡°Taking that risk is the real strength.¡± Standing next to Sungjin, Ereka and Eustasia were happy with his choice and smiled brightly. The fact that Sungjin was such an honorable man was their pride and why they chose to stay with him. He was a guy who picked difficult yet noble choices and ovee obstacles with his abilities. With him, they were able to expect this world to be changed in a better way. Zakiya bowed down politely. ¡°Haha. You are already a conqueror. I shouldn¡¯t argue with you. Your will is mymand.¡± This guy is way too soft. Kapitle wouldn¡¯t fight like this. He would do anything to win. The victory was everything for Kapitle. He would have used The Eye of Ra if he could. Kapitle and Sungjin both talked about victory but inpletely different ways. One was willing to do everything to win, while the other was willing to win despite everything. That¡¯s it. That¡¯s why Kapitle is called the Wise King, not a conqueror, despite all the power he has. On the other hand, Sungjin fought with his intelligent brain and was still called ¡°the conqueror,¡± but people named him and Kapitle differently for different reasons. Their names reflected their characters more than their powers. Your confident... But that is a weakness in this world, where winning is more important than any other virtues. He was young and innocent. With his innocence, it would be difficult to fight against the cold and cruel Kapitle. But if I fill thatck and lead him, I¡¯m sure he can defeat Kapitle, and then I can take my revenge. Haha. I will cover up the weaknesses you have from your innocence, because I¡¯m more experienced. I know this world better. Sungjin smiled, looking at Zakiya. Haha. I can see what you are thinking. He also knew that she could see what he was thinking as well. Let¡¯s see who will lead who at the end. He admitted her abilities as an illusionist and understood her feelings against Kapitle. He would end the tyranny of The Golden Wise King, but he would finish it on his terms. Although Sungjin had decided to take her in his team, he didn¡¯t mean to let her lead him. You¡¯ve only half approved me so far, thinking that I¡¯m powerful but still soft and innocent, which makes everything risky. But I will make you ept me fully. Hisughter was that of apetitive beast. Chapter 8 Unlike Sungjin¡¯s side where everyone was celebrating, The Golden Wise King¡¯s side was quite different. The air in the king¡¯s castle Falcantier was more than just heavy; it was almost deadly. ¡°Useless things,¡± said the Golden Wise King Kapitle to make the generals from each battlefield bow down in fear. ¡°Please give us a second chance.¡± ¡°Next time we will stop him for sure.¡± ¡°Next time? There¡¯s no next time,¡± Kapitle answered back sharply. ¡°Urgh.¡± Super gravity pushed down the generals. ¡°Your Highness... forgive us...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t deserve it.¡± ¡°Please give us another chance...¡± They begged, but the pressure, which was almost crushing them, didn¡¯t stop. It seemed like Kapitle was taking his anger out on them, but Kapitle was calm. He was punishing his generals only to make an example. Whoever I had there, the result would have been the same. Sungjin hadn¡¯t been bluffing. Sungjin understood the situation and knew what his chances were. Kapitle was invincible, but to win he had to be on the battlefield. My power can only cover one battlefield, while his ns cover all the battlefields. If he keeps fighting in multiple battlefields, soon he will be standing on his final battlefield. Is there any possible countern? Kapitle made a decision. ¡°Sure. I will give you another chance.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. I will stop that arrogant little thing this time...¡± But Kapitle stopped everyone with onemand: ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± ¡°Then...?¡± ¡°I will leave only one path to attack.¡± ¡°Your Highness?¡± But how? Nobody in front of him understood what he meant. Sungjin had taken three territories away, and new territories were exposed to make five potential paths that Sungjin could use to attack. There was no way Kapitle could only leave one. ¡°I will make four territories into deserts.¡± Chapter 101 - Vol. 4 – Episode 14

Chapter 101: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 14

¡°You will make those territories... deserts?¡± ¡°Yes. To attack a territory, they need to bet their territory that is equivalent value with the one they attack, so if make four territories they could attack, it would be impossible for them to attack us.¡± When Kapitle exined his n, the lords of his kingdom didn¡¯t know how to respond. They were aware of the ident called ¡°The Tragedy of Greend.¡± It was a real tragic ident where and near Rupellion had be a desert and all the extras in the area were killed. Although there were many theories about what had caused the ident, the only thing that was clear was that Greend was no longer a territory that enemies could attack. If Kapitle made those four territories deserts like Greend, there would be only one route left for Sungjin to attack. But there was one problem with that n. ¡°But... if you turn the territory into a desert... what will happen to the extras who are living there?¡± ording to rules of gods, the extras who belonged to the territory couldn¡¯t move to another one freely. ¡°Burn them with the territory to make that territory useless and impossible for Sungjin to attack.¡± It was a simple yet efficient n that made everyone speechless. ¡°That¡¯s...¡± It was an effective way to leave only one route for Sungjin to attack, but it was a bit too much to make a territory a desert and kill everyone living in it for only that. ¡°There are at least a few million extras in those four territories...¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s such a waste,¡± said Kapitle, but without mercy. ¡°But it is the coteral damage for conquering the continent.¡± For Kapitle, it was natural to have a bit of coteral damage to achieve his goals. Everything that belonged to him has to be used for him, including the lives of people. He had no reason to hesitate. ¡°Hmm...¡± The lords hesitated, but none of them would dare oppose the Golden Wise King. That might be the only way, although I feel sorry for them... If Sungjin defeated Kapitle, they would be in trouble, so they would rather sacrifice the extras in order to survive; that was the way of the world for them. Yeah. Those territories don¡¯t even belong to us anyways. ¡°But... Do you have any way to make the area deserts?¡± Does Kapitle know anything about the cause of the tragedy of Greend? ¡°Haha, of course. The secret treasure called the Eye of Ra.¡± The Eye of Ra. That was something nobody there had heard of. ¡°The Eye of Ra?¡± Ra was the God of the Sun, and the legend said that his eye was the Sun itself. It was not a weapon from God, but it was a body part of a God. It would be absolutely strong, but would it be strong enough to make a whole area a desert? ¡°Yes. With it, it is easy to make a few deserts.¡± ¡°Do you own such a weapon?¡± ¡°It requires too many crystals to activate it on the battlefield, but it can be used strategically.¡± The lords praised Kapitle for his wisdom. ¡°You are amazing, Your Highness.¡± The lords were happy with the Golden Wise King¡¯s idea. If there¡¯s only one battlefield left, even Sungjin could do nothing to stop Kapitle. Gungnir was invincible, which was confirmed even when Kapitle was defeated. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that we were defeated. You should have time for self-restraint. I will cut down your sry for six months.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Highness, for your generosity.¡± The lords expressed their gratitude for the king not punishing them harshly, and then left. When Kapitle was left alone, he started mumbling in a slow voice. ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re causing me to use the Eye. This is getting more exciting than I expected.¡± Kapitle enjoyed hunting a lion more than hunting a fox. His ss eye started to shine with a deeper color than ever to drop blood from it. It was not made of ss. It was a jewel with a bloody color. I need to spend some years of my remaining life so I didn¡¯t want to use it, but... The real name of the jewel was ¡°the Wisdom of Mimir.¡± It could see the future. It was God¡¯s eye that showed the way to victory. Sungjin might have intelligence enough to calcte and predict everything, but Kapitle¡¯s eye could see the future. God¡¯s eye showed the consequences of every act with an uracy of 100 percent. Although the price to use it was high, it was worth the price to know the future. Haha. So you used your intelligence to fight against my power? I will defeat you with your own method. * * * It was ate night. A crow silentlynded on Zakiya¡¯s window. ¡°Take the order.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready to take it.¡± Zakiya opened the window and touched her mirror. The mirror started to make waves to show Kapitle. ¡°Did you win his trust?¡± ¡°Yes. I made an oath to him that I will give everything to the conqueror for his victory.¡± ¡°Great. Now here¡¯s your next order.¡± ¡°Huh? What should I do? Should I steal his ns and give them to you? Should Ie between him and his people? Or should I lure him into a trap?¡± Zakiya listed a few different possibilities, and then burst intoughter. ¡°Hahahaha. Order whatever you want. I¡¯m not following your orders anymore.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Haha. Did you really believe that I¡¯m still your spy and that I will still take orders from you? Well, I¡¯m nning to join him now.¡± All of Kapitle¡¯s ns to use her as a spy were destroyed. The discovery broke down his ns like they were sandcastles. Kapitle looked very ufortable. ¡°What... did you just say?¡± ¡°I was waiting for this moment,¡± smiled Zakiya, enjoying Kapitle¡¯s expression. Even if I get to spend a passionate night with an amazing guy, it wouldn¡¯t beat this moment looking at Kapitle¡¯s shocked face. The only better moment would be the moment when I cut his throat. She pretended to be his loyal servant and follow all his orders to spy on people in the castle or sneak in to get information from Rupellion and the ally of the four kingdoms, and she won Kapitle¡¯s trust. But she was waiting for someone who could defeat him. I was expecting you to fight against the Holy Pope, but Sungjin was okay. It¡¯s too bad he isn¡¯t as cold-hearted as I wanted him to be, but I can disguise that with my own agenda. The most important thing at the moment was to stop Kapitle from using the Eye of Ra, because if he couldn¡¯t use it, Kapitle would have no means to stop Sungjin¡¯s attacks. You are such a sly viin, so I¡¯m sure you will find another way somehow... And that way would be to attack Sungjin¡¯s soft side. But I will stop you. She would stop Kapitle so Sungjin could kill him on the battlefield. She was able to plot it now. ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m sure you thought I knew nothing about it, but I knew everything. It was not an ident that killed my family. It was you,¡± said Zakiya with a smile that showed her satisfaction that she was finally able to strike him back. The Golden Wise king frowned as if he bit a cockroach while eating lunch. ¡°So you are betraying me now?¡± ¡°Betrayal? Was there anything even remotely close to trust between us?¡± Zakiyaughed at him. ¡°I will give you a second chance, considering what you¡¯ve done for me. Beg for your forgiveness now. If you do so, I will let you live...¡± ¡°Ha! That¡¯s all you have to say? Too bad. I know you have endless treasures, but there are things that money can¡¯t buy,¡± said Zakiya, turning around to cut off the conversation. ¡°Last chance. Take it or die.¡± ¡°Try to kill me.¡± Zakiya turned around to see Kapitle¡¯s face for augh. But... she was frozen. ¡°That... that is...¡± ¡°Then I will kill you,¡± said Kapitle, raising his hand, and Zakiya begged with a trembling voice. ¡°P...please. Stop!¡± Kapitle was holding an axe to cut off heads. ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡± Zakiya kneeled and begged. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Ask for mercy.¡± ¡°Please... don¡¯t.¡± Zakiya started to cry. She would not have begged for her life, but what was under Kapitle¡¯s axe was... something shocking enough to destroy all her ns: there was a boy in a crystal coffin filled with water. The boy was asleep, but he was still breathing. He was alive. ¡°How... he... but he... that day...¡± My family was massacred that day. None of them survived. ¡°It¡¯s a lie. It¡¯s a lie...¡± ¡°I¡¯m a generous king.¡± He looked down at Zakiya and told her with a generous voice, ¡°I kept him alive to reward your loyalty. I will give you onest chance to be loyal again.¡± ¡°Limad!¡± Calling out her brother¡¯s name, Zakiya couldn¡¯t resist anymore. She was no longer the night dancer. Zakiya. What? I like you the best. There was a young girl crying in her memories. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Lure the extra with the Eye of Ra.¡± ¡°With the Eye... of Ra...¡± ¡°Soon he will learn that I will burn few of my territories with the Eye of Ra to stop him.¡± ¡°But it must be impossible to use the Eye of Ra.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something I will deal with. All you have to do is lure him into the Pyramid and kill him in the explosion using the system.¡± ¡°Then...¡± ¡°You may escape before killing him. I will let you live with your brother.¡± ¡°... Do you promise?¡± ¡°A King¡¯s words are never light.¡± Zakiya needed some time to answer, but Kapitle took his time and waited for her response. Too many thoughts were going through her head: her brother, her revengeful spirit that had kept her going until that moment, the living and the dead, and the life and death toe. She finally opened her mouth to speak. ¡°...Okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget. This is yourst chance.¡± Theirmunication was cut off, and Zakiya fell down on the ground and cried. ¡°Limad...¡± After cutting offmunication with Zakiya, Kapitle showed a cold smile. ¡°You wanted revenge? I will let you serve me onest time before you die. That will be your punishment.¡± But I won¡¯t kill her right away. The punishment for her treason shouldn¡¯t be that light. You will have a reunion before you taste your despair. Kapitle wanted to make her feel happiness before hitting the bottom because that would make her punishment more miserable. I will let you meet your brother and see him die before I kill you. That would be the perfect ending for the stupid girl who wanted to betray him. The jewel in his eye started to bleed again, and the Wisdom of Mimir started to show the future. His eye showed him an ending where he defeated Sungjin. Haha. I defeated Pederian even when he was using the power of Angramainyu. He didn¡¯t try to defeat Pedrian for a hundred years because the future he saw was the destruction of both sides, but as soon as he tried to use Sungjin and saint Rachel, he was able to see the victory, and that was what happened. But he hadn¡¯t expected to use his eye again to get rid of the extra. But a challenge is always enjoyable. It is thest fun I will have before conquering the continent. He had already decided that he would decorate his castle with the head and skin of a lion. Chapter 102 - Vol. 4 Ep. 15

Chapter 102: Vol. 4 Ep. 15

How should I attack the next invasion routes? The ck priest Pangnilin suddenly rushed in to report to Sungjin, who was strategizing. ¡°Master Sungjin. It¡¯s an urgent report.¡± Sungjin watched the priest ring the summoning stone as he positioned himself leisurely on his chair. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°ording to the information obtained by the Eyes of God, the golden king is preparing to desertize all four regions.¡± The Eye of God was a spy organization run by the ck priest in Rupellion. ¡°Desertization? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin.¡± After Pangnilin exined, Sungjin pressed his fingers against his temple. ¡°He wants to ruin invasion routes by destroying his ownnds? Is that possible?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been possible since the Green Land became a desert.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not a normal urrence. To think it wasn¡¯t just a natural disaster but a reproducible phenomenon.¡± Sungjin mumbled. ¡°Ha...This is beyond my limits to the extreme.¡± You are nning to burn hundreds and thousands of people, too? He knew Kapitle was a ruler who exploited all of the extras to the extremes of poverty in order to umte wealth. Zakiya smiled next to him. ¡°Did you not know that he would annihte millions of extras?¡± Only those who can do that can dominate the continent. It¡¯s the truth. One can¡¯t win with morals. ¡°No. What I didn¡¯t know was that he could use the Eye of Ra without you. Didn¡¯t you say otherwise?¡± Sungjin¡¯s presumption wasn¡¯t simply because he believed Zakiya. He had thought that if Kapitle could use the Eye, he would have already used it on other countries. ¡°It¡¯s not normal, but it¡¯s been a long time since hest tested his powers. Perhaps he set up a response magical formation that works only within his territory.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Sungjin nodded. If Kapitle could handle the Eye by his own for his goal, he would have already attacked them. Since he hadn¡¯t, that meant he needed to prepare something special for his targets for ughter. But if left unattended, Kapitle will make a move even if it burns and kills the extras of his territory andnd. Millions of lives now depended on his choice. ¡°The Eye of Ra.¡± Sungjin sent a piercing nce at Zakiya. ¡°What is it?¡± Zakiya smiled lightly and put her hand on the hem of her chest. ¡°Is there a way to stop its activation?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to steal it for your own use, the preparation will be tooplicated.¡± ¡°What if I just want to stop it?¡± ¡°There is no choice but to destroy it. Fortunately, that¡¯s possible too.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°My family has a secret weapon that¡¯s been handed down: a self-exploding enchantment.¡± Zakiya smiled charmingly, saying she would use her secret to do whatever Sungjin wanted. She did not bring up a word of her conversation with Kapitle. ¡°But it also means that once you use it, you can¡¯t use it again. A weapon that¡¯s destroyedpletely after a single touch: would you mind losing it?¡± It¡¯s a waste. Zakiya smiled. A mighty power makes a mighty ruler. There couldn¡¯t be a monarch who didn¡¯t know the value of such a weapon, which could have more uses. ¡°It¡¯s better for it to be gone for future generations,¡± Sungjin dered shortly. Things like that shouldn¡¯t exist. Later, a new war may break out. But, even then, heroes willpete against each other on the battlefield. But battles had to stop at the battlefield. If the destructive weaponnded in the hands of the wrong person, it could cause another tragedy. If there¡¯s one thing I like in this world more than Earth, it¡¯s that the civilians aren¡¯t involved in the war. How cruel wars were on earth to its civilians, wars beyond the battlefields and soldiers, with the development of science. He would remove the forbidden weapon so no one would ever feel the temptation to use it. ¡°Is that so? I understand, but you must be determined. The desert of illusion will always be a part of Kapitle¡¯s powers. He¡¯s probably predicting that we¡¯ll be looking for the Eye of Ra, and we don¡¯t know what traps he may have prepared.¡± ¡°Possibly.¡± ¡°But, because Kapitle doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s hidden in the Pyramids in the Sky, he will be wary and not approach us directly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s prudent to worry about a counterattack, is this it?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Then that prudence will be an opportunity for us.¡± ¡°Yes. I will be your guide inside the pyramid.¡± Without a word of mention of Kapitle¡¯s instructions, Zakiya smiled as if nothing had happened. ¡°Good. Then I will prepare a way to infiltrate the entrance to the pyramid. ¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Sungjin stood up recklessly, saying that he wouldn¡¯t let Kapitle kill millions of young people. But it might be a trap... a lure... His servants were concerned, but they didn¡¯t try to stop him. It¡¯s probably Master Sungjin¡¯s decision after having considered all of those possibilities. He had a sharper mind than theirs. Of course he would have already calcted the likelihood and nevertheless nned to go. As far as this matter was concerned, the man did not budge. Only the results would tell if hispetitive spirit would be his destruction against his greatest enemy, Kapitle, or something to his advantage. They could only sit by and watch. Chapter 9 In Eldorado, at themand of Kapitle, pirs engulfed in mes were stationed in each of the four regions. A pictogram was embedded in the pir made of ck stone that wasn¡¯t damaged by the red mes, but the pictogram kept emitting an omen of red me. No one knew who had started the rumors of the column¡¯s ominousness, but it had already spread among the extras. ¡°That is the pir that will bring ruin to thisnd. When there is enough of them, the God of Fire will descend from the skies and burn all of them.¡± People were afraid. ¡°Is it true? But still, would he try to kill all of us? We always paid our taxes.¡± ¡°It may be true. Apparently our ruler is nning to turn the region into a desert to prevent the advancement of a new young king of a neighboring country...¡± ¡°Then what about us? Is he asking us to die?¡± They had worked so hard to pay their taxes. Would they be abandoned? They wanted to pull out that pir in its entirety, but the heroes on guard looked at them menacingly. ¡°Why are you not working?¡± The terror before them was scarier than the awaiting danger. The extras dispersed without a single word of resistance, but their uncertainty and hopelessness grew bigger and bigger. Is he... really going to kill us all? Is he going to exterminate us? They wished it wasn¡¯t true, but they were worried that it was. Not knowing whether the impending disaster that would affect them was real or not, they were downtrodden. They couldn¡¯t do anything, like passengers stuck in a sinking ship who didn¡¯t know what was happening outside their locked door. They simply prayed that nothing would happen and for someone to save them if something did. The desert of illusion. A few nomads were riding their camels across the heart of the desert. They were Sungjin and his teammates. ¡°We arrived without many difficulties, which is more than I expected.¡± Sungjinughed at Ereka¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s because of the spy¡¯s leak that we were going to attack the obelisks in each region rather than the pyramids in the sky.¡± ¡°Uu, there¡¯s too much sand.¡± Rachel spewed out some sand and cried out. ¡°Hang in there. It will be over soon.¡± Eustasia patted her gently. ¡°But where is the pyramid?¡± Jenna looked at Zakiya and asked what was happening. ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be here ording to the coordinates?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. The coordinates indicate here. Now it¡¯s your turn.¡± At Sungjin¡¯s instructions, Zakiya smiled and kissed the back of his hand. ¡°As Your Majesty wishes.¡± ¡°Ee.¡± Ereka tried to say something, but Zakiya shook her bell. A mysterious and glorious sound rang out, and in the middle of the dunes a huge pyramid emerged. It was sorge that the tip could not be seen. Ten times the size of the earth¡¯s pyramid. Sungjin¡¯s neck ached just from looking up at it. ¡°It¡¯s huge.¡± ¡°This was... right in front of us?¡± Ereka¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°It¡¯s magnificent. Truly... It looks as if the object may be asleep in there.¡± Eustasia no longer expressed doubt. The pyramid had already proved its uniqueness with its magnitude. ¡°The inside is bigger,¡± Zakiya exined with iprehensible words. ¡°The inside is bigger...?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go in. You will understand what I mean. Please,e this way.¡± Zakiya took the lead. She shook the bundle of bells in her hand. A deep ringing resounded in the air, and the center stone of the pyramid disappeared. From there, a corridor full of darkness appeared. On either side of the entrance was a statue of a human with the head of a dog, and on the inner wall were murals. From somewhere in the distance, the sound of lira was heard, and the smell of spices was mixed in the air. Sungjin¡¯s party nervously went inside. Soon after, the darkness lifted and the space inside could be seen. Dozens and hundreds or more stairs were entangled and stretched three-dimensionally. Grains of light wandered through the gaps in the stairs. Which stairway leads to where? The interior wasplicated and dazzling enough to confuse the brightest of minds. ¡°Everyone walk carefully. You¡¯ll be lost if you take one wrong step. Please step where I step. ¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Upon saying that, Sungjin stepped forward, and the surroundings spun around. ¡°Be careful!¡± Zakiya caught his arm. In a blink of an eye, the two were in apletely separate space. It was a small room filled with an incense that attacked his nerves. Decadent and irritating scents secretly touched his nerves. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Zakiya leaned over by her hips and asked him if he was all right, looking down on him. Her abundant chest filled Sungjin¡¯s sight. ¡°The others?¡± ¡°I do not know. Maybe they¡¯re in that ce.¡± ¡°Are we apart from the others?¡± ¡°Yes. I hurriedly followed Your Majesty¡¯s fall to apany you.¡± ¡°This is problematic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not problematic. It¡¯s a moment I¡¯ve been waiting for. ¡± Zakiya smiled strangely, like a spider poking its sting into its prey. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Wandering Desert.¡± Zakiya¡¯s skill of paralyzing the opponent¡¯s movements activated. Sungjin had no way to respond to the surprise attack. ¡°Kuk.¡± His body stiffened. A normal hero would have resisted to some extent, but at level 0, he couldn¡¯t do anything in a battle of pure strength. ¡°Huhu. No matter how good your brain is, your resistance is level 0. It seems you cannot fight off a skill.¡± Zakiya raised her hand and touched his chest. The dense and thick caress stimted his nerves. The touch was dangerous and fascinating, just like a spider trying to keep its food at its best before it was eaten. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m trapped?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, huhu.¡± Her long fingers tapped against his body in a rhythm. ¡°The reason being?¡± ¡°My brother is held hostage.¡± Sungjin¡¯s face turned hard. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your family is dead?¡± ¡°I thought so too, but Kapitle had secretly kept my brother alive. ¡°Her nails lightly scratched at the nape of Sungjin¡¯s neck. Dangerous yet exhrating sensations spread through him. ¡°And he asked me to assassinate you after luring you into this pyramid. Then he will guarantee my future life with my brother.¡± ¡°So are you on his side again?¡± Zakiya sighed deeply. ¡°No.¡± Chapter 10 ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your brother was taken hostage?¡± ¡°Yes, but I already know there is no way to save my brother.¡± She dropped her head. The dangerous dancer disappeared, and in her ce stood a sad older sister. ¡°I know how Kapitle works because I¡¯ve been watching him by his side for years. Even if I did as he asked, there is no way he would allow a traitor to live. He¡¯ll probably kill me and my brother, who he¡¯s done using.¡± Sungjin was soft. He was bound by ideals and bound by promises. Kapitle, on the other hand, was different. He was thoroughly driven by profit, and he discarded those who had fulfilled their value. His coldness was his strength, but that was why Zakiya, who had watched him for a long time, knew it was useless to follow his orders. Yes. Perhaps that is why you are stronger than Kapitle. It is told that coldness is strength and affection is weakness, but, in return, Kapitle had lost trust. Huhu. To think of this now. Perhaps that was why she made the decision. ¡°The Golden Wise King said that my parents¡¯ ident really happened and that he wished for my brother and I to live happily, but that¡¯s a lie.¡± Others might have believed the lie in desperation, but as a spy she had seen through him too well. ¡°If he really wished that, he wouldn¡¯t have made those intimidating threats for me to kill you here for my happiness.¡± Human beings do not demand dangerous things from loved ones. ¡°By listening to him, my brother and I would only be more miserable.¡± Her brother, who was trapped alive in a crystal tube, had been trampled on for years. The truth was that Kapitle had imprisoned her brother for the sake of controlling her after she had ¡°sincerely¡± turned to Sungjin¡¯s side so she could betray him. ¡°I will not be controlled by him any longer. Since my brother and I don¡¯t have much time left to live, I need my revenge.¡± Chapter 103 - Vol. 4 Ep. 16

Chapter 103: Vol. 4 Ep. 16

¡°Revenge? Then why did you scatter everyone and paralyze me?¡± Sungjin¡¯s question was a natural response. Zakiya abandoned her dignity and smiled seductively again. ¡°That¡¯s because I have to protect the self-destruction sequence to destroy the Eye of Ra.¡± ¡°You¡¯re protecting it? That¡¯s...¡± ¡°Yes. Even if I send somebody away, I have to remain and protect it.¡± The determined woman did not appear forlorn any longer, but that made her more pitiful, because she wasn¡¯t smiling in happiness. She really wanted to be with her brother. She really wanted to live happily together again. But she had the smile of a woman who had given up on trying to reim a long-lost past. ¡°But I knew that would make you hesitant, considering your personality.¡± ¡°... You¡¯re correct.¡± ¡°Right? Huhu, so I did this, leaving no room for hesitation.¡± ¡°Will you not think again? You have to stop Ra¡¯s Eye from activating, but if you tell me everything now, you might find a way to survive. Are you going to give up without trying at the very least?¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I prefer this situation.¡± Zakiya shook her head. ¡°The reason Kapitle didn¡¯t focus on defending this ce was because he thought I would lure you away here to kill you. I don¡¯t know how he will react if he knows I¡¯m already determined enough to work against him.¡± ¡°Must you?¡± ¡°Huhu. If I get rid of Ra¡¯s Eye, will you be able to beat Kapitle? Your tactics are obviously great head-to-head, but Kapitle is cold and intimidating to the point he will do things you would never dream of doing. Also, his secret treasures are his strongest source of power. Perhaps a tie?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll win,¡± Sungjin said firmly. Even in that moment, his spirit was not broken at all. Zakiya kissed his chest, saying that he was an amazing person. The soft texture of her chest pressed against his abdomen. ¡°I hope so. I¡¯m risking my life for it.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re betraying him anyways, won¡¯t you go all the way with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there is very little time left. I¡¯ll need to finish it before Kapitle defends himself.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to ignore me and do whatever you want?¡± ¡°Huhu. You should know something. If you really want to have the world, sometimes you have to throw something else away to get it. ¡± After saying her piece, she kissed Sungjin deeply. ¡°Huhu, this is unfortunate. I wanted to be held by a man like you, but I won¡¯t be able to. Next time.¡± She had a thick smile, as if she would have done so had she had the time. ¡°Now you will bounce out. The same is true of the others. After that, this pyramid will copse and disappear. ¡± ¡°Your brother will try to find you.¡± ¡°Huhu. It¡¯s already impossible to live and meet him again anyway. There¡¯s no way Kapitle would keep him alive when I haven¡¯t killed you.¡± Although he would kill him, saying that the act of killing itself had its own worth. Nevertheless, the two siblings had no chance to reunite. ¡°Please take care of my brother¡¯s grave. Or perhaps his body won¡¯t be recoverable.¡± She shook her head. The tiny tears in her eyes were noticeable even to Sungjin. ¡°Now it¡¯s farewell. Please conquer this continent as you please. If you ever remember in yourter years, please scatter my remains with my brother¡¯s in this desert.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ept that request. You¡¯ll live to meet your brother.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t in a position tomand me.¡± Zakiya poked his chest, saying that he had no choice but to follow her lead. ¡°Are you sure? Everyone, get out.¡± ¡°...?¡± At Sungjin¡¯s instructions, the sound of a window shattering resounded behind her. Zakiya looked back in confusion. The veil of illusion lifted, and there was the people that had scattered altogether. It wasn¡¯t only Sungjin¡¯s party. In addition to the ck priest Pangnilin, there were other priests from the former Rupellion. Also, the surroundings were not of the deepest sector of the Pyramid in the Sky; it was just its entrance. Moreover... there was her brother Limad. Although he was asleep in a wheelchair, he was definitely breathing. ¡°Li... Limad!¡± Zakiya¡¯s mouth fell open. She took a step forward, then another. In that moment, she forgot everything else. Forgetting what was around her and how everything had changed, she touched his cheeks. Ahh... Her brother had not changed a day since their separation. It was as if time had stopped, as he was as young as the day of the ident. Soft cheeks, light brows, tiny lips, short limbs. The old days of pure, cute, and sweet times were back. Those days when she was happy. She had thought she had forgotten, but she hadn¡¯t. ¡°Ahh...¡± She was speechless. She hugged her brother with tears overflowing from her eyes. ¡°Uu...?¡± The little boy woke up. ¡°Who...?¡± The boy was confused at the woman hugging him in tears. ¡°It¡¯s me... It¡¯s me...¡± Zakiya could only repeat herself, unable toplete her sentence. The boy blinked several times. ¡°Sister? Are you my sister?¡± Had she still retained a bit of her old self even when she had grown up so much? Even when she had changed so much? Was the pull of blood still there? ¡°Yes... It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve grown so big!¡± Strange. The boy smiled while tilting his head. ¡°Ah... Ahhh.¡± ¡°Sister? What happened?¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re safe... As long as you¡¯re safe.¡± Zakiya just embraced Limad and wept. The day everything burned, Kapitle had forcibly hibernated Limad in an ice tube. The young boy¡¯s time had stopped since then, so, in his point of view, his sister had grown too big to the point it was strange. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re choking me.¡± ¡°Yes, sorry. I¡¯m just so d to see you...¡± She apologised to her brother, who was choking, but she didn¡¯t let go. Something she had thought she had lost forever was in her arms once again. ¡°Let¡¯s never be separated again.¡± ¡°What do you mean, sister?¡± ¡°Later... I¡¯ll exin everythingter.¡± Zakiya had barely wiped her tears before she noticed Sungjin smiling. ¡°What happened?¡± Sungjin grinned. ¡°You know you aren¡¯t the only one who knows the art of illusions, right?¡± Eldorado¡¯s greatest illusionist may be Zakiya, but Sungjin had the entirety of Rupellion, Eldorado¡¯s enemy. Priest Lintild, who was ranked just below the fourth priest, had a power called the ¡°Vision of Dreams¡± which could bring a single target into hypnosis. It wasn¡¯t as extensive as Zakiya¡¯s ¡°Kaleidoscope,¡± but it was more powerful against a single target. ¡°I¡¯ve been tricked... Me?¡± ¡°You were careless, or perhaps distracted by something else.¡± If they had fought one-on-one, Zakiya would have noticed. However, her mind had been exhausted in so many ways, and she had been prepared to self-destruct with the Eye of Ra. On top of that, she had been devoting herself to deceiving Sungjin and other people and hadn¡¯t paid attention to her own well-being, so she was easily tricked. ¡°Even so... How did you know about my brother?¡± That was what Zakiya truly wished to know. She was tricked. That could happen, because the enemy was strong and she was weak, but why was her brother there? ¡°I ordered a search.¡± ¡°A search... Are you saying...¡± Zakiya looked at the ck priest Pangnilin and Pangnilin stepped forward and bowed deeply to Sungjin. ¡°I have rescued this detained boy, asmanded by Master Sungjin, guardian of the saint.¡± ¡°Well done. I¡¯ll reward you once we¡¯ve returned. ¡± Pangniln politely bowed to Sungjin. ¡°I¡¯m undeserving. If I¡¯ve helped the will of the goddess spread to the world, that would be the best reward. I don¡¯t need anything else.¡± Sungjin¡¯s orders to the four priests wasn¡¯t to be a mock opponent or attack the other regions. It wasn¡¯t just the Golden Wise King who used spies revolving around Zakiya. Sungjin had the reverse operationmence with the ck priest Pangnilin at its center. Pangnilin¡¯s power, the ¡°Angel of Death,¡± was a level 7 skill, which was unrecognizable until the person was attacked, and the organization ¡°Eye of God,¡± which he managed, was an information organization operated by the High Priest against the Golden Wise King. Rupellion, an enemy country of Eldorado, had its own organization. When Zakiya and Kapitle had theirte-night conversation, Pangnilin was there, too. Additionally, while Sungjin was pretending to focus on the obelisk, Kapitle had focused his attention on the obelisk, pretending to be deceived by Sungjin focusing on the obelisk instead of the Eye of Ra, but the true focus of Sungjin¡¯s efforts was to rescue Zakiya¡¯s brother. ¡°It was a difficult mission, but it turned out great.¡± ¡°Kapitle¡¯s main focus was concentrated elsewhere, which made this whole process much easier.¡± ¡°But you guys did a great job.¡± Sungjin looked at the other girls. ¡°You¡¯ve all done well.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve only apanied you.¡± Eustasia coolly admitted that this time the priests of Old Rupellion had garnered more achievements than themselves. Zakiya smiled with relief. ¡°You created this situation to see where I stood.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°I waspletely deceived.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be indignant. Wasn¡¯t this something we had to discuss sometime?¡± ¡°Yes. But I was so thoroughly deceived that I¡¯m seeing you in a new light.¡± She smiled with her eyes, looking at Sungjin. She was bantering, but her heart was in an uproar. After finishing the conversation, she had so much to talk about with her brother. ¡°Now let¡¯s discuss how to crush the Eye of Ra again. Is there a way to destroy it without your destruction?¡± ¡°The self-exploding sequence will not work without me.¡± There was no other way. ¡°Then what if you run away using the portal right after the self-explosion starts and be protected by Ereka for that little while? It would be possible if Rachel and the White Priest help Ereka¡¯s defense. No, let¡¯s put a few more people there just in case.¡± ¡°Will you go that far?¡± ¡°Would you like to live happily ever after with your brother?¡± Sungjin stared directly into Zakiya¡¯s eyes. Before Sungjin¡¯s eyes, which held the intensity of a strong man, Zakiya nodded slowly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you have to live to do that?¡± ¡°Why are you going this far for me?¡± ¡°I think your abilities will be useful in defeating Kapitle.¡± He valued his team members. Zakiya smiled at Sungjin¡¯s words, which had revealed his ambition. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll repay you by fulfilling my value from now on.¡± But she instinctively felt that this man would have tried to save her even if he didn¡¯t find her abilities useful. That¡¯s what he had showed her so far. The Eye of Ra was a red sphere taller than Sungjin¡¯s height. The sphere was in a special space floating in the air, emitting a mysterious light, but at the same time, it had no corporeal form. The murky rippling space seemed to act as a passageway that drew energy to this world from a different ce far away. It¡¯s like a wormhole. Sungjin looked at it and fell into deep thought. What was certain was that a tremendous amount of energy was being contained in that space. If that power surged, it would be enough to destroy one of the regions. Zakiya put her talisman on Ra¡¯s Eye and offered a prayer that had been passed down in her family. ¡°Father of great gods, the one who has granted the power of the sun, I hereby return the power you have left on earth back to heaven.¡± It was the power to return powers to where they came from that made her n special, but at the same time it attracted all kinds of greed, which had led her n to its ruin. ¡°Reap your overflowing grace and return peace to thisnd. May the light of this hot sun...¡± Zakiya¡¯s prayer continued, and in the next moment, energy began to surge. mes stretched and burned, melting various things. ¡°Ugh.¡± The priests began their defense. Meanwhile, her prayers continued. ¡°Let what should be in heaven remain in heaven!¡± Baang. The energy exploded. Like a fusion reactor exploding, huge amounts of energy sprang up everywhere. Everything burned at absolute high temperatures and pressures, bringing hydrogen together to form helium. It was not the type of destruction that humans could endure with simple shields. ¡°The Shield of All People! AEGIS! ¡± Only the power of a god could stand before another power of God. Ereka¡¯s power of Athena shone, and in the midst of a huge explosion, a barely sufficient safety zone was created. But Ereka, who was in direct contact with the heat, was in a dangerous position, but she was protected by everyone else. ¡°Protection of the Sea.¡± Beginning with Rachel¡¯s prayer, all the other priests poured their defense and healing powers onto Ereka. They quickly created a portal in the fragile bnce and escaped the scene. Chapter 104 - Vol. 4 Ep. 17

Chapter 104: Vol. 4 Ep. 17

The group came out of the portal one hundred kilometers away from the Eye of Ra. In the distance, they saw a pir of fire soar high into the sky. It was a destructive, but at the same time majestic,ndscape. A huge mythical force that could threaten the world was leaving thend. ¡°Because of this, Kapitle will no longer be able to burn hisnds using The Eye of Ra.¡± With the confirmation from Zakiya, Sungjin nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go back to the capital.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Once again, the long-range portal opened, and they all returned to Sungjin¡¯s capital. As soon as they returned, Sungjin said to Zakiya, ¡°You have a lot to talk about with your brother. I¡¯ll give you a vacation so you can get together. We can continue our conversation three days from now.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡± Zakiya bowed, then grabbed Limad¡¯s hand and left. She and Sungjin had a lot to talk about, but, epting his considerate offer, she decided she would do it after she finished talking with her brother. You won, young lion. He had hunted down her mind. He had melted out her frozen heart, which had continued beating only for revenge. Huhu. I leave my fate in your hands, my king. Her strength. Her knowledge. Her heart. Even her body. Everything. Serving a man other than Sungjin was now unimaginable. She was thoroughly in his hands. After sending Zakiya away, Sungjin talked to the others. ¡°Now, everyone is tired, so let¡¯s rest today and work tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay. Would you like a cup of tea?¡± Ereka smiled calmly. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Let¡¯s enjoy today¡¯s victory.¡± ¡°With some sweets!¡± Rachel rejoiced and fluttered her clothes. ¡°Sure.¡± Sungjin¡¯s group sat down and conversed cheerfully. Because the story had ended with saving Zakiya and her brother¡¯s life, they were all satisfied. It was a warmth not seen in Kapitle¡¯s headquarters. The news spread quickly. The Eye of Ra had disappeared. Not surprisingly, the obelisk that facilitated the Eye¡¯s power had be nothing more than a meaningless decorative column. Kapitle no longer had a way to prevent Sungjin¡¯s offensive attack. This bout was in Sungjin¡¯splete victory. In particr, his sess in bringing Zakiya to his side was an excellent achievement separate from his strategic victory. No, that couldn¡¯tpare to his performance. Promising that justice would be fulfilled, to a woman who was dying for revenge alone and deprived of everything, therefore convincing her until she was willing to find happiness. That was what Sungjin was proud of. Chapter 11 Three dayster. Zakiya appeared before Sungjin and kissed the back of his hand. ¡°You have given me a new life, hence my new life is dedicated to you.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll use your skills for the uing battles. You will be active on the battlefield until the day Kapitle is defeated.¡± ¡°Huhu. Only on the battlefield? Why don¡¯t you call me to your bed? This body is also Your Majesty¡¯s.¡± She narrowed her eyes at Sungjin and pushed her chest forward. The curve of her waist gave off heat. A ferocious beast greedily plunged towards the prey in front of its eyes. ¡°No, not that.¡± Sungjin drew a line, holding back his soaring appetite. He didn¡¯t know what would happen if he didn¡¯t control himself from this daunting hot body. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the war.¡± ¡°For now? Okay. I am avable at any time. ¡± ¡°... We saved your brother. Why don¡¯t you try to be a bit more reserved?¡± Zakiya smiled at Eustasia¡¯s advice. ¡°What do you mean? At this age, I can¡¯t change my way of life. ¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s true.¡± At Sungjin¡¯sugh, the other girls began to silentlyin. If I let my guard down, Ms. Zakiya will go to bed with Sungjin first. Ereka swallowed a sigh. Hmph. We¡¯ll see about that. Eustasia snorted. As if I¡¯m going to stand by and watch her work on him. Don¡¯t worry, my Queen. You have my support. Jenna shook her tail. Sungjin tried to cool down the tense atmosphere. ¡°Now, now. Let¡¯s talk about our next operation. I¡¯ll have to push forward with the current offensive ground we¡¯ve gained before Kapitle hatches another plot.¡± Victory was in sight, but Sungjin didn¡¯t rx. His camp, which was discussing the operation, was full of energy and full of spirit. Those words urately described their camp¡¯s atmosphere. On the other hand, at Kapitle¡¯s capital the confusion from Sungjin defeating the Eye of Ra and continuing his offensive was... not causing any chaos. ¡°Zakiya¡¯s betrayal was used as a part of my n.¡± In fact, Kapitle was smiling with the leisure of a winner. His jewel eye shone brightly. This is exactly the n Mimir¡¯s wisdom had shown. After all, the eye had never made a mistake in showing Kapitle the path to victory. With The Eye of Ra and Zakiya as bait, Sungjin, his subordinates, and his organization were distracted while Kapitle¡¯s real tactic was being carried out in the meantime. Now Sungjin had no other choices. He was bound for execution. ¡°Huhu, Gungnir is crying out.¡± The spear, which held the power of its new ruler, shook in anger at the iplete victory. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your victory will soon be a true victory. ¡± He spoke not only to his soldiers but to the whole world. He ordered the Dukes. ¡°Nowmence the n.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The Dukes lowered their heads in fear. As expected of our king who sees the future. To think he was nning this. We must have looked ridiculous,menting over the Eye of Ra. This is his Majesty¡¯s victory. Sungjin could no longer do anything. The people under Sungjin¡¯s rule were working with confidence again. They didn¡¯t have to worry anymore. Sungjin will block Kapitle and be the final victor. That was their belief. The young boy Lute was studying with that same hope. Since Master Sungjin is protecting us, I should study hard and fix my mother. Thud. Thud. The unknown crash from afar was ominous. ¡°What is that sound?¡± Lute came out of the house and looked around, but he couldn¡¯t see where the sound hade from. It sounded as if it was ringing from the sky or from the earth. What could it be? The ominous sound only grew louder, but its identity still was not known to Lute. The sound was soon heard not only by Lute but by millions of people. Huge roaring noises from everywhere grated on people¡¯s nerves. Of course, Sungjin was also aware of the situation. In Sungjin¡¯s capital, many senior heroes gathered to start a meeting. ¡°Did you figure out the cause of the roar across the continent?¡± Pangnirin, the ck Priest, bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t figure out the exact cause. The only information avable is that Kapitle seems to be associated with doing something based on the infinite well, the source of his power.¡± ¡°This is his other n?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ve neglected other aspects by concentrating my attention on The Eye of Ra.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s a limit to what you can do at one time. I will not me you.¡± ¡°Perhaps the Eye of Ra was a trap, and this is the real n?¡± As Zakiya¡¯s face became dark, Sungjinughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s something other people didn¡¯t even think about. We had to do something about the Eye of Ra, even without you. Compared to our resources, the enemy has umted much more for a longer period of time.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll solve things one by one as we¡¯ve always done. That¡¯s all.¡± Sungjin¡¯s decisive voice wrapped Zakiya in warmth. ¡°Let¡¯s begin by collecting and analyzing the information we have. Send an investigation team where the sound of the rumble was particrly strong...¡± It was then. ¡°Master Sungjin, the representative of Eldorado requests a meeting. What would you like to do?¡± ¡°Ha, it seems like they¡¯ll resolve this question right away.¡± Sungjinughed. ¡°I¡¯ll see him.¡± Eldorado¡¯s messenger came before Sungjin. He had a profound stomach bulge, a triangr shaped mustache, and bulging cheeks that buried his eyes. He had rings on all ten of his fingers. Greedy but ipetent, he seemed likely to bepetent in the art of ttery. He reported with contempt: ¡°Under the rule of our Majesty, who will conquer the continent with his mightiness and benevolence, and who sees the past and the future, I bring you the message of our king Kapitle... ¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°Tsk. Our Majesty¡¯s word. Take it.¡± A lion emerged from the telmunications seat. ¡°You can turn it on.¡± When themunication ritual was activated, the figure of Kapitle appeared in the hall. ¡°You must have been wondering about the cause of the roaring noises across the continent.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that.¡± The two confronted one another, each vying for the supremacy of the continent with all kinds of tricks and tactics, armed forces and intelligence. Their eyes met. Both of them were extremely confident that they would defeat the other, and theirpetitive spirit filled the hall. Neither side looked down on the other, but neither was expecting his own defeat. One was a strong force made from tradition, who had umted power for over a hundred years. The other was an emerging powerhouse that was rising at an astounding speed. Who would win? The momentum of their rivalry didn¡¯t stop during their talks. ¡°Huhu. Punishment is meaningless without knowing your sins. I¡¯ll teach you.¡± When Kapitle twitched his hand, images of other ces were revealed. In the picture, there was a long cliff extending along the coast. ¡°I will personally show you. Be grateful.¡± And as Kapitle predicted, after a while the cliff began to twist. Subsequently, the cliff copsed, but it didn¡¯t end with that. The ground behind it cracked and broke like ss, andva soared. On the other side, the sea shook and tsunamis swept over the coast. ¡°Is it an earthquake?¡± Sungjin was still calm, but he inwardly calcted the meaning of the images. There will be a lot of victims. It¡¯s fortunate that it¡¯s a low-popted area. The question is why Kapitle is showing it to me... Additionally, Kapitle¡¯s plot was in progress and was being carried out a roar across the continent and the Infinite Well. Connecting the three leads led to a fairly ominous conclusion. ¡°Huhu. It¡¯s still too early to be amazed. The real deal is this.¡± As Kapitle twitched his fingers again, a new scene unfolded. There were seventy-tworge columns located underneath the ground. Each pir emitted a mysterious blue color. Their height was taller than the mountains. In the middle of the pirs, a red highlypressed bead was embedded. In those marbles, a familiar mighty energy revolved. ¡°It¡¯s simr to the energy felt in The Eye of Ra... but more dense.¡± ¡°Yes. This is called Levantane. It¡¯s a ck marble of destruction that endlessly concentrates energy and explodes when triggered by a shockwave. ¡± Kapitle¡¯s eyes threw a light of bloodlust. ¡°Now I will explode this against you and sink over half the continent. You shall worship and sustain my punishment.¡± There was no point in a battle on the battlefield; Kapitle had simply informed them that he would sink half of the continent alongside Sungjin. It was a brutal massacre. However, for the annihtion of my enemy, this damage is nothing, Kapitle thought. This world is divided into two anyways: the part that is useful to me and the part that is useless. Destroying thetter is the right of those who have the blessing of the heavens. ¡°Tsk...¡± Sungjin¡¯s face hardened at the sight before him: a devastating weapon that could sink the whole continent. Like the High Priest Pedrian, who had tried to summon the evil god down to earth, the scale of the attack was crazy. If they had not bnced each other, the continent would have be one of theirs. But now it was up to him alone to deal with Kapitle. What should I do? Even with his brain, countermeasures didn¡¯t immediatelye to him. The momentum was against him in this situation. The power to blow up the entire continent was toorge to deal with. Chapter 105 - Vol. 4 Ep. 18

Chapter 105: Vol. 4 Ep. 18

Kapitle¡¯s majestic power oppressed the air around him. ¡°Haa.¡± Sungjin released a huge sigh before lifting his head with a smirk. ¡°Ha, fine. It would have been boring if my greatest enemy didn¡¯t have a hidden card prepared in a fight for the continent.¡± ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯d be able to fight against my power?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be honest. You can certainly blow away half of the continent with your power. And I don¡¯t have the power to stop you.¡± He became confident by acknowledging his weakness. ¡°But even if your n is to blow away half the continent, the loss would be unfortunate for you, too, no?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can be unfortunate in the conquest of the continent.¡± ¡°Then blow it up. I don¡¯t need a world that I cannot have. I¡¯d rather have it destroyed.¡± The spirit of the two leaders shed violently. It was an invisible fight of will, with each leader trying to prove how confident he was. The first tough was Kapitle. ¡°Hahaha. To think you, an extra, would say such words. But even if you¡¯re a thief, you¡¯re a thief who stole half of the continent. I will forgive you. Yes, it would be unfortunate to lose all those extras before myplete rule.¡± Their eyes intensely met. One of them had the power to destroy everything, but the other had the confidence to continue the battle. ¡°I will leave a path for you toe to the Infinite Well.¡± ¡°The Infinite Well...¡± ¡°Come with the purpose of putting your life on the line. There, your defeat will not be done in one blow but will be done by falling into the Infinite Well. Hahahaha.¡± Kapitle¡¯s voice filled the hall. ¡°I will personally execute you and conquer the entire continent.¡± ¡°That sounds fun. A true contest with the continent on the line¡ªlet¡¯s try that.¡± Sungjin closed themunication device. ¡°Huhu. Do you understand now? This is the power of my King...¡± ¡°Your job is done, so leave.¡± Sungjin chased the representative out of his meeting room. Silence filled the hall for a time: a battle where the defeated is swallowed by the well. The world ran on a system that allowed a yer to continue ying even after a defeat with the loss of a territory. But as Kapitle wasn¡¯t the type of person to spout falsities, this battle was going to be an exception. He could truly lose everything he had with this one battle. Zakiya spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s a trap.¡± ¡°I know. But if I don¡¯t heed his demands, half of the continent will disappear.¡± ¡°That...¡± ¡°He only stopped because I dared him to blow it up if he wants.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he look for another way? He himself admitted it was unfortunate. Even the current standoff may be more advantageous for him...¡± Zakiya tried to stop him before sighing. She smiled calmly. ¡°But I suppose you¡¯re not the type of person to stand by and watch people be sacrificed.¡± This type of chicken fight was won by people who didn¡¯t fear the act of sacrifice. But provoking Kapitle had been Sungjin¡¯s limit for endangering others. Whether that was a weakness or a strength... but she didn¡¯t think that the man she loved was weak. How would he have risen to a position of fighting for the entire continent if he was weak? But at the same time, his strength was his only weakness. ¡°I agree that this may be dangerous,¡± Eustasia started, having given up on convincing Sungjin, instead taking the position of an outsider. ¡°Your strategies and Kapitle¡¯s power. If we were fighting on several battlefields, it would be your victory, but Kapitle will win in a battle of brute strength, as proven by ourst battle, a battle where Kapitle may end up the victor. Must you do it?¡± ¡°Yes, we lost. But that was then.¡± Sungjin smiled. He smiled as if he wouldn¡¯t repeat the same mistake. ¡°Do you have a solution?¡± ¡°I need to start making one,¡± Sungjin admitted honestly. Frankly, Kapitle¡¯s power, which was linked to Sleipnir and Gungnir, was troublesome, even for him. He had lost the battlefields Kapitle had personally appeared on, but he had won regions due to Kapitle¡¯s oversight, but now that was an impossible strategy. Would he be able to ovee Kapitle¡¯s might with only his strategies? I don¡¯t see an answer right now. Even if he loved a hard challenge, this was a fight he needed to avoid if he could. After all, his defeat would mean leaving everyone under Kapitle¡¯s tyranny. But if I don¡¯t ept his offer, he will explode half of the continent. Kapitle was a person who only thought about his own advantages, a person who believed everything should exist for him in his absolute power. He was a person who wouldn¡¯t hesitate for his own victory. ¡°I¡¯ll make the path to victory no matter what.¡± That was the only way he could save his people and his teammates, after all. ¡°It¡¯s a battle we cannot avoid,¡± Ereka said determinedly. ¡°Ha. I¡¯m your sword, after all.¡± Eustasia smiled, allowing him to do as he pleased. ¡°We¡¯ll have to restrategize. We can¡¯t go with what we have in this situation.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But we will map a new strategy centered on the well. Now...¡± Sungjin¡¯s orders began steadily, and people started to move ording to his orders. Sungjin and Kapitle. The fight for the continent had started to reach its end. And before Kapitle, who had half of the people on the continent as hostages, no one wished to step back. People... or at least those who wished to reach higher... would all have a moment when they had to face one inevitable fight. Chapter 12 During the busy preparation phase for the uing battle, Zakiya took a moment to spend time with her brother. Her younger brother paused in his y with a ball and smiled at her brightly. ¡°Sister.¡± ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you. But aren¡¯t you busy? You said you needed to stop a bad king from breaking everything.¡± Her little brother had started to treat with respect because she was now grown-up, but they were still siblings. ¡°Huhu, it¡¯s ok.¡± ¡°I see. I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening. I¡¯ve only just woken up from a sleep, but...¡± ¡°Yes. Sometimes I feel as if these past years have been a brief nightmare.¡± She hugged Limad and patted his back. Her brother¡¯s warmth made her realize he was alive. I can¡¯t lose him a second time. Kapitle had to be beaten, but could Sungjin win against Kapitle this battle? He was already trapped in Kapitle¡¯s machinations. I know what world he is working for. A world where no one was stepped on for whatever reason. Whether it was rank, or religion, or greed. He wished for no one to be stepped on for his great purpose either, but... He should be willing to make some sacrifices if he truly wants to conquer the world, as history is ultimately the victor¡¯s. It was a weakness to be unable to be cold in the face of victory. Sigh. But no one will be able to change his mind. If he was a ruthless man, he wouldn¡¯t have saved her sibling. Even if he had the nobel idea to save a lot of people, it would be inevitable to sacrifice one sinner in the process, but he did not. He might have levelled-up if he had sacrificed her, but he hadn¡¯t, even though that has always been true of those before him. Now she knew what kind of man he was. He was a strong man. Even if he insisted on continuing down this hard road to the end, it doesn¡¯t seem to force him at all. But at the same time, his strength was his weakness. He was at stake. She was a life saved by Sungjin, so she wouldn¡¯t refuse death by his side... but that didn¡¯t mean she had to watch his defeat. It¡¯s my job to do what I can, something the others are too naive to do. Even if they were facing death, there was no reason to sit by and wait for their deaths toe. Huhu, I should try my hand. She patted Limad again. I must exert strength for you and for those who have be opponents of my destiny. ¡°Limad, I will return after work. Will you be fine even if you¡¯re alone? ¡± ¡°Of course.¡± That night Sungjin went to sleep withplicated thoughts. His priority was to get some rest when he could. Suddenly, a wall disappeared from his room and three women emerged: Ereka, Eustasia, and Zakiya. Each with their own charms was standing there with only a simple cloth wrapped around their bodies. Zakiya first lowered the cloth surrounding her body. Her body, which was more mature than the others, bloomed under the moonlight. ¡°I gathered them tonight to be the strength you need.¡± A heavy provoking scent filled the room. There were many scents in the world, but for men the women¡¯s scent was the strongest there was. ¡°What on earth...¡± The scene before him made his blood boil hotter than the desert¡¯s heat. Sungjin couldn¡¯t speak due to the sudden dryness in his throat. ¡°It may not work, but if you can, you have to do anything for yourself.¡± Zakiya came one step forward. Eraka abandoned her cloth. ¡°I¡¯m of the same mind. In a situation where you have to y the ultimate game against Kapitle, you must ept us for everything you must protect otherwise.¡± Nape, chest, waist, hips: none of the lines were blemished orcked the perfect golden ratio. The skin was as pure and precious as powdered pearls. She shook shyly, her cheeks blushing with shame, and at the same time courageously approached Sungjin. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re prepared, and we don¡¯tck on the female side. If you are a man, don¡¯t hold back anymore.¡± Eustasia finally took her cloth off. Graceful, confident, yet resilient flesh provoked a desire in Sungjin that surpassed the greed for a superb steak. The strongly trained yet feminine softness pushed at the desire of the conqueror. All three women returned to their primitive form and came forward to ept Sungjin. ¡°Please, Sungjin,¡± Ereka whispered softly into his chest. ¡°Be like a man.¡± Eustasia pulled his right arm firmly against her chest. ¡°You are worthy of us. Everybody thinks so,¡± Zakiya said, her head burrowing into his left shoulder. His head spun. In Sungjin¡¯s head, a control device was broken. The stimulus exceeded restraint. His body responded with youthfulness to intense physical stimuli from all sides. He literally hugged all three women. The beast knocked down all three foods onto his spacious soft bed. With both hands, he enjoyed Eustasia and Zakiya¡¯s fruits, while his sharp mouth covered the neck of Ereka. ¡°Ah...¡± The breathing that followed was easily disturbed in the subsequent battles. Their body temperatures rose, and the air in the room became hot. Man and woman intertwined their skin together. The women, who wanted to be the beast¡¯s food, trembled at the slightest stimuli. The beast, who wanted to embrace the women, became more and more vigorous, coveting more intense stimuli. Men and women were created to be one from the beginning. As their minds were attracted to each other, their bodies being attracted to each other was also natural. The distance between them became smaller beginning with the first girl he met. The beast wildly ran towards her. It was his first time, but such things were are in a person¡¯s genes, already having the knowledge of what to do. The strong body moved instinctively. Insufficient experience was masked by overwhelming power. Ah. Feeling his approaching breath, Ereka closed her eyes, fearful and anticipating at the same time. Trembling yet joyfulplex feelings swirled. If this helps Sungjin... But really, it was most likely her own desire, whether he was empowered or not. Maybe it¡¯s just an excuse, saying it¡¯s for the victory against Kapitle. But what was the point in making excuses? She just closed her eyes and rxed her body as Sungjin led the dance. She fell quiet, nervous yet excited at the same time. Chapter 106 - Vol 4. Ep. 19

Chapter 106: Vol 4. Ep. 19

¡°... Sorry.¡± Before he entered the mindset of a beast, Sungjin stopped. ¡°Sungjin?¡± He was ced in a situation where he only had to take a step closer to his desires, but he did not go any further. ¡°Thank you for your consideration. Really, I... am grateful.¡± How could he not love these women who did their best for him? But not like this. He couldn¡¯t embrace them ording to his desires or steal their purity as a sacrifice to gain his strength to fight. That was not the way to love correctly. To truly respond to his heart, he had to make a promise to love and protect the other for the rest of his life. It would then be right to be with one another, but not now. He did not prepare such a promise. ¡°I¡¯m fine, though.¡± Sungjin shook his head in response to Ereka¡¯s answer. ¡°No, I can¡¯t, because I really want to cherish your heart. ¡± He pulled himself out, got up, and smiled gently. ¡°But I promise. Wares first, just like before, but I won¡¯t run away like thister.¡± He decided not to evade his thoughts anymore about their precious hearts. ¡°From now on, I will seriously think about how we, as men and women, will shape the future, without considering the teammate aspect. And as for today...¡± Sungjin coughed and turned his head. The very attractive women still in front of him pulled at his instincts to the fullest. The sight was beautiful enough to stop talking at once and just act ording to his instincts and desires. ¡°...Let¡¯s continue then. ¡± ¡°For real?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take it seriously. Give me time. ¡± The girls pulled up their clothes with pity. They couldn¡¯t help it if Sungjin were to deny them so resolutely. There¡¯s still a fortnight before his standoff against Kapitle, after all. Sungjin had plenty of time to think. It would be better to prepare not only for his strength but for a prospective marriage. Of course, if he changed his mind right now, they weren¡¯t going to refuse. After sending the girls away, Sungjiny alone on the bed. Sigh. He couldn¡¯t sleep because his whole body was burning. Even though he wasn¡¯t using a nket, he was still hot. His blood was boiling hot. He was still hot even after he had removed his clothes, but what was really hot was his head. What should I do? They wanted to be his women. That fact was clear. Then what about himself? It was true that he liked them, as a team member and as apanion... But that was a lie. In fact, as a man, he was attracted to them and felt their desire. Each one of them was a beautiful and lovely woman. Yes, in fact... He wanted to hug them, too. But that was the problem¡ªthe fact that there was not one woman alone whom he liked¡ªthat he was attracted to all of them. On earth, he learned that love was between one man and one woman who sincerely loved each other. Of course, he knew in his head that love could cool off or break up due to various circumstances, but he had also learned that loving several women at the same time was unrealistic. So, if he could choose, it had to be one of them, per earth¡¯s basis, but what would happen if he did that here? Would the other women who had sworn their destiny to him give up and leave for another man? Or would they stay and die a virgin by his side? Thetter could not be ruled out. No, it looked rather like a high possibility. Was it right for the women to give everything of themselves to him, only to live on lonely and unrewarded? This world¡¯s culture is different than earth¡¯s. Everyone expected him to love everyone. They talked about who he would touch first. They never talked about who he would ultimately choose. He knew it was amon custom in this world, but to him it felt as if he was cheating on all of them. Everyone believed that he would love all of them. That was the problem. Well, in fact, I know that earth has polygamy depending on the situation and the culture. Especially as he was the king of a nation, whose position made it all the more valid. What should I do? How should he respond in a way that was suitable for returning their feelings towards him? He couldn¡¯t decide whether he could choose the one, before even considering the one. The genius that helped his path to victory in the battle was a genius that couldn¡¯t solve the question of love in an instant. He had a problem with his heart rather than his head. I¡¯ve been postponing it because I didn¡¯t have an answer... But now the time hade for him to truly consider his options. It was wrong to have forced the girls to this point and not think any further of their advances. I can¡¯te up with an answer very easily... But I should give them a reply. Whether the best solution came from earth¡¯s culture or the culture of this world was something he had to think further on. He would have to keep thinking. That was what Sungjin decided. It was then something unexpected happened. The bed he had pressed his palm down on in a show of his determination, broke. His hand broke the bed¡¯s frame and continued inwards. He couldn¡¯t contain the power that had suddenly emerged. ¡°Huh?¡± Flustered, he looked at his hand and felt it. From the deepest parts of his body, the sleeping powers had awakened and were running throughout his entire body. My powers have... awakened? He had drunk the Wine of the Gods after every battle, but the power within his body had been stagnant without a single hint of movement. But now, it had started moving, although it was only a part of his entire powers. How? He had not done anything to the girls, but the power had started moving. Was the rtionship the goddess had mentioned something different? Perhaps... it¡¯s because I decided to be responsible for them? Because I decided to seriously consider my future? A heartfelt reply to a heartfelt confession. Was that what she had meant? Or was it because he had started something, although he hadn¡¯t seen it to the end? He couldn¡¯t tell which was the truth. What was certain was that his powers had truly awakened, at least partially. I should go check them at the temple. He would be satisfied with a level 1. There was a big difference between having some power than having none at all. The next day he reported this fact to hispany. ¡°I think I¡¯ve gained a level, but I need to check to be sure.¡± Everyone paused. ¡°Really?¡± Ereka¡¯s eyes shone like the sun. ¡°Perhaps yesterday was truly effective?¡± Eustasia made a slightly disturbing smile. ¡°Hmm? But what we did is different from our theory. Or perhaps, after we left...¡± ¡°No. The definition of what a deep rtionship is that we had was wrong from the start.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°Hm... The heart... No, nevermind. What is important is that we¡¯ve found a lead for gaining a level and that I have gained a portion of my powers.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Ereka smiled brightly. No matter the details, anything that was good for Sungjin was good for her. ¡°Wow! Oppa¡¯s got a level now?¡± Rachel shook her fork up and down in excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s not get too excited. We need to check to be certain.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go immediately after our meal!¡± the girls chorused like birds in harmony. ¡°Ok. I¡¯m quite interested as well, after all.¡± There was no point in holding back. After his breakfast, Sungjin and the girls immediately headed towards the temple. Sungjin requested a check on his status. The girls¡¯ curiosity rose as the Valkyrie started scanning Sungjin. What ss would he be in? What level? ¡°He said he only gained a portion of his powers... So it wouldn¡¯t be a lot, right?¡± Ereka pointed out in order to lower their expectations. ¡°But if he gains a level, everything will be different.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! A level for Oppa. A level!¡± Rachel cheered. ¡°Hm.¡± Jenna¡¯s eyes shed as she shook her tail. ¡°Huhu. It seems my efforts were not in vain.¡± Zakiya smiled in satisfaction. ¡°But if only that much was a level, we should have gone further...¡± At her regretful tone, the girls nodded in agreement. Next time, for sure... In the midst of their redetermination, the Valkyrie¡¯s voice echoed. [Updating status information. Name: Cha Sungjin ss: Commander] At the ss name, the temple¡¯s atmosphere turned heated. A seventh ss? Aren¡¯t there usually six sses? Sungjin is as special as ever. Although being unique didn¡¯t mean strength, they were excited because he was Sungjin, after all. [Heroic power: 300 Level: 1 Skills: ... ] As Sungjin¡¯s first skill was named and its details described, exmations exploded around the temple. ¡°What an amazing skill.¡± At Ereka¡¯s exmation, Eustasia agreed yet disagreed. ¡°No, strictly speaking, it¡¯s not amazing. It¡¯s not, but...Yes, it is amazing.¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s a perfect evaluation. It¡¯s not special, but for me, it¡¯s the perfect match.¡± Sungjin smiled in satisfaction. Huhu. Yes, this type of skill is fun. He admitted it was weak a weak skill, but the skill could also make him stronger depending on how he used it. He liked this kind of attribute. [Guaranteed Stats: Attack: 20 Defense: 20 Casting: 0 Resist: 20 Speed: 5 Reportpleted.] ¡°Your stats are between a knight and a warrior.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s good.¡± Sungjin was satisfied. Although strengthening his body was useful, the true keyword here was his skill. It could be nothing, but, at the same time, it could be something that could overthrow the entire battle. He was truly satisfied with the first skill he could utilize for his own means. But the title of Commander. Was it a coincidence that the title sounded very much like his nickname on earth, Devil Commander? Or were the gods giving him a special gift after having recognized his talents as amander? Ha. Either way is fine. His eyes gleamed like a predator¡¯s. He had already begun to calcte exactly when and where he would bite the neck of his opponent. I see it. Although it was vague, he could see a way to cut down Sleipnir and Gungnir. Chapter 13 The day of the battle for the continent arrived. This was not a battle in a region where one could attack and retreat. The side that lost had to be sacrificed to the Infinite Well. In this special battlefield, losing meant death, and no matter the amount of supporters behind Sungjin or Kapitle, if one of them lost, their followers were bound to surrender. The entire continent was interested in the direction the battle would take. ¡°We¡¯ll only know the results after the battle, but the battle is in the Wise King¡¯s favor.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± That was the only fact that Sungjin¡¯s people admitted. This was a battle for the continent, and, ordingly, Kapitle¡¯s strength was immense. His powers that ruled over the sacred steed and sacred spear were truly fitting of Odin¡¯s heir. It wasn¡¯t that Sungjin had never been pitted against Kapitle before, but everyone knew his teammates had been defeated one by one before Kapitle himself. Although Sungjin was added to this battle, his enemy had added a level 7 Duke to his team, and, moreover, this was not a battle that Sungjin could enter with his defensive maneuvers all nned out. This was a battlefield where Kapitle had likely hidden traps. Would it be possible to win against an enemy you¡¯ve once lost against? They didn¡¯t believe that Sungjin was going there to be defeated, but they also couldn¡¯t wrap their heads around how he could win. He would have prepared something, but would it be enough? Sungjin was in a very disadvantageous situation. This was a fight he should have backed out of. Sungjin had also admitted that. When strategies are made in this kind of situation, I¡¯d be likely to lose. Sungjin considered the Wise King while going over his ns in the waiting room. If they were able to fight with dividednds, he would have had a chance, but after one defeat, Kapitle had changed the rules of the battlefield to one decisive victory, and Kapitle¡¯s attacks with Sleipnir and Gungnir was a critical problem in this one decisive battle. Well, I suppose having it easy isn¡¯t fun either. This was a battle for the continent. It wouldn¡¯t be worth it if his enemy wasn¡¯t strong. Wouldn¡¯t this obstacle be just enough for this victory to be a legend? But a crisis was a crisis. He couldn¡¯t be certain of his victory. The decisive factor would be how well he could wing the entire battle and how much preparation each of them had gone through. Those two things were key. Chapter 107

Chapter 107: Vol. 4 Ep. 20

On the opposite end, Kapitle¡¯s camp was peaceful. ¡°The enemy will fall before Gungnir¡¯s might.¡± ¡°Yes. What else could the enemies do when they were forcibly dragged here?¡± ¡°Please punish them gently.¡± At his servants¡¯ pleasing words, Kapitle smiled. ¡°I will do so.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve got some unsettling news.¡± At Pte¡¯s words, the most cautious and worried out of all the Dukes, they turned to look at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The head of our enemy has gained a level. I¡¯m worried that will be a variable.¡± At his words, everyoneughed. ¡°He earned a level. Hahaha. What would he do with that?¡± ¡°Level 1 or 0, same thing.¡± ¡°He barely got a footing. How could that be a variable.¡± But Kapitle thought differently. ¡°No, that can be a variable. Lowering our defences even a little is dangerous, and being wary is always a necessity.¡± ¡°Then...¡± ¡°I will end this battle before the variable can even act up.¡± ¡°That is a wise decision.¡± And with Kapitle¡¯s deration, the fight began. [You will enter the battlefield in 3... 2... 1... 0.] Everyone entered. This time, the Dukes once again became crystals for Kapitle. And Kapitle did not advance towards Sungjin camp slowly as he hadst time. Although the Level 1 issue was a variable, he was more concerned about Sungjin¡¯s ns. Although I do not believe he has an answer to his problem right now... There could be something that was outside the realms of his imagination. So instead of giving Sungjin an opportunity to win, Kapitle nned to end the battle while he still had the advantage. He was a careful person despite his overwhelming strength. ¡°I will end you immediately.¡± Kapitle raised his hand. A shimmering golden crop appeared in his hand. It was the sacred object Odin used to call out his beloved steed Sleipnir. However, the terrifying part was that the sacred object was not Kapitle¡¯s ultimate skill, yet people were incapable of defending against it. The cry of the sacred steed echoed through the sky. Eight legs ran forth thudding on air. The speed which broke through the sound barrier left echoes of power exploding in the air. The shining attack fell forth on Sungjin¡¯s camp. Although he knew there would be an attack following this show, if the sacred steed wasn¡¯t stopped, they were going to be trampled. ¡°The Shield of All People! Aegis!¡± Even if she didn¡¯t want to, Ereka had no choice but to pull out her barrier. A golden shield wrapped around everyone aside from herself. The protection was ultimately unbreakable. But Ereka, who was not enveloped within the light herself, was stamped on by Sleipnir, and Rachel tried to heal her the best she could, although they were running out of time. ¡°Durandal!¡± Jenna and Eustasia had no choice but to activate their ultimate skills, too. Without aiming for Sleipnir, Ereka would copse. ¡°Wandering Desert.¡± Zakiya¡¯s spell helped resist against Sleipnir. And in that briefpse, a sacred sword flew in and aimed for the sacred steed. A huge impact resounded. After the steed and sword collided, the sword fell back once, then twice. ¡°Great earth, help me.¡± Rachel¡¯s prayer strengthened Eustasia¡¯s attack, and her sacred sword finally pierced the neck of the sacred steed. The sacred steed finally disappeared, but everything seemed to be only a re-enactment of what had happened before. Even when Sleipnir disappeared, Kapitle looked quite at leisure, because his true power Gungnir was beginning. Compared to that, Sungjin¡¯s teammates had already exhausted their skills. This was the end. ¡°Perish.¡± Kapitle stretched out his hand. In response, Gungnir revealed its form once more. The atmosphere trembled. The earth trembled. The threeponents of the world sumbed before the king¡¯s order. Runes alighted on his staff, and des of light started to rise. What could stand against this power? Who could resist? There was only annihtion. Everything was ording to the Wisdom of Mimir¡¯s prediction. This was where the god¡¯s powers yed the traitor. Kapitle made a face of victory. Suddenly, Sungjin shouted. ¡°Now.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Zakiya grabbed Sungjin. ¡°Into the mirage.¡± The two immediately closed in on Kapitle¡¯s location, appearing right next to him. ¡°Ha.¡± Kapitle snorted inughter despite seeing them approach. ¡°Here!¡± With a shout, Sungjin raised his sword. The speeding sword suddenly elerated, and Sungjin pushed the sword even further. It was a good attempt, but it was a human¡¯s attack. The sword immediately lost its power before Gungnir¡¯s trembling force. The weak attacker immediately began to bear scars on his entire body and couldn¡¯t take a single step forward due to the pressure. Those who dared to approach god¡¯s powers could only be stopped, even if the executed martial arts had reached its pinnacle. Before a god¡¯s power it was but a mountain under the vast skies. Themand of the king proimed that undefeatable power right then and there. In that moment. In that distance. Sungjin stepped towards his victory, relying on his connection to the girl he had built a trusting rtionship with. ¡°Stat Exchange.¡± At the same time, Ereka gathered her hands in a silent prayer. My everything, for Sungjin. Her shining armour disappeared, and her clothes were exchanged for a simple dress. Instead, a shining golden armour wrapped around Sungjin. The hard, formal and weightless armour invigorated his movements and at the same time it shone a confident light, protecting him from all kinds of danger. The emblem of a lion engraved on his chest was his symbol. Here, the girl and boy exchanged their powers dependent on their long-time trust and rtionship. [Stat Exchange] The sword elerated again. It elerated beyond the speed a human could produce. The wind couldn¡¯t catch up. It was a speed the highest level heroes could easily produce, but a speed Sungjin was incapable of producing, and that was why the sword could move beyond the speed allowed within Kapitle¡¯s determined area. ¡°What?¡± The unexpected speed ultimately cut into Kapitle¡¯s arm. That was no longer a Level 0 sword. That was not a Level 1 sword. That was a Level 7 sword, a sword created from the girl¡¯s power entrusted in Sungjin. ¡°Kuuhk.¡± Blood sttered, and Gungnir¡¯s des of light dimmed slightly. ¡°You... you b*stard...¡± Sungjin¡¯s sword attacked once again. Before the attack, which aimed for his neck, Kapitle immediately raised his spear and blocked it. de shed against de, but the force created a fissure in the ground and a crack in the nearest boulder. It was a speed the average eye couldn¡¯t follow. Although Kapitle was strong and fast, Sungjin was urate and sly. Gungnir¡¯s powers were undefeatable. Once activated, no human could stand against them. But, in a different light, if it were to be stopped before it was activated, it was like a nuclear bomb that was yet to self-explode. It wouldn¡¯t matter how much power it contained. Their strategy was to distract Kapitle from ever setting it off. ¡°Bastard!¡± But all Kapitle needed was a fraction of a second. That was all the time he needed to activate Gungnir and annihte everything, but Sungjin¡¯s sharp sword didn¡¯t even allow for that moment. With just a glimpse of a chance, Sungjin¡¯s sword would be faster in cleaving through his heart, neck, or head than the time he took to activate Gungnir. The old Wise King was cornered without a moment of reprieve from the young lion. Sungjin smiled in relief. Good. Gungnir¡¯s trembles have died down. Then there was no reason to continue protecting his body. What he needed was an attack that could gain him the victory with uracy and speed in one go. ¡°Stat Exchange.¡± ¡°Huhu, it¡¯s my turn.¡± Eustasia smiled at Ereka, as if to emphasize that she also had a connection with Sungjin. ¡°It¡¯s all of our turn.¡± Ereka smiled, saying everyone should be of help. Eustasia¡¯s protection disappeared. Instead, Sungjin¡¯s body was covered in a new sort of protection: shoulders, arms, and knees. The white-silver guards ced around his joints made his movements more soft and fluid. The boots, which had wings attached to them, stepped on the wind. The arm braces, which held the engraving of a pegasus, erased any resistance from his movements. Finally, the de, which had gained a speed surpassing the wind¡¯s, dug into Kapitle without hesitance. ¡°Ugh.¡± Kapitle¡¯s arm was separated from his body. The arm with the undefeatable spear in its hands fell to the ground. The spear, which had not been activated, rolled onto the ground. At the next moment, the sword pierced Kapitle¡¯s chest. With that, the battle was over. The power that had been wrought between the boy and the girl ended Kapitle¡¯s life without a single forgiving chance. ¡°A piece of trash like you dare to touch my body...¡± Kapitle shouted in anger, but there was nothing to be done. ¡°Do not underestimate their support. They can easily ovee you.¡± Sungjin pronounced Kapitle¡¯s overconfidence and cleaved his head from his neck. His body shattered against the ground. [Blue Team gains the victory.] The Valkyrie¡¯s voice echoed crisply, and light poured down from the skies onto Sungjin. ¡°Hooray, oppa!¡± Rachel ran to him, bouncing, and leapt into his arms. ¡°You¡¯re amaaaazing.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing. After all, it wasn¡¯t only me.¡± Sungjin looked at Ereka and Eustasia. They were the two girls who had given him their powers. Everything had returned to normal, but they had definitely felt the moment a connection was established between them. It had been a very special experience. It had felt as if the girls had been in his arms despite the distance between them. It was a sort of satisfaction, hard to describe, that filled the air. Ereka smiled calmly. ¡°I¡¯m d I could be of help.¡± Eustasia smiled more confidently. ¡°Huhu, now you understand why you need me by your side, don¡¯t you?¡± Jenna shook her tail. Hmph. It would have been better if my Queen was the only one who had helped. But victory was more important. Although it¡¯s inevitable that the conqueror of a continent would gain so many... But, well, my Queen was the first. She lowered her tail as if to express that she was holding back. Zakiya looked at Sungjin enveloped within the light. He really did it... She had thought Sungjin might win, but even while she had believed it, she had been uncertain. This man, who was too kindpared to Kapitle¡¯s coldness, was unsettling. But perhaps... his kindness is his true weapon. Because of this man¡¯s kindness, other women were willing to give their everything for him. She had also decided to entrust her revenge to him and give him her everything. He had a strength that was different from Kapitle. It was different from what wasmon in the world. It seemed weak but... This man is not strong simply because he coped with his weakness, kindness. He had be so strong because he was so kind. A person needs to have a high goal to reach high ces, after all. Huhu, it doesn¡¯t matter either way. Sungjin has already won, and Kapitle has been overpowered. What further consideration of his strength was necessary? The only thing that mattered was how to celebrate the wonderful man¡¯s victory. Ah, if he was a little bit of a rough character, I would have enjoyed the afterglow of the party and spent a hot night in his bedroom. She wanted to be embraced by this strong and nice guy, and she wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that desire. Huhu, he said he wouldn¡¯t hug anyone for strength... But now that he had conquered the continent, there was no reason to be bound by his own rule anymore. He couldn¡¯t use the excuse of concentrating on the game anymore. Then couldn¡¯t she have some hopes for the night? Should I make a move this very night? Revenge wasplete. All that was left was love. Chapter 108 - Vol. 4 Ep. 21

Chapter 108: Vol. 4 Ep. 21

A dark aura rose from the Infinite Well and swept over the waiting room. The auratched onto Kapitle and dragged him away. ¡°Kuuh, how dare you!¡± In the midst of his tormented screams, the aura relentlessly dragged him inside the abyss. Contrary to Kapitle, Sungjin and his teammates were blessed by the Valkyrie. The announcement that the gods blessed their celebrity rang around the surroundings. As for the others, first they were silent. Despite the results before their eyes, they could not say anything. They hadn¡¯t imagined that Kapitle would die without the chance to even use Gungnir. They knew Sungjin had a sharp sword skill, but they had disregarded it as meaningless before Kapitle¡¯s level. Before a rampaging Sleipnir¡¯s speed, they had thought a level 0 would stand no chance, and more so before Gungnir. A change in a level wouldn¡¯t make a huge difference, or so they thought. A Stat Exchange. That was unexpected. What was certain was that Sungjin was the one who won. ¡°Hooraaay!¡± Finally, exmations erupted among the people. When one began, others followed. ¡°Hooray!¡± The peoples¡¯ shouts kept spreading. This was fortunate. Now there was no reason to fear Kapitle from sinking the continent anymore. There was no reason to be tortured under Kapitle¡¯s rule. ¡°Yeees!¡± ¡°Hurrah!¡± ¡°Hooray for Sungjin!¡± People embraced each other. It was the beginning of a new age. Or so they believed for a moment. It wasn¡¯t. There was a strange ringing that rang up from the bottom of the well. Ring The sound started to ring louder, until a voice could be heard. You rebels. That was the sound of the end of hope. My conquering begins now. The voice denied Sungjin¡¯s victory, and a thick golden energy shot up from the well. ¡°Wha... What?¡± In the midst of the people¡¯s confusion, the shining energy spread across the sky and wrapped around Sungjin and his teammates. The golden power cut off people¡¯s sight and they disappeared. They understood that they had been called into another battlefield. But this battlefield was different from the previous one. The portal, field, and mob were all missing. It was simply an endless amount of emptynd. There was not a single de of grass, only sand blowing in the wind. It was a ce that emphasized a sh between two major armies without the advantage of obstacles. And in the opposite field was Kapitle. ¡°Huhu. To think you¡¯d force me to use everything in my power. You¡¯re definitely something.¡± ¡°Hah. Are you saying this is the second round?¡± Sungjin greeted his enemy leisurely but started to use his brain more rapidly. Since the Valkyrie has not formally dered this battle, it means this ce is abnormal. As I expected, Kapitle made another device within the Infinite Well. That was it. The loser was to be the sacrifice for the infinite well. That was what Kapitle had said, but he had hidden another plot inside the infinite well. If Sungjin were to have been eaten, he would have turned straight into a sacrifice. But a plot to make an ultimate revenge when he was to be one. ¡°I¡¯ve been forced to sacrifice everything I¡¯ve saved for the past century, but no matter. I will be able to regain them all when I¡¯ve defeated you!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to try to use Gungnir again?¡± Sungjin asked, as if Kapitle truly believed he would be given the opportunity again. ¡°Enough with your arrogance. I will show you the way of the world!¡± Kapitle raised his hand. ¡°My true god, the wise of one eye, protector of magic and wisdom. I give you everything I¡¯ve gathered on this earth to you after this battle! So please allow this chance! Tell us the battlefield you rule beyond the powers of a Valkyrie! And open up a path for me akin to how you stand on the throne of all gods!¡± The skies reverberated in response to his pleas. This was the battle of all people. Whoever believes in a purpose may join, hence put everything on the line to be the victor. The notice didn¡¯t ring only on their battlefield; it rang to everyone above the ground. But be sure. This battlefield is a ce of no return, so may only the brave ones rise to the cause. This was a new battlefield. A battlefield where the number of participants was unlimited. But at the same time a fearsome battlefield where standing on the losing side meant losing one¡¯s life. A battlefield held by the true ruler of Midgard: Odin. Who would step forth? The Golden Wise king immediately gathered people who stood by his ¡°rightful¡± life ideals. ¡°Like the sky above the ground and the ground below the sky, powerful heroes should stand above and the extras stoop below as was the way of life. To restore this bnce, let us gather! Answer my call!¡± His call reached all the heroes in the world. ¡°Einherjar!¡± An army of heroes. They appeared in a line, filling the void. There were warriors, magicians, a general on a horse and an archer. Various heroes filled the horizon. ¡°Do you see? These are the people who have gathered to oppose your idealistic world!¡± The world Sungjin spoke of. The world where everyone could live together in peace¡ªthe opposite of having a ss of elites. It is thew of nature for the lion to stand at the top, the wolves to stand below, and the prey to grovel. For heroes who found their right to stand as elites beneath the king as obvious, Sungjin was an enemy who was trying to bring down their world. It is human¡¯s greed to stand above others when possible. Kapitle, who knew the ways of this world, only smiled. Like how he, the most powerful, stood in the center of the world ¨C It was obvious heroes would desire to be nobles, too. Suppressing one¡¯s desire for those who were weaker than them? The world wasrge, and there were a few who acted out of the norm. But those exceptions were as ording to thew of nature¡ªsimply exceptions. ¡°The gods have constructed the world for the extras to serve the heroes!¡± Constructed. What a beautiful word. ¡°It was heaven¡¯s will for the extras to serve us heroes!¡± Will, what a rightful echo. ¡°Against the tyrant who denied this world¡¯s morals and stole your rights away.¡± The rightful power. ¡°Follow me! I will grant your glory, whiches after myself!¡± ¡°Waaaaah!¡± The heroes who had been waiting for this day shouted. They had suffered so much under Sungjin¡¯s rule. They would suffer more if Sungjin continued ruling. Those who had their rights stolen, and those who wished to steal those rights, gathered in one ce. They would not be suppressed any longer. They would not lose their privileges any longer. They were going to use the extras as they wished, and, at the very least, regain their gracious lives no matter what costs. They shouted with a united front. ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s win!¡± With righteousness and greed on their side, their spirit soared. Even if Sungjin boasted his devilish stratagems, he only had six people on his side. They had a million. With their gathered strength, not even the worst tyrant could scare them. They stalked forward with courage. The sun shined behind them. Their armor was bathed in light. They marched with gold and gem decorations swinging above them in banners they held. ¡°Attack!¡± Kapitle¡¯s order finally broke the silence. This was the ins. It was an open territory. What could six people do in the face of one million? There was nowhere to hide in the surroundings before numerous enemies. ¡°... This is it.¡± Zakiya sighed and lowered her head. I was wrong. She had thought that this man would have his own special kind of strength. He had won in an equal match against Kapitle in a team match, which had caused her to have hope. Sungjin had definitely won the team match, but the greed of humans was what moved this world. Humans speak all the time about righteous actions but ultimately do things for their own benefit. No, humans are people who believe that one¡¯s own benefits was the righteous thing to do. There would be no one among them who thought they were stepping on others. It was simply the idea of ¡®regaining the power to stand above others¡¯. She had thought that the man¡¯s world where everyone, despite their strengths, being valued was a good world but... If this is a battlefield where the battle is determined by numbers... Sungjin was powerless. The oing army. The flying arrows and magic. And the handful of Sungjin¡¯s teammates who were caught in the midst of it. It was like an egg hitting itself against a rock. The people looked on with pity. Would Master Sungjin... Just like this...? Lute, who had been studying healing to heal his mother, also felt sorrow for the situation. What should I do... Those who had protected him several times were at their wit¡¯s end. Those who had said that he, an extra, was special and deserved to live were about to be stepped on. If this continued, the end wasn¡¯t going to look good. Why was he so powerless? He always received help and didn¡¯t give anything in return. He wanted to be of help. He was weak, but he wanted to be of some help. In that moment, the young boy didn¡¯t think about whether or not he was going to be the next to die. He only wanted to return a little of what he had been given to his heroes. A young body stopped an iing arrow. St. It burrowed into his arm. ¡°Ah...?¡± Lute came to understand that he was standing in the battlefield he was looking at only a moment before. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The frantic voice came from the person he was always grateful to: Queen Ereka. The queen he had always seen from afar grabbed him and hid him behind her shield. The priestess he had seen glimpses of healed him. ¡°Are you okay, Queen?¡± ¡°How did you...¡± ¡°You looked tired... I... I wanted to help. But... Am I bothering you?¡± Lute¡¯s voice grew softer because they seemed to be wasting their resources treating and protecting him. ¡°No, thank you foring.¡± Sungjin smirked with an evil glint in his eyes. The battle for all people, hmm? The principle of this world is that all forms of battle are ¡°fair and equal.¡± Odin, who enjoyed watching the warriors¡¯ game, would never have prepared an uninteresting battlefield. This was the chance for a counterattack. Sungjin smiled as he watched Zakiya. ¡°Do you want to hear something?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Good is not weaker than evil. It¡¯s just more difficult. ¡± At his confidence, Zakiya was amazed. ¡°What are you nning?¡± ¡°Watch.¡± At this point she was curious. Does this man still have something ready? But there is no prepared hand... What did he know and what had he prepared? What was this man who caused relentless interest trying to show? Sungjin shouted. ¡°Listen. I fought with my colleagues here to make a country where the powerful protected the weak so that weak people can have happiness and dreams!¡± That was an act he had done so far that couldn¡¯t be taken for granted. ¡°But here all who oppose me have gathered so that we cannot win. This is the final battle that will determine what this world will call justice!¡± His charismatic voice rang across the continent. ¡°No matter how strong and powerful our enemies are, we will fight to the end because there are people to protect! But I ask you, if the world you desire is not different from mine, join us!¡± He appealed to the better side of people and pleaded with them to join his cause. Others would have ignored him and continued on their work, but for the extras, it was hard to live day by day, and things like the battlefield was just a matter for high people, but it was Sungjin who had spoken. He began as an extra like them. He had fought to defend extras like them. He had not abandoned them in any of the difficult moments after he hade to the position of a ruler. His words could be true. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you, too. Pleasee,¡± Ereka appealed to them alongside Sungjin. It was the appeal of one who abandoned everything she had to protect the people, though she could have lived happily as a princess. ¡°Help me to make a world where even those who are powerless under the will of God can be happy.¡± Rachel put her hands together to pray. It was the request of the saint who sacrificed her salvation and sacrificed herself to heal the pain of others while suffering the pain of hell everyday. So there was a response. People appeared between the advancing heroes and Sungjin. One, two, three, four. Ten people, one hundred thousand, a million people. Those who saw the others stood up and braved the fight. Let¡¯s fight together. Let¡¯s fight for the hero. The next moment, people filled in across the wilderness. One by one, although they were the weak and powerless who were always trampled on, they pushed for the courage to join Sungjin¡¯s team. If the shouts of heroes ringing in the wilderness were united with the same greed, the prayers of the people whispering in the night were cheering for the same noble dream. Blocking the army of ten thousand heroes was one hundred million people. They wanted to help those who had helped them, even if it meant sacrificing their own bodies. Their hope made them move, even though they had been warned that defeat meant being swallowed up in the well. The ideal of the strong protecting the weak¡ªrather than reaching reality, it was beyond reality.. Chapter 109 - Vol. 4 – Episode 22

Chapter 109: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 22

In the face of countless people, Kapitle¡¯s ten thousand heroes stopped their march. Everywhere they could see was filled with people, and the scene was overwhelming to the marching heroes. Are the extras able to face us and stop us? The scene was almost terrifying to the heroes, while the people felt some confidence filling their hearts. They never knew they could do something. They were born and raised to believe that they were useless, so they needed to obey the heroes. If the heroes were nice to them, that was a blessing, and when the heroes were not nice to them, that was natural. But now they were standing there with their free will to so something to thank Sungjin for his blessing, and when they gathered, they became a force that even the heroes couldn¡¯t ignore. They finally became something meaningful. It was something small, but it was far from nothing. ¡°We... can... fight here.¡± When one said that, everyone believed it. I¡¯m not stepping back. The people made a huge wall hand in hand to protect Sungjin and his team. ¡°Nice try! But you are just some scarecrows, your numbers don¡¯t mean anything!¡± Kapitle shouted, looking down at the almost divine scene the people made. Numbers didn¡¯t matter. Extras were powerless. An extras¡¯ attack couldn¡¯t touch the heroes, and the extras¡¯ defence was meaningless in the face of a hero¡¯s attack. It didn¡¯t matter how many people supported Sungjin¡¯s idea¡ªpower was the only thing that mattered. ¡°Wipe them out!¡± With Kapitle¡¯s voice, the heroes finally found their focus again. He¡¯s right. When the extras rebell and refuse to obey the heroes, they need to be punished. To punish them, the heroes started their march again. Ten thousand heroes started to march and massacre the people standing in front of them. It seemed to be easier than crushing tofu with a hammer. Looking at his army effortlessly destroying the extras, Kapitle seemed satisfied. Hahaha. I¡¯m not surprised that the extras appeared here. Although he hadn¡¯t thought much about it, the world Sungjin was trying to make was a world for the extras. The strong wanted their fair amount of respect while the weak wanted to get things without any effort. So for Kapitle, it was natural that the people were on Sungjin¡¯s side, but that didn¡¯t mean anything. Power was the force that moved the world. It was the rule of nature that the strong win everything. Sungjin and his followers couldn¡¯t change the rules of nature. Idiots. The extras could have obeyed and survived, but now the only future for them was instant death. More than a hundred million people were massacred... and it almost seemed like it wouldn¡¯t end. Kaboom! There was an explosion in the middle of the marching heroes. ¡°What an idiot!¡± The heroes looked back to check who attacked their own, only to realize that was not the case. There were people among the extras who were using their power. ¡°A traitor?¡± No, it was not a traitor but the priests of Rupellion. ¡°I am Pangnilin, the ck priest. I came here with the Eye of God brigade to die here to follow the word of love by the goddess!¡± ¡°The blue priest and God¡¯s Sword knights are here! Wealth and power can¡¯t buy justice!¡± They dered that they would follow Sungjin¡¯s vision and they would make the world for the extras without pursuing their own wealth. They were standing against a world ruled by personal desires. Kapitle frowned. ¡°Hmph. Rupellion... Ha. You¡¯d rather have paradise after life than the world? Idiots. You guys are just conned by the delusional idea, but we still have the upper hand!¡± Kapitle was sure that he was the one on the side of reason. When fire rained on the people, a blue shield stopped it. ¡°Sizna, a wizard who used to serve Ilkandi, is here to follow the Merciful Rulership!¡± ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m here, too!¡± Rittier stood with his cape pping. All the heroes who decided to stand by Sungjin¡¯s side from the ally of the four kingdoms were there. They were not there to get wealth and power in the afterlife; they were there because they wanted to pursue Sungjin¡¯s vision to create a world where the weak extras could live happily. ¡°Why?! How dare you!¡± Kapitle was furious. People from Sevrantina were not fanatics like the people from Rupellion. Kapitle couldn¡¯t understand why they would follow Sungjin and not him. ¡°Why!¡± Sungjin answered with confidence. ¡°Desire makes people move, you are right, but sometimes...¡± Just like a beast biting the weak point in its prey, Sungjin looked at Kapitle with sharp eyes. ¡°The greater good moves people.¡± When Martin Luther King had shouted for equality and rights for ck people, there were white people who had joined him. It was difficult to exin why white people would support the idea. When Mother Theresa asked for help to save the poor, why did people who were not poor donate money? And why would doctors leave their safe andfortable work ce with a high sry to go to the third world? There were clearly moments where people were moved for something other than just their desire for wealth and power. ¡°The Wise King? You thought you knew everything only knowing half the world.¡± Sungjin pulled out his sword. ¡°Let me show you the side of humans that your eye can¡¯t see! Now follow mymand!¡± Zakiya lost her words and stood there looking at Sungjin. Kapitle united ten thousand heroes using one desire, but Sungjin... and his girls beside him... they united a hundred million people, and, moreover... they moved some heroes to make them to join Sungjin to create a world run by merciful rulership. Maybe this is what he meant when he said good is difficult but not weak... She learned how ugly and selfish human beings could be while working for Kapitle, but she didn¡¯t know that human beings had another side. She realized that she thought she had known everything, but she only knew half of it. Two massive armies shed. Kapitle had more heroes, but there were too many extras making a wall with their own bodies. They neutralized and diverted the heroes¡¯ skills on Kapitle¡¯s side. On top of that, Sungjin was a bettermander in a battle of armies. Kapitle no longer had the upper hand. Kapitle¡¯s army was in the midst of a siege and had lost formation. The chaotic battle was the perfect ce to use Sungjin¡¯s rapid yet perfect calction, but... Your tactics are nothing against me. Sungjin had his brain, but Kapitle had his power. ¡°Run! Sleipnir!¡± Kapitle raised himself on the legendary horse of Odin and ran toward Sungjin,manding the middle of the battlefield. Sungjin¡¯s army tried to attack the legendary horse, but it didn¡¯t affect Kapitle. He just wanted to use Sleipnir toe closer. On the disappearing horse, Kapitle started to activate his ultimate skill. Sungjin was in attack range. I won¡¯t be tricked by you this time. ¡°The Holy Order of God King¨DGungnir!¡± He started to activate his ultimate weapon. He didn¡¯t care if his skill would also kill his army. As long as I can kill Sungjin, the victory is mine. The destructive wave burnt everything to the ground. It tore up the sky, broke the ground, and destroyed everything. The wild dance of destruction wiped out Sungjin and his team. The only thing left was ruin, with Kapitle standing alone. ¡°Hahaha. How do you like that?¡± Kapitle¡¯sughter was the only sound in the middle of the ruin. ¡°Huh. I didn¡¯t expect it to be this effective!¡± Zakiya said with a smile. ¡°What?¡± Sungjin and his team were slightly out of Kapitle¡¯s attack range. Zakiya had tricked Kapitle while he was overly excited. Kapitle had wiped away the extras but not Sungjin. ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn. Stat Exchange.¡± The next moment, Sungjin¡¯s appearance changed. Shiny armor was on his body. He sped up to approach Kapitle. Sungjin¡¯s sword shined brightly, and it was sharp and fast. It was Sungjin¡¯s sword skill to defeat Gungnir, and Sungjin was about to use it again. But the next moment, Kapitle smiled as if he had already won. ¡°I was waiting for it!¡± Gungnir started to shine again. Everything was a trick to fool Sungjin, and it was possible only because Kapitle had such absolute power. He was ready to walk into the trap only to destroy it. The destructive wave made an explosion. This was the true power of Gungnir. The ground simply disappeared. The sky was torn to create a one-dimensional darkness, and the air disappeared to create a typhoon all around the darkness. It was the holy order of God for everything to disappear. Kapitle was the only one standing among them using the pressure of his power. But Sungjin¡¯s team gathered everything to fight against him. ¡°Shield of all People¨DAEGIS.¡± Ereka was able to create a brief moment of protection. In the short moment that she created before it was destroyed by Kapitle Sungjin was able to get one step closer to Kapitle. ¡°Stat Exchange.¡± Eustasia put everything in it and sent her power to Sungjin so that Sungjin could pull out his sword. ¡°The Earth, the ocean, the wind, the light. Give Sungjin Oppa power.¡± Rachel¡¯s prayer pushed him up. With everyone¡¯s support, Sungjin approached Kapitle, but that was it. The explosive wave of destruction took away the power of Sungjin¡¯s sword. When the sword reached Kapitle, it was only able to touch the spear lightly. It was such a small attack, even when using everything they had. ¡°Disappear.¡± Kapitle pushed more power into Gungnir and created an even bigger wave of destruction to push Sungjin away. He was losing his feet to step on. Kapitle¡¯s jewel eye started to shine. Yes, this was the moment. This was the moment of victory that the Wisdom of Mimir promised him. He was defeated in the first battle without having a chance to use Gungnir because he had gotten confused by the future he had seen. But now, following the holy order of God, the rebels were annihted, and he was about to stand on the top of the world. Sungjin¡¯s resistance made his glory even greater. The future was written by the holy order of God. The victory is mine. But right at that moment, white wings like an illusion appeared behind Sungjin¡¯s back. [The Holy Sword of Halt¨DDawn Bringer] Pure white light came from the sword. The next moment, the power flow running into the holy spear from Kapitle stopped in order to stop the wave of Gungnir for a second. ¡°What?¡± It was a very brief moment. When the tip of the sword was away from the spear, Kapitle¡¯s power started to flow into the spear again, but because of that brief moment when the power was cut off, he had to recreate the whole activation. And when the sword touched the spear again, the activation stopped again. The holy spear with absolute power stopped like a broken machine. Chapter 110 - Vol. 4 – Episode 23

Chapter 110: Vol. 4 ¨C Episode 23

In the beginning, God said, ¡°Let there be light,¡± to create light out of chaos, and the angel who followed the order had a sword with a power, a power that could cancel all abnormality from what it touched to bring back the right order. It cancelled every act of power in a second. Dawn Bringer. It was the holy sword of the angel who had stood next to the God who created heaven. It had the glory of Genesis that created order out of chaos. Sungjin was holding it to repeat the Genesis. When he became level 1, the power of the sword that the Holy Pope Pedrian had been hiding unsealed for Sungjin. When Sungjin learned about the sword, he simply said what he thought. ¡°Hmph, critically speaking, this is not an invincible sword.¡± It clearly had its limits. It couldn¡¯t destroy everything like Gungnir. It couldn¡¯t fly in the sky like Durandal. Although it was a counter to all power, it could only affect the area the tip of the sword touched. It was not aplete destruction but just a momentary power cut-off. As soon as the sword lost contact, the artifacts could reactivate their power. The best case scenario would be cancelling the power. There was no way that this sword could give him the upper hand. ¡°But it¡¯s enough for you Sungjin, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ereka said with a smile, and Sungjin smiled back. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s enough for me.¡± It was enough. It didn¡¯t have a transcendent power, but it could stop a transcendent power, and he had the next-level swordsmanship that he could use as soon as he could approach the enemy. It was a battle between a sword and a spear. If Kapitle got a moment to use his power, maybe he could push Sungjin away. But when he had Eustasia¡¯s Stat and the holy sword of Genesis, Sungjin became a tiger with wings. He pushed Kapitle without a break to bite Kapitle. The heroes on Kapitle¡¯s side tried to trop Sungjin, but Sungjin¡¯s team wouldn¡¯t let them. Sungjin¡¯s sword cut Kapitle¡¯s waist, stabbed his shoulder, and finally pierced Kapitle¡¯s heart. Kapitle¡¯s eye becamerge, and blood started toe out from his mouth. ¡°This is impossible... the future I saw showed my victory...¡± ¡°I assumed that you had a treasure to see the future.¡± Sungjin wasn¡¯t surprised. Although Kapitle was not a tactician, he was able to attack him with refined tactics. ¡°But the future has changed.¡± ¡°No way... the Wisdom of Mimir is... reaching everything in this world... putting everything together to see the future...¡± Kapitle tried to deny the reality while blood wasing out of his mouth. The victory was his¡ªthat was the future he was able to see, and it was nature that the strong conquer the weak. The heaven was on his side. Kapitle couldn¡¯t believe he was losing. ¡°... is this because of that sword... ¡± He looked at The Holy Sword of Halt and finally understood. It was a holy sword that no power could reach, so Kapitle figured that even his power to see the future couldn¡¯t see it. But Sungjin shook his head. ¡°No, you are wrong. I told you already. The truth you couldn¡¯t see was not the power of this sword¨D¡± Sungjin pointed to the people around him who had helped him. ¡°¡ªThere are people who refuse to ept a world where the strong abuse the weak and the weak have to be ves. You were only able to see half of the world...¡± The sword had only yed a small part in the fight. ¡°Ha. Hahahaha.¡± Kapitle was vomiting blood, but heughed out loud. ¡°That¡¯s it? Haha. Sure, I heard of the exception for who tried to use his power for others, but I thought that was a mere exception that couldn¡¯t possibly affect anything in this world.¡± His eye was looking at the world for thest time. ¡°So you expanded that exception even more to make the God¡¯s eye miss it.¡± Kapitle stood up. ¡°Okay. It was heaven¡¯s will for me to have it, but now this continent is yours.¡± ¡°I won it.¡± ¡°Funny.¡± Kapitle pulled the sword out from his body and stepped back. When he had taken three steps back, he became ashes and disappeared. Kapitle epted the fact that his jewel eye had failed to see the truth and that he was defeated by Sungjin, so he disappeared. There was another sound. [Hereby, we approve that Sungjin has won the war to take the continent.] That was not the voice from the Valkyrie but from God. It was a promise for Sungjin to be the ruler of the continent. [The loser would disappear, while the winner would remain.] The light was upon Sungjin and everyone who followed him. God¡¯s blessing was upon them. They felt incredible power sprouting from inside their bodies. All their wounds were gone, and everyone who was on the ground was able to stand up to celebrate the victory. On the other side, the darkness dragged the losers down. People screamed as they were dragged down to the bottomless well. The sh between powers who had dreamed of different worlds ended up with the victory of Sungjin. It was a turning point for the continent to head toward a future that had never been seen before. While people cheered for Sungjin, Zakiya asked him discreetly, ¡°Did you know this would happen?¡± His victory speech was way too refined to think it spontaneous. ¡°I knew that Kapitle was making secret promises to the heroes.¡± Sungjin smiled. ¡°That was it... when he was talking to that many people, he couldn¡¯t be discreet... So you were prepared as well... So you knew about it.¡± ¡°No, not really,¡± said Sungjin, shaking his head. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a young extra boy toe up first.¡± ¡°... oh...¡± Zakiya bowed down deeply. ¡°Let us fight with you for every fight that is in front of us.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Sungjin smiled, showing his huge heart. Epilogue The unification of the continent. Now that Sungjin had taken Kapitle¡¯s Eldorado, he became the conqueror of the southern continent, and nobody could deny it. The rebellious heroes, who could be a threat to his rulership, had taken Kapitle¡¯s side only to disappear into the darkness of a bottomless well... The remaining people were Sungjin¡¯s followers for different reasons. He didn¡¯t only conquer the continent but established his ground to rule the continent. As a winner, Sungjin sat in the hall alone to look at the map of the continent. Everything he could see belonged to him, from the north sea to the south sea. He was able to rule everything as he saw fit. He could create a country that was different from the one he lived in on earth. A country for the weak¡ªthat would be possible. This world had a medieval level of human rights and a clear difference in power between the heroes and the extras. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to make a world with natural human rights. It was ironic that he held all the power so he was able to protect the people but all he could do with his power was financially support the extras and protect them from abuse from the heroes. To create a world of natural human rights and true democracy, conquering is not enough. What he had to do was change the fundamental rule of this world, and there was only one way to do that. Unification of the continent is not enough. Arc Master. That was the only being who could conquer the world and change the rules. That was the only way to make the world that he wanted. Conquering the continent was not the end but the beginning of the next chapter. Center... what kind of strong opponents are waiting for me there? Sungjin¡¯s eyes shone like those of a beast. He was really excited to have a great fight¡ªthat was the main reason for his pounding heart, and saving people followed it. Haha. Let¡¯s go to the center. Now that he was qualified, all he had to do was move forward. He had obtained a power level. Although he was only level 1, he knew that he would be stronger and stronger, and his sword was a great sword that was beyond the power of level 1. Its ability is the perfect match for me, but too bad it is a sword of Lucifer. Although Sungjin refused his offer every time, he couldn¡¯t deny that they had some kind of strange link between them. Maybe Lucifer wanted him just like the girls he had met in this world, or maybe he was linked to Lucifer in an unknown way. Maybe this is a present from him, although it could be the Holy Grail with poison in it. Ha. Good, but I don¡¯t walk away out of fear. He promised himself that he wouldn¡¯t be yed by the sword but would use it. He was ready to ept the challenge. There was only one thing he couldn¡¯t quite figure out... Why the Holy Magical Sword, if it was from Lucifer, wasn¡¯t simply a magical sword but also had the power of the holy sword. It was strange. His instincts told him that there were more mysteries to solve about this sword. The Holy Sword of Halt. And... the magical sword. ¡°I will find a great use for it in the center,¡± he told the original owner of the sword, and stood up. It was time to meet everyone. When he opened the door toe out, everyone greeted him, starting with his girls. The heroes were behind the girls to greet him. The hall was filled with people who wanted to celebrate his victory, and on the big square, there were lower level heroes and extras gathered from all around the continent. ¡°Congrattions, Sungjin.¡± ¡°Congrattions.¡± Sungjin smiled at them. ¡°Thanks, everyone.¡± Listening to people congratte him, Sungjin was able to feel that he really won. He had really unified the continent. Some of his enemies had been incredibly strong, but he had made it and had met many reliable team members, especially the girls around him. ¡°So when is the ceremony?¡± asked Eustasia. ¡°Haha. I don¡¯t need a ceremony. All I want is to keep my ce as your private dancer. I don¡¯t expect you to take me as your wife. So what about tonight?¡± Zakiya smiled and pulled down her robe to show her cleavage. ¡°Oh, people. Don¡¯t rush Sungjin.¡± Ereka didn¡¯t know how to stop them but only smiled at Sungjin. ¡°Sungjin, don¡¯t feel any pressure. I can wait for you.¡± But her words only made Sungjiin feel more pressure, and they made Sungjinugh without knowing what to say. ¡°Haha, that...¡± Rachel suddenly started to shine her eyes and cut in. ¡°Me, too! I will marry you Sungjin Oppa!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush. We can wait.¡± Jenna stopped Rachel. But that didn¡¯t bother the other heroes. All were talking about the details. ¡°Master Sungjin is around that age, so he should...¡± ¡°Yes, he unified the continent, so it¡¯s about time.¡± ¡°So all of them together?¡± ¡°No, they need an order, so maybe one by one with a few days gap.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something that he has to decide.¡± ¡°Sure. Anyways, it¡¯s about time...¡± It was natural to have multiple women in the garden of a conqueror. People were only curious what kind of ceremony Sungjin would have, and that made Sungjin smile bitterly from feeling the cultural difference. ¡°I need more time for that. I need to n how to enter the center.¡± Sungjin¡¯s answer made Eustasia angry. ¡°What? You told me you were going to think about it seriously!¡± ¡°I am. I will find the answer for sure.¡± Sungjin promised himself. I won¡¯t take their heart and dedication toward me lightly. But he didn¡¯t know what the right way was to react to it. He had to find out the answer. Maybe this is a more difficult task than bing an Arc Master. There was no way to run away from it. Conquering the world. Finding the answer to love. I will take both challenges.

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Chapter 111: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 1

Prologue The unification of the continent; it was an achievement neither the Golden Wise King Kapitle nor the Holy Pope Pedrian had been able to make. Sungjin was the undeniable king of the continent now. He was standing in front of a huge door. It wasn¡¯t a door made by humans¡ªit was asrge as a mountain and all of its decoration was refined and morous. It was the door of the great temple that would lead him to ¡°the center.¡± It was told that the door would only open for those who deserved it, and the door was greeting Sungjin with a bright light while his girls and other heroes looked at the majestic scene. It was centuries ago when the door hadst opened. The Valkyries came from the door to kneel in front of him. Among the Valkyries, a special Valkyrie with golden wings walked toward Sungjin and handed him a tinum goblet decorated with jewels. ¡°The conqueror of the continent, our gods granted you this goblet to acknowledge your great victories.¡± ¡°Hmm. This is the prize for the qualification round,¡± Sungjinmented, and took the goblet with a big smile on his face. This goblet is more morous than the ones I had before, and the liquid inside has a much stronger scent. Although he was only able to awaken his power up to level 1, he wouldn¡¯t mind having more power through taking goblets. He finished the drink in a second and felt more power flowing through him and spreading across his body. ¡°This is a goblet for a king. It gives you heroic power.¡± ¡°Huh. What am I getting?¡± ¡°Firstly, youth and health until your death and four hundred years of life. Nothing will be able to affect you, not poison or aging or even disease.¡± ¡°Ha... This is...¡± It was a reward that was beyond wealth or power. Sungjin was impressed by it. Four hundred years is the general lifespan of a country. Well, Gods wouldn¡¯t give you something that was worthless, right? There were countries that survived longer than that, but there were also countries that ended before a few hundred years, especially when it came to dynasties. There weren¡¯t many dynasties that hadsted longer than four hundred years. ¡°Secondly, the women you take will keep their youth and youthful bodies until their deaths.¡± ¡°Pff.¡± Sungjin could feel beady eyes behind him without looking. Oh my. It was the power to bless his women. It was a proper symbol for a chosen king, but it was a bit difficult for Sungjin. Shouldn¡¯t I be happy to have a power to thank them like this? The method to share the reward was difficult for him, although he couldn¡¯t argue with the gods about it. He felt the pressure of his responsibilities. ¡°Thirdly, your right to rule this continent and the right to try to conquer the center, but you should be careful before you decide to challenge the center.¡± ¡°I should be careful?¡± ¡°If you are satisfied with your achievements and stop here, you will be the ruler of the continent for four hundred years. If you try to conquer all three continents and go to the center, there¡¯s a chance you will fail and never be able toe back.¡± ¡°Okay. I will keep that in mind.¡± ¡°We wish you glory in your future.¡± The Valkyries flew up and disappeared behind the door. Conquering the center. He wanted to be an Arc Master, which was like a god in this world, and the unification of the continent was the first challenge to do it. The second challenge was conquering the center to unify the world. Thest step was to pass the sacred area to be a god. There were only two people who had made it to the second challenge. There was no one who had made it to thest challenge. When he arrived in this world, he had nothing to lose, but now there were a lot of people who were counting on him, so the Valkyrie had asked him if it would be the right decision to keep going when he had a lot of responsibilities. The Valkyrie¡¯s right: I should just be satisfied and stay here with everything I have. Pff. But Sungjin didn¡¯t announce his decision when he turned around. ¡°Congrattions.¡± All the noble heroes kneeled to celebrate the event. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you.¡± Ereka smiled. ¡°Haha. You are a one-man dynasty.¡± Eustasiaughed with happiness. ¡°Sungjin Oppa, congrattions.¡± ¡°Congrats!¡± Jenna and Rachel also smiled with happiness. ¡°Now you are a king who can bless your women.¡± Zakiya put her hands on her breast, as if she were offering her body to him. ¡°Haha. Thanks, everyone. Should we have a party today to celebrate?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sungjin offered a party without answering if he would or wouldn¡¯t challenge the center. He thought it was time to celebrate and reward his people. It was natural that Sungjin¡¯s wealth and power were unimaginable. A president who served as a ruler for a short amount of time in a democratic country had strong power, but Sungjin was a king who would rule for the rest of his lifetime¡ªhis power was beyondprehension. Therefore, although he didn¡¯t like too much extravagance, the party he threw was grand and morous, and noble heroes from across the continent gathered to celebrate him, thinking simply being there with him was their honor. All kinds of rare ingredients from all across the continent were there for him, and even regr-looking dishes were exquisite cuisine from top chefs. Top musicians yed music for him. In the other corner, servants took care of the details of the party in the hall to keep the ce beautiful and enjoyable. The treasures Sungjin had behind the wall were so numerous that it would require an army just to count them. He had everything. But the noble heroes envied him not because of those things but because of the beautiful girls around him. He must be really happy. Well, that must be the privilege of the king. Many of them had more than one wife, but Sungjin was the only one who had the best beauties from all around the continent. They were the best in beauty, social status and ability. And when the king takes them to bed, they will keep their beauty and youth... forever It was a next-level lifestyle to keep young beauties young next to him. ¡°Sungjin, taste this.¡± Ereka gave Sungjin a juicy piece of steak. ¡°Yummy.¡± ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m so happy. I cooked it to your taste.¡± ¡°You are right. It¡¯s perfect.¡± Smiling Ereka and happy Sungjin looked like an item. If there was a painter to paint the scene, the painter would have named the painting ¡°a luncheon of the conqueror and his queen.¡± Eustasia cut another piece of steak to feed Sungjin. ¡°I can¡¯t cook, but I can feed you.¡± ¡°Haha. Sure, I will eat it as well,¡± Sungjin smiled, as if he wouldn¡¯t let any of them feel lonely. With a princess on his right and a great general on his left, he looked like a powerful lion among beautiful lionesses. ¡°Sungjin Oppa, I will give you some cookies!¡± Rachel jumped on Sungjin¡¯sp with a long chocte stick in her mouth and put the other end of the stick in front of his mouth. ¡°Hey, where did you even see this?¡± Sungjinughed but took a tiny bite off the stick. ¡°Sungjin Oppa, here¡¯s mine.¡± Jenna came to him with a tiny cookie in her mouth. ¡°...Jenna... This cookie is way too small,¡± said Sungjin, only to make Ereka hide a little cherry that she was holding. If I tried with this cherry, would you think I¡¯m trying too hard? I could jump up on yourp as well... but maybe I¡¯m too heavy... Zakiya put a ss in her cleavage. ¡°I will offer you a drink.¡± The ss was full, but her tight breasts held it. It was a trick not many girls could do. ¡°Hey, there are kids here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I should teach them how to serve you when they grow up.¡± ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Pff. You are a conqueror of the continent but you¡¯re quite shy in this department.¡± ¡°I would say healthy.¡± Sungjin felt a bit troubled, but the heroes thought he was just enjoying himself with the girls. Soon we will attend a ceremony. For sure. He is old enough. Hmm. Since he can keep his youth for four hundred years, he doesn¡¯t have to rush to have kids.... Sungjin¡¯s kids would be vassals for his bloodline but not his sessors. But he is too old to spend his nights alone. He didn¡¯t have to marry every woman he slept with, but since he cherished his girls, and since the girls were old enough for marriage, the heroes thought a marriage or several marriages wereing. Would he marry them all at once? One by one? What would be the order? ¡°The saint is a bit young for marriage, but maybe he has slept with her already.¡± The noble heroes whispered to each other and talked about the royal customs. Sungjin knew what they were talking about. Sigh. I should take care of this first. He was the only one with his knowledge from Earth. This world had its own culture and its reasons for such a culture. He had to make his choice. Chapter 111 - Vol. 5 – Episode 1

Chapter 111: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 1

Prologue The unification of the continent; it was an achievement neither the Golden Wise King Kapitle nor the Holy Pope Pedrian had been able to make. Sungjin was the undeniable king of the continent now. He was standing in front of a huge door. It wasn¡¯t a door made by humans¡ªit was asrge as a mountain and all of its decoration was refined and morous. It was the door of the great temple that would lead him to ¡°the center.¡± It was told that the door would only open for those who deserved it, and the door was greeting Sungjin with a bright light while his girls and other heroes looked at the majestic scene. It was centuries ago when the door hadst opened. The Valkyries came from the door to kneel in front of him. Among the Valkyries, a special Valkyrie with golden wings walked toward Sungjin and handed him a tinum goblet decorated with jewels. ¡°The conqueror of the continent, our gods granted you this goblet to acknowledge your great victories.¡± ¡°Hmm. This is the prize for the qualification round,¡± Sungjinmented, and took the goblet with a big smile on his face. This goblet is more morous than the ones I had before, and the liquid inside has a much stronger scent. Although he was only able to awaken his power up to level 1, he wouldn¡¯t mind having more power through taking goblets. He finished the drink in a second and felt more power flowing through him and spreading across his body. ¡°This is a goblet for a king. It gives you heroic power.¡± ¡°Huh. What am I getting?¡± ¡°Firstly, youth and health until your death and four hundred years of life. Nothing will be able to affect you, not poison or aging or even disease.¡± ¡°Ha... This is...¡± It was a reward that was beyond wealth or power. Sungjin was impressed by it. Four hundred years is the general lifespan of a country. Well, Gods wouldn¡¯t give you something that was worthless, right? There were countries that survived longer than that, but there were also countries that ended before a few hundred years, especially when it came to dynasties. There weren¡¯t many dynasties that hadsted longer than four hundred years. ¡°Secondly, the women you take will keep their youth and youthful bodies until their deaths.¡± ¡°Pff.¡± Sungjin could feel beady eyes behind him without looking. Oh my. It was the power to bless his women. It was a proper symbol for a chosen king, but it was a bit difficult for Sungjin. Shouldn¡¯t I be happy to have a power to thank them like this? The method to share the reward was difficult for him, although he couldn¡¯t argue with the gods about it. He felt the pressure of his responsibilities. ¡°Thirdly, your right to rule this continent and the right to try to conquer the center, but you should be careful before you decide to challenge the center.¡± ¡°I should be careful?¡± ¡°If you are satisfied with your achievements and stop here, you will be the ruler of the continent for four hundred years. If you try to conquer all three continents and go to the center, there¡¯s a chance you will fail and never be able toe back.¡± ¡°Okay. I will keep that in mind.¡± ¡°We wish you glory in your future.¡± The Valkyries flew up and disappeared behind the door. Conquering the center. He wanted to be an Arc Master, which was like a god in this world, and the unification of the continent was the first challenge to do it. The second challenge was conquering the center to unify the world. Thest step was to pass the sacred area to be a god. There were only two people who had made it to the second challenge. There was no one who had made it to thest challenge. When he arrived in this world, he had nothing to lose, but now there were a lot of people who were counting on him, so the Valkyrie had asked him if it would be the right decision to keep going when he had a lot of responsibilities. The Valkyrie¡¯s right: I should just be satisfied and stay here with everything I have. Pff. But Sungjin didn¡¯t announce his decision when he turned around. ¡°Congrattions.¡± All the noble heroes kneeled to celebrate the event. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you.¡± Ereka smiled. ¡°Haha. You are a one-man dynasty.¡± Eustasiaughed with happiness. ¡°Sungjin Oppa, congrattions.¡± ¡°Congrats!¡± Jenna and Rachel also smiled with happiness. ¡°Now you are a king who can bless your women.¡± Zakiya put her hands on her breast, as if she were offering her body to him. ¡°Haha. Thanks, everyone. Should we have a party today to celebrate?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sungjin offered a party without answering if he would or wouldn¡¯t challenge the center. He thought it was time to celebrate and reward his people. It was natural that Sungjin¡¯s wealth and power were unimaginable. A president who served as a ruler for a short amount of time in a democratic country had strong power, but Sungjin was a king who would rule for the rest of his lifetime¡ªhis power was beyondprehension. Therefore, although he didn¡¯t like too much extravagance, the party he threw was grand and morous, and noble heroes from across the continent gathered to celebrate him, thinking simply being there with him was their honor. All kinds of rare ingredients from all across the continent were there for him, and even regr-looking dishes were exquisite cuisine from top chefs. Top musicians yed music for him. In the other corner, servants took care of the details of the party in the hall to keep the ce beautiful and enjoyable. The treasures Sungjin had behind the wall were so numerous that it would require an army just to count them. He had everything. But the noble heroes envied him not because of those things but because of the beautiful girls around him. He must be really happy. Well, that must be the privilege of the king. Many of them had more than one wife, but Sungjin was the only one who had the best beauties from all around the continent. They were the best in beauty, social status and ability. And when the king takes them to bed, they will keep their beauty and youth... forever It was a next-level lifestyle to keep young beauties young next to him. ¡°Sungjin, taste this.¡± Ereka gave Sungjin a juicy piece of steak. ¡°Yummy.¡± ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m so happy. I cooked it to your taste.¡± ¡°You are right. It¡¯s perfect.¡± Smiling Ereka and happy Sungjin looked like an item. If there was a painter to paint the scene, the painter would have named the painting ¡°a luncheon of the conqueror and his queen.¡± Eustasia cut another piece of steak to feed Sungjin. ¡°I can¡¯t cook, but I can feed you.¡± ¡°Haha. Sure, I will eat it as well,¡± Sungjin smiled, as if he wouldn¡¯t let any of them feel lonely. With a princess on his right and a great general on his left, he looked like a powerful lion among beautiful lionesses. ¡°Sungjin Oppa, I will give you some cookies!¡± Rachel jumped on Sungjin¡¯sp with a long chocte stick in her mouth and put the other end of the stick in front of his mouth. ¡°Hey, where did you even see this?¡± Sungjinughed but took a tiny bite off the stick. ¡°Sungjin Oppa, here¡¯s mine.¡± Jenna came to him with a tiny cookie in her mouth. ¡°...Jenna... This cookie is way too small,¡± said Sungjin, only to make Ereka hide a little cherry that she was holding. If I tried with this cherry, would you think I¡¯m trying too hard? I could jump up on yourp as well... but maybe I¡¯m too heavy... Zakiya put a ss in her cleavage. ¡°I will offer you a drink.¡± The ss was full, but her tight breasts held it. It was a trick not many girls could do. ¡°Hey, there are kids here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I should teach them how to serve you when they grow up.¡± ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Pff. You are a conqueror of the continent but you¡¯re quite shy in this department.¡± ¡°I would say healthy.¡± Sungjin felt a bit troubled, but the heroes thought he was just enjoying himself with the girls. Soon we will attend a ceremony. For sure. He is old enough. Hmm. Since he can keep his youth for four hundred years, he doesn¡¯t have to rush to have kids.... Sungjin¡¯s kids would be vassals for his bloodline but not his sessors. But he is too old to spend his nights alone. He didn¡¯t have to marry every woman he slept with, but since he cherished his girls, and since the girls were old enough for marriage, the heroes thought a marriage or several marriages wereing. Would he marry them all at once? One by one? What would be the order? ¡°The saint is a bit young for marriage, but maybe he has slept with her already.¡± The noble heroes whispered to each other and talked about the royal customs. Sungjin knew what they were talking about. Sigh. I should take care of this first. He was the only one with his knowledge from Earth. This world had its own culture and its reasons for such a culture. He had to make his choice. Chapter 112

Chapter 112: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 2

That night. The party started during the day, but didn¡¯t cool down untilte at night. When the noble heroes started to talk about something other than Sungjin and his girls, Sungjin called his girls to a private room. ¡°There¡¯s something important I want to tell you.¡± Realizing what Sungjin was about to talk about, the girls became quite. Before the battle against the Golden Wise King Kapitle, Sungjin had told them that he would consider his future with them seriously, so he was about to share his thoughts. Is he... nning to get married now? Is he? Is he? With authority in his voice, he started to tell everyone formally, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it a lot. I¡¯m in Valha, and I was able to conquer this continent thanks to your help. It was really thanks to the connection we had.¡± It was not by himself; it was a result they all had achieved together, so it was more than just a one-on-one loving rtionship, which meant he couldn¡¯t talk about the rules from where he was from, to take only one and abandon the rest. He was now able to realize that he had alreadye too far for that. When he first arrived in Valha, he was just a pro gamer wannabe who was level 0, but now he was the conqueror of the continent, and the girls were counting on him. Some of them had even offered their everything to him. There was no one who would take the conqueror¡¯s women that he didn¡¯t take. He didn¡¯t want to make anyone unhappy, especially when they had given everything to him, so his responsibility was... not to follow the rules he had on earth but to make all of them happy with his great power. That was his decision. ¡°Then...¡± Ereka¡¯s eyes started to shine in expectation. She was not able to react to the word ¡°all¡± or anything else, since she was a girl from this world, where it was natural for a conquerer to have multiple women, so it didn¡¯t matter how many girls Sungjin would take. She understood that Sungjin wanted to concentrate on the battle and eliminate all causes of destruction, but she felt lonely when he wasn¡¯t around. Now that you¡¯ve finally conquered the continent... Other girls thought the same thing. Is he now nning to get married and have kids? They were already thinking of marriage, skipping the dating part. Marriage... The first... Our first night... To be on his arm and be his woman, that was the moment the girls were scared of but waiting for. They felt their hearts pound. ¡°But not now. I need more time.¡± Sungjin put down his ss. I will take everyone. That was what he had decided, but his body wanted to do it immediately. It always made him excited to have provocative and beautiful girls waiting for him right next to him, but there was something that he had to do first. ¡°To be an Arc Master, I need to conquer the center and the sacred area. Now is not the time.¡± His fight was far from over, and his fight was something that he had to be all in for. He didn¡¯t know how long it would take or how dangerous it would be. It was a rough path to take the girls he loved down. ¡°Are you going to?¡± Sungjin opened up to the girls. ¡°I was hesitating.¡± Should I stop here? I already have people who are counting on me. Maybe going on would be an irresponsible decision to make. It was his desire to ept the challenge and try. He was not sure if he could drag the girls into danger for his desire and ambition. ¡°But... I had two reasons that made me decide to keep going.¡± ¡°Two reasons...?¡± ¡°First, our continent is better now, but the extras living in the east and the west continent are miserable. What I heard from the sailors was despicable.¡± ¡°Yeah, you are right.¡± ¡°And I have a way to save them, right?¡± On earth it would have been impossible to have such a grand vision, but in this world, it was possible for him. I have power that might be enough to stop it. Would it be the right thing to do if I leave others in misery and just save my continent? ¡°Second, if I stop, my people will live four hundred years under merciful rulership, but I want to create a world where everyone is respected and treated correctly.¡± That was his dream: natural human rights. He was making his continent where people could live happily without abuse. He was able to do it under his rule¡ªat least for four hundred years. But what he wanted was a world where people had natural human rights. That¡¯s not something I can do, even as a king with absolute power. It was an impossible world where heroes had absolute power while the extras didn¡¯t have any power to fight. It was a world with a structure that made equality impossible, so, in order to change it, he had to be an Arc Master who could change the rules. ¡°You are right. That was what you wanted from the beginning.¡± ¡°... And there¡¯s one more reason.¡± ¡°Another reason?¡± ¡°Above all, knowing that there¡¯s an amazing fight waiting for me, I feel stuck just staying here. I¡¯m sorry, everyone.¡± He knew it was a reason that might be irresponsible, but he wanted to fight. ¡°Maybe my other reasons are just my excuses to move on to the next challenge.¡± That was the darkness of Sungjin: his strong desire to fight. He knew that his desire to continue fighting would make the girls unhappy, but he still wanted to go forward to the next challenge. Looking at Sungjin, Ereka told him with her warm smile, ¡°No, Sungjin. I think I know you. You are not someone who would try to hurt others only for your pleasure.¡± ¡°... Thank you.¡± ¡°And stopping while knowing there are a lot of people that you have to save wouldn¡¯t be you,¡± said Ereka, holding Sungjin¡¯s hand. ¡°I understand that it wasn¡¯t an easy decision because you need to take care of the people that you saved, but don¡¯t worry about us.¡± Ereka looked at everyone as if to ask, ¡°don¡¯t all of you agree with me?¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°We know that you are worried about us, but we want you to pursue your dream and go forward to the next challenge.¡± Her hand was soft and warm, and her words were even warmer. ¡°Ereka...¡± Sungjin was extremely impressed by Ereka¡¯s words. Eustasia added her hand on top of theirs with a bright smile. ¡°I agree. I¡¯m your knight and you are my king. When I made my oath, I told you to fly high, right?¡± ¡°I...¡± ¡°Were you thinking about keeping us here to rule the continent while you headed to the center by yourself?¡± ¡°... ¡± Eustasia knew what Sungjin was thinking, and Sungjin didn¡¯t know how to answer her, because it was his n. Without him, the order he had established could be chaos again, so he nned to assign the girls as rulers of the continent on his behalf. That was the solution Sungjin had thought of to protect his peoples¡¯ lives and the girls¡¯ safety. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the center and fight.¡± ¡°Me, too! I will join you guys, because I love you all.¡± Rachel added her hand as well with an innocent smile. ¡°And when we conquer the center, we can cure everyone living in other continents as well as our own. I think that would be the will of the goddess.¡± The saint told everyone that there would be no discrimination of the goddess¡¯s love among continents. ¡°I aming, too, where you two are going.¡± Jenna added her hand, as if she werepeting with Rachel. ¡°Hmph. We are already one body and soul, don¡¯t you think?¡± Zakiya said provocatively, and added her hand. Sungjin couldn¡¯t find his words for a while due to mixed feelings. He wanted to leave the girls because he knew there were a lot of dangers waiting for him. The center was an unknown territory. He didn¡¯t know what kind of challenges and difficulties were waiting for him. Until now, the enemies had challenged him, and he had no choice but to fight them because he wanted to protect his girls, but it was different this time. The continent was giving them a stable life. The girls didn¡¯t have to join him in this dangerous challenge. ¡°Thank you everyone.¡± He wanted to leave them behind but... Sigh... He was grateful that they wanted to join him... and deep inside... he wanted to be with them all. He wanted to leave them, but he also wanted to be with them. ¡°Yeah, we started this together, so let¡¯s stay together until the end.¡± Sungjin finally made his decision: it wasn¡¯t his responsibility to keep them somewhere safe but to win the fight to thank them all. In fact, it was rather against his responsibilities to tell the girls to stay behind and watch him fight. I will not forget today. I will remember this moment and win this. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°And when our challenge is over...¡± Sungjin continued with a strong voice, ¡°we will still be together.¡± That was the first promise he made, but it was a clear one. He made it clear that he wouldn¡¯t leave them feeling lonely. ¡°Yes!¡± The girls were happy. It wouldn¡¯t be today, but they didn¡¯t have to worry anymore because Sugnjin had just promised, and Sungjin hadn¡¯t promised it lightly. It had taken a long time for him to think about it, so they could trust his promise and feelfortable. ¡°Before we go to the center, we need to organize the system and appoint the representative.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°But tonight, let¡¯s just enjoy.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± From the first day until now, they had made a lot of memories to talk about, although they were happy to just talk about unimportant things as long as they were together. It didn¡¯t matter to them if the ce was just a field under the starlight or the party hall of the emperor. The next day, Sungjin announced that he would challenge the center. He also announced that he would prepare for six months to organize the system to provide security for the people, and he prepared thoroughly. The gap between the two social groups is huge. It won¡¯t be possible to keep the order forever when I¡¯m not here. He was trying hard, but he knew the limits of the situation. I won¡¯t n something impossible. All I need is time to conquer the center. Fortunately, it would be possible because his fight against Kapitle had filtered out the good heroes, which would keep the system stable for a while. And I¡¯ll conquer the center before the system fails and thene back to reorganize the system. It was a fight he couldn¡¯t lose. It was a fight he shouldn¡¯t start in the first ce if he couldn¡¯t win it. Chapter 1 Six monthster Sungjin was standing in front of the door to the center. The door was huge. The Valkyrie with golden wings stood in front of Sungjin. [You, the conqueror of the continent. Gods were watching your victory. This is the door of challenge that will take you to the center. Think again before opening the door. If you stop here, you can stay the ruler of the continent and live afortable life.] He was not a ruler of a country but of a whole continent. He had loving girls next to him to rule the continent with, and loyal servants and people who praised him. There was nothing he would miss more than living such a great life as an emperor. And four hundred years of youth was guaranteed. No emperor on Earth had such a blessing. Maybe it would be wise to stop here. ¡°Enough words. I¡¯m going forward,¡± Sungjin answered clearly but firmly. His eyes still chased the stars beyond this world. [Okay, but keep that in mind. Beyond this door are strong and legendary opponents who are beyond the level of your continent. If you get stuck on the battlefield, you can¡¯te back to this continent.] When trying to fly, one must expect to fall. ¡°So I should keep winning. Open it.¡± [You can bring only five people with you. Did you make your choice?] ¡°Of course.¡± Sungjin smiled and looked at his team standing behind him. Ereka, Jenna, Eustasia, Rachel, and Zakiya. They were his closest team members and had a special rtionship with him. He didn¡¯t ask them if any of them wanted to go back because it would be rude to try to reconfirm their decision now. [Gods watch upon your future.] The door opened. The bright light weed them, and they walked into it. The blinding bright lightsted for a while, and when it was gone, they realized they were standing in apletely different space. Chapter 113 - Episode 3

Chapter 113: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 3

There were numerous gigantic statues the size of skyscrapers with extremely detailed decorations. But the surprising thing wasn¡¯t their size or the details on them: most of the statues were up in the sky supporting evenrger buildings. An overbridge connected buildings in the sky. The floor of the bridge was golden, and the handrail was made of white silver, and there were animals with wings flying next to them. Looking at the scene, which was against thew of physics, made Sungjin speechless for a while. So this is the center, is it? There were two long paths in front of him. Each path led to two mysterious gigantic temples. Along the paths were several huge buildings. On the left path, there was a pure white temple with blooming flowers that reached to the sky, and on the right path, there was a golden temple of the same size decorated with jewels The Valkyrie came to them again. [Now that you are here, let me exin again.] The Valkyrie continued. [There are two guardians of the center. Each path will lead you to one of the guardians. The buildings on your way will give you food, training and rest, and each building will have a magic square for teleporting, so you can get around easily.] ¡°Two...¡± [You can challenge the guardians twice each. If you fail both times, that will be the end of your challenge, so be careful.] So the first time is to learn about the guardian, and on the second fight, I have to win. Sungjin¡¯s brain started to calcte quickly. And that¡¯s it... so, until now it was a league, but now it is a tournament? It was a tournament where there wasn¡¯t a constion round and where he couldn¡¯t go back with his result. It was his choice toe there, but it was a rough future that he had to face. Hmph. I will win this. That was the only way, not just for him but for the girls who came there for him. He felt his heart pounding to think of the strong guardians waiting for him. And there are only two. It won¡¯t take too long. As soon as he defeated them, he would be able to go back to the continent to take care of the people there. ¡°So who are those two?¡± [The two guardians are those who unified this world and challenged the gods. They were defeated and stuck here as a punishment. And those guardians will try to stop you.] When the Valkyrie revealed the identity of the two guardians, the girls were terrified. The enemies in the center... the legendary two Kaisers who were invincible... There were only two people who had won the power to rule the whole world in the history of Valha. They were undeniably powerful and legendary people. Unlike Kapitle or Pedrain, who had conquered one part of the world during a short amount of time, they were the strongest of the world throughout history. And they were staying here to stop the challengers... [If they win, they will get another chance as well. Gods are expecting a great battle.] The Valkyrie disappeared as soon as it finished the sentence, and Sungjin¡¯s girls became even more terrified. They will try their best... to get their second chance... They wouldn¡¯t let their guard down even for a second in order to get their second chance. The girls wondered if they had any hope in this fight. ¡°Hahahaha.¡± Sungjin¡¯sughter lightened up the heavy atmosphere around them. ¡°They are awesome opponents.¡± He looked back to see everyone. ¡°They are strong, but let¡¯s win this so the extras from other continents can live happily without abuse from the heroes.¡± Sungjin¡¯s words made the girls smile. His new opponents were much stronger, but Sungjin was a man who could take that challenge, and that¡¯s why the girls had followed him. There was no reason to be scared. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. So which way should we go first?¡± Sungjin looked at the two paths. One is silver, the other is gold. Two Kaisers... that¡¯s right. The history of Valha said that the first Kaiser opened the golden era and the second Kaiser opened the silver era. Those eras were a long time ago, and there was no clear record of the eras, and what records remained were not coherent, so it was difficult to know what kind of era they were. At least there are some records on the silver era, which was the recent one. Kaiser of white silver Varka. He was praised as the great emperor who ruled the world with order and peace and was called the symbol of merciful rulership. It was told that he took care of national affairs, and that his power was absolutely indisputable. ¡°He was invincible... Should we face the legend and check out how strong he is? Let¡¯s try the left first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was Sungjin¡¯s choice. The girls were happy to follow. They headed to the temple on the left side. The path had so many spectacles on the way that they actually enjoyed the walk and took their time. The buildings on their way provided heavenly services, just like the Valkyrie had told them. ¡°Huh...¡± Ereka tasted a dish and sighed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can cook anything better than this.¡± Endless food was provided but Ereka¡¯s concern was not the shortage of food. It was my little pleasure to cook for Sungjin... sigh. The pleasure she had in cooking for her guy would be challenging to find here. ¡°I kind of like the food here, but I prefer your dishes.¡± ¡°Really...?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t want to criticize Ereka¡¯s dishes, which were made with love and care, by taste and skill. Sungjin¡¯s kind words made Ereka blush. Sungjin... She was happy that he told her that. But I can¡¯t be happy with that. After the fight, I will analyze ingredients and techniques to cook something amazing for Sungjin. They walked for a while talking about insignificant things, but the important moment was before them. The gigantic temple stood in front of them. In the center of the pure white temple was a huge statue of a giant. The statue was made of pure silver without any dust on it. The giant sat on a throne with his right leg on his left leg and his head on his arm. He looked like he was in deep thought. Is it a semi-seated contemtive pose? The giant statue¡¯s eyes started to shoot rays of light to create a person in front of Sungjin. He was also in a semi-seated contemtive pose on the throne. With a crown decorated with jewels on his head, he wore a robe that looked like the royal robe of an emperor. It was a rare style here, but it was a familiar robe to Sungin. It looks like a royal robe from the empire of some Chinese historical drama. But it was difficult to define the era just by the look. Well, there¡¯s no reason that robe is from the China from my earth. Sungjin looked at the guy more closely. He was a middle-aged man with ck hair. His firm lips, thick eyebrows and sharp nose showed that he was a dignified man with strong faith. He was covering himself with his huge royal robe, but Sungjin was able to see that the body under the robe was well-trained just from ncing at its silhouette. He is a Kaiser who conquered an era. His body is strong from the battlefields. But it was strange, because Sungjin was not able to feel a strong energy. It was stronger than the energy from regr people, but it was less than what he expected from the legendary Kaiser. Well, I¡¯m sure you are hiding it. I shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover. Then, the guy opened his eyes. ¡°A new challenger... it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°You must have been bored?¡± ¡°Yes. It was a long time to wait.¡± ¡°Would you like to introduce yourself? No, let me start first.¡± As the one who was challenging him, Sungjin decided to be polite. He was the one who conquered the world before Sungjin, even if Sungjin was nning to defeat him, so Sungjin wanted to show his respect. ¡°I¡¯m Cha Sungjin. I conquered the southern continent to get the qualification to challenge the center. I¡¯m from earth. I was a yer who wanted to be a pro gamer. My current level is 1, and...¡± Sungjin pointed at him with his index finger. ¡°I¡¯m the one who will defeat you.¡± ¡°Earth... I miss that name.¡± ¡°What?¡± That surprised Sungjin and the girls. Is he... the former Kaiser who was from earth? Sungjin asked, ¡°Did youe from the earth as well?¡± ¡°Haha. I¡¯m not sure if my earth is the same as yours.¡± The guy smiled. ¡°That doesn¡¯t really matter. I, and the Kaiser before me, challenged here to be a god by the end of our reign only to fail and be stuck here as guardians. But I¡¯ve defeated five conquerors who challenged here. Now you are the sixth. When I defeat you, I will be able to change my ce with yours.¡± ¡°So, this could be your second chance that you won¡¯t miss?¡± Sungjin smiled to show him that it was what he wanted as well. ¡°But I¡¯m not wanting that chance.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I can just let you take over, depending on you.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± It was a good offer, but Sungjin frowned. He was expecting a fierce fight, and the withdrawal of his opponent was a disappointment, but it would be meaningless to push an opponent who didn¡¯t want to fight. ¡°There¡¯s one condition.¡± ¡°Ha. That¡¯s what I expected.¡± ¡°If you be the new Kaiser, you have to create the world that I wanted to create.¡± ¡°Ha. That¡¯s your condition.¡± Sungjin smiled as if he now understood everything, and Sungjin was able to understand him: he was someone who was a seeker of truth. What he wanted was to pursue his vision and follow his truth, not his victory... although that didn¡¯t mean he was an easy opponent. A seeker of truth would use everything to find his truth. ¡°So let me ask you: what is the world you want to create?¡± A few circles appeared on Varka¡¯s pupils. It looked like the loops to turn the world were in his eyes. ¡°Hmph. There¡¯s nothing to hide.¡± ¡°I will be an Arc Master to create a world of democracy with natural human rights,¡± Sungjin answered with his chest out. ¡°Democracy... is that what you want?¡± The loops started to shine in Varka¡¯s pupils. ¡°Do you know the word?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a system where the people take their own responsibility for their fate.¡± Is he really from earth? ¡°And that¡¯s why you want to be an Arc Master?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Bing a Kaiser wouldn¡¯t be enough to create such a world.¡± It was an impossible world when there was still an absolute power difference between the heroes and the extras. ¡°But there¡¯s a limit for regr people. You came here with your power, not with people¡¯s power.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that.¡± The people had tried to help him in histest fight. That was meaningful, and Sungjin was grateful for their help, but it only happened once, and... he would have won regardless, even without their help. A moving image appeared in front of Varka. ¡°People are stupid. When they have freedom, they use it to destroy themselves. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen it, if you are from Earth.¡± It was a country suffering from tyranny. People had to follow the freedomless rule of the tyrant made from steel and blood. They were able to eat, survive, and sleep under a roof, but that was it. A revolutionary force tried to bring democracy and freedom to the country, and finally... freedom came: the freedom of destruction. Tribes started a war among themselves. Social sses started a war among themselves. Religions started a war among themselves. The order kept by the tyrant was gone, and people killed themselves in chaotic civil wars. The result was famine and orphans who looked for their mothers in ruins. ¡°Do you think those kids wanted a vote or a house to live in with their parents?¡± Dead bodies were everywhere on the streets. Some had been beaten to death and some had been killed by diseases. ¡°People are stupid. Giving them freedom will only lead them to their destruction. Can¡¯t you see?¡± Varka asked Sungjin with a stern attitude. It was not a fiction, but Sungjin also saw it on the news and read it in history books.. ¡°What they really need is stability and order to survive and eat, not a chance to put a stamp on a piece of paper. So now, I ask you again: would you say leaving a child next to water is love or holding the child to keep it safe is love? You are beyond a normal human; why don¡¯t you try to control them for their well-being?¡± Chapter 114 - Episode 4

Chapter 114: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 4

Sungjin didn¡¯t know how to answer. This guy... knows what happened in my time? Sungjin thought it strange that the Kaiser from far before his time knew what happened in his age. No. Is he talking about his earth, which is different from my earth? But that wasn¡¯t the most important thing. The important thing was that he had pointed out something: did democracy really create the best result? Of course it had its problems, but was it the best existing system they had? It wasn¡¯t a story from long ago or a story from another world; it was what was happening on earth. The Republic of Korea was okay, but in Africa and the Middle East, there had been civil wars after revolutions for democracy. No, even in Korea, the politicians, who were voted in by the people, harmed the people quite often: democracy wasn¡¯t always the correct or best political decision. ¡°Yes, what you are talking about is what happened, I must admit.¡± ¡°You know that, and you¡¯re still pursuing the wrong way? Uncontrolled freedom only leads people to their own destruction,¡± Varka said firmly. People are like kids; they don¡¯t know what¡¯s right or wrong, and they can¡¯t see what¡¯s dangerous for them. Kids don¡¯t know what¡¯s best, but they think they do, so they be confused and think they¡¯re making the right decision, and that makes it more difficult to control them. Sungjin made eye contact with Varka and answered, ¡°But I also know that¡¯s not all.¡± ¡°Not all?¡± ¡°Yes. There are countries like you mentioned earlier, but there are more countries that are abused by tyrants. Absolute power always bes corrupted: that is the wisdom from my world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only when someone who doesn¡¯t deserve the power takes the power. How dare you desire to be on the top of the world without taking on its responsibilities!¡± Varka¡¯s shout tore through the air, and the strong pressure from Varka made Sungjin smile. Ha. This is the enemy I should face: the former Kaiser. Sungjin thought it was worth it to challenge him, and it wouldn¡¯t be enough to mention the danger of tyranny to convince Varka. There were many cases where great kings had showed true leadership that was better than quasi-democracy. Their leadership had led the country to peace and order. Of course, there were more cases where tyrants had ruined the country. The Kaiser Varka was the great king who was praised for opening the Silver Era for his people. He was the real-life case of ruling by philosophy proposed by to. Moreover, unlike on earth, where a great leader didn¡¯t mean a great sessor, in this world it was possible for a king to lead his country for a lifespan if he was willing to... The reward for unifying the continent is four hundred years of youth. I¡¯m sure the reward for being a Kaiser is much greater than that. Could anyway say that democracy was better than a millennial kingdom by a merciful king? ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Ready for what?¡± ¡°I might not be able to make a country that is better than a country ruled by a merciful king, but I¡¯m ready to lead the country to provide freedom and rights and make people use them properly without destroying themselves.¡± Sungjin¡¯s n wasn¡¯t to be an Arc Master to create a free equal world and simply disappear after distributing status and power; he wanted to be a god who would lead them and take care of them until the system became mature enough. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t rule with a power of a god? To make people mature? It¡¯s an impossible dream.¡± ¡°It is possible.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± People are imperfect, but Sungjin wanted to create a world of freedom and equality, while Varka simply thought people were stupid and wanted to rule them as a god. Their gaze was intense. ¡°So there¡¯s only one solution here: I should defeat you to rule this world again.¡± ¡°Ha. Okay. Let¡¯s fight to decide,¡± answered Sungjin with a smile. There was no point arguing anymore. ¡°Sure.¡± Varka stood up from his throne. The next moment, Sungjin realized why he hadn¡¯t been able to feel Kaiser¡¯s energy until then. Haha. Now I can see. Sungjin thought Varka was hiding his energy, but that wasn¡¯t it; he had never hid it. Sungjin hadn¡¯t been able to see his energy because it covered up the whole temple, just like when you walk into a mountain, you can¡¯t see the whole view. Sungjin was in Varka¡¯s hand, and Sungjin was able to feel Varka¡¯s overwhelming energy. Huh, great. That¡¯s the Kaiser that I feel like fighting against But Sungjin didn¡¯t know what kind of power he would face. Would he face a power that was greater than the Holy Pope Pedrian and the Wise King Kapitle? ¡°Open the battlefield.¡± The four sides of the temple closed and the space changed to be a battlefield. This is... Looking at the battlefield, Sungjin realized it wouldn¡¯t be an easy fight. It was a temple where everything was perfectly symmetrical. All the decorations were done with perfect symmetry on the wall, the ceiling and the floor. There were tworge halls on each end, and a narrow path connected them. The paths were decorated with geometric ornaments without human or animal shapes on them. Oval columns were on each wall, and there was a mysterious scent that came from somewhere. From far away, a faint bell sound rang in the temple. It looked like a temple that had been there for an eternity, more than a thousand years or even more. Facing Sungjin, Varka stood in the center of the round hall on the other side. He looked like the god the temple was dedicated to. But Sungjin was able to look through and understand the function of the battlefield. There was only one path connecting two halls, and the path was not very long. It is a battlefield where we need to fight with our pure power against each other. It was a simple and in battlefield where Sungjin couldn¡¯t use many of his ns, although he defeated his enemy in such a battlefield by catching him off his guard. Should I try first? It was not an advantageous battlefield for him, but he was determined to win this fight. The fight began. I have a lot of crystals to start with. He had enough crystals to use his artifact right away. Although it would be the same for Varka. Sungjin observed Varka to see how he would start the fight. Sungjin was with his six team members. On the other hand... Varka was standing alone. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you going to call your team?¡± When Sungjin asked that, Varka started to walk toward him slowly. He answered, ¡°A leader has to be alone. When you need a team, that makes you imperfect.¡± ¡°Hmph. You are going to keep your faith. Sure, but my teammates and I are together until the end, so don¡¯tin.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Losers are losers no matter how many people are gathered under the loser pretending to be a true leader.¡± Varka ignored the turret on his way and got closer to Sungjin, and that made Sungjin smile. Haha. It¡¯s getting interesting. This was the center. The Holy Pope or the Golden Wise King were stronger than all this army, but they still brought their army with them. It was better to have a bit of support to achieveplete victory. Hmm, I read the legend that he was a superhuman king who took care of everything by himself, so I assumed he would be strong enough to fight us by himself, but... But Sungjin hadn¡¯t expected him toe to fight by himself. Great. That meant that Varka was sure of his power, and Sungjin was happy with such a challenge. It was a six-on-one fight, but that didn¡¯t make Sungjin loosen up his guard. So, let¡¯s see what kind of skills you¡¯ll use. Sungjin had already thought of the possibility that he would be defeated in the first fight. The first fight was an engagement in reconnaissance, but Sungjin didn¡¯t n to just give this one to Varka. He nned to fight back with his everything ording to the circumstances, so that even if he lost, he would know everything about his opponent. Unlike his enemy with high level and strong skills, Sungjin¡¯s strength was his n, so his second fight would be his real fight, and this first fight would be the groundwork for his real fight. I should take his first skill without using Ereka¡¯s Aegis, if possible. He wanted to save Aegis to fight back Varka¡¯s ultimate skill. If that would be impossible, he nned to use all their skills to make Varka use his ultimate skill to learn about his skills and power. How shall Imand this? To make his perfect judgement, Sungjin¡¯s eyes started to shine even sharper. They finally faced each other. Sungjin¡¯s team started to move. When they started to try to use their skills, Varka stopped them all. ¡°I don¡¯t need those small things.¡± His explosive energy filled the temple. It wasn¡¯t an explosion, though. It was a calm yet endless weight that covered the sky and the ground at the same time. It was like god¡¯s hand covering up the whole world... Is he trying to use his ultimate skill already? Sungjin made his decision. Even if this was not his ultimate skill, he didn¡¯t have much choice. ¡°Ereka! Aegi...¡± But he couldn¡¯t even finish hismand. Although Sungjin didn¡¯t finish his words, Ereka decided to use Aegis, but she couldn¡¯t. Varka¡¯s skill was faster. The light was already covering up the ground and making a circle around Varka. The circle was made with multiple concentric circles and covered not only the battlefield but the whole horizon. In the circle of light were holy letters that were the symbol of the Universe. The circles started to turn like wheels. Each letter represented different spirits and started to shine in gold light. And in the center was a king of the world with four huge letters around him. And there were eight huge letters around the four letters. And there were countless letters around them. It was a Mandara that was the symbol of the Universe. The Mandara was beyond the concept of strength and weakness. It was simply transcendent. There was an absolute order in it. ¡°The Front Wheel of the Universe.¡± That was the name of the skill that Varka showed. Sungjin and his team were not able to move a finger in the absolute order of Mandara. They couldn¡¯t even fight against it, and their skills were sealed by it. Durandal, Aegis, the Honeydew Bottle, the Holy Magical Sword Dawn Bringer. All the magical weapons were separated from their owners and fell down on the ground to fall asleep. Their bodies were also sealed. Sungjin wasn¡¯t able to use any of his martial arts. Ugh. He couldn¡¯t even moan. His body was paralyzed, and he couldn¡¯t even move his mouth. Sungjin and his team were captured by the Mandara of light and were perfectly neutralized. Defeat was not a good enough word to describe it; it was beyond domination. Transcendent was the only word that could describe the situation. It was their first fight in the center. Their first opponent was the Kaiser Varka, who used to be the conqueror of the world. He was also a merciful king who ruled the Universe with order. Sungjin and his team couldn¡¯t do anything in front of him, but were neutralized. This is... the ultimate skill of the Kaiser of White Silver. Sungjin had to admit his greatness. He created the order around him to make the world¡¯s rule under him, and imprisoned his opponents to make it impossible for them to do anything. It was an absolute order. It was not a magic square or a closed space. Sungjin and his team had to admit that Varka was a next-level opponent that they had never seen before. It was beyond the concept of strength. It was something that they had never experienced. ¡°Now you see? This is the power that I achieved in order to rule the world. You don¡¯t even have the strength to fight this, yet you tell me human beings can be better?¡± Ugh. I want to say something back, but there¡¯s nothing I can say. The only thing Sungjin could do was think. ¡°I was able to rule the normal people with the right regtions, but some special souls like you needed a special way of ruling.¡± Varka raised his hand. ¡°You. You are trying to give the destruction called freedom to the people with your mere power to conquer a continent.¡± Crack. Crack. The space above Sungjin¡¯s head tore open, and energy sparkled around the crack. Sungjin was able to see the endless space though the tiny crack. ¡°I will rule you with my own hand.¡± The next moment, a huge hand came from another dimension to snatch Sungjin up. ¡°Seal the Devil from the Western Sky!¡± Sungjin¡¯s body remained, but his soul was forcefully separated from his body. Sungjin! The girls were still trapped in the Mandara. They couldn¡¯t do anything but watch as the hand took Sungjin away and threw his soul into the endless space. Chapter 115 - Vol. 5 – Episode 5

Chapter 115: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 5

Ugh. Sungjin fell down into an unknown space. His hand disappeared, and the space closed up. ¡°Forget about all your illusions and rx in the world that I created,¡± said Varka in a voice of authority. [The battle is over. The challenger is defeated.] The Valkyrie announced in a voice without any emotion, and the battlefield disappeared. ¡°Sungjin!¡± The girls were finally able to move. They ran to Sungjin, but he didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Sungjin...¡± Ereka held his body. He is still breathing. His eyes were closed, and his body wasn¡¯t moving, but he still had the reaction of a living body. He fell into a state of suspended animation. It was not like any regr defeat. He was not back. Is your soul really ripped from your body? There was no second chance that the Valkyrie told them about. Varka¡¯s skill had found the weak point of the rule and had sealed Sungjin¡¯s soul during the first fight. ¡°His soul went to where it is supposed to be. His body will lose its life and will fall back to dust. You should drop your illusions and let him go.¡± Ereka looked at Varka with eyes filled with tears. ¡°If you call my feelings for Sungjin an illusion, I will keep my illusion. Sungjin wille back.¡± ¡°Come back... Look what happened to his soul.¡± A moving image came up among Varka and the girls. Chapter 2 In the world that Varka showed them, there was a huge city in the center and six cities around it, and those six cities were surrounded by seventy-two small cities, and there were towers that fit each city¡¯s size. Each city had its own bnce with buildings and roads ced ording to a n. Looking down from the sky, the ce didn¡¯t look like a ce that was sealed. It was clean and beautiful. It was not an abyss in darkness or a burning hell. Then the moving image started to show the small city among therger cities. The city was cleanly organized around the tower in the middle. The river running around the city was spotlessly clean with fish, and there was a bridge where cars with cargo moved around in perfect order. It was a ce with perfect order unlike cities on Earth. People worked hard, and robots moved around to monitor people instead of police officers, but everyone followed the order, and there wasn¡¯t much for the robots to do. There was no trash on the street, and all the waste was perfectly sorted. It looked like an ideal city that every country on Earth would like to have, and in the middle of it, Sungjin was standing there. He looked like a newly joined mechanic with his working clothes, tool box, and a driver in his hand. A passerby bumped into Sungjin, who was standing with vacant eyes. ¡°Excuse me.¡± The passerby politely apologized for his tiny mistake. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Sungjin slightly bowed politely to answer him. And on the back of their heads... were chips around three centimetersrge... Countless legs from the ck chips pierced their skin to reach their brains.That was the only abnormal thing in the perfect ce. After apologizing, Sungjin started to think. Why am I standing here? Who am I? There was an order in his head. Your duty is to tighten up the screws on the box in front of you. Tighten up the screws? I¡¯m sure I have other things to do... ¡°Ugh.¡± Do it. With the firm order, Sungjin felt a strong pain. To avoid the pain, Sungjin started to move reflexly. He followed the order and opened the box to tighten the screws. When he started to do it, an unknown pleasure went through his whole body. ¡°Ahh.¡± A substance from the chip stimted his brain to give an iparable pleasure. The name of the substance was ¡°soma.¡± It was a mystical substance that gave endless pleasure. To keep the pleasure, Sungjin kept tightening the screws, but while following the order, he tried to find out who he was. He was a mechanic working in the area to manage the maintenance of the boxes. He was trained to do it, and enough food and afortable bed were provided as long as he worked. And he was able to get soma to feel happiness. But I¡¯m sure there¡¯s more that I should remember... Don¡¯t I have a past that I should remember? You are a mechanic working in this area. Fulfil your duties. Don¡¯t get distracted by daydreams. With the order, he felt the merciless pain again. Ugh. With the pain, he couldn¡¯t keep thinking, so he couldn¡¯t remember anything even if he tried to think of something from his past. His memory of his past was sealed and hidden. Pain and pleasure. Pain was what people wanted to avoid, and pleasure was what they wanted. Every time Sungjin tried to think of his past, he felt pain, and when he followed the order, he felt pleasure. To avoid the pain, Sungjin followed the order. He couldn¡¯t remember who he was or anything from his past, so the best thing he could do was follow the order and adapt himself to the situation. The pleasure and happiness from the soma took away his determination to try and think of his past that he couldn¡¯t even remember. His soul with its stolen past was tamed to the world he was locked in to. ¡°See? He is no longer the conqueror of the continent. He is just another citizen who follows the orders of my world.¡± ¡°Sungjin!¡± Ereka cried out his name, holding Sungjin¡¯s hand. Sungjin suddenly stopped his driver. Creak. He recalled a girl under the sun with shiny blonde hair. Her body was perfectly bnced with beautiful breasts and a slim waist. Her hip was curvy and linked to her soft thigh. It was a girl who was graceful and beautiful. Who...? When Sungjin tried to remember more about the beauty, an extreme pain stopped him. ¡°Ugh.¡± And the pain erased the clue he was about to have. What was that? Why such pain... He couldn¡¯t remember what he had been thinking. All he knew was that he was thinking about something that was not appropriate. What he had to do was tighten the screws in front of him. I should hurry up. If he couldn¡¯t meet the quota, he would get less soma. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Eustasia shouted in anger. He recalled a girl with beautiful silver hair and straight posture. Her eyes looked like shiny moons. Her body under her armor was fit like a beautiful lioness and trained like a shiny sword. Creak. Another extreme pain stopped his thoughts again. ¡°Sungjin oppa...¡± ¡°Your Highness...¡± Rachel and Zakiya called out Sungjin¡¯s name. He recalled two girls again. One was a girl with eyes like the dark sky and a cute short hairstyle. Her smile was warm and kind but the little girl was not just young. With her hands together as if she were praying, she looked like a saint. Her tiny body was lovely and cute, but her merciful smile looked after everyone. The other girl was a more mature woman with passionate red hair. Her breasts were big and curvy, and her waist and hip line suggested a hot night. Her sun-kissed skin was sexy and had a provocative rose scent. She was a beauty no man could resist. Who are...? Creak, creak, creak. Stop thinking. Think of your duties. Think of your calling. The extreme pain made Sungjin go unconscious for a second. When Sungjin regained consciousness, he started to question things again. Why such pain... Creak. Ugh... There was nothing he could remember. He thought he had remembered something, but he couldn¡¯t remember anything about it anymore, just like an adult who had forgotten everything from when he was one year old. It¡¯s useless to think about that. I should... work. That¡¯s correct. He received soma again. Ah... He hadn¡¯t even finished his work, but he was rewarded for having correct thoughts. The pleasure that went through his body erased all of his unnecessary thoughts. All he was able to think about was finishing his job to feel the pleasure again. ¡°Sungjin...¡± ¡°You guys are truly connected. I didn¡¯t expect you to shake his sealed memories from beyond the dimension. But it doesn¡¯t mean anything. He doesn¡¯t have much time left.¡± Varka pointed to a golden circle with twelve letters on Sungjin¡¯s chest. Half of the letters had already lost their light. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°This shows the time left for his body. When all the lights are gone, his body in this world will disappear and his soul will live in his new body in my world for eternity. So you guys should give up and go back to your world. That¡¯s the mercy I am giving you.¡± ¡°Not yet! It¡¯s not over yet. Sungjin wille back!¡± ¡°That¡¯s an illusion. Then watch him until the end.¡± Sungjin was working hard to tighten the screws. Next area is A4 and then C3. His brilliant brain tried hard to follow the dear leader¡¯s orders. He obeyed all the orders and didn¡¯t think. He obeyed to not feel the pain but also for the reward. The chip on the back of his head sparkled. His correct thought made the chip provide pleasure substance to his brain. Happiness and satisfaction spread all over his body. It was a mystic substance that gave everything that people needed to feel happiness, and that made Sungjin smile with happiness. If he obeyed and followed the order, the chip would give him the substance as a reward. It was so satisfying. ¡°Ah...¡± When his happiness from the soma ended, his body trembled for a second, feeling badly now that the happiness was over. He wanted to feel that happiness again, and he knew what to do to feel it again. The next area. He didn¡¯t have to think. All he had to do was work hard, rest during his break time, eat when he had to, and sleep when he was ordered to. All he had to do was follow the given schedule and follow the orders from the dear leader. Just like other citizens, he became a model citizen and became satisfied with his present. No. He was a true model citizen who worked hard with his brilliant brain. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Thest lighted letters on Sungjin¡¯s body started to fade. ¡°Sungjin!¡± ¡°And without him, I will rule Valha again. But don¡¯t cry. He is happy.¡± He was happy. Not as a conqueror of the continent or a challenger of the center but as a model citizen who worked as a mechanic. His brain didn¡¯t have to think of anything else... He was one of the citizens who worked hard to avoid pain and get more pleasure. That was Sungjin now, and that was his future. When he got more soma, Sungjin looked happy, just like Varka said he did. Now he would live in simple happiness without any concern for dangerous battles orplicated state affairs. It was real nirvana. ¡°If you really care for him, let him go.¡± There was no other way... Thest light disappeared. The seal waspleted. ¡°Sungjin!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sungjin felt a slight tingle in his heart and frowned, but it was brief. Pleasure filled his senses. With the happiness the substance was giving him, Sungjin stopped thinking and enjoyed the pleasure. All his five senses were satisfied. He had no concerns. Everything was fulfilled. He was truly happy. It was the blessing of the dear leader. I will follow his order forever. When he promised himself this, the chip rewarded him with more soma. It was a reward for having the correct thought. ¡°Ahh...¡± Sungjin was thankful for the kind pleasure that went through his body and soul for thinking something he was supposed to. Endless happiness. There was nothing to worry about. Chapter 116 - Vol. 5 Ep. 6

Chapter 116: Vol. 5 Ep. 6

¡°Not yet!¡± The light from Sungjin¡¯s chest shone bright once more. Ereka kissed Sungjin on his lips deeply, and, ording to the kiss, her life force floated out of her and into Sungjin. But, like Sungjin, a simr circle appeared on her chest. ¡°Ha. To share your life force. Is your rtionship that deep?¡± Varka shook his head, impressed. ¡°But he has the fate of a wingless eagle on a leash, so what¡¯s the point?¡± Sungjin¡¯s spirit had been erased with his memories, and he had been reduced to stupidity, that the best he could do was beg for some wine. Even if he had once been an eagle soaring across the sky, he was now simply a chicken in a chicken coop who could only beg for the feed from the jailor¡¯s hand. It was the aftermath of a person who had risen to a position that was not his. ¡°There will be losses as well as victories, but it is true strength to ovee turbulent times. I trust Sungjin. He only needs some time. I will buy that time for him.¡± ¡°Do as you wish, and despair ordingly.¡± ¡°I will not give up.¡± Sungjin. I believe in you. Ereka grabbed Sungjin¡¯s hands. She trusted him. There was no reason to. There was no proof to. She simply trusted him because she loved him, so her duty was to protect Sungjin¡¯s body until he returned. She deeply pressed her lips onto Sungjin¡¯s one more time. I¡¯ll share my life force with you. A body without a soul was bound to dry up without the means to produce its own energy. The only way to keep the body alive in its vegetative state was to share the life force of another continuously. She would protect his body until he returned. Sungjin¡¯s soulless body greedily reacted to Ereka¡¯s body with the goal of fulfilling his emptiness by deepening the kiss between them. Lips shed against lips. Sungjin¡¯s tongue sought her body. Two hands grasped onto her while he tried to suck out her tongue. Ereka opened herself up without reluctance and gave away all of her life energy as needed. I had hoped for a romantic first kiss, but... Ereka smiled calmly despite the tears dripping down her face. She had imagined that her first kiss with Sungjin would be more romantic and more passionate while locked in an embrace. This wasn¡¯t the kiss she had dreamed of. It was a kiss shared with a soulless body. Sungjin, I¡¯ll be waiting. ¡°You¡¯re delusional,¡± Varka said. He was confident that everything was done and over with. The scene before him was simply confusion brought on by disbelief and reluctance to ept the facts. Chapter 3 Sungjin was stabilized. He was no longer tormented by pain. Days ofpleting the work given, following orders, and being satisfied by the daily achievements, continued. Ereka¡¯s faith wavered, and she found herself reaching her limit. Even if she had a high level, there was a limit to her ability to maintain the optimal body. Varka dered solemnly. ¡°It¡¯s soon.¡± Timeout. The once majestic eagle was now a broken-winged chicken. The once roaring lion was now a well-trained cat from pain and rewards. There was only one light left in Ereka¡¯s chest. ¡°You¡¯ve proved your dedication. No one will deny that you¡¯ve kept your faith. What would be the point in bringing about your own death? Give up.¡± At Varka¡¯s words, Ereka looked at Sungjin. She had waited for a long time and had burned out her own life, but Sungjin hadn¡¯t moved at all. Even if she were to add thest light in her chest, it was likely that nothing would change. Ereka acknowledged Varka¡¯s words. ¡°I see. That¡¯s true.¡± She had done her duty. Others would have said the same thing. Any other lover would have said that she had been a dedicated woman. ¡°Yes. Now stop.¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right.¡± Ereka hugged Sungjin¡¯s lifeless body closer to herself. ¡°That¡¯s why, from now on, my choice has nothing to do with duty.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°From now on, my love will be the cause of my sacrifice.¡± She may not be repaid. Perhaps Sungjin had been truly consumed by the enemy¡¯s grand world and would never return. Even still... ¡°It is my wish to give him even the smallest opportunity by burning up my life force.¡± Ereka moved herst life force into Sungjin. It wasn¡¯t morality. Or duty. It was simply... her desire to give herst to Sungjin. Sungjin... Her confidence wavered at Varka¡¯s words that he¡¯d never return. She was anxious that nothing would happen, even after burning out herst life force. Still... If it was for Sungjin, she wouldn¡¯t mind giving herst. She wouldn¡¯t mind, but... Sungjin... Please... Wake up. Sungjin surveyed the area he had been assigned to. Today¡¯s n to gather thergest amount of soma would be... It was then that a strange event interrupted the peaceful and orderly quietness of the city. Arge siren roared. Unidentified chip. Scanning. Unidentified chip. Arresting. Beep. Beep. Sungjin¡¯s eyes went toward the source of the siren and were immediately captivated by the sight before him. The scene was so beautiful that he forgot all about gathering soma. Her ck hair, which was pinned up, possessed a calming shine. Her skin was soft and silken. Skin sweeter than the ripest peach flowed from the top of her body to the bottom. Her clothes, which were of oriental design and made with silk, looked pretty regardless of the time or age because of its grand design. She looked like an angel ying the pipa as she walked. She was beautiful. Sungjin silently observed her. She also had something else to her beauty. If that was the only thing she had, she would have been simply beautiful. She... Was fighting. Robots armed with stun guns rushed toward her in masses. Her body looked so frail it seemed as if it would break apart with a single shot. And what could a woman with a pipa do? But she did do something. Her thin fingers thrummed against the pipa. The heavens rang, and the air vibrated as the robot¡¯s arm came down. Has she used the sound as a weapon? Even from afar, his brain had begun to calcte the possibility. Who is she? Her fingers flew more quickly, and the following music pped its wings vibrantly. The robots that were following the sound broke one by one. ¡°Leave! Dogs of Varka! I will never quail!¡± Sungjin swallowed his surprise at her words. She will be punished for saying that. Doesn¡¯t she fear pain? How could she say that? But she didn¡¯t stop and instead cut across the multitude of robots before her with her pipa. Her body was frail, but her fighting was amazing. She had an invisible sword whose strikes could not be seen. She¡¯s pretty. Her steps, which cut across the bodies of the robots, flowed beautifully alongside her music, as if she were only taking a walk. Her feet moved simply and delicately, but she had miraculously avoided all the attacks. She¡¯s predicting the enemy¡¯s movements... No, she¡¯s guiding their attacks. Sungjin saw through her movements. Amazing. But... it could be disrupted. If she kept moving like that, the enemy could read her movements instead, and if they ever came up with a trap... but the robot could not make such calctions. It only ran forward with more numbers on its side. But that was also working. Over one dead robot, two more appeared. More was better than less. She could avoid and attack, but she finally reached her limit against the waves of robots. Pzzt. The stun gun hit her squarely. ¡°Ah!¡± Her entire body shook in pain. ¡°Stand back!¡± She ripped out all of her strings at once. [Vibrate Through All] With a circr impact, tens of robots were crushed. It was a strength that was impressive to see. But right after, she panted in pain. In that moment, robots attacked once more. ¡°Ahh!¡± Stun guns pinned her down, and her elegant stance crumbled under its pressure. How unfortunate. The scene of violence against one person was wrong. Arrestplete. Return to position. Adding new chip. Several robots returned to their position and only a few remained to arrest her. ¡°You foolish things... Who dares... I... I refuse... To be the ve... of some chips... I will remain a free person...¡± the girl murmured, but the robot steadily held onto her. The robot pressed down on her thin body without her consent, and she shook. She wouldn¡¯t be able to fight back no matter what she tried. A robot approached from far away with a chip in hand. Can they do that even if she refuses? Sungjin questioned the sight before him. The chip blessed them with soma, but at the same time, it punished them when they didn¡¯t follow orders. The beautiful girl was refusing it. It could be foolish considering the wisdom the Soma grants. But... that was one¡¯s decision and freedom. Wasn¡¯t it a vition of privacy to force it on her? Should she be punished for refusing it? She had not hurt anyone, but had simply stood up for herself. Weren¡¯t the region¡¯s robots at fault? Pzzt. Argh. Pain overwhelmed his mind. Cease those thoughts. Everything is granted under the wisdom of our ruler. The ruler is always correct. The voice inside his head told him how to avoid the pain. And Sungjin¡¯s brain was trained to react in a certain way towards these kinds of situations. There was no need to suspect the region¡¯s lord. He med himself for doubting the ruler. His actions all had a reason and purpose. The girl would be blessed to receive the blessing of the soma through that chip. I should return to my station and work. And as soon as he thought that, soma spread throughout his body. The wrong was righted and the good was rewarded. He was satisfied by the simmering pleasure running through his body. ... It was meant to be so, as long as he did as the chip ordered, but this time, Sungjin refused to avoid the pain, even though it was painful. His questions could not be stopped, even if he didn¡¯t receive pleasure, and even if the pain grew stronger. Even if he didn¡¯t get the ¡°answer¡± within him, he couldn¡¯t pretend to ignore the sight. If injustice was happening before his eyes, he had to observe it. It was his instinct soaring beyond the brainwashing of the chips that had been imnted. The girl refused the chip, and, to such a girl, the robot had violently tried to force the chip on her. In the meantime, she was hurt and her opinion was rejected. Was that right? Don¡¯t think about it. Grip. No, he had to think, no matter how sick it made him. Did the girl really get punished? Could one just im one¡¯s freedom? Could it be trampled on? Gasp. No. If something wrong was happening, should he turn away to avoid the pain? That shouldn¡¯t be. Above all, the girl reminded him of something in many ways. Remember... Who? Someone he wanted to protect... Girls? Girls? Who? Chapter 117 - Vol. 5 Ep. 7

Chapter 117: Vol. 5 Ep. 7

The image of a girl embracing the sun appeared in his memories again. A beautiful girl with golden skin. But her beauty didn¡¯te from her appearance. What made her shine was her desire to protect her people, and her determination to fight against the threat to her country. Although she was also a girl who wished to be normal and happy, she gave up everything and sacrificed herself to protect her people. Her appearance, which was pitiful and beautiful, had made him feel protective. ¡°Ereka?¡± Her name came to him quite naturally. Ah... Ereka... She was there. He had wanted to protect her and love her. Even amidst his lost memories, that truth came to mind very clearly, and when one returned, another followed: a young and bright mage clutching onto Ereka¡¯s sleeve. Unlike her cute appearance, she had been rough, but she was a child who cried for those she had been unable to protect. A child. Jenna. There was one more. A silver-haired female warrior. Exmations followed where her flying swords led, and her strategies were good enough to be praised as the best of the four countries. I had wished to make her my teammate because of her talents and beauty. But she was not simply a talented general. She was an unfortunate woman who had begged her king to protect the people. He remembered. Her name was Eustasia. There was another. A naive and weak girl. A girl who was younger than the previous girls. Despite the numerous curses ced upon her body, she was a holy maiden who healed others before her own pain. But a secretly tearful and lonely child. He had forgotten about protecting her. There was also a seductive and amazing woman. A woman with a dancer¡¯s body. An unfortunate woman who cried inwardly, missing her brother¡¯s presence. He had thought to heal her pain and protect her, too. Zakiya... He had gathered them all. And had challenged the strong enemies to create his ideal world with them. Do not remember A wave of pleasure washed over him, seeing that he did not respond to the torture. It was the highest level of soma that could be granted. Do not concern yourself. Leave your destiny in the hands of the given wisdom. A pleasure that ran through every nerve in his body tried to make him faint once again. It was a warning that he wouldn¡¯t be able to feel such happiness if he kept thinking. Wasn¡¯t it scary to be absent of such pleasantries? His body, which had be ustomed to soma, trembled in fear and pleasure. But... I need to keep thinking. Even in the midst of his pleasure, Sungjin kept thinking. Because there was someone being stepped on before him. He couldn¡¯t ignore her for his own happiness. He had to think about whether the girl should be treated that way. Our ruler is the absolute justice. No. Justice or not, he couldn¡¯t ignore this, even in pain or pleasure. Because he... he... had people he needed to protect. He remembered the girl¡¯s faces one by one that had been submerged in his memory, memories that had been sealed when he was thrown into this world. Ereka. Eustasia. Jenna. Rachel. Zakiya. How could he have forgotten, even in spite of his promises to protect them? Crack. Cra... craack. Pain rampaged around his body, trying to make him faint, but his awakened mind refused to break. As if he had reached a critical point, various scenes passed by his mind. Various information rose and disappeared in a flow. The influx of information made him dizzy, but his brilliant mind absorbed everything. His brain, now with a purpose, tried to recall everything and recovered the happenings on earth, the events after Valha, and several other events. Are you abandoning infinite happiness and returning to depravity? Depravity? No, that was a part of him: to save others, to challenge others, and to find special rtionships, and the depravity and determination that stemmed from those experiences. That was him! Blood flew. His skin was broken. ¡°Haa. Haa.¡± And the chip was ripped out. Sungjin grasped the chip, and electricity flew across his hand. ¡°How noisy. How dare a meager object attempt to order me around.¡± He was not going to be defeated by such a thing. Ha. What a mess. The lion raised his head. ¡°You humiliated me.¡± Sungjin looked at the sky. ¡°Fine. This kind of humiliation is befitting of my defeat. I won¡¯t contest that. But there will not be a second time. I challenge you again!¡± The lion raised his fist towards the sky and roared. ¡°I will escape this ce! And return to beat you!¡± He had people who he had promised to protect, after all. * * * He had a goal to achieve. A responsibility to fulfill. That was the reason behind his decision for a real life. It was because he didn¡¯t fear such pain that he didn¡¯t beg for pleasures and betray himself. He was Cha Sungjin, someone who would be the Arc Master of Valha! ¡°Wait for me for just a bit more. I¡¯ll return to apologise if I¡¯ve made anyone cry for my pathetic loss.¡± It was the beginning of a counter-attack. ¡°Sungjin,¡± Ereka cried. Thest bit of light was flickering in her chest, but she smiled. Her faith had not been wrong. Sungjin had woken up. Please... Forgive me for doubting you. But she did not have enough time to give him everything she had. Suddenly, Eustasia grabbed her hand. ¡°Leave the rest to me.¡± ¡°Eustasia.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t just your duty. It¡¯s all of ours.¡± And she smiled refreshingly as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. ¡°Huhu. I was nning to say something cool, but didn¡¯t expect it would be you I¡¯d say it to. It¡¯s fine. You should share some of the responsibility with us.¡± A chance to do something for him. ¡°Yes.¡± Ereka smiled in return as she handed over Sungjin¡¯s body. Varka¡¯s eyebrow twitched. To think he¡¯d break out of his leash. I suppose he is a lion even when thrown into mud. It¡¯s human instinct to seek joy rather than pain. It¡¯s natural for a person who¡¯s lost his memories to follow the rules of his surroundings, but to think he wouldn¡¯t ignore the ¡°pain of others.¡± He had stood up to resist the pain and pleasure despite his memory loss. That alone was one side of Sungjin that he had not known. It¡¯s the end. It was a world run by the rules he created, but at the same time, even though he was the ruler and the source of the rules, he couldn¡¯t control everything. That was why Sungjin, a resistance fighter, was forced to be a prisoner. Or was it not a ¡°coincidence,¡± but a result of his women¡¯s prayers? If they had given up on him, he wouldn¡¯t have walked into this moment. But it was a meaningless resistance. Even if Varka had cut off the leash of where his soul was residing, he was still in the world he had created. Even if one was locked in a huge prison and barked for freedom, the sound would not go over the fence. He can try, and realize how futile his actions are. After all, a flimsy dream can produce nothing. His women were just wasting their time, because the order of his world did not exist only by control through chips... The real challenge was from now on. Chapter 4 Sungjin moved quickly and rushed over to the robot who had caught the girl. Beep! Beep! [Without chips. Search.] [Without chips. Arrest.] The siren rang loudly, and the robot trying to execute the chip on the girl hit Sungjin first. Vicious fists and guns were aimed at him at the same time. ¡°Ha, the actions are at an AI level.¡± Sungjinughed lightly, avoiding both attacks, and returned to the robot¡¯s back. It¡¯s a pity that I don¡¯t have a holy sword. Instead, there was a driver in his hand. It would have been indignant to throw it, which was a symbol of humiliation, as a normal rebellion. Sungjin smiled at him and held his hand and turned a screw on the back of the robot. Attacking the enemy¡¯s supplies are the basics of war. ording to the Art of War, one supply ind taken from enemy camps was worth ten inds. He was going to reveal what kind of weapon a driver could be in his hand. The robot turned back and aimed at him again. However, it was a preputed move for Sungjin. The driver moved brilliantly in a row. Even though there was no force to cut the steel, it could unscrew the back of the robot. All four screws were loosened, and one of the back tes was opened by Sung Jin. It was aplex and sophisticated control panel. Sungjin drove the driver into its control panel. Pzzt. At that moment, electricity fizzled and the panel broke. The robot stopped with a chattering sound. ¡°An isted driver is more useful.¡± Praising the opponent¡¯s tools, Sungjin turned to the girl. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He removed the robot¡¯s arm and released her. ¡°Who are you?¡± Her whole body looked torn, but the voice remained unchanged elegance. The elegance of an oriental nobleman came naturally. ¡°I¡¯m Cha Sungjin. I¡¯ll tell you the detailster, and since it¡¯s clear that we have the same enemy, all you should know is that I¡¯m just a guy who¡¯d saved you.¡± ¡°Sungjin. Okay. My name is Sooryun. The rest I¡¯ll exin after the escape... ... . ¡± ¡°Can you walk?¡± ¡°Yes, somehow.¡± That said, she made as if to stand, but staggered, as her legs were weak. ¡°Impossible. Leave it to me now. ¡± Sungjin gathered her right away. ¡°Oh, this... ... This is... ... inappropriate... ... . ¡± She became shy and pushed Sungjin¡¯s chest away, but Sungjin did not let go. ¡°There will be many situations from now on. Do you know what¡¯s the priority of escape safely?¡± He persuaded her strongly. It was not time for courtesies. ¡°... ... Yes, but you will have a hard time moving with me. ¡± ¡°Do not worry. It¡¯s not a big burden. You¡¯re lighter than I expected.¡± Sungjin smiled and hugged her with one hand. It was true. A little more than Rachel. But much lighter than Ereka or Eustasia. It had to be because she had a slower growth as a part of the yellow race. Above all, he couldn¡¯t say it¡¯s heavy while holding a girl in crisis. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sooryun buried his face with red cheeks. I did not want to get off anymore. ¡°Then let¡¯s escape now.¡± But the situation was not good. [Beep!] [Beep!] [Impurities ured!] [Blockade! Blockade!] Again, sirens rang out over the city. At the same time, robots came from all over. Sungjin ran away from it. The terrain is open here. Because of his given work. Sungjin ran a narrow road where the robot found hard to move. Again, he circumvented the siege by actively using roads that was included in the robot¡¯s ¡°map,¡± such as walls, railings, and doors of buildings. Chapter 118 - Vol. 5 Ep. 8

Chapter 118: Vol. 5 Ep. 8

¡°Don¡¯t give up, Sungjin.¡± ¡°Good, you¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°Oppa.¡± Even if they knew their voices did not reach him, the girls cheered for him together. ¡°You can beat them.¡± How foolish. Varka pitied their cheers because he knew what waited at the end of this chase, because... Sungjin, who was running away, arrived at an exit. It was a bridge that led to the outskirts of the city. In the middle of the bridge was a silvery-white robot of a massive size, and at its sides were disgustingly strong metal robots. It wasrger than the city robots, as they had wheels attached as their feet and hammers attached to their upper bodies. It was the type of annihtion robot that made stun guns unnecessary, but the scariest robot was therge robot in the middle. What was in its middle was a cannon. Approaching it would mean the weapon¡¯s activation, making it impossible to cross the bridge. Varka, who had been watching, questioned silently, ¡°Now what will you do?¡± It was surprising that Sungjin had been able to rip out the chips in order to save Sooryun, but all he had achieved was being surrounded by Varka¡¯s robots. A level 0 could not win against the massive army of robots. He would be captured once more, imnted with the chip and returned to normal. Even if he were tomit suicide, Varka¡¯s world caused the dead to rise, as the soul wouldn¡¯t leave the body, and with the chip still intact, he would return to being a respectable citizen. There would be no chaos to his order, and therefore no ripples in the calm waters. Bang. The metal robots began to seriously chase after Sungjin. Bang. A hammerunched from a robot¡¯s outstretched hand. It hit the wall to his side. Immediately, the wall broke and debris flew. Sungjin had been able to read the trajectory, but it had only been a moment¡¯s notice. Sungjin turned around with a hardened face. He had to pass through the bridge, but as there was no apparent solution, he was simply trying to find a way to avoid the conflict before him. Robots chased after him. Bang. Bang. Hammers were thrown right behind him, and Sungjin kept dodging them, but how long could he do so? The encirclement around Sungjin kept getting smaller and smaller. Even as Sungjin ran about here and there, he was forced into the middle of their encirclement. Is this the end? Sooryun, who was in Sungjin¡¯s arms, clenched his shirt. ¡°May I suggest something?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I believe it¡¯s impossible for both of us to run away. Between me and you, I believe the enemy would value my capture more.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a more valuable person?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a cadre of the resistance army. Let¡¯s split up, so that I can try to buy some more time for us. Please try to find a way to escape in time.¡± She talked of her sacrifice quite calmly, but Sungjin could feel that her entire body was trembling as she was in his arms. ¡°I refuse that n.¡± ¡°Of course, I do realise that it will be hard to cross the bridge even with this n... but if there¡¯s a one percent chance...¡± ¡°There¡¯s a better method for the both of us to run away, so why should you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Sooryun blinked. Her face, which had remained neutral although she had been tired and fearful, changed, and for the first time, the image of a young girl was revealed. How? She was surprised that he had saved her by ripping out his own chip, but was he really saying that they could run away from this? They were surrounded, stuck in a situation where they could only run around in circles. ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± Sungjin smiled jokingly and began to run once again. But, unlike what he had said, the situation did not get better. He ran into the nearest tower. While running around, robots chased after him. Sungjin ran to the top of the tower that was bound to end. Still, he kept running because he would be captured as soon as he stopped. But his body was human. His legs turned heavy, and his lungs started to heave. But the reason he couldn¡¯t stop was due to the girl in his arms. The robots kept chasing after him, whether he was tired or not. Bang. Every time the hammer struck, a wall copsed. The attack was to kill, so that they could be captured in order to insert a chip. Under such continuous attacks, Sungjin had no choice but to run. He was like a mouse running from a group of cats, but there was no hole for the mouse to hide in. The only bridge towards freedom was blocked. Sooryun felt her demiseing closer while shey in Sungjin¡¯s arms. This is it. She had already prepared for her capture. Suddenly, Sungjin brought out a rope from his utility bag. A rope? ¡°Hold on.¡± He broke the window and jumped out, hooking the rope onto a decoration. Ah! Sooryun instinctively held tightly onto Sungjin¡¯s chest. The firm chest embraced her. Sungjin slid down the rope before kicking off the wall. The rope loosened slightly, and the window below came closer. Sungjin approached the window in his returning swing and threw himself in. Crash. Protecting Sooryun from the shattered ss with his body, Sungjin lessened the impact by rolling onto the ground. With this, the distance between him and the robots had widened. But putting this small distance between us won¡¯t mean anything for trying to pass through the bridge. Sooryun was still unsettled. Won¡¯t he be meaninglessly hurt? And, ordingly, the robots began to move towards them. The robots on the bridge didn¡¯t move but waited, sealing the exit. That was when the unexpected urred: the tower started shaking. ¡°Huh?¡± The shaking became greater. Craash. Craash. With a loud sound, stone debris began to fall from the top of the tower, and, starting from the ce they hade from, the tower started to lean. Rumble. Now that the main supporting beam had broken, the tower copsed without fail, but it wasn¡¯t simply falling; it was falling ording to the walls that had been destroyed. The tower fell ording to the direction Sungjin had nned: on top of the bridge where the security robots stood, the only way of escape. The tower weighed more than a million tons. Therge robot was squished without the chance to use its cannon. In the tower, the robots chasing after Sungjin broke from the impact. All the robots stopped moving as the connection center broke. Sooryun had to suppress her beating heart in Sungjin¡¯s arms. Tha... That was amazing. To think this was what he had been preparing. This man... is daring. This man... is amazing. Her astonishment caused her mouth to drop open. With such a lithe body... and such a sharp charisma... he was a man who made her drool. Ah! What am I thinking? She regained her senses and herposure. * * * She closed her mouth and gave out duepliments. ¡°You¡¯re... amazing...¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯d open up a road, didn¡¯t I?¡± Sungjin smiled. ¡°You ripped out your chip yourself... You seem to have an impressive past.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the detailster and escape first,¡± Sungjin shouted once he leapt onto the newly made tower bridge. ¡°I¡¯ll back off here for now. I¡¯ll see you allter.¡± It was a provocation that relieved him of his humiliation not a moment too soon. It was a retreat simr to a magic show, but his deration was simr to a grand return. Running away doesn¡¯t mean I will not return. I will soon dere my return. With that, he walked out of the city with the girl in his arms. Sooryun nced at Sungjin. It¡¯s rude to look at him like this... but he¡¯s so interesting. She had never seen a man like this one. Despite his age, which seemed older than hers, his body was firm and lithe. There was no fat or overlyrge muscles; he looked very much like a dancer or a graceful predator. A refreshing smile and natural-born charisma, and his strong strategic mind. She had unknowingly listened to his orders. Sigh... He had a man¡¯s scent, which made a girl¡¯s heart swoon. Perhaps she had listened to him because she instinctively knew his suggestion was the only way to survive the perfect encirclement that was inescapable. Obviously hundreds of cats could have been locked up, but he could not be trapped because he was a lion. The robot¡¯s was nothing but a bundle of yarn. What should I do? She was in his arms, so her heart ran faster and faster, despite the fact that she should be more reserved before a stranger as she was in his arms. Even if the situation was urgent and it was unavoidable, why were her cheeks so red? But... He was a nice guy. The moment she had thought everything was over, he had appeared like the wind and rescued her from the overwhelming siege. On top of that, he was like a wild beast that ran without hesitation while his hands were upied with carrying her. His strength and sharp intelligence that showed up all his enemies... This kind of person... ... It¡¯s the first time. Is this what it feels like to fall in love at first sight? Who is this man? Where did hee from? What she wanted to ask, what she wanted to know, piled up like stones. He escaped... Varka closed his eyes. Amazing. He used my robots and terrain to break through. It was a world he had created inside himself, but that was why he was an outsider. The world was seemingly inside him. He had created an autonomous maintenance system that consisted of robots and control chips that corresponded to ¡°immune cells,¡± but he couldn¡¯t interfere himself. It was true that simple rules dominate. Even so, it was inherently the world in which hisws were implemented. But to think Sungjin was able to distort it like that. But even if you break the cor and escape, you¡¯re still inside the giant fence. He could be one of the wandering nomads who refused chips in his world, but he would still be in his world. ¡°Huhu, it¡¯s a counterattack.¡± He said nothing to excited girls¡¯ words. Even if you burn away all of your lives, there is no way for him to escape the world. They would soon realize that. Even with all the others, the remaining time for Sungjin was now only two hundred and thirty-nine hours and thirty-five minutes. Sungjin, who fled the factory area with her, stopped after seeing that the enemy was not following. He ced Sooryun on the floor and asked, ¡°You said there¡¯s a resistance? Can you guide me from here? I don¡¯t have any information on you guys.¡± ¡°... Have you been in captivity until now?¡± Sooryun looked at Sungjin, taken aback. A polite yet elegant voice reminded her of the sounds of the millennium. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± That means... That means he had escaped within a moment after removing the chip. Sooryun looked at Seongjin once again and looked down. Her heart beat fast in front of the strong and slender body and the face of a friendly young boy. He must be a great person. He may have been trapped in this world, but he must have been extraordinary once. I have a lot to ask... But first they needed to have some leisure. ¡°I understand. There is a base for insurgents. I will lead you there.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Sungjin moved along with Sooryun. For now, it was time for reorganization. Chapter 119 - Vol. 5 Ep. 9

Chapter 119: Vol. 5 Ep. 9

Chapter 5 Sooryun brought Sungjin to the outskirts of the city. It was the edge of the world where cities didn¡¯t exist. In that direction, there was nothing but mountains and trees, so they couldn¡¯t see past them, but once they stepped through the rivers, they could see small houses in the rough terrain. It was oldpared to the clean and bountiful air of the city. ¡°We may not have the best conditions, but this is the best we could make out of what nature could provide. Please excuse us.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I myself have only brought one set of clothes and my body with me into this world, so this much is enough.¡± As they entered the grounds, several people gathered around them. Unlike the people in the city who wore clean clothes and lived healthily, their clothes were dirty and their bodies were frail, yet... their faces had expression. There were unhappy faces, worried faces, tired faces. Each and every one of them had their own expression, their own thoughts. There were times when it wasn¡¯t peaceful, and there were crises of misfortune, but they were those who could think for themselves. Sungjin smiled at them. They were the ones who would be hisrades in overthrowing this world. ¡°Mdy!¡± ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re safe!¡± They looked at Sooryun and greeted her. ¡°Have you been sessful in your subterfuge?¡± ¡°To be honest... no. While I was scouring the new supply point, I was found out for having a fake chip.¡± ¡°My! I¡¯m d you were able to escape!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you all while failing my mission.¡± Sooryun lowered her head a little. Despite the order to her actions, there was the grace of a dancer. ¡°No. We¡¯re d you were able to return safely.¡± ¡°But the person beside you...?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the person who saved me. His name is Sungjin.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him, I would havended in the enemy¡¯s hand.¡± ¡°He is a benefactor, then, but how did he... save you?¡± ¡°I will tell you the detailster. First, let me prepare a resting ce for Sungjin.¡± ¡°Oh, I understand.¡± ¡°That house is empty, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Sungjin, this way.¡± Sooryun led him to it. Although it was run down, it was organized. Although the bed made of grass and hide wasn¡¯t grand, it was clean. ¡°Please, take a break. I will call you when dinner is prepared. Let¡¯s talk while we eat.¡± She bowed gracefully and solemnly. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°Then please excuse me, as I have several matters to discuss with the others.¡± She walked away with reserved steps. Sungjin stood after a while. I should still have time until dinner. His body was too wound up to remain still. After running, fighting, and walking across several ins, his entire body was dirty. He walked out of the house. Coincidentally, there was a person on the other side. ¡°Is there a facility to wash around here?¡± At Sungjin¡¯s question, the young man of the resistance pointed. ¡°If you go around that building, there will be a bath.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± It would also be better to wash before the formal meeting. Sungjin walked around the building as told and came across a worn bathing house. Inside, there was the sound of running water. Seems like someone¡¯s already here. But that didn¡¯t matter. This was a rebellion headquartered in the mountains. They wouldn¡¯t have space to create individual baths. Even if he had lived the life of a king in Valha, now was now. He hadn¡¯t been a ruler from the beginning, after all. ¡°Excuse me. Let¡¯s share the bath.¡± Saying so, Sungjin opened the door and made eye contact with the person inside. The clean bathroom had a basket to put clothes in. There wasn¡¯t a dressing room. It was a system of pulling water from arge tub into a small bucket and pouring it over one¡¯s body. His eyes trailed down the body automatically. Dark hair like ebony ran down the back. The drops of water flowing down the fair skin were like pearls. The eyes were wide open with surprise. They were beautiful and clear. The unfinished woman trembling underneath was also attractive. Slender neck and smooth shoulder curves. t chest and thin waist before womanhood. Freshly curved hips. Its appearance was reminiscent of a soft but noble pedigree, a charm different from the cuteness of a very young child, but attractive, as it was beginning to bloom. The body, yet to enter womanhood, was still appealing to him. ¡°Ahh!¡± Even her shout sounded like the beautiful crisp chirping of birds. If this deer were to be cooked, its skin would be soft and chewy. It was truly a lustful sight. The problem was... it wasn¡¯t proper. Damn. Sungjin prepared himself for profanities. Was this a shared bath? Even if it was a worn resistance ground, it had been his miscalction to think that they would still have separate baths for women and men, and even then, he had believed there would be different assigned timetables for its use. But as the person who had pointed out the road didn¡¯t warn him of anything, he had let his guard down, believing it was avable to use. But it was also cowardice to me it on someone who had told him where to go. Firstly, he had not looked into the situation properly. Andstly, he was the one who had ogled at the sight before him. Closing his eyes a momentter, he turned his head. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Go away!¡± Unlike the elegance he had seen so far, Sooryun screamed again and again. ¡°To ask to bathe together! How rude!¡± ¡°No... That¡¯s not...¡± Sungjin tried to exin that that wasn¡¯t his intention, but he gave up and turned around. It was not the time or ce to talk about such things. ¡°I¡¯ll walk out, so see youter. Sorry.¡± Sungjin moved politely from the scene. Sigh. It could have gone worse. Leaning against the closed door, Sungjin gathered his breath. One mistake, and he could have been mistaken as a pervert. She¡¯s younger than what I thought she was. He had thought that she was older because of her extravagant words, but she wasn¡¯t. She had simply been trained to speak like that and was otherwise a child. She¡¯s slightly older than Rachel but younger than Ereka. No wonder her body was so light. On Earth, she would have been a budding middle-schooler, and as a high schooler, he would have seen her as a little sibling. Even after the door closed, Sooryun couldn¡¯t get out of the bath. Have I gone too far? Had it been a good decision to push away someone who wished to be one with her? If it had been any other stranger, it would have been the right thing to do. But Sungjin may be my fated person. She had thought it over. She had thought it twice: when she almost got pushed over by a robot and imnted with a chip and when she had no way to escape,pletely surrounded by robots. He had been there. He had saved her when no one else could. The same insurgents like herself just talked, and did nothing about the situation. Hadn¡¯t her heart pounded in her chest as she escaped in his arms? It was not just from touching a man¡¯s body... ... It was because she felt that this man was her fated partner. If a man who saved her life wanted to court her, it was eptable. If so, was it correct to reject him so coldly? She shook her head. Her elegant hair shook and water sshed. No, there¡¯s still order andw. Sungjin hadn¡¯t officially said anything about their rtionship. Even if she didn¡¯t need brilliant gifts, she still should have received the words of sincere promises and requests. Okay. I wouldn¡¯t seem flirtatious if I remained at a distance from him. She had done well. It was the right decision. No matter how desirable he was, she couldn¡¯t allow thatst step without first confirming a good rtionship. After bathing, she put on her clothes and went back to meet Sungjin. This time, seated quietly in his room, Sungjin greeted her. ¡°Haha. Are you done?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sungjin admired her once again. Originally dignity and elegance had oozed out of her, but when she had washed and decorated, it was enhanced. Her hair, which had been pinned with a hairpin, was elegant and refined. It was difficult to pinpoint the specific era, but her clothes seemed to be of the royal family. But when observed closely, he could see that the material was made of cheap cloth. The clothes formed an optical illusion created by her princess-like appearance in her own pce. She looks older than she really is, although she¡¯s actually a lot younger. ¡°Well, uh, earlier... ... . ¡± He wanted to apologize once more, but she stopped him from talking. ¡°I will tell you clearly. I was saved by you, and I was thrilled with your heroism.¡± She was ashamed to say so, and she blushed slightly. Still, she kept talking. ¡°But if you force yourself on me in that way, it won¡¯t work. We are not in such a rtionship yet.¡± She didn¡¯t want to scream anymore. With elegance, but in clear denial, she asked Sungjin not to do this in the future. With some misunderstanding. Sungjin scratched his cheek. ¡°I will apologize once again for the recent urrence. But it really wasn¡¯t on purpose. I asked where I could wash, and a man pointed me there. I just thought it would be a men¡¯s bath.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really. I was not hungry enough to defile a child like you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that young.¡± She pouted her lips as she spoke. Ha. Sungjin stifled hisughter. Her anger at being treated like a child only caused her to look like one. She was perhaps a little bit more mature than Rachel, somewhat like a young girl who wishes to be treated like an adult in her growth spurt. ¡°Well, it would be nice to loosen the hairpin so that your hair flows more naturally. But ok, that¡¯s your choice,¡± Sungjin indulged her. ¡°... ... I¡¯m not young.¡± Sooryun frowned without noticing that his tone had subtly changed. ¡°Hahaha. Let¡¯s get to the point. Do you know how to get out of this world? ¡± Sooryun also regained her graceful original form. ¡°You want to get out of this world and go back to the original world? Is that your purpose?¡± ¡°Right. I have many people who I must go back and meet.¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°Well... there are precious women I should be responsible for, the many people who believed and followed me, and the more ordinary people I should protect.¡± Sungjin remembered each face one by one. ¡°I see. That aligns with our purpose. We also want to break this prison.¡± ¡°Is there a way?¡± ¡°Yes. I had figured out how to be freed from this world. I just didn¡¯t have the power to do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes shed at her saying that she had no power. Challenges were always wee. He knew that destroying Varca¡¯s prison wouldn¡¯t be easy. ¡°But since you¡¯re Sungjin, you may be able to... I¡¯ll exin first.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Sungjin, the city you were residing in is a countryside city of this world. And in the center is the core city, and in the center is the source city. ¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°There is a World Stone in the most central city¡± ¡°World Stone ... By any chance....¡± ¡°Yes. If the stone is broken, this created world will be broken. ¡± ¡°And everyone will be freed?¡± ¡°Yes, then we can go back to the original world.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Sungjin nodded. Even if Varka was a Kaiser, it would still take tremendous effort to maintain this one small world as a whole. If Sungjin could break down the sources that helped him maintain it, Varka wouldn¡¯t be able to trap them anymore. Varka himself had said that this skill was called ¡°The Seal of the Devil From the Western Sky.¡± Then he would awaken from within the seal. ¡°On the contrary, there is no way out of this world unless we break it. Even death is a brief pause here¡ªsoon we get a new body and wake up.¡± ¡°Unless it¡¯s clear, it¡¯s an infinite continuation. I see. Later, by that time, it would be a prison for the soul.¡± ¡°Yes. Varka, who ims to be the god of this world, is also the jailer of this world. That is this world¡¯s identity. I see you already know that.¡± ¡°What are the challenges in breaking the World Stone?¡± ¡°That is... It¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°Tell me what difficulties you have.¡± Chapter 120 - Vol. 5 Ep. 10

Chapter 120: Vol. 5 Ep. 10

¡°There are tworge obstacles. One is the three hundred million and one thousand robots that are guarding the surrounding cities. They are all programmed to attack those who don¡¯t have a chip.¡± ¡°They¡¯re blocking off the entire city.¡± ¡°Yes. We have been able to fool them with fake chips a little ways in from the countryside, yet...¡± ¡°Then was this attempt also a failure?¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart. Yes, I went in to spy and was caught. The central is really hard to approach without a chip.¡± ¡°And with a real chip installed, you¡¯d really be controlled. That¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°But over time we¡¯ve prepared something that can fight against this problem.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I will exin to you what it ister on. But the real problem is the second obstacle.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The World Stone is protected by five guardian robots.¡± ¡°Guardian robots?¡± ¡°Yes. And once you¡¯ve entered the sealing ce, a special battlefield is created for one to either win or lose. You must win against these five robots in order to reach the World Stone, but...¡± ¡°The robots are strong.¡± ¡°Yes. There is only one person in the resistance who can go against a robot one-on-one, which is me. Our second-inmand has some strength but not enough, and the others don¡¯t have levels at all.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sungjin understood the situation a little. Yes, Varka must have created this seal based on the properties of Valha. That was why there were traces of Valha in this world. And the solution to break through those armies is in the hands of this resistance. He couldn¡¯t trust the solution of the weak, but he could decide that after he had listened to their ns. Then, is my responsibility to ovee those five guardian robots? A created battlefield must be like those created in Valha. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ve heard the important parts. I¡¯ll take care of the second challenge.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you can help me reach the World Stone, I¡¯ll do the rest from there on. Including you, I only need four exceptional people from your group.¡± ¡°Is it really possible?¡± ¡°Trust me.¡± Sooryun looked at Sungjin. His confidence was outstanding. ¡°There is no one in the resistance who can help you other than myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can ovee some level of difference in battling.¡± Sungjin thumbed his head lightly. ¡°Certainly... You did break through the encirclement of forces.¡± Sooryun¡¯s heart began to beat once more. Perhaps Sungjin may be able to do it. There had to be some strategy, like using the remaining three as baits, perhaps. ¡°But I¡¯m more interested in your ability.¡± Although he had already seen her fight against those machines. ¡°Understandable. I¡¯m a level 7 warrior ss.¡± ¡°As I thought: a warrior.¡± My instincts were right. He had once thought that he would meet a girl in the warrior ss some time ago. If he was fated to meet girls in each of the respective sses, he had thought he would meet a girl of a warrior sster on, although he hadn¡¯t expected her weapon to be sound. A young but elegant female warrior with a ¡°Sound Sword.¡± Someone who was a beautiful artist even when not singing¡ªthat was Sooryun. Now that I think about it, if Sooryun ys and Zakiya dances, it might make a beautiful scene. He had already regained his confidence to leisurely contemte other thoughts. ¡°As you can see, my weapon is a lute, and I have several skills that can defeat the enemy by the soundwaves that I make.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s enough.¡± A level 7 was enough. ¡°Is it truly?¡± ¡°Trust me.¡± Sungjin lessened her anxiety immediately. ¡°Amazing. But since you¡¯ve said so...¡± Sooryun felt as if the day of conflict was drawing near, not because this man had saved her, but because this man was her fated person. Her instincts were what she relied on the most, but this far into the conversation, she was curious. ¡°Can you tell me more about yourself, Sungjin? You can refuse if you wish to.¡± Who was this man? He had ripped the chip out of himself by his own hands and protected her, now saying he could beat those guardian robots. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. We¡¯re allies. You have the right to know.¡± ¡°I will listen carefully.¡± ¡°Ie from the world called Valha.¡± ¡°Valha.¡± ¡°Is it your world?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Sooryun shook her head slowly. ¡°Is it because it¡¯s a different name? I was in the Western continents, so you could have been in the south.¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s far from the truth. The ce wee from is called Earth, and there are seven continents on it.¡± ¡°Seven... I see.¡± Sungjin also confirmed that her Earth and his Earth were different. ¡°Our world we must return to is also different.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± They fell silent for a while, but this wasn¡¯t a conversation that couldpse. ¡°Who were you in your world?¡± ¡°Ahh, um... A king.¡± ¡°King?¡± ¡°Yes. After uniting the entirety of Valha, I challenged the Kaiser of the middle gate and was trapped in this world by his skill.¡± ¡°I see. We...¡± Sooryun¡¯s face turned ashen before continuing. ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t know when we arrived here because it¡¯s been such a long time since we were trapped.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°No. With the chip, you aren¡¯t able to remember your past, but without the chip, the past fades away like water slipping through your hands. I believe it¡¯s the nature of this world.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sungjin understood. Before he had found a purpose, he had also forgotten about Valha. ¡°But I still remember a little. We had not lived in wealth, but the ce we came from was peaceful and beautiful. There were mountains and clear water. Looking up at the sky in the ins granted a clear view of the stars.¡± ¡°It seems rural.¡± ¡°And I only recall that we were in another world one day, all of a sudden.¡± ¡°That¡¯s this world.¡± ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t remember how long we¡¯ve been here for. No one in this world ages, and even if we die we receive a new body, so...¡± ¡°This ce is a prison which you can live eternally once captured.¡± ¡°Yes. It may not be hell, though. Those with the chips are not tortured, after all, but we still wish to return to our original ce.¡± Even if it may be ruined, they wished to return to theirnds. ¡°I feel the same way. I must return to Valha.¡± The two looked at each other and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s work together.¡± Sungjin stretched out his hand first for a handshake. ¡°Yes.¡± Sooryun¡¯s cheeks blushed when she grabbed his hand. It was the foundation of an alliance. ¡°Then let us dine together. I will show you what we have prepared afterwards.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s.¡± Afterpleting their baths separately, Sungjin followed her to the banquet hall. It was very humblepared to the banquet halls he had be ustomed to in Valha, resembling more of a viger¡¯s meeting ce. The hall was simply some lopsided tables and chairs ced inside a building that wasrger than the others. Even the dishes that were prepared were made of the least amount of natural resources possible. Although it was coarse foodpared to the clean foods provided in the city, Sungjin weed it. This was the ce where real life thrived, after all. ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡± Sooryun nced at Sungjin, who ate without a single protest. He was a king. A king who had conquered an entire continent. I can now understand his previous actions: how he freed himself, how he escaped the encirclement with such intelligent strategies, how he came to have such charisma. There was no evidence that Sungjin had been king, but he had the aura of a king. But that means... Sooryun, who had been astounded at his disposition, frowned. He had said that there were several women he had to meet once he returned. Although, it would have been more strange for a king of the continent to have only one concubine. So that means that even if I were to be his woman, I would be one of many. Of course, there was nothing wrong with a king having many concubines. But it doesn¡¯t mean that I have to ept it. Even if her opponent was a ruler, she had the right to make her own decisions. It was her decision whether or not to follow Sungjin. He was handsome and charming... But just because he had saved her from a crises didn¡¯t mean she had to follow him. And... Our worlds to return to are different. The continent Sungjin talked of was from a different world. It was not the world she was trying to return to. After destroying the World Stone, the ces they would return to would be different. If it would be a pointless rtionship... then there was no reason to begin it at all. It was a good decision to reject him after all. She would not fall for Sungjin again; they would onlyst up until the moment the stone was broken. Sungjin observed Sooryun as he ripped out a chicken leg. What on earth is she thinking about for her expressions to change so rapidly? Like a cat. Approaching, but not. Like a cat who ignored him and then attacked like lightning once his attention was elsewhere. Even I find this hard to understand. He could see through the enemy¡¯s ns on a battlefield, but a girl¡¯s mind was abyrinth to him. But there was no reason to know. In his perspective, meeting her in and of itself was luck. If she had not appeared, escaping from the chip would have been hard. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape the situation with his memories sealed. Moreover, he wouldn¡¯t have had enough time to figure out how to break out of the world by himself. On top of that, she was someone who had a resistance army, and she was a level 7 warrior. She would be a valuablerade in his future battles. There was no reason to pick on the details. He simply wished they would be cordial until the end. After dinner, Sooryun stood. ¡°Was the meal ok?¡± ¡°Yes, it was good.¡± Even though she had asked politely, Sungjin felt she was being cold. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint the feeling, but it seemed as if she were trying to distance herself. Hmm... Must be my misunderstanding. There was no reason for her to do so. ¡°Then I will show you something we¡¯ve been preparing.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± It¡¯s my misunderstanding, right? She was going to show him the secret weapon, after all. Sooryun led Sungjin to a deep cave. The cave was small, but it grewrger the deeper they travelled inside. There were stctites hanging off the ceiling and stgmites rising from the ground, and in the center of the clearing was a mysterious space where grains of light continuously rose from the earth. Arge hole, almost ten meters in diameter, was dug deep into the ground where the grains of light continued to rise. ¡°This... ... . ¡± ¡°We call it ¡®the dragon vein.¡¯¡± ¡°The dragon vein ... That¡¯s Feng Shui geographical terminology.¡± Sungjin considered the name usible. * * * And at the very center of the vein was a bead of seven-colored light that alternated continuously. ¡°What is this marble?¡± ¡°We named it the dragon ball, but we don¡¯t really know what it is.¡± ¡°Dragon ball.¡± ¡°The important thing is that this marble we found can continuously contain the energy that¡¯s rising from the veins.¡± ¡°Indeed... ¡± Sungjin was reminded of the Leviathan made by the Golden Wise King Kapitle. ¡°Then, if you unleash the energy of this marble in a row, will a very powerful explosion ur?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re sharp.¡± ¡°This breaks the defense from the outside as the resistance fighters break through.¡± ¡°Yes. After that, you have to enter the center tower and fight against the five robots that are keeping vigil.¡± ¡°Is this marble fully charged?¡± ¡°Yes. There was no way to ovee the second challenge, so I just kept it. ¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s see. Find a member to join within a day, and I need three days to train after that.¡± He wanted to be more prepared, but he couldn¡¯t afford it. There wouldn¡¯t be much time left to return to my body. Ever since his memory had been reimed, the hearts of those leftover from Valha had been conveyed to him. Although it wasn¡¯t very urate, their approximate feelings were clearly connected. He had time from their dedication, but they were still asking him to hurry. Even if he didn¡¯t see them, he understood their situation to some extent. ¡°After that, we¡¯ll go straight to the center. An additional week here. I¡¯ll make it right after that day.¡± ¡°Understood. I will follow thatmand. ¡± Chapter 121 - Vol. 5 Ep. 11

Chapter 121: Vol. 5 Ep. 11

¡°Huhu. He only has the final battle left.¡± Eustasia smiled victoriously even as she panted. Sungjin was going to return. A military force that protected the central or some five guardians wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him. The only problem was... she didn¡¯t have much time left within her. Fortunately, there were others who were willing to step in. ¡°Unni, I¡¯ll take over from here.¡± Rachel grabbed onto Sungjin¡¯s right hand with a calm smile, and Jenna grabbed his left hand as if it were a contest. Sungjin had asked for ten days. They were determined to give him that amount of time. Varka simply watched them in silence. Their spirits have been lifted. Well, hope seemed arguable when he had already made such amotion within his world. But they would soon realise that his world wasn¡¯t so easy, that the more resistance there was, the more repercussions there would be. Sungjin had one hundred and eighty-seven hours and forty-two minutes. Chapter 6 While Sungjin and Sooryun were discussing the drills for the final battle, one man ran up to them. His height was far taller than Sungjin, and he had golden hair that was cut sportily. His face looked sharp but at the same time orderly. And his white formal wear was stiff in color and well-ironed. Even his body underneath his clothes showed well-toned muscles without a hint of fat. He had an aura of a well-trained military personnel. He was of a different cut from the other resistance fighters. Huh, he¡¯s well trained. Sungjin wondered if this man was the ¡°submander¡± Sooryun had mentioned. Even if he did not have the level, he seemed to be strict on himself. ¡°Miss! You¡¯re safe!¡± Contrary to his hard and unyielding eyes, his features softened in happiness. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Sooryun smiled softly at him. He could feel the bond that had developed over a long period of interaction and trust. ¡°I was getting worried because you were an hourte.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not thatte. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°And I was further concerned when I heard that there were extra problems from my subordinates.¡± ¡°Yes. There was a problem. But I see you have not heard that I was rescued by Sungjin. Let me introduce him. Sungjin?¡± ¡°Ah, this is Sungjin.¡± The man looked at him, but it was not the soft gaze that he had looked at Sooryun with. He looked as if he were a shepherd facing off against Sungjin, a lion aiming for his innocent sheep. Was it simply wariness mixed with jealousy? Or was it something else? ¡°I am relieved that this man has saved you. He has saved me by extension.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But, even if he may be a savior, he is an outsider. I believe you have been too hasty in bringing him to our most secret ce.¡± ¡°It was necessary. After all, Sungjin is our hope that we have been waiting for. Sungjin had originally been a ruler in his world, and although he was defeated against Varka, he has the ability to battle against him. He has also suggested helping us break through the final defense of the World Stone.¡± ¡°Just because he ims to be someone doesn¡¯t mean that he is. We should be careful in the way we approach the World Stone, not simply entrusting the task to a stranger.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not trusting him on his words. Sungjin is my savior, and he showed an amazing talent for strategizing when destroying the encirclement. It would have been impossible with just you and me. I have sufficient evidence for trusting his strategies for the battle.¡± ¡°It is amazing that he saved you by breaking out of a city encirclement, but a strategy is also basedrgely on luck. We cannot decide everything based on that one chance urrence.¡± Looking at Dunpyung, who was insistent, Sooryun sighed. ¡°It is good to be careful, but it has been a long time since we¡¯ve been able to make any progress due to that very carefulness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than heading the wrong way.¡± Sungjin finally interfered in their fight. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is something that can be resolved by words, and he does have a point.¡± ¡°Sungjin?¡± Sooryun looked at him in bewilderment. ¡°So I want to suggest something. You there, you im to be her equal? You wouldn¡¯t be able to ept my abilities with simple words. If breaking out of an encirclement doesn¡¯t convince you, how about testing me?¡± ¡°Kuk. You bastard.¡± ¡°You propose how we¡¯re going to do this.¡± Sungjin smiled nostalgically at the situation. Thinking about it, this situation was identical to the situation after he had been summoned to Valha. In a world where levels were the deciding factor, people had tested him, iming that a level 0 should not be recognized. Those words had disappeared as soon as he was called the otherworldly king, or a young lion, and more, but hearing it again made him amused rather than angry. Although, back then even Ereka had not been able to trust him, but right now Sooryun, who had witnessed his shy escape, was thoroughly on his side. Then would this man be in ce of Rittier? Now that I think about it, he looks like him, too. He wondered if Rittier looked like the man before him when he was younger. If he¡¯s the next-in-line of the resistance, I should squash himpletely to make himply. It is the basics of basics to organize a group¡¯s hierarchy before standing in front of the enemy. Sungjin arrogantly provoked the man once more. ¡°Now, how will you test me? A one-on-one fight like a man?¡± That was Sungjin¡¯s trap. If Dunpyung really did go for an individual battle, Sungjin would find it more difficult. Here, there were no facilities or traps he had already prepared, and his level was still low. If it was simply a sword y, he had confidence he would win, but if the opponent nned to use skills he didn¡¯t know, he didn¡¯t know what variables he would have to deal with. ¡°I have heard that our leader has praised your strategic mind.¡± And the opponent was baited. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you have some strength, as you were a king in the past, but the enemy¡¯s numbers are great. They cannot be beaten by sheer force. I dare you to prove your strategic mind again. We will each have five people in our team, and our contest will simply be ordering them. It will be in that mountain.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Sungjin agreed immediately. I¡¯d already predicted you¡¯d go with a strategic battle when I suggested a battle of strength. ¡°If you win, we¡¯ll do as Sooryun suggests. But if you lose, you wouldn¡¯t suggest advancing towards the central tower, would you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I will choose my five subordinates first, then you choose your own.¡± And after saying so, he turned on his heels and tightened his muscles. Sungjin, is it? I¡¯ll stop you. Even if he used some cowardly methods. This was not an individual battle. This was a battle about Sooryun, so he wasn¡¯t going to be picky about methods. You may be confident in your strategies, but you¡¯re the one who¡¯s trapped. The mountain he had pointed to was a terrain he was familiar with. Sungjin would have no way of knowing the secret paths or the best observation peaks. And he knew best where the map was ¡°wrong.¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t. And, moreover, he could pick his subordinates first. I know who¡¯s the best among our three thousand. He didn¡¯t know what Sooryun would tell him, but he had the first choice. On top of that... he will be rmended to those who are exceptional within the remaining group, but my spy will be chosen. And that spy would tell him Sungjin¡¯s ns. His predictions were urate. The people Sooryun chose for Sungjin were the five he already knew. Good. It¡¯s ording to n. Sungjin may be stronger than me because he had been strong enough to rescue Sooryun. He may even have a level that¡¯s higher than Sooryun¡¯s. But if this was purely apetition among his subordinates, he had the advantage of having been in this organization for a long time. A newbie wouldn¡¯t be able to understand the ins and outs of his organization. He eye signalled to his nted spy Yungryoon. Yungryoon twitched his hand to signal back. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s nning, but Yungryoon will tell me everything in hand signals. The battle started on the mountain. What will happen? Everyone was curious. Sungjin spoke to the five. ¡°I saw the map, so I need you guys to hide here. Everyone to this position,¡± Sungjin directed the four. ¡°And afterwards, I need you, Yungryoon, to lead them here. You guys can throw your stones and arrows then.¡± Although they wouldn¡¯t be hurt, as the arrowheads had been exchanged with paint bombs, this was a battle where, once painted, the person was considered dead. ¡°Yes.¡± Sungjin ran into the darkness. As ordered, the other four went to their positions, and Yungryoon carefully told Dungpyung about Sungjin¡¯s ns. Dungpyungughed silently after listening. ¡°I see. He¡¯s done for.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll first pretend as if I was lured. All five will chase after you. But there, three people will go around and attack you from behind.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t know that we already had a small road made. Yungryoon, you pretend as if you¡¯ve lured us.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He will show whose n was victorious. Dungpyung waited leisurely for the victory re. And... a whileter, the re went up as predicted. Except it became Sungjin¡¯s win. ¡°Hooow!?¡± His subordinates lowered their heads at his anger. ¡°The thing is.... We were counterattacked... At the very path we were going...¡± There had been a trap in the secret path they had taken to go around Sungjin¡¯s ambushes. Because they had lowered their guards from Yungryoon¡¯s words, they had been taken down easily. ¡°What?¡± Dungpyung red at Yungryoon. ¡°N... No.¡± Yungryoon defended himself, saying that he had not betrayed him. ¡°He¡¯s right. Don¡¯t me your subordinate. He repeated the details of my order down to the very letter,¡± Sungjin rified for him. ¡°Kuk, you, you bastard! You tricked me!¡± ¡°You should have known a spy can be used as a double-edged sword.¡± He should have known a spy could be a sword that cut him. He was an enemy whose thoughts were way too easy to read, enough so that Sungjin hadn¡¯t needed to prepare a grand n. The other resistance members were amazed. To think he would know the terrain like his own palm and defeat Dungpyung so easily. There was a reason why Sooryun trusted him. ¡°Arg, damn it!¡± Dungpyung turned his back and walked away like a sore loser. ¡°What rude behaviour... to think he is unable to ept his defeat.¡± Sooryun sighed, and lowered her head towards Sungjin. ¡°I apologise. I have been incapable of controlling my submander.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. His arrogance is a natural reaction.¡± ¡°I am thankful for your understanding.¡± ¡°Ha, well.¡± Sungjin smiled. After having witnessed her true figure, a middle school student, her mature words only looked cute in his eyes. But he only thought so and didn¡¯t say it out loud, as she disliked anyone pointing it out. ¡°But please don¡¯t see him negatively. He¡¯s incapable of controlling his bouts of emotion, but he¡¯s not a bad person.¡± Sungjin smiled at the sight of her carefully protecting her subordinate while apologizing on his behalf. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s someone who has stayed by my side despite everything. Please let go of your grudges. For me.¡± ¡°Your rtionship looks special.¡± ¡°Yes. He said that he was my butler when I was thedy of the house in my previous world, yet...¡± ¡°Yet...?¡± ¡°Do you remember my telling you I had no recollection of the events that had urred in my original world?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But I do have certain impressions. He had been a person who was by my side and who was constantly worried for me. I do have a feeling he had not been a simple butler but family.¡± ¡°And he kept protecting you after arriving in this world?¡± ¡°... Not protecting. I¡¯m not that young anymore.¡± Sooryun drew the line at the fact that he had simply stayed by her side. ¡°Haha, I see. I get it. If that¡¯s your rtionship... Well, it¡¯s fine.¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t say anything else. Frankly, he knew Dungpyung was going to do something about his uneptable defeat, but he couldn¡¯t tell Sooryun, who considered him family, to be wary of him, as he might go on a rampage. Well, if Dungpyung considers Sooryun as his family as well, he wouldn¡¯t overstep. Perhaps he¡¯d contest Sungjin again. It was enough if he received it on his end. ¡°My submander would have epted his defeat by now. Please use the weapon we have prepared and lead a battle to victory.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve confirmed your secret weapon, so I¡¯ll begin preparing starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°Please do so.¡± Sooryun also decided to bet everything on Sungjin. Sungjin simrly epted his role, and became determined to advance towards the World Stone in order to return to his body. Chapter 122 - Vol. 5 Ep. 12 Chapter 122: Vol. 5 Ep. 12 That night, Sooryun couldn¡¯t sleep. Can Sungjin really realize our wish for freedom? She had seen his capabilities. She had also tested his abilities. Sungjin was a man who could go against the creator of this world. Although he had lost to Varka and was currently trapped, he was of a different cut from them. He was a one-time opportunity that hade to their unsessful resistance. But there was also the fact that he was the only choice they had. Sungjin... is worth the risk, but... They couldn¡¯t determine whether he could win for sure. But still, he¡¯s the only one. The single man who seemed as if he could fulfill their wish for freedom. Sungjin was different from the men around her. How should I put this... He¡¯s cool. No, that¡¯s not it. He¡¯s a man. His capability is different. She twisted and turned in her bed while thinking of different descriptions. Her mind was currently like that of a besotted fan who had lived among middle-aged men but was liberated in idolizing. Although she didn¡¯t realize that herself. I wonder what Sungjin¡¯s women look like in his world. He was an amazing man, so his women wouldn¡¯t be ordinary, either. Were they prettier than her? How were they loved? She was curious and jealous. Sigh, there¡¯s no point in thinking about such things. She wasn¡¯t going to be by his side when he returned to his world, anyway. For herself and Sungjin, they were only fated to fight together this once. That was all. Why was she thinking about such things when she had already resolved herself? But I am curious about how strong Sungjin¡¯s secret power might be. How he might beat the five guardian robots. No, she was curious about a lot of other things, like his favorite color, his favorite food. What he thought of her. Whether he had folded his interests away after she had asked him to leave the bath. Things she wished to know but couldn¡¯t ask. While she was turning in her bed, sounds started up outside. What¡¯s going on? She sat up immediately. ¡°The submander has...!¡± At the shouts outside, she immediately opened the door and stepped out. ¡°What of the submander?¡± The subordinate stumbled over his words in panic, but it was clear that something bad had happened. ¡°He took the dragon ball and headed towards the enemy...¡± ¡°I will head over.¡± Sooryun ran out immediately. ¡°Something happened.¡± Sungjin, too, headed out of his room, and they saw... the moment her submander grabbed onto a flying robot with the dragon ball in his hand as he rose to the sky. ¡°Submander! What is the meaning of this!¡± ¡°Hahahha. This is farewell! I will finally reap the rewards of mybour.¡± Dungpyungughed refreshingly. ¡°That dragon ball is the only hope for our freedom. What are you doing!?¡± ¡°What am I doing? Hahah. I will continue onto the capital. I have already been promised a life of abundance on earth if I deliver this there. Hahahaha. I¡¯ve been promised a better reward than what you could possibly offer.¡± ¡°Are you... betraying me? You... you... us... me?¡± Sooryun¡¯s voice started wavering. Had he been convinced to be a spy? That thought briefly passed through her mind. The other side also had the information that he was a member of the resistance. It was entirely possible that, with such information, one could be convinced by the promise of a leisurely and abundant life. But what she had failed to consider... was that out of everyone... Dungpyung would be the one to betray her. If it had been anyone else of the resistance, she would have believed it possible for them to be blinded by riches, but aside from Dungpyung being a butler and a submander... for someone who she had considered family... ¡°How could you...!? You... said that you were honored... to serve me!¡± She had trusted him. Him. ¡°Betray? Honored to serve? Ha, that¡¯s a story of the past since I could attain a high-ie job due to a rich family¡¯sdy taking me in.¡± ¡°That...¡± Sooryun¡¯s body shook violently. She had no exact memory of who Dungpyung had been in the previous world, but the feeling of warmth that had grown from his protecting her by her side had remained to that day. But all that... was because of money? ¡°That¡¯s a lie! You¡¯ve protected me even after wended in this world, even if I wasn¡¯t a richdy!¡± ¡°Ahh, yes, since there were several advantages for me from the vision you¡¯ve received from your family.¡± ¡°Everything... everything... was some calction to you? After saying that you¡¯d repay me for saving you...¡± ¡°Ha, my life? Yes, that was in the previous world. I do thank you for saving me from that poverty of the lower slums, but that should have been repaid by serving you for so long. You still wish to order me around?¡± Sooryun fell to the ground. ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯s impossible...¡± Had it been her own imagination that they were like a family? Was she only some advantageous person for Dungpyung to make use of? Was their rtionship something that could be abandoned so easily for gain? If they had the rtionship ofdy and employer, that would have been expected¡ªif they had been strangers, that was. But... had he really thought of their rtionship as such? ¡°We... Didn¡¯t we care for one another, heart-to-heart...?¡± ¡°Well, if you who had grown to be a beauty and had given me your heart, I would have thought otherwise, but, after watching you fall for another guy and leaving me, who had kept by your side for so long, it caused all of my remorse to disappear.¡± ¡°No...¡± ¡°This is farewell. I will take the dragon ball aspensation for my servitude.¡± ¡°No, not that! That¡¯s our only hope!¡± The other resistance membersmented amidst Sooryun¡¯s cries. To think our submander would betray us... Had his loyalty been an act all this time? Sungjin frowned. Was he such a person? Had it been his mistake to see Rittier in this guy? He had thought Dungpyung might cause trouble against him but not fundamentally betray Sooryun. Had he misjudged him? Well, he hadn¡¯t been acquainted with Dungpyung for a long time, but... Ultimately, he had been someone who could betray Sooryun. And that had been revealed by his presence. But this is problematic. He didn¡¯t have much time. He was certain there wouldn¡¯t be enough time for them to create another dragon ball or the likes of it. He looked at the back of his hand. There were six ¡°wings of light¡± tattooed on it. The tattoo had appeared after he hadnded in this world. And there, two wings had been folded, and a third was in the process of being folded. The other two had beenpletely open when I was rescuing Sooryun. He felt it instinctively: this was thest hope the six women in Valha had made for him. When all six were folded, his chances of escaping would also cease. I can¡¯t let the dragon ball escape like this. ¡°Let me borrow this.¡± Sungjin took the short sword of the resistance member beside him. ¡°This is revenge! You guys can all live in poverty here! I will gain the blessing of lord Varka! Hahahah. Be jealous of my sess! Revere me! You¡¯re all below me anyways!¡± The robot began to rise with Dungpyung. ¡°Ahh, what should I do?¡± Sungjin made Sooryun hold the short sword in her hands. ¡°Can you throw this as hard as you can?¡± ¡°What? Yes, but he¡¯s too far...¡± The enemy was flying up, the wind was howling, and the distance was growing. The short sword was bound to fall to the wayside. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Throw ording to the angle and timing I indicate. I¡¯ll direct you with your back, since words can¡¯t do justice.¡± Sungjin hugged Sooryun from the back and grabbed her wrists to lean her forward. ¡°Yes, like this... In this angle... Now throw.¡± Sooryun did. The short sword flew through the air quickly. ¡°Ha, you thought that would hit me?¡± ording to his words, the short sword had been thrown too high. Suddenly, Sungjin ordered another throw. ¡°Now, once more right here.¡± And the second sword was thrown urately. ¡°Kuk?¡± The first throw had been for predicting the wind and Sooryun¡¯s strength, and was this the actual attack? The submander had one hand on the robot and the other on the dragon ball. In the split second, the submander shouted. ¡°Fall!¡± It was a human¡¯s shout, but there was power in his words. The air vibrated with a strength of a shockwave, and a fire shot out to wind around the sword. At the same time, the robot flew up higher. ¡°Kuku, you scared me.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± Sooryun rolled her feet in anxiousness. We¡¯re toote. ¡°Kuk.¡± Suddenly, the submander¡¯s eyes flew open. Blood spilled out. ¡°Whe... When?¡± ¡°That¡¯s?¡± Everyone finally understood that the first sword being a test and the second being the real attack wasn¡¯t true. Instead of what they had initially thought, Sungjin¡¯s first sword was constructed to head towards the submander¡¯s head from the back by shooting up leftwards and falling. The second had been the dummy, and the first had been the real attack. The robot¡¯s speed, air resistance, gravity, the weight of the sword, Sooryun¡¯s strength: this was an attack with everything considered. Sungjin¡¯s eyes saw things they didn¡¯t, and Sungjin¡¯s brain calcted things beyond them: everyone felt that truth again. ¡°Uck...¡± The dragon ball slid from the submander¡¯s hands. ¡°Ah... No...¡± With those words, he fell to the ground. Good. Sungjin cheered. It was ording to his pan: punish the betrayer and retrieve the dragon ball. That would give him time to advance toward the central¡¯s control tower. ¡°Hooray!¡± those who were watching shouted in exmation the moment the dragon ball returned to them. Whiirl. Then, the robot dropped the submander without hesitation, and a hand appeared from the middle with a huge suction. The dragon ball was sucked upwards and attached to its hand. Kuk? The robot flew upwards with the dragon ball in hand. Crash. The submander shattered with arge impact. This was far from his expected betrayal. Although he would respawn somewhere in this world, as was the designated rule, there was no way he would receive better treatment, but that wasn¡¯t the problem. ¡°Sooryun! Again!¡± Sungjin frantically ordered Sooryun to throw another sword. Sooryun, who failed to understand the sight before her, threw the sword instinctively. But... Sungjin could read the robot¡¯s movements. But the sword could not pierce the robot¡¯s skin. Tatatatata. The robot flew higher into the air as the propeller worked harder. It left with their only hope: the dragon ball. ¡°Kuk...¡± Sungjin no longer ordered anything. His brain had urately predicted that the robot had fled to an unreachable height. The betrayer had been punished, but the dragon ball had not been retrieved. Sooryun stared at the disappearing robot with an empty gaze. There was nothing she could do about the far dot in the sky. She couldn¡¯t even chase after it to the central where thirty million robots awaited. Hope... disappeared... Completely. ¡°Ah...¡± Sooryun sat as her legs lost their strength. The other resistance members also sat powerlessly. ¡°Our... long preparation...¡± Their only hope had disappeared before their own eyes. It had happened in a blink of an eye. They had not believed that their submander would sell their freedom for riches and pleasure. What should we do? It had not been five minutes since they had been celebrating the fact that they had a chance of getting through the second obstacle with Sungjin¡¯s help. Now there was no way for them to break through the first obstacle. ¡°Uu... Uuu...¡± Even though she tried not to cry, tears sprang into her eyes. Even when she knew she couldn¡¯t reveal a weak side of her before the resistance, she couldn¡¯t suppress her emotions. Everyone had worked toward this day for ten years with all their hopes on that one dragon ball. Even if they hadn¡¯t figured out a solution for the second obstacle, they could tolerate the wait knowing they were headed in the right direction with that dragon ball in hand. But now... everything was gone. ¡°Ah...¡± It was not only Sooryun. Other resistance members also cried on the floor. Regardless of if they were man or woman, everyone had fallen to their knees from overwhelming despair. Now they had no hope of freeing themselves. There were thirty million robots in the capital and one hundred million altogether from all the regions in this world. Before that overwhelming number, a reckless resistance only meant their capture, beheading, and chip imntation to be a ¡°respected citizen.¡± Even if the sky was clear, their days ahead were dark. Ahh, this is all because of me. Sooryun wed at her chest and couldn¡¯t raise her head. Why hadn¡¯t she realized that there was a spy among them? Even if she hadn¡¯t known, why hadn¡¯t she set up countermeasures for such a person? Everything she had worked for was gone. She had destroyed their hope. It was then a strong and firm handnded on her shoulder. The hand grasped her, as if to haul her up from the depths of her mind. Chapter 123 - Vol. 5 – Episode 13 Chapter 123: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 13 ¡°There¡¯s still a way.¡± The guy¡¯s words had some truth to them. ¡°But the dragon ball is out of reach now.¡± ¡°I know, but there¡¯s another way.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± There was an army of 300,000 soldiers guarding the center, but there were only 3,000 soldiers in the resistance army. One versus one hundred. There was no way 3,000 could defeat 300,000. They were not superhumans. Each person was normal apart from Sooryung. ¡°Shh. We don¡¯t know who else is a spy, so don¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°I will tell youter,¡± answered Sungjin with a grin. His smile showed that he didn¡¯t consider the situation a threat. Sooryung slightly bowed to him. ¡°Ok.¡± This is interesting, when I look at his smile... Despite their desperate situation, she felt like there was hope. She felt like she had lost everything until then. And that was the true situation. But... Does Sungjin really have a solution for this one-against-one-hundred fight? And this was right after they had lost their joker card that they had prepared. If that¡¯s true... then Sungjin¡¯s ns and intelligence must be his magical power. If he could make the impossible possible, that would be the real miracle. That night, Sungjin had a secret meeting with Sooryung in a private room. When he confirmed that there was nobody around them, Sungjin started to whisper into Sooryung¡¯s ear. When he told her something in his low voice, her eyes grewrge in surprise. They looked like lovers having a secret rendezvous, although it was only a meeting to discuss their ns. ¡°Do... do you really think that would be possible?¡± Sooryung¡¯s beautiful eyes showed mixed feelings: surprise, amazement, awe, and more... ¡°In our current resistance army, I would be the only one who could.¡± Sungjin wasn¡¯t bragging; it was out of an urate analysis. He wasn¡¯t being arrogant. It was a nearly impossible n, and there was no one in the resistance army who could do it. ¡°I can,¡± said Sungjin with confidence. ¡°Do you... really think you can?¡± ¡°Trust me. I will make it.¡± If he is right, we still have hope. It would be more urate to say that there wasn¡¯t hope, but Sungjin was creating it. The n that Sungjin came up with was really... something that only Sungjin could think of, and something only Sungjin would be able to make possible. ¡°But... you would take such a dangerous task... for us...¡± When she tried to apologize, Sungjin snapped his fingers. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not for you.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°I told you that I needed to leave this world, right?¡± He had to go back to everyone who was waiting for him: Ereka, Jenna, Eustasia, Rachel, and Zakiya. All the girls who had given up theirfortable lives in the continent and had joined him in this dangerous expedition. He had to go back to them¡ªthat was his responsibility and his duty. And apart from his responsibility... Hmph. I should punch Varka back as revenge. Running away after one defeat was not something he would do. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. I have people who are waiting for me, and I need to get even with someone as well, so you don¡¯t owe me anything.¡± They simply had the same objective of destroying the closed space. ¡°But... thank you. Thanks to you, we found our hope.¡± ¡°So should we do this?¡± ¡°Yes, and...¡± ¡°And?¡± Sooryung was lost in her thoughts. Sungjin said he could do it but... It was a really dangerous task, and it was natural that it would be dangerous. He was trying to do something that they had been trying to do for over ten years by himself. How can I thank him enough for this...? Although Sungjin had said he was doing it because he wanted something out of it, it seemed like he was just trying to make her feel better about the situation. His warm heart that tried to take care of her feelings right before he would head to his possible death was so charming. That¡¯s right, so there¡¯s only one thing I could do for him. She decided to give Sungjin what he wanted but what she had refused earlier. Sooryung stood up and started to unbutton her clothes. Her clothes slipped down and showed her pink underwear and her soft skin. It was her precious body that she didn¡¯t allow anyone to have until now. ¡°Wait!¡± While Sungjin didn¡¯t know what to do, she leaned her head on his chest. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...¡± ¡°I know. When tonight is over, and if everything works out as we nned, we will be parted. I know that.¡± She knew that they were heading toward different directions, which was why she rejected Sungjin. She told herself it was because she was too jealous of the many girls he already had, only to find an excuse to be with him. She already admired and adored him. She even wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, but she couldn¡¯t say that or admit it, because it was impossible to have it. She knew it was an impossible hope that she didn¡¯t want to cultivate, but now, it didn¡¯t really matter. ¡°Before you head down this dangerous path, I want you to feel me and rx.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...¡± ¡°Although I don¡¯t have much experience, I will do my best to serve you, so do whatever you wish to do to me.¡± It was a secret rendezvous in the middle of the night. A beautiful naked girl was offering Sungjin to do whatever he wanted to do to her. Sungin¡¯s young and healthy body was excited. Whatever the circumstances were, her body was amazing. It was a body that was starting to blossom and show its own unique beauty for that age. Her skin was soft, and its scent was secretive. But Sungin suppressed his desire and stopped his hand that had been about to touch her. ¡°No, you are too young and...¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you know? You can assume how many years I¡¯ve stayed here.¡± She was right. This world was a prison that stopped physical time. She looked like a middle school student, but she must be older than Sungjin. At least she would be a legal adult with her age. She just looked young with a young body. ¡°Take me. I know you are taking the most difficult path for us, and this is the least I can offer you.¡± She offered her body to Sungjin, and Sungjin¡¯s heavy breaths answered to it. ¡°But... still... this is not right... I shouldn¡¯t take you... like this...¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t honest with you.¡± Sooryung almost melted Sungjin with her smile. ¡°I want to serve you even if it¡¯s just one night. I want you to remember me when you go back to your world. Let me have tonight with you.¡± It was a half excuse that she wanted to thank Sungjin with her body. She really wanted to thank him, but she also wanted to have a deep physical connection with this guy. She knew that they couldn¡¯t be together, but she wanted to do something before they said goodbye. I want to spend an intimate night with this noble conqueror, even if it¡¯s only for one night. Snap! Something inside Sungjin just snapped. A young and brave lion started to roar. Even if it¡¯s just for one night, I want to have the memory of being your woman. A beautiful woman was begging him to have her. He couldn¡¯t say no to her. He wanted to forget about everything and take her offer. He wanted her, too. It was a private moment for them. They had fought against a strong enemy together with their lives. It was beyond right or wrong; they merely wanted to create a memory to remember each other. Sungjin held Sooryung tightly in his arms. ¡°Ahh...¡± He hadn¡¯t done anything, but she had already started to tremble. It was her first time bring with a guy, so her body was excited with expectation but also slightly stiff with fear. But Sungjin softly stroked her to rx her. While touching her back, Sungjin¡¯s lips covered her lips. ¡°Huh... hmm...¡± Surprised, she closed her lips, but that onlysted for a second. Just like melting ice, Sungjin¡¯s steamy kiss opened her mouth, and her lips opened like a full blossom. Their lips joined together, and they shared breaths. Giving everything to Sungjin, she closed her eyes. The beast enjoyed looking at the beautiful body following his leads, but that was only the beginning. The real conquering started to begin. The capital was there, and it wasn¡¯t resisting. All he had to do was take it and get into it, but Sungjin stopped and released her from his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s keep this as our memory.¡± Sooryung opened her eyes. ¡°Why?¡± She looked at Sungjin slowly. ¡°I¡¯m not attractive enough...?¡± ¡°No way. I am really excited now.¡± His body couldn¡¯t lie. ¡°Then why...?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take care of you anymore, so it¡¯s not the right thing to just take you for one night.¡± He picked up her clothes to cover her. ¡°I will remember you forever. Let¡¯s stop here.¡± ¡°I am fine. I have no ns to ask you to take care of me.¡± ¡°I know, so I really appreciate your offer.¡± A memory of one night¡ªshe loved him that much, and that made him so happy. ¡°You are here. Inside.¡± He pointed to his heart. ¡°So, from this point on, I want to do what I think is right.¡± Sungjin smiled to not to make her feel insulted. ¡°I know how much you love me, and I really like you, too, so I want you to save it until you meet someone that you would want to spend your life with.¡± He definitely wanted to have her. He wanted to forget about all the things he had said and what was right or wrong to take her beautiful body that excited him so much, but desire wasn¡¯t everything. He wanted to do something for her, rather than follow his own physical desire, especially for this girl who had fought hard in this terrible world to find onest hope. ¡°Is that so?¡± Sooryung pulled up her clothes, thinking there was nothing she could do. ¡°Thank you. I will remember this night even when we are apart.¡± ¡°Me too. Whatever happens to me in the future, I will never forget this moment.¡± Because you were the one who took my heart for the first time. And I really hoped we could be together. ¡°Then I should go now.¡± ¡°Okay. Goodnight.¡± ¡°Do what we nned?¡± ¡°Sure. I will thoroughly prepare it. And I wish you good luck on your way.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Sungjin waved his hand and left the room. Huh. He leaned on the wall and took a deep breath. He had pretended he had been okay, but he was actually still quite excited. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to calm down all night. Did I do something stupid? His blood was boiling hot, and he could still taste her lips. But it was the right thing to do. He decided not to regret it. Good. This is a great memory. Now, I need to concentrate on the battle. He had told her it would be possible, but there was no guarantee. He had to cross the dangerous bridge by himself. Nobody could help him, but he couldn¡¯t step back. Because everybody is waiting. Also, he had to get even with his enemy, and everyone in this world was counting on him. He had so many reasons why he had to win this fight. Chapter 124

Chapter 124: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 14

Chapter 7 Seven dayster. In the central city. It was hard to understand what had happened to Sungjin¡¯s n. The city was peaceful and quiet. Citizens were working hard just like any other day, and the guard around the city and the robots monitoring inside the city were in perfect order. In the middle of the perfect harmony was Sungin with the chip in his head. He was holding cleaning tools, walking on the right side, following the rule. ¡°Ugh.¡± Sungjin frowned from the pain that came from his distracted thought, but he soon wised up and concentrated on what he had to do. His job he had gotten from the dear leader was to clean this area with broom and mop. He started to think about what would be the most effective way to clean up the area, and he swept the floor without any dust. And there was the reward. The pleasure substance soma came out from the chip and spread through his central nerve. ¡°Ahh...¡± He smiled in ecstasy and happiness. Other model citizens around him had simr facial expressions. They didn¡¯t have to think about anything else. All they had to do was follow the order and happy days and food and safety waited for them. That¡¯s right. His reckless idea that he could do it by himself was gone. He was just like a lion in a circus with the chip in his head. He was acting like a model citizen. What he used to be didn¡¯t matter. He followed the pain and pleasure stimulus and acted as he was ordered to. And his chip was special. It was two-times bigger than other chips, and it wasn¡¯t ck but gold. Even stronger chain of pain and pleasure was chaining him up. Sungjin moved around the area to clean up, and each time he finished his task, the reward became bigger. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can anymore...¡± Zakiya was using all her remaining power and sweating. They tried their best to give Sungjin the ten days that he needed and had pulled all their power into Sungjin, but they were reaching their limit. They didn¡¯t have any time left while Sungjin was captured by the chip again. ¡°No... not yet.¡± The girls stood up to gather their force to give Sungjin the time. ¡°Ugh...¡± But there was not much time left. Thest chance was fading away while Sungjin floated between pain and pleasure. [Sungjin has three hours left.] Not knowing the desperate prayer of the girls, Sungjin kept cleaning areas. He moved around to clean up and arrived at area C-14. He kneeled to pick up trash. In front of the statue of the dear leader Varka, Sungjin kneeled without any hesitation. His reckless idea that he could do it by himself was gone. He was just like a lion in a circus with the chip in his head, acting like a model citizen. What he used to be didn¡¯t matter. He was followed the pain and pleasure and acted as he was ordered to¡ªwas what everyone thought. Suddenly, robots ran to Sungjin, who was working hard to clean up the area. ¡°Hmph. This is it?¡± Sungjin¡¯s smile was not a smile that a model citizen could show. He raised his hand. Crack. From the chip on the back of his neck, an extreme pain went through his nervous system, but he didn¡¯t even change his face, and took out the chip from his neck. Okay. Now I need to count on my body. Sungjin started to run. Robots tried to stop him, but he didn¡¯t stop. Zing. He avoided the stun gun and jumped up on the bridge handrail to step on the robot heads. I don¡¯t have time to deal with all of them. His sharp eyesight had already analyzed the area around him, and his brilliant brain had calcted the robots¡¯ movements. He knew which way he had to go to and where he had to arrive and how to avoid the enemy¡¯s movements. He ran and ran to arrive at the central control system. It was not very far from where he had started. [ess denied.] [Force eviction.] Pff, you are loud, but this is the most important ce for you. so you can¡¯t use heavy firearms. They were trying to stop him with stun guns, but that was not enough to stop him. While... But I can use whatever I want to. Sungjin took out little marbles from his jacket. He made these marbles with the remaining power when the dragon ball was gone. It was a tiny amount of energy, but it was enough to do what he wanted to do. He threw it to the center of the tower, the giganticputer that controlled everything. It was a mixture of a machine and a magic square that lookedpletely different from theputer Sungjin used to have on earth, but that didn¡¯t change anything. Kaboom! It was destroyed by a massive explosion, and everything in the city was paralyzed. ¡°You made it.¡± Sooryun was relieved looking at the scene from far away. It was a reckless n that no one but Sungjin was able to try, but he made it. She was impressed again thinking of the n that Sungjin had told her the other night. With our limited force, there¡¯s no way we can go through the enemy army by force alone. You are right. Yes, and we don¡¯t even have any objects or buildings we could use. Sungjin could make a n to defeat the enemy that had more force than him, but to get past the whole army to destroy the central control system was impossible. Right. So there¡¯s only one way to do this. I will sneak in by myself. What? That is impossible. Why? There areyers andyers of encircling by the enemy. There¡¯s no way to get in discretely. I¡¯m not going to get in discreetly but openly, so it¡¯s okay. Huh? I will pretend that I¡¯m on their side with a chip in my head to get in. Is... is that? Of course it wouldn¡¯t be easy because even with the chip they wouldn¡¯t just let me get into the center. Correct. So I will start from the outskirts. I will try to find out the essible areas with the chip and then find out what kind of work could lead me to the center to change the chip with the person who is doing that work. Would it be... possible? I¡¯ve already checked quite a bit. I wasn¡¯t wasting my time. When he had removed the chip, he had checked if it would reactivate when he put it back in, and then he had checked if his chip would work on other people. He hadn¡¯t destroyed the chip that was the symbol of his humiliation because he wanted to collect maximum information in order to fight back. Even in his defeat, he thoroughly observed his enemy to find its weakness. That was Sungjin. Even though... if you put the chip back in... I know. In general, I would be controlled by the chip, and if I try to resist, I will fall down in pain, but now I know how to trick it. I¡¯ve been studying it. Study... you mean... you tried with your body... Yeah. So I found out that even if I remember the real cause, the chip can¡¯t sense it if I don¡¯t try to remind it. I will change my identity as someone who can get in to the center and get in. He would pretend that he obeyed the chip¡¯s pain and pleasure to counterstrike it at the critical moment. Easier said than done. Sungjin was the first one who had ripped his chip out of himself. Even for Sungjin, it wouldn¡¯t be an easy task to let others control his thoughts, but he was ready to take all those hardships by himself. But... still, the center wouldn¡¯t let any chips get in. That is a possibility, so from that point... Sungjin smiled. I will use my physical power and improvise. His smile was too confident for one person who was about to fight against an army of three hundred thousand soldiers. ¡°That¡¯s what you promised before you left.¡± Sooryun looked up. ¡°Now I will follow you. Everyone, go through now!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When the chip was paralyzed, the army of three hundred thousand soldiers that were controlled by the chip became panicked. All they had known was to obey the order, but now the central system was destroyed, and they didn¡¯t know what to do¡ªno, there was a reaction to being free from the control, and they started to destroy each other with explosive emotions. It was literally hell. One person paralyzed a whole army. To go through the paralyzed army wasn¡¯t even something that could be called a frontal breakthrough. They were just running through the road that Sungjin created. Sooryun was leading the resistance. I should get to him faster. She had to reach Sungjin, who opened the path by himself. That was her duty. She was wearing ssic attire while holding a lute in her hand. Her steps were graceful. She looked like she was simply walking, but it was her skill called ¡°Cloud Walking.¡± It was a mystical skill that didn¡¯t create shock waves even while breaking the speed of sound. She was getting closer and closer every step faster than anyone else. Sooryun was the first one to arrive to where Sungjin was. ¡°Sungjin.¡± ¡°There you go.¡± ¡°Sorry to make you wait so long.¡± ¡°So you arrived at the perfect timing. Where are the rest?¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t move as fast I could.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Sungjin looked at the resistance army running as fast as they could. He originally nned to get into the final closed space that had the World Stone in it with five of the resistance, including himself and Sooryun, but... it seemed the system had a self-recovery function. He saw the paralyzed tower begin to recover and the paralyzed robots start to move a little. Maybe there was a separate operating system after an emergency, or a backup system by region. The only clear thing was that it was not over yet. Huh, are we running out of time? Then he didn¡¯t have time to waste. Sungjin made his decision. ¡°Sooryun.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°We are going in.¡± ¡°Just the two of us?¡± ¡°Trust me.¡± Sungjin held her hand and jumped into the final defense line. Sooryun felt her body freeze for a second, but she looked at Sungjin and jumped in with her eyes closed. [Challenger entered.] Sungjin heard the familiar voice of Valkyrie. [The fight starts in a minute. Every participant needs to enter in one minute. If not, the fight will start with the current participants.] ¡°Do you really think... just the two of us can defeat five guardian robots?¡± Sooryun was trembling. It was a fight for five people, not two. That was what they had nned and how they had trained for the battle. Of course, it was Sungjin and Sooryun who were the main fighting force, but the other three were supposed to lure, recon, and support them with items. Although they were not the main fighting force, it was important to have support that could lure and recon. It wasmon sense even for the AoS gamers from Earth. When there was a five-on-five fight, it was better to have some low-level members than not have them at all. When it all fell apart, Sungjin¡¯s n fell apart as well. She was scared. ¡°Hmm. I understand your concerns.¡± Sungjin pulled her and made her lean on his chest. ¡°Oh...¡± Sooryun was able to hear his strong heartbeat, and Sungjin¡¯s strong chest strongly supported her. ¡°Rx. Fear can be the biggest reason for your defeat.¡± ¡°You are right.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Trust me.¡± Sungjin smiled and cheered her up. ¡°But... it is just two of us... Your original n had three others to help us...¡± ¡°Yeah, you are right. We can¡¯t use that n anymore, but I¡¯m prepared for this.¡± It was an invasion operation to the center of the enemy force¡ªhe didn¡¯t expect everything to go as nned. ¡°Do you have anything else?¡± ¡°I will show you soon. I don¡¯t have time to exin, so just trust me.¡± What did you prepare? Sooryun¡¯s heart started to pound again with expectation and curiosity. I wanted to get to know him better... Make it or not, they would be parted with the sharp memory of their first kiss. This is a strange feeling. Destruction of the World Stone and everyone¡¯s freedom¡ªthis was the moment they had been waiting for. It was natural to have fear over thest challenge that she had to face, but she had to be happy about this chance, but she felt sad because she had to say goodbye to Sungjin. If only I could be with him... But they couldn¡¯t be together. They belonged to different worlds. So this was thest moment that she would have with him: fighting for their world. But she couldn¡¯t stop. She wanted to go as far as she could to not have any regrets when sheter looked back at this moment. I will follow you. Chapter 125 - Vol. 5 – Episode 15

Chapter 125: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 15

The Valkyrie announced. [The fight has begun.] The battle field had camps on each end, and there were two paths connecting them. Between the two paths was a huge forest. ¡°There are three paths for our enemies to approach us while we are only two. What should we do?¡± When Sooryun asked Sungjin this, he answered with a yful smile, ¡°What would be the way from the book?¡± ¡°To fight against many, we should defeat them one-by-one. There are five of them, so they would divide their forces, putting two on each path and one in the forest. That means we should find the robot that will be alone to make this fight one against one rather than two against five.¡± She was the leader of the resistance, and her n was logical. It made Sungjin nod. ¡°Yes, that is perfectly by the book.¡± ¡°So should we do that?¡± ¡°No. You go to the upper path, and I will go to the lower path. Let¡¯s try to get items using the turret.¡± ¡°We can... earn some time... but would it be ok?¡± ¡°Of course. Trust me.¡± But while we collect our items, they would also collect theirs. They would be even stronger, but Sooryun didn¡¯t argue. She decided to go all in with Sungjin. There was no reason to argue with him but to trust him that he had an idea. They both protected the turret from the robots. A two-on-one fight was not easy, but Sooryun was holding on. T-ring. Everytime she yed her lute a mud minion disappeared. Ding ding. ¡°The Music of the Half Moon.¡± When she activated her strong skill, a half-moon shaped sound wave sliced-up the soldiers in its range. Now I¡¯ve earned a bit of a time. And she was able to collect a little more crystals, but she became more and more anxious. I can keep them out by killing the soldiers to stop the robots jumping into the turret but... how long will thisst? [Heatser from the Sky.] A robot started to shoot heatsers with a heavy mechanical sound, and the soldiers from her side burned in a second. She was collecting crystals, but the robots were collecting just as much. After time, they would strengthen their armor or maybe activate an item to neutralize the turret. Then what will we do? Although the scariest thing is something else: is Sungjin prepared for all those possibilities? And then the time came. Two robots walked in to destroy the turret. AI system in the robot calcted that it was possible. ¡°The Music of the Half Moon.¡± She threw half-moon shaped sound waves to stop them. [Laser Net Shield.] An energy shield appeared above the robots, and her wave was neutralized by the shield. It was an equally strong power. Ugh... my ultimate skill ¡°the Heavenly Music of the Full Moon¡± would be the only thing that would work. But she was not sure when she had to divide the power for two robots, if it would be possible to destroy them all by breaking the armor and the shield. If that would work, that would be great but if not, the robots would kill her. I need to risk my life here. But then, she heard Sungjin¡¯s order. Are you reaching your limit? Give up the turret ande back to the base camp. She didn¡¯t understand, because if she gave up the turret, that would make the situation worse, but Sooryun decided to follow Sungjin¡¯s order. She didn¡¯t have any other solutions. Sungjin and Sooryun came back to the base camp. ¡°Did you collect enough crystals?¡± ¡°Yes. I have enough to activate my Heavenly Yueqin. What about you?¡± ¡°I collected enough. Now it¡¯s time to fight.¡± ¡°So we should fight against them all here.¡± And she was right. Five robots walked in to the upper path all together. The robots were three meters tall andser beams came from their chests while they held weapons in each hand. The armor looked strong, and it was covered in shields. And there were five of them. This was the situation that Sooryun had been worried about. She was capable of fighting a one-on-one fight, but this was a five-on-two fight. Maybe Sungjin could fight one or two but... what about the rest? She didn¡¯t know what kind of hidden card Sungjin was trying to use. It seemed that he was about to show her but it was a desperate situation that no n could really work. ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°To be honest with you, yes I am.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have the key for the victory already.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I will show you.¡± Sungjin stretched out his right hand. The show was about to begin. ¡°Come. Dawn Bringer.¡± He was using crystals to activate his artifact: The Holy Sword of Halt. It was a bringer of the dawn that he had gotten by defeating the Holy Pope Pedrian. The legend showed its power beyond the time and space by appearing on his hand. It was the strong weapon that helped him to unify the continent, but also, in the beginning, this was the sword of the light that the top angle had used to stop the chaos. It was able to stop abnormal phenomenon by touching it with its de. ¡°Ha. It is a world made with the power from Valha, it could be a seperated world but it can¡¯t be a different world from Valha,¡± said Sungjin with a grin. ¡°Sooryun.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Let me use your power.¡± Sungjin reached out his left hand. ¡°Stat Exchange.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sooryun¡¯s outfit became a normal one while Sungjin¡¯s outfit changed. A flow of energy moved from Sooryun to Sungjin and made Sungjin¡¯s outfit change into blue armor. It was an armor of oriental warriors. It looked a bit dangerous because no part of it was protected by heavy metal te, but that only seemed so when just looking at its appearance. It was knitted by strings that contained power so that Sungjin was able to move freely while augmenting his physical function to maximum capability. Sooryun¡¯s ss was the warrior. Chapter 6 The warrior ss had the highest physical abilities among the six sses. The warrior didn¡¯t have high resistance power like the knight, but its physical power was the top and the best ss for the bnced physical fight. Sungjin took her power and stepped forward with light steps, but with his steps the ground shook. ¡°Now,e. But you should do your best.¡± Sungjin looked confident in front of five monsterous robots, and even provoked them. Although they were just machines that could not be provoked, the robots ran toward him as programmed. ¡°Sungjin...¡± ¡°Hide yourself in a safe ce,¡± said Sungjin, and he ran toward the robots. He ran toward the robots that were five times bigger than him with just a sword. Is he being reckless? But Sungjin didn¡¯t look like he was oveing fear and stepping forward. He rather looks like... Sooryun looked at him from behind. What she felt from Sungjin wasn¡¯t courage. It was... It was rather... Spirit. He looked like a lion running toward five sheep. But how? Although he had her power, it was a five-on-one fight. Is this an easy one for him? The first robot shed with Sungjin, and for a brief amount of time, it was a one-on-one fight. Sungjin read that the heatser woulde from the robot¡¯s chest, and stepped aside to avoid it. The robot turned around to follow him, but Sungjin had already calcted that, so he lowered his body to get into the robot. To stop Sungjin, the robot¡¯s two hands stabbed Sungjin one by one: a spear in one hand and a sword in the other. Sungjin¡¯s sword stopped the spear first and then twisted the course of power to stop robot¡¯s sword with it at the same time. And at the blink of an eye when robot¡¯s sword and spear stopped together, Sungjin¡¯s sword stabbed the engine of the robot, but there was an energy shield to protect the engine. However, it was meaningless before the Holy Sword of Halt. Sungjin pierced the robot¡¯s armor and its engine. Zing, zing. The first robot lost its power. You are amazing. Sooryun, impressed, looked at the scene. Piercing armor with a single blow wasn¡¯t a ¡°skill,¡± but it almost looked like one. He used the power from his body¡¯s eleration and used the spin of his arm to make it stronger. Finally, he used the attacking power from the robot to maximize his own attack power. That is not what we call skill in our world but... She was a warrior, so she understood the difference between ¡°skill¡± and pure martial arts, so she was deeply impressed. In the meantime, the remaining four robots surrounded Sungjin and started to attack him. The two on the left and right started their attack first with their spears. Then, two swords started to attack him horizontally. But... ¡°Pff.¡± Everything was as he calcted. He moved fast to stop suddenly and moved shapely to suddenly show a smooth movement. Sungjin¡¯s movement was free as the wind and looked like the movement of water, but it was as fierce as lightning and strong as rock. He didn¡¯t stay with one kind of movement. His movement didn¡¯t have a predictable rhythm: it was free movement of a sword. A sharp spear cut the air to attack him, but Sungjin was already out of its way, having read its movement in advance. Sungjin used the robot¡¯s attack for his counterattack with his sword. The speed of his physical movement was added to the speed of the sword to create a destructive power that was two times bigger than what he could make with his own muscles. He easily destroyed the engine, and pulled out his sword and turned around. Another spear was attacking him Very predictable. He smiled at the huge robot that was attacking him. ¡°It is stronger and faster than a human, but its movement has the clear pattern of AI.¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult to react to such predictable movements when he knew how to read them and how to counter them. Sungjin¡¯s sword danced, sometimes beautifully but sometimes sharply. He made minimum movements, but his every move was an art. Broken robots started to pile up. Humans would have run away at the sight of such a dreadful opponent, but the robots were simply following a program. Four robots were dismantled and fell down on the ground. There was only one left. It seemed like the fight was over; he had defeated a joint attack of five machines, and now there was only one left. Sungjin ran to thest robot. The robot aimed at Sungjin to shoot itsser. Sungjin nned to avoid it by approaching it at a slightly different angle, but the next moment, Sungjin realized something wasn¡¯t right. It is different. The way it was aiming was slightly different, and Sungjin was able to see that, so he threw his body out of the way, and that was the right choice. Bing. Theser tore up the ground. ¡°Lucky bastard.¡± The head of the robot opened to show a familiar face. It was Dungpyong. Through the open gap, Sungjin could see the lower body of Dungpyong. He had be half-cyborg. His body was connected to machines that linked to the robot¡¯s control system. Sungjin stood up quickly with a stable pose. ¡°Pff. Good to see you again. You look quite different now.¡± Sungjin had already heard that this world was a closed world where a dead soul would be resurrected, but he didn¡¯t expect Dungpyong to mutte his body in order toe back as half-robot. ¡°I did it all to defeat you.¡± ¡°I like your spirit, but I don¡¯t think I like your methods.¡± ¡°If I can kill you, everything else doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Chapter 126 - Vol. 5 – Episode 16

Chapter 126: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 16

Dungpyong¡¯s robot started ruthlessly attacking Sungjin. Weapons in both its hands fiercely attacked Sungjin, while its torso ceaselessly shotser and fire. He¡¯s not too bad. Sungjin started to move in high tension. Although he was fighting back a smile, it wasn¡¯t easy fighting back Dungpyong¡¯s attack. He is really putting everything into this fight. To get the rich middle ss life in this world, or for his revenge, whatever the reason was, Dungpyong put his soul into every movement he made, and it wasn¡¯t easy to fight back an attack that had someone¡¯s soul in it, especially when that was supported by the strong ability of a robot. Theser beam spinned quickly, following Sungjin¡¯s movements. As soon as Sungjin avoided theser, weapons from both the robot¡¯s arms would attack Sungjin without stopping. Dungpyong made twelve consecutive stabbing motions using the robot¡¯s high speed. It was a simple sequence, but it was very fast. The robot recalcted Sungjin¡¯s movement each time Sungjin avoided the attack, so it was difficult for Sungjin to make counterattack or to find its weakness. Sungjin had to admit Dungpyong¡¯s ability. Although Dungpyong was putting all negative emotions into his attack, such as revenge and greed, but doing everything he could in desperation, he also had a sense of what he had to do to fight, so it was not an easy fight for Sungjin. It was hard to determine who would be the winner of this fight, but... it was about to change soon, because the time on Sungjin¡¯s Stat Exchange would soon run out, and when the stat went back to Sooryun, Sooryun wouldn¡¯t be able to fight against Dungpyong, who was synchronized with the robot. His time was up. Sungjin¡¯s movements became slow, and Dungpyong¡¯s spear pierced him mercilessly. ¡°Ugh.¡± Sungjin raised his left hand to stop the spear, but that only caused his arm to be cut off and blood to spread. ¡°This is it!¡± Dungpyong threw his final blow. I can win. I can win against this guy. I will defeat Sungjin to get what I want. ¡°Sungjin!¡± When Sooryun tried to jump in, Sungjin stopped her. ¡°Yes, this is it.¡± He threw the blood from his arm onto the robot¡¯s visual sensor. ¡°What?¡± The shield was activated to stop the blood, but Sungjin¡¯s sword cut the shield to open the way to spread the blood onto the sensor. The blood covered Dungpyong¡¯s sight. ¡°You!¡± But that moment, Sungjin had already attacked the central system of the robot, and his sword stabbed the engine. Zing. The robot made broken movements before stopping and eventually exploding. ¡°Ugh!¡± Dungpyong¡¯s screams filled the air. ¡°The fight¡¯s over.¡± Sungjin put back his sword and his stat returned to normal. ¡°Sungjin... you made it.¡± Sooryun couldn¡¯t stop looking at him in surprise. He defeated five robots... with one sword... and not on a battlefield with a narrow path but in an open space where the robots could siege him. Although four of the robots had been operated by AI, Dungpyong had not been an easy opponent to fight against, but Sungjin had made it. Wow... You are amazing. She held her hands together while her eyes shined. She looked like a fangirl at a K-pop idol¡¯s concert. Wow... that was really amazing. That was the reason why Sungjin didn¡¯t care that it was a two-on-five fight. Sooryun was not able to fight against five, but when Sungjin had her power, he was able to fight against all of them. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Sungjin cleaned up his sword, stepping on the remains of the five robots. A drop of sweat ran down his neck. That was... amazing. Sooryun¡¯s heart pounded hard. She hadn¡¯t been able to take her eyes off him during his fight. She was a warrior as well, so she knew her limit, but Sungjin was above and beyond the limit anyone could possibly reach. It almost gave her ecstasy to see something unimaginable be real. Each line of his muscle that had showed while he used his sword was attractive. Ahh, what should I do? She was already into Sungjin, but he kept showing more attractive sides of himself. She wanted to be happy just with the memory of their first kiss, but he was making her want more. She almost screamed like a girl who had seen her favorite star, but she stopped herself, thinking of her social status. You are such a conqueror of not only the continent but of a girl¡¯s heart. Her head told her that they needed to say goodbye. There wasn¡¯t much she could do, even if she loved him. She knew that the memory of that one night was the only thing she would keep... Ahh, I really want to know more about you, Sungjin. She wanted to know his ambition, what he would do to be on the top of the world. She wanted to stay with him longer and know him more. I want to know him. I want to be with him, and I want him to want me as well. She didn¡¯t know how to deal with her feelings. ¡°Now it¡¯s over. Rx.¡± Sungjin¡¯s voice was calm, and that put her back down on her feet. There¡¯s... no way... She was sad. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Sure?¡± ¡°If you had this much power, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± It wasn¡¯t aplicated n that he couldn¡¯t have exined quickly. ¡°If I told you that I would fight against five robots, I knew that you would try to take at least one out to help me,¡± Sungjin answered with a grin. He looked like a conqueror, but he also looked like a bad boy. ¡°So... You didn¡¯t want me to struggle...¡± He was thinking ahead. Even if I go back to my world, I will never be able to forget you. I will remember you forever. As my first love. [Team Blue won.] The Valkyrie made the announcement. [The connection to the World Stone is opening.] That was the reward for the winner of this battlefield. He could decide if he wanted to destroy this world or keep it. The winner was able to decide the destiny of this little world that Kaiser Varka had created with his heroic power. Chapter 8 A ray of light came down to the center of the battlefield, and with the light, the ground opened up. A pure white stone appeared in front of Sooryung and Sungjin. It was a disc with miniatures of the cities of this world on it. It looked just like this world. ¡°So this is the World Stone.¡± ¡°Yes. If you break it, Varka can¡¯t keep this world anymore, and we can go back to our own worlds.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They looked at each other. It was time to say goodbye. ¡°I will remember you, even when I go back to my world.¡± ¡°I will remember you as my precious teammate.¡± ¡°Your precious... teammate...¡± Sooryun repeated in a low voice. I get it. That¡¯s who I am. She had tried, but Sungjin hadn¡¯t made a move, and now they had to say goodbye as teammates. She was sad, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do. She was in love with a guy who was a strong conqueror but also a nice guy who wouldn¡¯t y her for a one-night stand. ¡°So, should we destroy it?¡± When Sungjin raised his sword, Varka¡¯s image came up from the World Stone. ¡°The one who came here, whoever you are, you did a great job.¡± It was a recording Varka had nted in the World Stone when he had created it. ¡°Now you can decide if you want to keep this world or break this world by destroying the World Stone.¡± ¡°Pff. Is this the World Stone¡¯sst words?¡± ¡°But think twice. You might not like my order, but this is the best world for humans, who are weak and stupid.¡± ¡°You are talking too much.¡± Sungjinughed. ¡°So, Let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Sungjin struck it with his sword and Sooryun yed the lute. When both attacks hit the stone, the World Stone cracked, and a backflow of energy came from the fissure. ¡°Ugh.¡± A bit of reaction was expected, but that was not what surprised Sungjin. This is... The truth of the world came to Sungjin when the energy flow started to cover the whole world. When people were covered by the ck energy flow, they started to change their shape. They became chunks of revengeful spirits, and started to gather to the center. They looked like condensed dark clouds, and more and more started to gather. ¡°No!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave this world!¡± They screamed. They didn¡¯t just want the soma from the chip. They didn¡¯t just want to live their peaceful lives. When Sungjin learned the truth of this world, he was able to understand that they had more desperate reasons. This was why. Apart from Sungjin, all the souls in this world were from the Earth that Varka hade from. They were living under tyranny. They had no freedom at all under brutally strict order and they couldn¡¯t even think of criticizing the tyrant. The tyrant was the only one who had wealth, while the others had to live from hand to mouth, but they started to learn about wealth and freedom from other countries, until people finally started a revolution. There was support from the outside, and the revolution was sessful. They kicked out the tyrant and... a civil war started. Tribal conflict erupted as soon as they were free of the tyrant. They started killing each other during the civil war, and the country became just like what Varka had told Sungjin when they first met. Neighbors became enemies. They raped each others¡¯ daughters, mothers and wives... They caused people to be orphans. They started to regret the revolution, thinking it had been better when they had been under the tyrant¡¯s rule. They thought that when they had been under tyranny, they never had to worry about food or if they could survive another day, but now they had to kill each other to survive, and when they died, their souls fell into an endless hell, locked in an endless loop where they had to keep killing each other. It was a loop that they couldn¡¯t run away from. But there was salvation. It was a white silver light. It was the light of salvation that Varka created with order. Varka took every soul and sealed them into this new world under an absolute order. It was a distorted world, but it was a desperate form of salvation. Now that this world was falling apart, the revengeful spirits had lost their bodies from this world. When this world was destroyed, they had to go back to hell, where they had to keep killing each other. Revengeful spirits started to get on Sooryun. ¡°Ugh.¡± Her beautiful skin became ck. The faces of spirits came out from all over her body to me her. ¡°Is it you?¡± ¡°You are trying to put us back where we were?¡± ¡°This b*tch is the leader of the resistance army.¡± ¡°I want the order back!¡± ¡°Put us back in the system of Varka!¡± ¡°He is the only savior for us!¡± To give freedom to humans: the resistance army tried to do the right thing, but what if humans wanted to return the freedom they got? Moreover... It was because of desperate reasons... Chapter 127 - Vol. 5 – Episode 17

Chapter 127: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 17

Sungjin clenched his fists. So that was it. Sungjin felt like he had finally found thest piece of the puzzle, although he had thought that that might be the case for two reasons. First, Kaiser Varka was praised for opening a White Silver Era, but he had nted chips in humans¡¯ brains to control their every single move. It didn¡¯t make sense. History said that he held absolute power and dominated the heroes, but the extras¡¯ lives were peaceful. This kind of rulership wouldn¡¯t be remembered as something that had given a peaceful life. When Varka had talked about the destruction of democracy, he had been emotional, as if it had been his own experience. And he said: it¡¯s a special ce for special people. This world was clearly a prison. But it was not just a prison. It was a prison where Varka had brought everyone who was running into the destruction. And the second reason was Dungpyong. At first, Sungjin had thought that he was just a guy who had betrayed his leader to get a bigger reward, but... although he had seemed like it with his facial expressions and looks, what Sungjin had felt while in closebat with Dungpyong was that Dungpyong wasn¡¯t fighting because of his greed or obsession. Sungjin thought maybe Dungpyong had a story that was different from what he could see, and it wasn¡¯t too difficult to assume that. Varka¡¯s illusion started to talk again. ¡°When you destroy the Stone of Closed Space, everything will go back to how it was. These vengeful spirits will create tribes ording to their races and will follow their desires while calling those acts ¡®freedom.¡¯¡± That was the free country that the people who were now locked in this world created. There was Sungjin, who was a clear exception, but the rest were like that. ¡°This world is clearly a prison that controls everything and everyone, but do you really think this is worse than the chaos where there was nothing but thieving, raping, and killing? Choose. If you want to destroy this Stone of Closed Space or put it back.¡± ¡°I...¡± Sooryun fell down on her knees. Now she could remember. I was... I was... She had died in the middle of the chaotic hell... and her death had been miserable. She had ended up imprisoned in this world with other vengeful spirits. The ce she was at before her death was a hospital made from tents. It didn¡¯t really look like a hospital. She was a doctor who had gone there to take care of refugees, but soldiers had suddenly walked in, and she had tried to stop them. What is going on? She had known about the serious conflict between tribes, so she hadn¡¯t tried to use her humanitarian methods, but found a better way. She divided her team in two, and she built-up a refugee hospital in the middle of ¡°Algal¡± tribe, while sending the other team to the ¡°Tara¡± tribe to build a hospital there. That was the best that she could do while those two tribes fought against each other, and it was the way that she found that considered her goal to help them and the situation of the tribes, but... her devastating end came from a different source. ¡°It¡¯s them. They are the cause of this epidemic!¡± In that country, shamanism was still the biggest faith. The shaman pointed to the doctors who hade from the outside to help them as the cause of the epidemic because doctors were everywhere because of the endless death and dead bodies, but the truth was that the doctors were only trying to go where people were suffering because of the epidemic. The stupid and conflicted country had a democratic revolution only to end up with... its own destruction. So she died there like that, and the civil war and epidemic never stopped. ¡°Ah... ugh...¡± Sooryun started to scream from the powerful curses and pain from the vengeful spirits. Is this punishment for my wrongdoing? Did I do something wrong? She had only wanted to make a world where everyone could have freedom and rights, but maybe that was wrong. Maybe Varka was right. Maybe it was a harmful wish. Her goal to set these people free only pushed them back to hell. It broke her heart that she was pushing them into hell even though she had tried to help them. Why didn¡¯t I... let it be as it was... It¡¯s my fault. I destroyed their peaceful lives. She started to cry in despair and regret. I shouldn¡¯t have destroyed the World Stone. Varka¡¯s tyranny had been salvation for the people in this world. This pain must be the punishment for my wrongdoings. Sungjin had to decide now. What should I do? Should I leave this world as it is for Sooryun and for the people who think this world is their salvation? It would make these people peaceful, at least on the surface, but then... what about the people who were waiting for him? His precious girls. People who counted on him for their future and Sungjin¡¯s own dreams. He felt bad for these people, but he had already started to y the game, where he couldn¡¯t take even one step back. So he had to decide now... Should I step on them and go forward? Should I ignore Sooryun and the vengeful spirits and destroy this world? They needed to deal with their own karma. What would he do? ¡°It¡¯s because of you... because of you!¡± The next moment, someone jumped on him, ming him. Fighting back the sword that tried to cut him, Sungjin looked at his opponent. It was Dungpyong. He looked like a total mess. He had lost his left arm and his left shoulder. He had holes all over his body, and his blood vessels were tangled with wires. It was almost unbelievable that he could stand up, but he kept trying to attack Sungjin. Dungpyong¡¯s spirit was already beyond his physical abilities. ¡°Because of you... mydy...!¡± Dungpyong had felt it when he first saw Sungjin, that he could enable thedy to reach the World Stone, which would only make Sooryun find out the truth that she was better for not knowing. This world was a distorted paradise, but this was the salvation for Sooryun. Until Sungjin showed up. The hope for freedom, which was impossible to achieve, was a little idea that Dungpyong had let her have to not feel boredom. A daily, peaceful life was a good life that he wanted to keep for Sooryun, so he had tried to stop her n, first by stopping Sungjin, then by bing a traitor. Even if she hated him for it, he wanted to keep her safe. She was the most precious thing... She was the only one who had saved him when he was abandoned... she was his family... He wanted to keep her safe, but now they had ended up here. ¡°Without you... we can go back!¡± Dungpyong tried to attack Sungjin, screaming. He knew that none of his blows would hit Sungjin, but he didn¡¯t stop. He didn¡¯t care if his soul was burning away, he just wanted to save thedy, and killing Sungjin was the only way to do it. The World Stone was not yet destroyed. If they let it heal for a while, it would recover from its crack and everything would be as it was before. I can erase some parts of mydy¡¯s memory and nt the strongest chip on this guy¡¯s head and lock him in a faraway city. This is a distorted paradise, but at least it would be better than looking at Sooryun in pain, suffering by vengeful spirits in hell! ¡°I understand.¡± Sungjin avoided Dungpyong¡¯s attack and tripped him, and then cut Dungyong¡¯s leg joint to stop him. ¡°Ugh. What do you know! For her... are you going to give up leaving this world?¡± Sungjin looked at the guy who couldn¡¯t move but who was still ring at Sungjin in anger. ¡°No.¡± Sungjin¡¯s answer was firm. Dungpyong was angry that he couldn¡¯t do anything against this conqueror who would never change his mind. ¡°Sure.¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t try to use Sooryun for his needs. He didn¡¯t know the secret of this world. But at thest moment, he could make his choice, because he wouldn¡¯t give up everything and everyone who was waiting for him for Sooryun, who was just a brief encounter in this world. So I want to stop it. ¡°Ugh...¡± I can¡¯t stop this? This world is going to fall apart and mydy will fall back into hell again? I can¡¯t let that happen, even if I need to give up my life to stop it! Sungjin pushed him down with his sheathed sword. ¡°Stop moving. I didn¡¯t answer you yet.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The world to go back to and this world: your question was what I will do. Let me show you. This is my answer,¡± said Sungjin, leaving Dungpyong in order to approach Sooryun and hold her tightly. ¡°Sungjin...¡± In Sungjin¡¯s arms, Sooryun cried in pain and asked, ¡°Did I do something wrong? So... they are punishing me now?¡± ¡°No, you did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°But... ¡± ¡°Your dream was not a wrong one.¡± ¡°But the result of it is bad. People became more miserable. This world is... really... really... so these people... me... me... like this...¡± She was no longer the gracefuldy; she looked like a little girl crying in pain. ¡°Yes, but sometimes failed idealism hurts many people.¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t deny the fact. The world wasn¡¯t easy enough to get a good result when people act on good will. So to change the world to a better ce, Sungjin needed much more than good will and courage; he needed wisdom. It was a difficult thing to do, but it was his responsibility as a leader. ¡°So I will take the responsibility from now on.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to make your wish to destroy this world to free everyone be a wrong one.¡± She had joined him in good will, but the sin that had been umting in this world was distorting their good will. Now it¡¯s my job. ¡°Listen! You shouldn¡¯t me her,¡± Sungjin shouted to the vengeful spirits. ¡°You should me me!¡± The vengeful spirits started to look at Sungjin. ¡°She was simply following my order! I was the one who challenged the one who created this world, and I¡¯m the one who¡¯s trying to defeat him!¡± Endless vengeful spirits were ready to attack him, but Sungjin was cool. ¡°If you want to stay in this world, I¡¯m the one you should kill! Not this girl!¡± When Sungjin finished his words, vengeful spirits started to move and leave Sooryun¡¯s body to jump on Sungjin. ¡°Ugh.¡± A torrent of vengeful spirits covered Sungjin. From head to toe, vengeful spirits bit him. It was the scream of spirits that didn¡¯t want to go to hell again. Huh. Sungjin didn¡¯t kneel, instead taking the pain. So this is the price I need to pay. It was the price he had to pay for breaking the ideal world that Varka had created. The victims created from destroying its power stood against him, but Sungjin was ready to take them all. ¡°Yeah, me me. But listen.¡± It was a fight of a soul against other souls. They didn¡¯t need any power. It was a fight of will. It didn¡¯t matter for Sungjin that it was his will against a few thousand souls. He was trying to create a new history for the world. There was nothing he couldn¡¯t handle. ¡°But what you really want is to live in a peaceful world controlled by the chip?¡± The forced order and peace might have been better than the hell where they had to kill each other just to survive. They just epted the less terrible thing, but... People always wanted to have something better, to live in a better ce. It was almost impossible that they were truly happy with theirfort without freedom. ¡°This world can¡¯t be the ideal world that you want to live in.¡± ¡°It is better than hell.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back to that ce.¡± When the vengeful spirits screamed out, Sungjin answered, ¡°I¡¯m not saying you have to go back! I am telling you to move forward!¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I will take you there,¡± the conqueror of the continent promised the vengeful spirits. His soul opened a world in their minds. Sungjin showed everyone the history of the continent that he had made. Chapter 128 - Vol. 5 – Episode 18

Chapter 128: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 18

It was a small start. There was a boy who was level 0 who hade to a world where everything was ruled by levels and their power differences, but the boy had abilities and spirit that was beyond the level 0. He defeated impossibly strong enemies over and over again. He kept fighting, saying he wouldn¡¯t ept this world where people were abused by power and by the world¡¯s unfair system, and he became the strong king of the world to use his power to protect people without power or level. That was not so different from the world that Varka created. Maybe Varka¡¯s world was slightly better. Sungjin fed his people and took care of them when they were unwell, but in Varka¡¯s world everything was perfectly controlled. But there was something different in Sungjin¡¯s world. ¡°School¡± was something new to vengeful spirits. It was somethingpletely different from Varka¡¯s world. Extras studied things, not only techniques for work but things that seemedpletely irrelevant to their lives, such as philosophy, ethics, and physics. It was a curious scene to watch the extras study such subjects that only a few heroes would study as their hobby. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°This is a world where everyone can think and make their own choices¡ªnot just a few, but everyone. And for that aim, we are giving everyone opportunities to study and improve their abilities.¡± ¡°What for...?¡± ¡°Because everyone is their own owner in this world!¡± It sounded like a natural thing to pursue, but also an impossible dream. ¡°Democracy! Everyone is their own owner, and the system of the world is decided by a vote of the people. That is the goal of this world.¡± Democracy was a rtively new concept in the long history of human beings, and not many cases had worked as they were supposed to. ¡°Impossible.¡± ¡°That is absurd.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be tricked by this.¡± ¡°Yeah, it looks impossible, but it is possible,¡± Sungjin said. In Valha, it wouldn¡¯t be possible in a day, because in Valha, only the heroes had the power to control the world. Sungjin was able to be the ruler, but he couldn¡¯t make people have their own rights and have ownership over their lives. ¡°Through education, we improve their abilities, and I will change this world by bing an Arc Master. I will make a world where they can be what they want to be not by the ss they are born in but by their hard work and effort to have better abilities and achievements!¡± That was the world Sungjin wanted to create as an Arc Master. Another image came up. It was a scene that only Sungjin was able to show, because he was from Earth. He started to show the democracies that were established in the world called earth. It still had some problems, but there was a form of democracy there. Normal people had sovereign power and power to create the legal system. Everyone had chances to develop their abilities and achieve their dreams, while those who failed would have a safety to try again. There were rich and poor, strong and weak, but that difference didn¡¯t mean the weaker ones couldn¡¯t have their dignity. Republic of Korea, where Sungjin used to live, and other developed countries: the image showed these countries one by one, until it finally showed the ideal world that Sungjin was trying to create. ¡°This is the world that I¡¯ve been making, and the world I¡¯m trying to create. See?¡± They were just words. They didn¡¯t mean anything. However, Sungjin was someone who would keep his promises. He wasn¡¯t trying to show a beautiful fantasy. He was creating history by fighting against strong enemies. The vengeful spirits started to calm down. ¡°Are you... really going to make this happen? Will you bring me to somewhere that is not the chaos of disorder or oppressive order... but a free and peaceful ce?¡± A world not with the absolute order that Varka had created, but a world that empowered people so that they could think and act by their own will, but still a world where people didn¡¯t need to worry about how to survive. ¡°I promise.¡± The guy who had started from level 0 to conquer the continent but had be locked in this world but had broken all the chains toe here. ¡°Please help us.¡± ¡°I trust you.¡± Vengeful spirits started to go to sleep one by one, and when they started to calm down, they started to be a huge shape behind Sungjin to make a shape of six branches. Sooryun watched it in silence. In her eyes, it looked like Sungjin was the king of the light standing in front of six shapes of darkness to take a few thousand vengeful spirits under him. Ah...? When the vengeful spirits had gone, Sooryun nced at the sixpleted wings, but that was just for a moment. Soon, the sixpleted wings were gone, and Sungjin took a deep breath. ¡°Okay. Now everyone go to sleep.¡± Sungjin took all the weight of the vengeful spirits from Varka¡¯s world under him and promised them a new world. ¡°I will give you a salvation that is different from the one that the Kaiser of White Silver gave you.¡± Then, Sungjin looked at Sooryun. ¡°I will save you and everyone else, but in a different way from Varka.¡± ¡°Sungjin Oppa...¡± Without knowing to, Sooryun called Sungjin Oppa. ¡°So rx. Your dream won¡¯t be a broken ideological daydream. I will make your dream the ground for a better future.¡± You don¡¯t need to regret the time you spent with me to break the Stone of Closed Space. Sungjin touched her back gently to tell her to stop crying. ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± ¡°Oh, well...¡± Sungjin smiled. She was cute when she called me Sungjin Oppa, but my adventure with her is over now. With Sooryun in his arms, Sungjin looked at Dungpyong. See? This is my answer. Is it... Dungpyong¡¯s eyes became softer. If that is mydy¡¯s wish... ¡°So I guess this is goodbye. You go back to your world, and I go back to my world.¡± When we break the World Stone, we will be apart. I will go back to Valha to challenge Varka again with my team, and you will go back to your world. ¡°Yes...¡± When she showed sadness in her eyes, Sungjin reached out his hand. ¡°Or do you want toe with me?¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m worried about you.¡± The world she came from was in chaos because the democratic revolution had gone wrong and she was killed in the middle of it, so even if she went back, she had her soul but not her body. Maybe she would be born in a good ce, but nobody knew for sure. He had taken care of the vengeful spirits who had tried to drag her down to the endless hell, but he still didn¡¯t feel it would be safe for her. ¡°I¡¯m not a Kaiser yet.¡± Because he wasn¡¯t a Kaiser, Sungjin didn¡¯t have the privilege of having an ability to create a world like Varka did. ¡°But soon I will.¡± Because I will make it. ¡°Then, I think I would feel morefortable letting you stay in the world of my creation.¡± He promised her to help her, so if he put her in danger, everything would be meaningless. ¡°Would it be ok?¡± Sungjin smiled, and answered, ¡°I already took a few thousand vengeful spirits without trouble. I don¡¯t think taking one more little girl will trouble me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that young.¡± She pouted her lips. ¡°Haha. Sorry. But what do you think? If you miss your home, there¡¯s nothing I can do...¡± If you don¡¯t have a reason that you have to go back... ¡°Would you like toe with me and stay in the world that I will create?¡± He was able toe here because of her help, and with her help, Sungjin was able to escape this world. He had to go back to Valha, the world where he would be the conqueror of the world, but the world that she had to go back to was the endless hell controlled by Varka¡¯s power. He didn¡¯t feelfortable letting her go back to that world. ¡°The world of Sungjin¡¯s creation...¡± ¡°Would you like to make that world your second home?¡± Sooryun starred at Sungjin¡¯s hand for a while. ¡°You promised that you would create a world where vengeful spirits could settle down, right?¡± ¡°Yes, and that was a real promise.¡± ¡°And you will make a ce for me in that world?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I want to ask you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Let me help you create that world.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I appreciate your promise that you will help me to make my dreamse true, but I don¡¯t want to simply take things from you,¡± Sooryun continued with a smile. ¡°It was what we decided to do, so I want to take the responsibility with you. That¡¯s what I want.¡± I will forget about the world that would be different from the one I came from, and I will not regret any of this. I will go forward with Sungjin, holding his hand. I knew you were my destiny. What she felt was right. She couldn¡¯t even remember the world that she hade from, and now she didn¡¯t want to go back to the world that she couldn¡¯t remember... Her heart told her that she had to create a new home next to Sungjin... There was no reason to resist it. She knew she would regret it if she didn¡¯t go with Sungjin. Let¡¯s be honest. ¡°Good. Sure. It¡¯s the result we created together, so let¡¯s do this together,¡± Sungjin promised. He knew that the girls wouldment on it if he brought a new girl, but he had to take her. Sooryun was a new partner he had found and someone he had to take care of. So this is my responsibility in this world. Change the world and save everyone¡ªthat was the goal that he had set for bing an Arc Master, so he had to cherish every rtionship he found on his way. He couldn¡¯t ignore the people he met on his way. A few thousand vengeful spirits and a girl¡ªhe had to take everyone and go forward. When promised, Sooryun took away her hairpin. Her hair dropped like a waterfall, and she looked even younger. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You said you like the natural look, so I will keep it like this.¡± She was following the taste of the man that she decided to follow. ¡°Lead me.¡± Sooryun held Sungjin¡¯s hand. ¡°Then let¡¯s destroy the World Stone.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They held the sword together to hit the stone to destroy the World Stonepletely. Then, time and space broke apart piece by piece. The Universe. Everything that was holding this world started to scatter. Buildings became sand, and the ground disappeared. It was a grand scene when a world started to disappear, and in the middle of it, Dungpyong looked at Sungjin and hisdy. So he is... the man mydy wants... And his answer was clear. Chapter 129 - Vol. 5 – Episode 19

Chapter 129: Vol. 5 ¨C Episode 19

Chapter 9 Cling. A space opened above Sungjin¡¯s body on the ground, and opened two paths from far away. Two lights came down. The first light went into Sungjin¡¯s body. Ping. The shape of the me on his chest that had been losing its light, lit up again and then disappeared. Sungjin opened his eyes. ¡°Huh.¡± When he started breathing, all the girls ran into his arms all together. ¡°Sungjin!¡± Ereka held Sungjin¡¯s right arm, crying. ¡°It took a while.¡± Eustasia held his left hand,ining. ¡°Sungjin oppa...¡± Rachel and Jenna held his legs, and their tears wet his pants. ¡°Haha. Sorry guys. And thank you.¡± ¡°You know we were worried, right?¡± Zakiya hugged him from his back. What a fuss I created. Sungjin smiled, and didn¡¯t know how to thank all of them who had waited for him who hadn¡¯t made the first fight against Varka. Although he was not able to see what was happening exactly, but he was able to feel what was going on. He felt that he was supposed to be dead but the girls were putting everything they had into him to keep him alive. These girls were his people who would stay with him forever, and he thanked each of them one by one. ¡°Thank you so much, but now that I¡¯m back, you can stop crying.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Another light came down next to them and became a person. It was Sooryun. ¡°They are who you were talking about.¡± ¡°Oh... you are Sooryun.¡± Ereka stood up and greeted Sooryun with a warm smile. ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°We were able to see what was going on on Sungjin¡¯s side, so I was able to see that you were helping Sungjin.¡± ¡°Ah, ok.¡± But then, Sooryun started to blush. ¡°That... that means... did you...?¡± Sooryun was worried that they had seen her intimate moment with Sungjin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We were only watching from time to time to check on the situation. We weren¡¯t watching the whole time.¡± ¡°Ah, ok.¡± Sooryun was relieved, but Ereka had to swallow her sigh. So... that means there was something quite intimate between you and Sungjin... But there was not much Ereka could do. A guy and girl had worked together, risking their lives. It would have been rather strange if they didn¡¯t have any feelings for each other, and it was Sungjin, who everyone admired. It was only natural if they had something between them. ¡°Huh. We were worrying about you, and you brought a new girl?¡± Eustasia asked, making Sungjin flinch. ¡°Oh, well... that¡¯s... No, I won¡¯t find an excuse for it.¡± Sungjin smiled awkwardly, knowing that whatever he said would sound like an excuse. He wanted to tell them that he just wanted to help a girl, nothing more, but that wouldn¡¯t be true. Sungjin was attracted to Sooryun. The night Sooryun had offered her everything to him, his heart had been pounding. He had many beautiful and lovely girls, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t recognize other types of beauty as beauty. Sooryun was attractive in a different way. Well, I suppose that is the nature of guys. The important thing was not feeling the attraction but acting correctly, but I can¡¯t say I have nothing to hide. He wasn¡¯t thinking about the night with Sooryun. He had promised himself that he would protect Sooryun, and had asked Sooryun to escape Varka¡¯s world ande with him. He hadn¡¯t been trying to offer a rtionship then, but he had to take responsibility for his offer and his choices. ¡°Stop, Eustasia. That¡¯s unnecessary. It¡¯s okay, Sungjin,¡± said Ereka with a smile, as if she could understand whatever it was he was thinking. ¡°You are the conqueror of the continent. It doesn¡¯t matter how many women you take.¡± But for Sungjin, upsetting Eustasia was an easier situation to deal with than Ereka¡¯s nice words that put even more pressure on him. ¡°Hmm, well... that is not it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really okay. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s something that you can do, naturally.¡± Ereka¡¯s smile became even brighter, although her eyes told him that she was lonely. ¡°Haha.¡± Sungjin thought it would never be simple or easy. Taking more people on his way to bing an Arc Master meant he had to be the person who could embrace everyone along his way. What he had to do was not apologize to the girls but take responsibility. He decided to conquer Valha and save everyone on his way. He didn¡¯t decide to filter and select only some people but take everyone under his protection¡ªthat was the responsibility of Cha Sungjin of Valha. He was the conqueror of this world, so he had to act ordingly, not by the rule of earth, but by the rule of Valha. But still... this is really tricky. It was more difficult than his battles against strong opponents, but Sungjin decided to stand up and tell them the truth. ¡°While I was escaping from the closed space of Varka, she was a great teammate for me, and when I destroyed the closed space, she trusted me when I had to make a decision that would change people¡¯s destiny.¡± He decided to tell them what really happened. ¡°So I had to take responsibility for my choices, so I came here with her. I hope you understand.¡± ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t really know what happened... but you came back safely thanks to her. I¡¯m happy with her!¡± Rachel smiled brightly. ¡°Hehe. I¡¯m not in a position where I couldin about any decision you make.¡± Zakiya bowed to show him that she was just his dancer who would obey him. Ereka hid her lonely eyes and pretended she was ok. ¡°You guys fought together in Varka¡¯s world, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then she is our teammate too. Right, everyone?¡± Ereka asked everyone with a smile. ¡°Pff. Well, without her help, maybe Sungjin wouldn¡¯t be able toe back, so...¡± Eustasia approved Sooryun, but she didn¡¯t look very happy. ¡°She was the one who liberated others in Varka¡¯s world. It was the conqueror¡¯s duty to take her in when he saved her. He is the one who will take the world under him. It is natural that he takes girls in the world as well. Let¡¯s not make Sooryun feel ufortable.¡± ¡°Yes. He needs much more power.¡± Ereka held Sooryun¡¯s hand. ¡°Sooryun, wee to our team. They areining now, but they are actually grateful for your help. Thanks to you, Sungjin is back. Eustasia is justining for now, although she is truly happy.¡± Ereka¡¯s warm words made Sooryun impressed. ¡°Thank you, Ereka.¡± So these are Sungjin¡¯s girls. Sooryun was able to see that everyone was worried about Sungjin and that now they were really happy that he was back. They were not girls who were fighting for Sungjin¡¯s attention but a team that was supporting him. So I can be a part of them and get along. ¡°Sungjin didn¡¯t forget about you guys when he was locked in Varka¡¯s world. He kept saying he had to go back for you, so I envied you guys.¡± ¡°Hmm, did he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good thing to know.¡± Hmm... well... Sungjin didn¡¯t know how he should feel about this. He was not trying to do anything, but they were arranging their rtionship among them. ¡°Hehe. Tell us all about what happened there. We really want to know, but not right now...¡± Ereka changed the air with a serious face. ¡°Sungjin, don¡¯t you have something to tell us for the next fight?¡± ¡°Yeah... yes.¡± Sungjin stood straight. He had promised that he would take everyone to a better future when he destroyed Varka¡¯s world. He had no n to step back, even without that promise he made. Varka was still the one he had to defeat, but Varka was strong. Sungjin didn¡¯t defeat Varka. He had simply destroyed the world Varka had made with his power. The real fight was about to begin. Sungjin looked around at everyone. ¡°The first time, I didn¡¯t even have a chance.¡± Sungjin epted his failure and continued. ¡°There¡¯s only one chance left.¡± This was the only chance to go back. If he epted that this was an impossible challenge for him and went back, he could still be the conqueror of the continent. There was endless power and four hundred years of youth waiting for him, and it wouldn¡¯t be a bad choice to go back to that, especially when the opponent was such a strong one. ¡°But I was able to learn about Varka, and I improved myself as well.¡± Common sense was not Sungjin¡¯s specialty. He was the one who could make an impossible choice possible. ¡°So I will defeat him in our next fight.¡± ¡°Yes. We trust you.¡± ¡°So I hope you will join me in the second fight and put everything into it.¡± Sungjin bowed formally to ask for their help. It was a risky challenge. It was not only his life that was at stake, but all the girls¡¯ fate. The biggest risk was that they had only seen two of Varka¡¯s skills during their first fight. It was dangerous, even for Sungjin, to fight against an opponent with unknown skills. Sungjin understood the risk, but he still had to go forward toward his goal, and he had to create the world that he had promised to the vengeful spirits. He asked the girls to trust him one more time ande with him. He was determined to win. ¡°I¡¯m your sword. Your wish is mymand.¡± ¡°I trust you Sungjin Oppa. I want to save people as well.¡± Eustasia and Rachel joined him without any hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m going with everyone.¡± ¡°Hehe, I told you I would give you everything: my body and my heart.¡± Jenna and Zakiya promised to join him. ¡°Is everyoneing with you? Let me have a chance to fight with you again¡ªit¡¯s also my fight,¡± Sooryun asked Sungjin. ¡°Of course.¡± It was Sooryun¡¯s fight as well. Sungjin stood up. It was time for the rematch. Epilogue Varka opened his eyes to see Sungjin and his girls. They hade back. ¡°Well done. I didn¡¯t expect you to destroy the Seal of the Devil from the Western Sky. I guess I underestimated you while you were still a conqueror of the continent.¡± ¡°I learned a move from you. It was a power of next level.¡± Varka¡¯s world, which was built based on his belief in perfect order and absolute control, showed special power in every corner. It was an embodiment of his ideology. ¡°I will ask you one more time. Don¡¯t you want to change your mind and create the world that I told you to?¡± Varka asked, because he thought killing Sungjin was a waste, but Varka¡¯s voice showed absolute power that was ying everyone on his hand. If Sungjin decided to create a world as an Arc Master where Sungjin himself would control everything as a merciful tyrant, then Varka was ready to give this fight to Sungjin. ¡°If I was going to change my mind, I wouldn¡¯t have destroyed your world toe here.¡± ¡°Huh, so that is your final answer.¡± Sungjin was standing in front of an absolute power that was much stronger, but he didn¡¯t step back. ¡°The stupidity of humans didn¡¯t change over a few thousand years. Do you really think that would be possible?¡± ¡°I will lead them to change it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°You just gave up.¡± ¡°It was impossible even for me, and you can¡¯t even defeat me, but you would do that?¡± Varkaughed at Sungjin. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? Humans grow and progress. That includes me.¡± Sungjinughed confidently. ¡°You foolish thing. People are just like kids. The king has to protect them as if their his own children. You shouldn¡¯t let them go free into the wild.¡± ¡°To help the kid grow up is the duty of the rightful king.¡± ¡°We will never be able to agree on this, soe. I will make you see that your silly pursuit would be useless before rightful rulership.¡± ¡°I will show you what I¡¯ve been preparing for you.¡± ¡°Come. I will teach you.¡± The battlefield had opened. Chapter 130 - Vol. 5 Ep. 20

Chapter 130: Vol. 5 Ep. 20

[Challenger against Protector. Commencing thest battle.] The Valkyrie¡¯s voice echoed solemnly. And for thest time, the same battlefield opened up. A straight tunnel. There was no space to move left or right. Varka, who liked putting on a show of power in a contest, walked confidently down the tunnel. He walked as if he didn¡¯t consider the narrow walls an obstacle. Sungjin¡¯s teammates greeted him. It was the exact same situation as before. If there was a difference, it was that there was one more person this time. It was now seven against one, but even before that number, the Kaiser of White Silver lookedcent. After all, no matter the number, his powers remained the same. He moved immediately without waiting for the opponent to strike first. It was his benevolence to crush their resistance immediately. ¡°The Front Wheel of the Universe.¡± As soon as Varka finished his seal, a wheel began to turn¡ªthat was the absolute power of someone who conquered, of the sole undefeatable king who ruled and led every being by himself. It was the tyranny of dictatorship in its truest form. There was no sense of freedom within the structure. It had an absolute power, but its activation was brief. A skill that continuously evolved. Always perfect. It had been so until now. Sungjin¡¯s sword was embedded into the ground. Dawn Bringer. The sacred sword, which dismissed all illusions and returned natural order, shone brightly, and one piece of the wheel broke apart. Sungjin was able to protect himself within the sword¡¯s protective shield. ¡°You¡¯ve rebuffed my attack.¡± Their eyes shed. ¡°This is the second time. I can read your timing, at the very least.¡± ¡°I see. You do have the right to enter the central.¡± ¡°I also have the right to defeat you. Stat Exchange!¡± Sungjin threw the sword before him and ran forward. What went with him was Ereka¡¯s calm yet firm stat. A golden armour enshrouded him. Sungjin propelled himself from the ground with the knight¡¯s power. Even the infinite wheel retreated and revealed a path for the Holy Sword of Halt. The sword went forward as if it were slicing through confusion with its light, and Sungjin simrly closed the distance between himself and Varka. With this, it was Sungjin¡¯s victory. His sword, which emphasized being shapeless and rhythmless, drove itself toward the opponent¡¯s neck without hesitation. Even if the opponent was to retaliate, this was a sword that had calcted such a move. What Varka could do in this situation had already been seen through by Sungjin. With the Front Wheel of the Universe activated, Varka wouldn¡¯t be able to use any other skills. The higher the skill level a person had, the less experience he would have against an opponent of equal skill level. This victory... was his. Looking at the approaching de, Varka was suddenly reminded of his past. It was a past from a long time ago, before he had be a Kaiser. It was from when he was still on Earth. There was no one on earth who could go against his words as the CEO of the wealthypany Group Lucian, which had passed down secret engineering techniques and wealth for four thousand years within the strongest nation. Aside from his daughter¡ªthe only person he had ever loved. ¡°Father, it¡¯s my request for you to not step on the resistance members of the Seryuu.¡± The Seryuu nation was the continent¡¯s colony where his country¡¯s influence was the strongest. Currently, it was ridden with resistance movements. ¡°What are you talking about? The Seryuu nation¡¯s prime minister and his group have had a firm rtionship with us for thirty years. Do you know how much ie our group earns by monopolizing their country¡¯s natural resources?¡± ¡°But that country¡¯s people wants freedom. Please don¡¯t let our nation support the oppression of those resistance movements.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense. What do they have to do with you?¡± ¡°Please. Treat others as nicely as you treat me.¡± ¡°Ha. You¡¯re the only person worth my love in this entire world.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you do it for me?¡± ¡°Child, the only person who would cry and worry for you would be myself, your father. Others are those who manipte you. You must be stronger if you wish to survive in this world. Sympathizing with the weak will only be your weakness, and the weak will ultimately be your backstabbers.¡± ¡°But... we have enough.¡± ¡°A brief moment of hesitation may cost you everything. Stop thinking about useless things and do as I say.¡± But when he returned from the meeting with the prime minister that evening, what awaited him was a letter. Father, I¡¯m going to the Seryuu nation. She was immature. She was a child who had been swayed by the idea that the rich and prosperous should volunteer for the poor. She was a child who worried about what other people thought. She was a child who didn¡¯t know she could ignore such things. But, because she was his daughter, because she was his only daughter... he could not be strict with her. Because he loved her, he gave her freedom, and ultimately allowed her escape. He shouldn¡¯t have. He should have held onto her. He should have been strict. If he had... his daughter wouldn¡¯t have died after being swept away in the civil war. Freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom. Could he ept man¡¯s challenge for such a concept? No. He knew the ending. Varka raised his fist. It was a fist without a weapon, but he stretched it out, unwilling to be defeated; however, Sungjin could read its trajectory. I¡¯ll let it slide and aim for his arm. He uses his fists more than his arms. His arm movement is limited. Even if Varka was a Kaiser, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand against Sungjin¡¯s attack solely with his body. ...? Suddenly, Sungjin¡¯s calction and change in movement urred due to a premonition. That was because Varka¡¯s power surrounding him had not faltered in the slightest. He had decided that the Kaiser had something up his sleeve. Sungjin stepped back and raised his sword. His premonition was urate. Crash! A shockwave rippled through the air. Even though he had blocked some of it with his sword, Sungjin still faltered. This is... ¡°My fist can shatter a rock some hundred feet away, but you¡¯ve defended yourself quite well.¡± Another skill...? No, no. This is. ¡°Yes, I cannot use my skills. This is purely my martial arts.¡± This was a height he had reached after endless training. ¡°Your martial arts?¡± Sungjin¡¯s art was to decrease his sword and his body¡¯s movement to the least amount possible. Every hero had praised his fluid sword skill that wasn¡¯t bound to structure or movement, but Varka¡¯s skill was beyond his. His fist reached out once more. The fist, which had been trained to the ultimate level, and was without a skill to back it up, reached out. With just that, the air exploded. ¡°Kuk.¡± Swallowing his pain, Sungjin tried to move his body, but he was ultimately thrown back by the following fist. His sword had reached a level where everything was destroyed in its path, but his opponent revealed a fist that couldn¡¯t be calcted and was the ultimate level. How could he have known? Varka¡¯s strength came not only from his skill but from enlightenment. That was why his level was on a different tier: he had understood life¡¯s truth and had learned true martial arts. Sungjin could only barely read the timing of his attacks and block them with a raised sword. ¡°What amazing sword skills. It¡¯s an ability befitting your climb up the Western continents.¡± Even as he praised Sungjin, there was no hesitation in his attacks. The air of the fist itself didn¡¯t explode. An ultimate power didn¡¯t needlessly and uselessly throw aftershocks around an attack. It exploded the air inside Sungjin¡¯s body. It was an attack beyond this world that aimed directly toward its targeted area. Craash! Reading his opponent¡¯s movements, Sungjin responded ordingly, but at the same time, the oppressor could read Sungjin¡¯s careful movements in his ¡°foresight¡± zone. The person who was above the other in this fight, where each and every movement was read within a split moment, was the one with the most power, which kept creating more injuries on Sungjin¡¯s body. He could avoid the direct attack and block it, but the aftereffects were too great. That one attack was like being run over by a mountain hog. If he hadn¡¯t exchanged his specs with Ereka, he would have been dead with the first attack, but even that had its limit. Small damages built up in his body, and Sungjin¡¯s body ultimately trembled. Without missing that chance, Varka¡¯s fist was thrown. Crash. This time, the attack went through. Sungjin rolled backwards as he dropped. Varka raised his fist as the victor. ¡°How unfortunate. Your level, that was a level I had reached when I was one hundred and twenty years old.¡± It was amazing for Sungjin to have reached that level when he was but twenty. ¡°But your current self is not my opponent.¡± Because he was talking to someone he defeated, his words held weight. The girls were in shock. Sungjin had been beaten in a martial artspetition. They couldn¡¯t believe it, even though they saw it with their own eyes. Although Sungjin had been defeated by overwhelming power before, he had never lost a pure martial artspetition. Would this be the result of theirst chance for victory? Sungjin... Were they unable to surpass Kaiser in the end? Varka nced at Sungjin. ¡°What is wrong cannot ovee what is right.¡± The fist should be called a right of gods. Sungjin stood up and wiped the blood from around his mouth. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s more powerful martial arts than what I¡¯ve achieved. Thank you for a good experience.¡± ¡°Now you know there¡¯s no chance.¡± The others were all encased in the Front Wheel of the Universe and fell short of Sungjin¡¯s sword toward Varka. They had no odds of winning. ¡°Ha, you think?¡± Sungjinughed. He fixed the sword again and rushed forward. ¡°Useless.¡± The fist stretched out again. The sword thatputed everything could be called invisible, but the fist that was beyond logic should be called a right of god. At that moment, when Sungjin¡¯s sword was about to be destroyed again by shing against an attack of another tier, Sungjin reached out with his left hand. Light gathered. Golden rays like the sun gathered in his hands. The glorified god¡¯s light descended from heaven to earth to apany him. It was the shape of a shield that held the sun¡¯s might. In that brilliant image, he eximed, ¡°Skill Exchange!¡± That was his second skill. That was his skill obtained in the second level by connecting more deeply with the girls as the result of theirst fights. ¡°AEGIS, shield of all people!¡± The details were: [You can use the skills of your allies. Your ally who gave you that skill will not be able to use the skill themselves.] Out of the many, it was the weakest, useless skill. The whole team couldn¡¯t increase the number of avable skills, after all. Ereka or Sungjin could use it, but in the end, the entire team could only use the skill once. The ability was weak because it wasn¡¯t a ¡°skill copy,¡± but Sungjin was satisfied. This skill is enough for a level 2. It was the strongest in his hands. A golden ze surrounded all of Sungjin¡¯s teammates. It was an invible light of god. They were in their own separate world, even from the rules that had conquered the world. Bondage could no longer bind them. The Front Wheel of the Universe was now meaningless. An exmation burst from Varka¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ha.¡± He had thought Sungjin was an abnormal young man, but to think that he could break the Front Wheel of the Universe... ¡°Attack, everyone!¡± Sungjin¡¯smand wasn¡¯t necessary. His team members, who had waited for this moment, had already begun to give their all. ¡°Mjolnir!¡± The first to start the fight was Jenna. Amon attack. Won¡¯t work against the Kaiser. But what if it was a hammer of the god of thunder? An incandescent hammer fell down with a ringing punch. It was a reproduction of the myth that crushed mountains, tearing the earth and burning the atmosphere. At the same time, Eustasia also raised her sword. ¡°You don¡¯t need a trivial skill. Heavenly Sword¡ªDurandal!¡± Heavenly swords became twelve meteor showers that fell toward Varka. One by one, the holy sword that could cut through steel fell. This was a counterattack. Varka admired the brilliant attacks. It was beautiful, even though it was the strength of the rebellious. Amazing. This radiance. This light. An old memory came to mind.. Chapter 131 - Vol. 5 Ep. 21 Chapter 131: Vol. 5 Ep. 21 His daughter was just as beautiful as the light¡ªso beautiful that she would leave her position as the daughter of the Lucian Group¡¯s CEO for a greater cause: saving the people of a famished country. Even if a teenager was swayed by the words of ¡°morality¡± and ¡°kindness,¡± putting those words into action was not an easy task. That was why he stepped back, because even if he was the strongest man, he wouldn¡¯t defeat his child. In the conference the day after, the members spewed solutions for the resistance movements in Seryuu. ¡°Let¡¯s ask the chairman of themunist party to move.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll contact some members of the democratic party.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll prepare amon lobby for the other groups to make a move, too, as it will be expensive for our group to take sole responsibility.¡± The members, who knew hismon strategies, began to put forth their solutions. ¡°Hm...¡± ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not.¡± ¡°What? Uh, but... the contract we have with the Seryuu nation¡¯s vice president says...¡± ¡°Stepping on them too violently may have repercussions when we¡¯re trying to make a contract with the new government. Let¡¯s watch how their country¡¯s situation goes.¡± ¡°Will that be okay?¡± ¡°Make a new n so that our group will suffer the least damages after the nation turns to democracy. We¡¯ll abandon the n to have our military forces step in and intervene.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± After sending the members away, Varka stood by the window and looked out into the city. The people rapidly crossing the road below looked like small ants. If I fell from here, they would swarm my body. Would you still pity them then? Haa. He looked at the sky. ¡°Just return safely.¡± He checked with his secretary again. ¡°Are the guards that are shadowing her in position, yes?¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re following her.¡± The guards were talented; that was why he had let his guard down. He had forgotten that anything could happen in dangerous ces, even when protected by talented guards. He should have locked her in the house. If so... she wouldn¡¯t have died like that. She wouldn¡¯t have been swept up in those ignorant peoples¡¯ violence. Humans are foolish and weak. They are bound to self-destruct if they aren¡¯t governed. That was why this brightness of freedom was a foolish promation. ¡°I¡¯ll make you realize.¡± Varka withdrew the Front Wheel of the Universe. He¡¯s attacking again. Sungjin¡¯s teammates began to prepare themselves. Something new was going toe at them. Something that could resist their two most powerful attacks. ¡°Strength of Unmoving Gold.¡± Varka¡¯s body was swept into a golden light. The hammer of a god flew down. Even within the turbulence of the highest heat, Varka¡¯s tall body didn¡¯t have a single injury. Even the might of the god of war, which could topple mountains, caused no tremor in Varka. The swords in the skies came down. Bang. Bang. Even the swords, which had the destructive power ofets, didn¡¯t manage to cause a single dent on his body. It truly was, as it was called, the strength of gold. ¡°Indestructible.¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes shone sharply. If Ereka¡¯s Aegis was a salvation of promises, this was a salvation of one¡¯s own perfection. The powers of both sides dissipated: The Front Wheel of the Universe and Mjolnir and Durandal. Then, all that remained was a fight of bodies. At seven to one, they had the advantage, or so it seemed. Varka brought out his final skill: ¡°Dharmakaya of Enlightenment.¡± Doubles of Varka appeared by his side. The number was exactly six. The number was equal to the number of Sungjin¡¯s teammates. Six doubles attached themselves to the six girls. They had no skills. The doubles only had power and martial might equal to Varka¡¯s original body, but that was enough. ¡°Kuk.¡± ¡°Uu.¡± Even if the other six attacked with their remaining skills, the doubles¡¯ fighting was intense. Like this... Zakiya pulled out her ultimate skill Kaleidoscope of Heaven. If she could trick him for a brief while, she would be able to grant the others a chance. In the next moment, Varka¡¯s fist flew toward her, not through the air but through where Zakiya was hiding behind the folds of her illusion. ¡°Kya!¡± ¡°How foolish. Such tricks do not work on me who has realized the truth!¡± This was not a skill but a passive skill Varka had grown by his own achievements. Mind¡¯s Eye of Heaven. It was Sooryun who salvaged the disastrous situation caused by the man¡¯s endless skills: ¡°Heavenly Music of the Full Moon!¡± A sound wall formed in a circle. Each sound that made up the wall was an invisible de. The ground was split circrly, and the seal closed in; a machine of death was hidden within the beautifulrge soundwaves. ¡°Rachel, help.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At Sungjin¡¯s orders, Rachel¡¯s prayer made Sooryun¡¯s power even stronger, and between her attacks was Ereka¡¯s spear and Eustasia¡¯s sword. Three people attacked at once. ¡°Ha!¡± But Varka didn¡¯t even shake. Six body doubles stood firmly and continuously threw out their fists. In a single moment, an illusion of a thousand hands took ce. Each continuous barrage had a huge impact, even though it was less impactful than the long-distance explosion that had attacked Sungjin. The Heavenly Music of the Full Moon was offset by the downpour of pure fists. The martial arts overwhelmed the skill. It was transcendent. This moment of equal strength was what Sungjin had been waiting for. Sungjin relentlessly ran towards Varka¡¯s body, and Varka reflected his actions without retreating. It was a one-on-onepetition. They ran toward each other. Both recognized the moment as their final exchange. There was no other intervention. ¡°Hold on, all of you! Stat Exchange!¡± Sungjin chose Sooryun; there was nothing like the warrior ss¡¯s stats in pure martial arts. His sword stretched out. ¡°Fall.¡± Varka made a fist. The sharper and longer weapon was Sungjin¡¯s sword, but that didn¡¯t make it more powerful in the face of Varka¡¯s fist. Power exploded the moment his fist reached out. Shockwaves rang out into space. Incalcble quick blows were exchanged. Before them, Sungjin was blown away. No matter how sophisticated his swordsmanship was, the same situation repeated. Just then, the same shock wave exploded out from Sungjin¡¯s sword. The eyes of two men met. There was surprise in Varka¡¯s. You? How? I saw and experienced your attacks. Now, it¡¯s my turn. That was the message the new king was sending to the former Kaiser. Their shock waves hit each other. Was it a draw? No. Even if the two sides wereparable in power, their body specifications were different: Varka¡¯s shockwave overpowered Sungjin¡¯s shockwave. The strength from Sooryun couldn¡¯t reach Varka¡¯s level, the ce Sungjin had given chase toward but couldn¡¯t reach: the barrier of time thaty between a master and a genius. At that moment, Sungjin released his sword and stretched out his fist. His fist hit the air, causing a second explosion. The shockwave created by his sword and the shockwave created by his fist resonated tore through Varka¡¯s shockwave. Double resonance. Sungjin¡¯s spirit overpowered Varka¡¯s. What? Varka was astonished; however, even in amazement, his trained body was prepared tounch another attack. It was the result of a thousand years of training. Absolute discipline that shone even when the opponent exceeded one¡¯s expectations. At that moment, Sungjin¡¯s fist struck the air, and he opened his fingers. The third shock wave exploded. Triple resonance. As the final shockwave propelled the sword forward, Varka attempted to make a responding speed that was beyond his capabilities, but a sharp de pierced the Kaiser and appeared through the other side of his body. ¡°Ku... Kuuk... ¡± Blood spurted out from him. ¡°It is my victory,¡± Sungjin said. ¡°...Right,¡± Varka admitted, nodding slowly. The man who dominated the past and the man who wanted to dominate the present: the two looked at each other. ¡°Beyond the full control of the body... the full control of the spirit... did you know how to do it?¡± It was the secret of Varka¡¯s martial arts: full control of ¡°Heroic Power,¡± not just the ¡°body.¡± ¡°Ki¡± was something he was born with, and the origin of its principles was the same. Based on that, even when he didn¡¯t use the skills of all the martial arts movements, hepletely united the flow of energy and triggered it at will, so that the moment the fist extended, it gave a burst of power that exploded outward. Using Ki for every single moment to boost power and mobility was his mastery of martial arts, concentrated at one point, with long range and amazing momentary mobility. ¡°No, I have recently gained this kind of power.¡± ¡°But how?¡± ¡°I have been practicing here and there by myself since I got it. Then, I could easily catch up thanks to what you showed me.¡± ¡°Catch up...? But double resonance is a martial art that I hadn¡¯t even thought of. To think you pulled off triple resonance... The pulses would be canceled if they were just slightly out of sequence, but you... Hahahahaha. You¡¯re amazing.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve reached a peak due to your advanced studies, it¡¯s possible for theter students to reach a higher peak, is it not?¡± ¡°Hahaha, of course, of course.¡± Even when he was vomiting blood, Varkaughed cheerfully. The interval between the master and the genius¡ªit was the master¡¯s mistaken preconception and arrogance, thinking that it couldn¡¯t be ovee. Geniuses were called geniuses for oveing the limit of human beings. It was his only wish for his efforts to have some meaning before such people. ¡°Do you think humans can improve?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see. I am still skeptical of the possibility.¡± Varka looked at the sword prating his heart. When they first met, Sungjin had been an opponent he could defeat with his pure strength, but in just one battle, Sungjin had caught up with him and had transcended his abilities. At this point, he could admit that at least some humans had the potential for growth. ¡°Ha.¡± It had been a team attack, but, nevertheless, he had reached a point where he could subdue everyone¡¯s power, but in the end, Sungjin¡¯s sword had dragged him down. ¡°I admit it. You have exceeded me. Take the victory.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be grateful.¡± Sungjin smiled without a hint of a lie. It was barely a win, but Varka had been a really strong enemy. It was the first time he had ever been surpassed in a pure martial artspetition, although they had never been difficult otherwise because of his physical specs, his traditional armament, or because of his heroic power. It was a challenge to catch up with this man¡¯s martial arts. Varka looked at Sooryun. ¡°You¡¯ve finally broken my world with this guy.¡± ¡°You were amazing, but we won.¡± ¡°Hope is apanied by despair. Your efforts to create a dignified and free world for each human being will surelye back in betrayal again and again. That will be very painful.¡± ¡°I remember the cry of those who cried that your world was better.¡± Although the world was artificially created, the souls of those who were there were real. Their riots were not Varka¡¯s malice but their own choices. ¡°But I believe in Sungjin¡¯s words that we will do it, even in changing these people. I decided to be with him,¡± she said clearly, holding her hands together. She meant to go further, even if it was difficult. ¡°I see. Ha. I can¡¯t stop you anymore because you have ovee me.¡± Varka looked at Sungjin once more. ¡°I¡¯ll have ast request.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I want to talk to you man to man for a while.¡± Varka wanted to leave parting words to the man who had ovee him. ¡°Okay.¡± As Sungjin nodded, the other girls walked away, considerate. ¡°Please take care of my daughter.¡± ¡°As expected. Sure.¡± Even if they didn¡¯t speak aloud the details, they both understood what the other was saying. ¡°Haha. I¡¯m relieved.¡± Varka looked at Sooryun. Her soul was reborn and her appearance was slightly different, but it was his young daughter in the end. I wanted to protect your happiness this time. I wanted to make a peaceful and orderly world where you could be happy forever.. Chapter 132 - Vol. 5 Ep. 22

Chapter 132: Vol. 5 Ep. 22

His daughter, who had volunteered to save the people who had been swept up by the civil war, had ultimately lost her life. At first, he had tried to take revenge. He wanted to send everyone within that world to hell, even by a deal with the devil. He wanted to mobilize all the nuclear bombs in the current government¡¯s possession to destroy theirnds, but... his daughter¡¯s will had wanted him to do otherwise. Herst words recorded on his phone as a voice message willed something different than his desires. Father... I love you... And... These people... Please, forgive them... ¡°What do you... want me to do!?¡± A second chance had been given to him while he had fallen into despair: it was an invitation from the gods who were from ¡°Valha.¡± He became the Kaiser and created a world where there was order and peace for his daughter after having extracted the souls of the people of Seryuu and of his daughter. An absolute order for the unruly, and a world for his daughter to remain as a ¡°resistor,¡± but... his daughter had broken out of his world. Sigh. I suppose that man is showing you a much happier world than the one I ced you in. Varka smiled softly. Then, I suppose that¡¯s it. How could I ever deny your wish? His body turned into specks of light, and he smiled in satisfaction, which was unbefitting of someone who had just been defeated. A man who had defeated him: such a person was worthy of trust. He had thought she was too young, but she had brought someone like him. Had the day his subordinates with daughters talked about finally arrived? His child was... really... Has she really grown to the point where he wasn¡¯t needed? Freedom, huh... Another speck of light intertwined with his own. The image of Dungpyung wavered within that light, and his form slowly began to change into arge golden retriever. This was the submander¡¯s true form: a loyal dog who wanted to protect the ¡°prison of Eden¡± as his had master ordered in order to protect his second master. He was a family member who had tried to protect Sooryun with the regret of failing to protect her in its previous life. Varka silently stroked its head, which was pointing towards Sooryun with worry in its eyes. That child will be okay now. You¡¯ve done well. The retriever looked between Sungjin and Sooryun but did not bark. Let¡¯s leave that child in that man¡¯s arms and leave together. I believe it¡¯s time we let our beloved person free because she¡¯s our family. Varka and Sooryun and thest family member. Dungpyun nodded at his master¡¯s words, and, after looking and staring at Sungjin for the longest while, silently dissipated. ¡°Farewell. I¡¯ll take responsibility as promised.¡± Sungjin said hisst words to the most powerful enemy he had met and his loyal dog. It was a reassurance for them to no longer be so overprotective of her. * * * A speck of light hovered around Sungjin. Allow me to advise you onest time. ¡°What?¡± As you have defeated me, you will have no problems in your fights against the other Kaisers, who are on the same level as I am. A victory attained by his own skills and not luck. Varka believed that Sungjin could continue winning his subsequent fights. Now that Sungjin had grown from his fight against him, the next opponents would not be as hard. ¡°And?¡± Do not challenge the Ark Master. That is the only region you will not achieve victory in. ¡°Oh?¡± I know your spirit. I know your goal. But think about what you could do as a Kaiser. That... is a human¡¯s limit... the reason being... Varka¡¯s words disappeared. ¡°Hmm.¡± Sungjin noted thest words of his best enemy. The previous two Kaisers had been those who had challenged the Ark Master and failed. How should he interpret this advice? ¡°Ha. Well, I¡¯ll remember what you said.¡± Sungjinughed it off. The Valkyrie began its announcements. [The challenger has won. The gods will grant you a special drink as a reward for your victory, and this will raise your strengths to a new height.] The wine of the gods in a golden chalice descended before Sungjin and his teammates. They could tell in a nce that an amazing amount of power was within that ss. Sungjin and his teammates drank. They could feel the power swirl inside their bodies. [That power will grant you seven hundred years of life and inexhaustible stamina, and it will grant you fortune that will make all curses and cmities ineffective unless it has been done by a god.] ¡°Hmm. Amazing.¡± It was a reward befitting the defeat of Varka. [If you defeat the remainder of the guardians, you will earn the right to rule over all of humanity, but do remember: a defeat may cause you to lose everything.] A crisis and an opportunity. After announcing the news to everyone, the Valkyrie flew away. ¡°Ha. Am I one step away from being a Kaiser?¡± Sungjin murmured to himself before turning around to face everyone. ¡°Everyone, good job. Thank you.¡± He had been able to win because of them. ¡°Let¡¯s think about the nextpetitionter and enjoy today.¡± ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± A banquet was prepared for the victors. They talked to each other before the delicious food that didn¡¯t exist on earth. ¡°Sungjin looked amazing when he was against the five guardian robots all on his own.¡± ¡°Oh my. I wish I could have seen, too.¡± ¡°Huhu, but you must have seen much more than I have until now.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Hmm. Sungjin smiled at the scene that looked like a cut from a historical drama. But that¡¯s the reality of things. The battles he was raging were a part of history. A fight to conquer the continent and change the world. He knew what he was fighting against. This was not something he couldugh off after a defeat and hope for the best next time. I really do have one more person to fight for. Eustasia offered Sooryun some cookies. ¡°This is tasty.¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a warrior, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Hu, aside from my personal feelings, it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯ve joined. Your stat is the most appropriate for when he¡¯speting with pure martial art skills.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overpraising.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an observation. From now on, his fights will be morepetitive, which means there will be areas in which I cannot support him. Let¡¯s all do our best.¡± This was Eustasia acknowledging Sooryun in her own way. ¡°Of course.¡± The girls kept talking to one another. ¡°He was a difficult opponent but worth defeating.¡± ¡°Yes. He has be the cause of Sungjin¡¯s growth, after all.¡± ¡°Right! I even kissed Oppa!¡± Rachel said. ¡°Pfft.¡± Sungjin spewed out the drink he had been drinking. ¡°Oh my, Rachel?¡± Ereka smiled brightly. ¡°Uh, um?¡± Sungjin tried to interrupt. ¡°Oh, jeez, I wasn¡¯t going to tell you...¡± Ereka smiled shyly. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°While your soul escaped your body, we had to give you some of our life force to protect your body.¡± Eustasia smiled. ¡°.... ?!¡± ¡°Yes, it was quite heated, enough so that I am expecting the real deal to be better.¡± Zakiya also crinkled her eyes in an expression that said, ¡°It was good.¡± ¡°Haha, I... I see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, Sungjin. It was simply respiratory aid... but I¡¯m still happy.¡± ¡°Uh, um...¡± ¡°I will wait for the real deal with dear excitement.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Sungjin simplyughed. He also had obstacles he did not wish to challenge. ¡°With this, I see that a person of every ss has gathered!¡± Zakiya nodded at the girl who was unbelievably bright after the bomb she had just dropped. ¡°Huhu, yes. Now all that remains is the promised day.¡± ¡°Yes, if Oppa wins until the very end.¡± Jenna and Zakiya¡¯s eyes met. It was an exchange that only thepetitors could understand. Sungjin smiled helplessly. The promised day, huh... It seemed like there had been some unknown progress while he had been busy. Yes, I should be prepared. That determination should not be for one thing but two. One was for the women who had given their everything for him. The other was... for victory. Yes, whether it would be defeat or victory, a result had to be decided on. All that was left was thest Kaiser and thest victory, although it wasn¡¯t set in stone. Arc Master. Should he or should he not? A God¡¯s ability. A God¡¯s position. If he wanted to change the world, that was what he needed to gain, but at the same time, he could lose everything. If he was alone, it wouldn¡¯t matter, but there were people around him who could die. He was spirited, but he was also fearful. Sungjin looked up. Should he reach for it, or not? Ha, no. I should focus on the goal before me. It was the golden Kaiser first. He couldn¡¯t let his guard down because of something that would be decidedter. I wonder what challenge awaits me next? His heart trembled from fear and from excitement. He had seen the holy magical sword, the white six-winged holy magical sword he had seen when he used The Holy Sword of Halt. But... there was also the magical sword. The girls didn¡¯t see it because they were busy talking, and he didn¡¯t see it because it urred behind him. Twelve wings were revealed for a brief moment in his shadow behind him. The six pairs of light. And... The six pairs of darknessposed of souls. Together. Chapter 133 - Vol. 6 Ep. 1 Chapter 133: Vol. 6 Ep. 1 Epilogue The conqueror of the continent. The man who had defeated the generation¡¯s legendary Kaiser of white silver. The new legend, who had started at level 0 and had climbed to the top. An emperor who was like a young lion. These were the things the people of Valha thought about Sungjin. With absolute power, he was a king who had the riches and women fitting his station. Other continents were on guard due to the blessing of four hundred years of life he had received. There were a total of four continents in Valha. Although there was some trade going on between the continents, they didn¡¯t bother about each other, because they were incapable of waging war against one another. Whoever their opponent was, it didn¡¯t matter as long as their trade continued. All they felt after hearing that Sungjin had unified the continent was curiosity. How great is this man to have unified a continent? But that wasn¡¯t the main focus of their curiosity. They knew that four hundred years of power and youth would have been bestowed on the person who united the continent, so it would bemon sense for the ruler to ¡°prepare¡± within those four hundred years and attack the Kaiser with better stats, rather than attack the Kaiser only to fail when he had so much to supervise as the ruler of a continent. That was why they thought that, no matter who Sungjin was, they would not be impacted. The extent of Sungjin¡¯s poprity was a handful of women wishing for a night with him. That was their logic, but Sungin had exceeded their expectations. He headed straight for the central region after uniting the continent. Like a young king who wouldn¡¯t deny a hoard of women... he kept running toward the next challenge, and there... he defeated the first guardian and relic of the past: the Kaiser of white silver, and his soul. The news had spread rapidly across the world. Is this... the birth of a third Kaiser? No one knows. He still has to defeat the Kaiser of Gold, after all. But if he can defeat one, then the other... It may be possible for him to defeat the other Kaiser, too. When Sungjin defeated thest Kaiser... he would be the Kaiser who would rule the entire world, not just a continent. In other words, Sungjin would be their ruler, and that was where their interesty. Information was gathered from the corners of the southern world in order to understand what kind of a ruler he was, and they all entered a preparation phase for how best to greet Sungjin just in case he became emperor, and soon after,ughably, clothes and objects that could possibly suit Sungjin¡¯s tastes were rapidly sold at high prices in the market. *** Meanwhile, Sungjin, who had be the man who called forth storms... was looking silently out his window. He looked peaceful sitting on afortable chair and gazing down at the sight below, but that was just his outer appearance; inside, his thoughts shed. It¡¯s not enough. Sungjin closed and opened his fist. His hands were tingling. He was filled to the brim withpetitive spirit. He had returned to his continent for a break after the fight against the Kaiser of white silver, but he still wanted to continue fighting. It¡¯s not enough. He wanted to fight a stronger enemy. He wanted to use his increased strength. He wanted to reach higher. His thirst was overflowing. A thirst for battling against stronger enemies overpowered his basic needs of sleeping and eating. He had toed the line between life and death during his several violent conquests of various enemies. He had be the ruler of the continent, and all that remained was half a step toward bing the ruler of this world. But it still wasn¡¯t enough. Ha, I suppose this is my true self. Sungjin smiled. He wasn¡¯t in denial or in a state of self-assessment. It was just an observation that ¡°he was what he was.¡± Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t have even tried. Even the most ambitious person would have been satisfied with what Sungjin had. Critically speaking, leaving behind four hundred years of life and the position of a conqueror of a continent would be a great loss if he were to vie for a higher level and lose. But he wasn¡¯t satisfied. He wanted a better fight against a stronger opponent, even if he knew the dangers. The reason? To protect the people of the continent? Was it for such a ¡°grand purpose?¡± Or perhaps it was for the power he could have in the seat of an Arc Master? For fame and legacy? If not that then... to have an amazing victory against a stronger opponent? Or... was it for the power that woulde after a victory? Well, I suppose it¡¯s not just for one thing. He wanted to fight some more, and he had a definite thirst within him for a betterpetition, and that thirst had only grown upon his arrival in Valha, like the way a person¡¯s thirst increases even after drinking seawater. Hispetitive spirit had grown after crossing the boundary of life and death several times. If he returned to Earth at this moment, would he be able to enjoy the gaming world through a monitor screen? Probably not. He wanted to fight the Kaiser of Gold right now. That was why his hands were tingling. I¡¯ve be stronger after absorbing the souls. He could feel it. He had trapped the souls of those who had turned into evil spirits inside himself after having been trapped in the battlefield, but he had also been adversely affected by doing that. His blood boiled, and his thirst grew. I¡¯m being affected. His darkness, which had originally been within him, had been stimted. I should wait. Like ruining the ingredients of a dish when the cooking was rushed, when a fight was hurried, victory would be frustrated. A victory wasn¡¯t simply on the battlefield. Preparing for everything before a victory was a part of the victory, too: the preparation that allowed a strategy to ur, and the strategy that wouldter lead the battlefield to an advantageous state, regardless of the opponent¡¯s power, and the politics and diplomatic rtions that supported such an endeavour. That was all a part of a ¡°battle.¡± Of course, the fight against the Kiser of gold didn¡¯t demand that much. There¡¯s no reason for politics and foreign rtions to intervene. But he still needed to prepare and raise his and his teammates¡¯ potential. He needed that preparation if he nned on winning. He had confirmed that a Kaiser wasn¡¯t aughable opponent through his fight with the Kaiser of white silver. Varka had been a strong opponent that he had learned from. Rather than a swiftly confirmed victory, it had been a shaky one. Although I have improved through the fight with the Kaiser of white silver... He knew the Kaiser of Gold wasn¡¯t going to be an easy opponent, either, and if he lost, many people would be hurt. The peace of the southern continents and the lives of the people within were in reality being protected by a dictator by the name of Sungjin. It was the opposite political climate to the one he had wished for, but that was the truth. If he disappeared, it wouldn¡¯t take less than ten years for the world to revert back to how it was before. Fighting was his own greed, but he had to win. Only then would he be able to, before the greater cause of changing the world for the people, take responsibility for the results that had been brought about by his own greed. And to do so, I would have to train them even more. At the very least, he had to teach them what he had learned through his fight with the Kaiser of white silver before the next fight. He couldn¡¯t rush this. Ha, I suppose I have to hold back. There were times when one had to be rough and fast, and times when one had to take cautious steps and bide for time. The problem was his teammates¡¯ training speed. Sungjin looked at his teammates, who were training outside, through his window: Ereka, Jenna, Eustasia, Rachel, Zakiya, Sooryun. Everyone was trying their best. There was nothing to be dissatisfied with; rather, he should be grateful for their efforts to try to best his opponents with him. That was what his thoughts were telling him, and that was what his heart was telling him, but at the same time... That¡¯s the limit of what they can do, even after training them. He could tell them the theory. He could also tell them the finer details of techniques. But he couldn¡¯t teach them everything he had learned from instant calctions. He also couldn¡¯t teach them battle techniques that only those with his brain could perform. And asking them to do the things he had learned on the battlefield by simply ordering them wasn¡¯t possible. It was the same as a flying eagle teaching chickens how to fly. He was frustrated, but at the same time, helpless. I should be satisfied with the results of this training. When he was equipped with the girls¡¯ power, he became stronger. His skill also made that possible. Even if it was for a brief while, the special ability granted to him by exchanging his stats with the girls was infinite in its usages. It also represented their difference in strength. For the skill to be used much more effectively in his hands rather than when the girls used it meant that the girls weren¡¯t bringing out the skill¡¯s full potential. Sigh. It¡¯s really helpless. ming his hard-working teammates wasn¡¯t something a leader should do. A leader has to be able to ept his teammates¡¯ shorings and lead them all into victory. I should cover my teammates¡¯ weaknesses, Sungjin vowed. But... Behind him, his shadow flickered for a brief moment, revealing a huge figure of a person with twelve wings. It was the shadow of the ruler of rulers from hell. Chapter 134 - Vol. 6 Ep. 2 Chapter 134: Vol. 6 Ep. 2 Chapter 1 Before the door to the central, Sungjin turned back to look at his teammates once more. ¡°Should we?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Their various replies came back to him. Was glory waiting for them? Or devastation? Others would have grown nervous at the uing fight against a Kaiser who could grant a position to rule the world, but the girls had no hesitation. The were leaving everything up to Sungjin. The nobles cheered their figures heading toward a new challenge with fervour. Most were cheering so that they wouldn¡¯t fall out of favor with Sungjin when he returned, but some were cheering from the bottom of their hearts. * * * Sungjin stood before the final obstacle in his path to bing a Kaiser. The temple of gold shone brightly. The patterns on the walls were evenly ced to the exact mathematical degree. The Kaiser of gold. He was a legend, just like the Kaiser of white silver. The Kaiser of gold was an existence who had conquered the continent for the first time. Too much time had passed since the time of his reign that nothing remained, but there was some evidence. He wanted to be the ¡°strongest¡± and therefore became the ¡°strongest¡± ruler, but apparently his reign came to an end after challenging a god, even though he was the strongest. ¡°The Golden Kaiser...¡± Before the door, Sungjin smiled. His smile was an excited one, like one of an evil mastermind after having found a new ything. What kind of challenge awaits me? Was he like the Kaiser of white silver? Or perhaps even stronger? Gaining the position of a Kaiser was what would follow a victory, but if the Kaiser was an opponent he could wage everything against, he would be satisfied. He stood in the middle of the temple. He was unexpectedly an old man clutching a walking stick and wearing a simple robe, unlike his legend of being the strongest ruler. ¡°Wee.¡± He was an old man with white hair. His long beard was also white. However, his eyes reflected his years and showed his wisdom. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that a thousand years is given to those who became a Kaiser?¡± Eustasia¡¯s eyes glinted in suspicion as she observed the old man. Ereka gave her assumptions. ¡°Hm. Are you the guide instead of the Kaiser of Gold?¡± The old man smiled calmly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. I am the Kaiser of Gold.¡± ¡°Ah! I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re just... different from the legends.¡± The old man simply smiled at Ereka¡¯s apology. ¡°Sometimes outer appearance disguise what truly is. Don¡¯t me yourself. Even I have a hard time figuring out the true faces of others in my old age.¡± If they hadn¡¯t been told that he was the Kaiser of Gold, they would have thought he was a friendly neighborhood grandpa. To those who had been expecting a suppressing charisma, it was almost disappointing. But Sungjin didn¡¯t let his guard down, nor was he disappointed. He could instinctively grasp that his opponent was a person with observation and leisure. ¡°I had something to research even after my thousand years were over.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± The old man looked at Sungjin. ¡°Are you the one who wishes to be the third Kaiser?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Their eyes met. Sungjin¡¯s eyes were aze withpetitive spirit and exuded a fierce challenging air. The old man¡¯s eyes, which never wavered, simply pushed it away with tranquil immobility. Fire against water. No, it was akin to an explosive volcano and a calm sea. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of time, so why don¡¯t we talk before our fight?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Then let me prepare you a seat.¡± A desk and chair appeared before the old man, and the two sat down, facing each other. Sungjin¡¯s women stood behind him and watched with curious eyes. A wise man who had be a Kaiser, and a ruler who would be a Kaiser. What kind of conversation will they have? ¡°I should make my introduction. Haha. I knew that I was called the Kaiser of Gold, but my true name is Antherer.¡± ¡°A person who answers?¡± ¡°Haha. My name might mean that, but to be honest, I¡¯m more of a person who seeks out the answers instead of answering others.¡± ¡°I see. What¡¯s the question?¡± To anyone else, they looked as if they were having a leisurely conversation before the fight for the world, but Sungjin knew their fight had already started. A conversation went both ways, therefore allowing both to observe each other: each other¡¯s specs, each other¡¯s skills. Items. That was not everything one¡¯s ability. The other¡¯s imagination. Thoughts, personality, preferences. Mind, wishes, goals. Those were the things they needed to understand in order to achieve a victory. ¡°I wanted to know a lot of things.¡± Antherer gently closed his eyes. ¡°How the stars shine. What the world is made of. Why fish can only live in the water.¡± ¡°Ha. You¡¯re a schr.¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± Sungjin¡¯s teammates talked amongst themselves behind Sungjin. ¡°It seems like the first Kaiser wasn¡¯t an ambitious man but a schr.¡± At Ereka¡¯s words, Eustasia tightened her grip on her scabbard and smiled. ¡°Perhaps? But can¡¯t we think of his desire to understand the world even after conquering it as a small ambition?¡± ¡°Kuk, I see.¡± At Zakiya¡¯s agreement, Rachel tilted her head. ¡°Huh? Is understanding the world such a big deal?¡± Meanwhile, Antherer and Sungjin¡¯s conversation continued. ¡°While researching the logic of this world, I found that researching with several people is easier than doing it alone.¡± ¡°Even without regard to equipment and ingredients used?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯vee to conquer the world because it was necessary for my research.¡± Antherer stated confidently that he had done so for his research. ¡°There must have been some resistance.¡± ¡°There was, but knowledge is power.¡± ¡°Ha. You¡¯re right, that¡¯s obvious.¡± ¡°What about you. Why did youe here?¡± ¡°Me? Because there¡¯s a fight.¡± Sungjin smiled. ¡°A fight.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Haha. Challenge andpetition. That¡¯s your happiness. Like my research.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sungjin admitted coolly. There was no grand reason to his actions. Challenging, fighting, winning. That was his true self. Even now, his blood boiled before his enemy. Antherer looked at such attitude quietly. ¡°Is that all? There¡¯s no other reason?¡± ¡°Well, I also have a goal to change this world after attaining it.¡± ¡°A goal. Haha. I see. Frankly, from here I¡¯ve observed how the southern continents have changed.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°Rx. I didn¡¯t see the details of your fights, but I did see how you¡¯ve changed the country. Were you nning to rule the world and save the people from their limitations?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that.¡± Sungjin nodded. ¡°A demon who desires fights and challenges. A savior whoes to save the people. Which is your true self?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already give you an answer?¡± Saving the people was a goal in and of itself, but even if this world had been an ideal one, he still would have set out in search of challenges for the fight itself. Antherer smiled widely. ¡°I¡¯vee to understand many things at this age. Namely, that a human¡¯s true self appears when they are at a crisis.¡± ¡°Think whatever you want.¡± ¡°Huhu. Think of it as an old man¡¯s prejudice. Where did I leave off? Oh, yes. A thousand years after conquering the world. Within those thousand years, I wished to learn more. Having the world in my hands allowed much progress in my research.¡± ¡°And you couldn¡¯t be satisfied with a thousand years, so you challenged the gods?¡± ¡°Yes, there was that reason, but the main reason was to find the answer to the question I had a thousand years ago.¡± ¡°The question?¡± What was the answer this wise man couldn¡¯t find? Sungjin smiled. ¡°You couldn¡¯t find the answer, and therefore lost against the gods.¡± He was defeated not because of the gods, but because he couldn¡¯t find the answer. That was the history Sungjin saw through his words. Antherer agreed. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. A power that can go against the gods. I couldn¡¯t figure that out.¡± Ultimately, Antherer was a person from Valha. That was why he had researched the world¡¯srgest question over a thousand years. ¡°I¡¯m sure you must have found an answer of your own.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It was grand, but not the right one.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. I can find you the answer you couldn¡¯t find. Sungjin raised his thumbs and pointed towards himself. ¡°Hahahahaha. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He could do what the previous two Kaisers could not. At Sungjin¡¯s overconfident statement, the wise man stroked his beard. ¡°Then you should be able to find what was wrong about my answer.¡± ¡°Try me.¡± ¡°Haha. I already have a body that cannot change. If there is a possibility, you¡¯d be the one to find it, fine. If my sessor can find the answer, I¡¯d be happy.¡± ¡°Then will you step away?¡± The wise man shook his head. ¡°I would like to, but the god¡¯s region isn¡¯t reachable by your spirit alone. It is my understanding that you need more experience.¡± ¡°Ha, is that so.¡± Sungjin smiled in happiness. The Kaiser of gold was a formidable foe. It would be disappointing not to face him. ¡°That¡¯s why I will hand over the question to you, and in return, give you the experience you need and everything I have.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice of you, but don¡¯t go easy on me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you can¡¯t ovee me, there¡¯s no possibility that you¡¯ll find the answer. I have nothing to lose if you are still unable to win after I give you everything I to learn from.¡± ¡°Fine. Then should we start?¡± ¡°Huhu. You¡¯re an impatient one. There¡¯s a lot to talk about. But yes, I shouldn¡¯t take too much of my sessor¡¯s time. Let¡¯s begin.¡± With that, the scenery around the Kaiser of gold wavered and changed. It was a library. The ceiling was so high that it was painful to look at. It was wide enough for a city to fit in it. Aside from saying that it was huge, there were no other words to express it. Flying robots flew around the library to look after the books. There wereputers between the shelves. Robots. The scenery of magic and technology intertwining made a strange atmosphere. ¡°Do you like my capital?¡± ¡°Ha. Your entire capital is a library?¡± ¡°Since gathering knowledge was my life¡¯s achievement.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an amazing sight.¡± The sight was created from the Kaiser of gold¡¯s longtime achievements. ¡°Thank you for the praise. Then let us really begin.¡± The Kaiser of Gold raised his staff and clicked it against the ground. When he did so, bookshelves rose up from the ground and split Sungjin and his teammates apart. ¡°A divider?¡± Eustasia shed at the divider with her sword, but the divider was surrounded by an invisible barrier, and her sword bounced away. ¡°An investigation is done by dissection.¡± The Kaiser of gold¡¯s avatars appeared before each of the members. Doubles. Each one of them anticipated their one-on-one fight and prepared themselves. There was no more time to sh against the bookshelves. Chapter 135 - Vol. 6 Ep. 3 Chapter 135: Vol. 6 Ep. 3 * * * Sungjin¡¯s team looked at their individual Antherer before them. I don¡¯t feel anything special even though the fight has started. Eustasia was curious while nervous. Is he still hiding his skill? Or... Did he think he had enough power to fight him? Even if he had divided his strength into several avatars, she could not feel the strength of her opponent. It was so different from the ultimate power the Kaiser of White Silver had exuded. But she didn¡¯t let her guard down at the sight. What is he hiding? Simply watching him wouldn¡¯t reveal anything. Fine. I¡¯ll have to confirm it myself. Eustasia pulled out her sword. At the same time, Antherer¡¯s staff hit her chest. ¡°Kuk.¡± At the impact, which shook her heart, her posture fell out of shape. Whe... When? ¡°Amazing sword skills. Well-trained. But there was a hundredth of a second left unguarded in the moment you drew your sword out. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Kuk. That...¡± The Kaiser of Gold spoke like a teacher, but Eustasia wasn¡¯t defeated by such a strike. She gritted her teeth and stepped away. Her body swayed away from the second attack that chased after her. Physical training. The Eastern version of moving like water. It was the best martial arts for avoiding attacks by letting attacks pass by through an structured stance. At the same time, her freely flying swordunched another attack. Her strong attacks and advantageous defences made her an astounding general. To that... ¡°Hm. Water is liquid, so it does take more time to analyze it than standard exercises.¡± The Kaiser of Gold nodded his head slowly, and stabbed her abs with the end of his staff while grabbing the hilt of her sword at the same time. ¡°Ugh.¡± Losing her bnce, she fell into deep thought. How... ¡°Unfortunately, that fluid defence movement also has a second¡¯s worth of vulnerability. Improve more.¡± ¡°No way...¡± Eustasia copsed onto the ground and gritted her teeth. To attack the pause between the flow of movements. It wasn¡¯t as if she didn¡¯t know what theory he was talking about, but using that technique against her was apletely different matter. To use less power than her while suppressing her at the same time. That was something that could only be aplished by calcting her movements, understanding them, and figuring out her weaknesses in a quick moment. Like... Sungjin... No... He¡¯s stronger. When she had first fought against Sungjin, he had won against her by using a little amount of power, but he hadn¡¯t won this easily. It had taken a long time for Sungjin see through her wless steps. Is it possible that the Kaiser of gold has a skill like... Like Sungjin¡¯s absolute calctions, but Antherer¡¯s were of a different tier. If Sungjin was a genius, then this man was an omniscient At the thought that she couldn¡¯t lose like this, she started her counterattacks. ¡°The Sword of...¡± Her ultimate skill, which caused twelve swords to fall down from the sky. That power could defeat even the strongest monster. At that moment, a staff crashed against her head. At its strength, which made her brain ring, she powerlesslypsed back. Of course, Durandal wasn¡¯t activated. ¡°You have more weaknesses in yourrger skill activations. Tsk tsk. I¡¯ll give you a lesson. A mountain can copse because of a stone, and a skill might not be activated either.¡± The Kaiser smacked his own forehead after the exnation. ¡°Ah. You won¡¯t be able to hear me since you¡¯ve fainted. I keep forgetting since I¡¯ve aged.¡± * * * It wasn¡¯t only Eustasia. Ereka had also copsed between her broken armor. ¡°No... How?¡± She was a knight ss. She had a high-defence ss and an even higher defence. She could understand how the opponent had slipped through her spear, but her armor? She could have epted if the Kaiser of gold had used a strong power, but he had hooked some strings on her armor and pulled, which had caused her current situation. ¡°It¡¯s a nice armor, but it seemed as if there were some weak ces in the joints of your armor. It fell apart when I applied some pressure to it.¡± ¡°... ?¡± ¡°Huhu. It seems like you can¡¯t understand what I¡¯m talking about. Just know that your armor was great but not perfect.¡± ¡°No...¡± ¡°Understanding objects, you see, means understanding the weak and strong parts of them.¡± And the Kaiser delivered his final attack against Ereka. ¡°Ah, your defence was certainly different. It was perfect. Almost a replica of the gods¡¯.¡± That was what Erekast heard before she lost consciousness. * * * It was the same situation for all of his teammates. Jenna, Rachel, Zakiya, and Sooryun. Everyone was defeated by Antherer¡¯s avatars. But it wasn¡¯t an ordinary defeat. If they had been defeated by a suppressive power and difference in level, they could have said that it was because their opponent was a Kaiser, but the Kaiser of gold hadn¡¯t used any sort of power from the beginning of the fight to the end. He had pulled out objects from his pockets like a leisurely old man. and had used them to easily defeat them. Before those simple movements, they had been defeated in their own special skills, and they all thought of one thing: The Kaiser of gold was like Sungjin. He had the skills and intelligence that overcame the difference between him and his opponent. But... one thing was different. He was much more intense than Sungjin. He was the Kaiser of the previous generations, and a schr who researched the world for a thousand years. He knew more than Sungjin, and had more experience than Sungjin. Can he beat Sungjin? All the girls thought as they fell. Until now, the opponents Sungjin had faced just had pure power, which had allowed him to defeat them with strategies, but for the Kaiser to be as intelligent as Sungjin... How could Sungjin beat someone with the same strengths as him, only stronger? Chapter 2 The bookshelves came down. Now, when everyone was not around, the Kaiser of gold and Sungjin faced off. ¡°I wanted to investigate you specifically, which is why I set you apart from the others.¡± ¡°Were the results satisfactory?¡± ¡°Mm. You have amazing teammates, but at the same time, they won¡¯t be able to breach the god¡¯s realm, nor mine.¡± ¡°Yes. They dock in some areas.¡± Sungjin smiled. There was no point in denying it. ¡°But they are my teammates.¡± ¡°Yes. Then will you protect their backs?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sungjin pulled out his sword. Dawn Bringer. The sword of destruction of legends shone brightly. Antherer¡¯s eyes suddenly shone in interest. ¡°Ho, that sword... That is your sword.¡± ¡°For now.¡± ¡°For now... Is it... I see,¡± Antherer mumbled in a strange tone. ¡°It¡¯s a good sword. I won¡¯t say that it¡¯s the best, but it¡¯s fitting for you.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Show me how it¡¯s used.¡± ¡°dly.¡± And Sungjin charged forward toward the Kaiser of gold, Antherer, and... Calcting every moment he and his opponent could make, Sungjin¡¯s sword rapidly approached Antherer¡¯s weakness. Until now, he had fought on the same level as those who were more powerful than him, and the sword had not failed him in suppressing those who had the same specs as him, but... ¡°Hm, amazing. Amazing.¡± Even while Antherer praised him, his staff kept pushing Sungjin¡¯s sword into a corner. Antherer wasn¡¯t physically stronger than Sungjin. He had a strength that was unnatural for his age, but that was just about Sungjin¡¯s strength, except he had more moves. He calcted both of their moves as much as Sungjin could calcte them. They were moving ording to each of their calctions, but Antherer¡¯s calctions went beyond Sungjin¡¯s. There was no meaning to Sungjin¡¯s Bringer ability before Antherer¡¯s staff. It was a level where no skills were used but that suppressed Sungjin. ¡°You have already arrived at the level that I had reached when I was three hundred. It is amazing that you¡¯ve reached that level in twenty years.¡± Several more moves were exchanged. Sungjin stood firm, but his stance was slowly blurring, and in a minute, the staff pushed away the sword and attacked Sungjin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ah...¡± His teammates, who were watching him, eximed in pity. The girls, who had already been removed from the fight, had no choice but to cheer Sungjin on from the sidelines, but no matter how much they saw, Sungjin¡¯s calctions were always a step behind his opponent¡¯s. A level... No, two levels. ¡°At least he wasn¡¯t defeated in a single move like us, but...¡± Eustasia lightly bit her lip. Sungjin had be much stronger than the time he had fought against her father. He had reached a higher level after several fights, except the Kaiser of gold... was beyond him. If he was the old Sungjin, he would have been defeated. ¡°You¡¯re faster,¡± Sungjin acknowledged after the single attack. He wasn¡¯t talking about his physical speed; his opponent¡¯s calctions were faster. Even if he could calcte the most advantageous moves in the same given moment, the Kaiser of Gold could read more and therefore move faster. And that small amount of difference was what made the current difference. ¡°What will you do? You won¡¯t ept your defeat here, will you?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Sungjin shot forward in a second attack, but the Kaiser of gold deflected the fiery attack as if they were having a conversation, and suppressed Sungjin once more. At the repeated sight, Ereka became more ufortable. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°We can do nothing but cheer him on.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep watching.¡± But would there be a difference between the first and second fight? The sword and staff shed against each other once more, and after three minutes, Sungjin allowed an attack to his leg. ¡°Again!¡± Even after continuous defeat, Sungjin ran forward once more, and... his teammates¡¯ spirits started to rise. It¡¯s been over eight minutes, and he¡¯s still holding on? The Kaiser of gold was still more powerful, but the difference between them was growing smaller. Ten minutes passed. Sungjin allowed another attack, and that was that. When Sungjin began his fourth attack, they were on the same level. Even after thirty minutes, no one could gain an advantage. The Kaiser of Gold stepped back and smiled. ¡°Haha... To think you¡¯ve caught up this fast.¡± ¡°I was researching for such a long time, but managed toplete it faster thanks to you. I thank you.¡± ¡°To be at the age where you may want everything, but at the same time learning to understand you must let go of some desires.¡± Antherer nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Yes. there is honestly no difference in our brains. If there was a difference, it would be that you¡¯ve tried to calcte everything until now.¡± ¡°Until now, that made me morefortable against my opponents.¡± ¡°Yes. The answer sometimesy in the most unexpected ces. That¡¯s research.¡± When one brain suppressed the other, it was more than enough to consider every circumstance. But it was different against an opponent of the same level. ¡°But sometimes it¡¯s better to leave the unknown as it is and execute your moves. Emptying your mind to have everything.¡± Until now, Sungjin had met opponents who could be suppressed with his brain. That was why he was good at revealing the best in the worst conditions, but not with the Kaiser of gold. He was the first opponent with the same intelligence as himself. Sungjin went against him by considering only one aspect of the fight and moving his body even faster. ¡°But you are fast. Fast. I knew that I shouldn¡¯t measure the human¡¯s capability against you, but to think it would be like this. Haha. A thousand years.¡± Antherer stroked his beard and looked toward some ce far away with a smile. ¡°But I suppose that¡¯s the right ofter schrs. But being on the same level doesn¡¯t mean a victory. What would you do?¡± ¡°Of course, from now on, it¡¯s my counterattack.¡± Sungjin¡¯s sword levelled itself against Antherer and drove forward. At the moment the sword and staff hit each other, a small vibration urred in Antherer¡¯s hands. As Antherer¡¯s staff wavered, Sungjin reached out with his fist. Antherer avoided the attack by thoroughly reading its route, but Sungjin immediately tilted the direction of his fist, and before it could even reach Antherer, an explosion urred near his chest. Antherer flew back, vomiting out an exmation. ¡°Kuk.¡± ¡°This is the Kaiser of White Silver¡¯s special skill. Theplete control over ki.¡± He coughed due to the disturbance in his breathing. Controlling ki didn¡¯te from understanding its theory. Beyondprehension, it had to be done with perfect physical strength and control. ¡°You¡¯ve learned the mobility of ki beyond your mental prowess.¡± ¡°Yes, from my previous fight.¡± ¡°If you had used this from the beginning, we would have begun with an equal fight.¡± ¡°You learn faster through experience. No?¡± Sungjin smiled. He had purposely fought with his body like the Kaiser of gold to absorb anything that could be advantageous to himself. ¡°Haha. I see. You were searching for the path to greatness even during your fight. You do have the right to challenge me.¡± ¡°I think you still have something to show me.¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t rush. The fact was that the Kaiser of gold hadn¡¯t used a single one of his skills. It could be presumed that the tools he had pulled out were a part of his skill, but it seemed to be only one part of it. There should be another main skill. ¡°Yes. I have underestimated you. But this is not everything I¡¯ve calcted.¡± Antherer raised his staff. ¡°Ovee yourself and feel the truth of this universe. May the truth shine upon you!¡± White light exploded out of his staff. Chapter 136 - Vol. 6 – Ep. 4

Chapter 136: Vol. 6 ¨C Ep. 4

* * * The light that had covered his view dissipated, and Sungjin stood in a different ce. ¡°This is... space?¡± It was nothing like the horizon. Stars twinkled among the dark emptiness that seemed never-ending. On one side, where there was no gravity, was a of a natural earthy shade. ¡°Ho, as expected, you know of space. That on the other side is the Valha of our world.¡± Sungjin turned to the space where the voice echoed from, and there was... several hundred coffins filled with water... with a human brain in each and every one of them. ¡°That?¡± ¡°This is the final form I have achieved. The transcendent knowledge arranged by hundreds of other brains. The wisest schrs over one thousand years have all gathered here. Of course, as of now, I have surpassed the calctions made possible from a hundred heads.¡± ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s more like an ¡®us¡¯ rather than ¡®myself,¡¯ I see.¡± Sungjin wasn¡¯t surprised, but he began to prepare for what mighte next. ¡°Can you see it? That star with thergest source of light is called the sun. It may look like that, but it isrger than our Valha by several times.¡± ¡°I knew that much.¡± It was knowledge he had already learned from astronomy on earth. ¡°I see. Then you should know that each one of those stars are like the sun, and that each and every one has their own individual worlds?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Huhu. Yes. I have discovered and understood each and every one of those worlds.¡± The several hundred coffins shone at the same time. ¡°My research bes my knowledge. Look, the world of water!¡± The scenery around him changed. Sungjin now stood on arge rock. There was nond anywhere. All that could be seen was an endless range of blue. Such a range approached Sungjin, and when that neared him, Sungjin realized that it wasn¡¯t a mountain tall range of water. It was hail. Arge hail that couldn¡¯t exist on earth. It was created by the tidal force of three moons. It was not defeatable by the strength of humans. It was a natural disaster that went beyond thorough calctions and control. The hundred brains created the disaster in reality: a re-enactment of theory. That was the ultimate and only skill the Kaiser of Gold possessed. A human couldn¡¯t go against it. This was no longer about martial arts. Arge hail that swallowed the horizon¡ªthere was some distance, but the size was enough to cover the sky. The water, which had reached his knees, swayed his body. Why were humans such weak beings before the schr who had understood the theory of all things? ¡°Ah...¡± At that size, even Sungjin¡¯s teammates forgot to cheer for him. What could he do? ¡°The universe isrge, and there is a worldposed of water within it. That sea is ten times deeper than the deepest sea in Valha, and the hail reaches higher than the mountain ranges of Valha.¡± That was the height the schr had reached in order to understand the world. Beyond a human¡¯s limit, it was an absolute calction arranged by hundreds of other brains¡ªthe result of theories gathered over a thousand years. This was a world which couldn¡¯t be described as anything other than dangerous. But Sungjin, who was watching the hail, didn¡¯t even cower in the slightest, and released a strong fighting spirit. He raised his sword up high. ¡°My dream is everyone¡¯s dream. Those who are forgotten are remembered inside me! Soul Session!¡± From the ces where the girls were defeated, several lights appeared. It crossed over space and time and gathered in him. Each individual color gathered into a single white blend of light. Six wings appeared behind him, and a shining light of armour covered him. Even the Dawn Bringer exuded a stronger light. That light shone upon the entire world. It was the exact figure of an archangel that had descended. ¡°Have you inherited the powers of your defeated allies?¡± Antherer¡¯s voice rang through the air. ¡°Yes,¡± Sungjin replied, flying calmly toward the hail. It was the third skill he had earned after defeating the Kaiser of White Silver: gathering his allies¡¯ powers into one within himself. As long as their souls and wishes were the same... not even death could split them apart. The hail crashed and swallowed him. Before that natural disaster, Sungjin swung his Dawn Bringer. The white light shot forward and pierced the middle of the hail. The power of the Kaiser of Gold. Its center was demolished. Sungjin flew through that center and flew higher with a shout. ¡°Show off your scale somewhere else. You can¡¯t do anything to me with this. If the oing hail was the cmity of nature, then Sungjin was the angel which couldn¡¯t be defeated, flying into the sky. Even the sea shooting into the sky couldn¡¯t reach high enough to wet his wings. ¡°Haha. Are you saying that you¡¯re in the center of the storm even if the storm were to approach? Then how about this. Asteroid!¡± The world of water disappeared. The empty space appeared once more, but this was not a position where one could observe the stars. This was a space where remains of past stars floated about. The world of asteroids. The world where the remains of stars were brought together into a ring by gravity. They were called remains, but they were more likerge asteroids. Those remains began to rush at Sungjin at high speed. It was the cmity that was presumed to have ended the earth¡¯s age of dinosaurs. It was certain that his body would turn to dust the moment onended a hit. The first asteroid approached. When Sungjin shed with his sword, a light was shed out, and it split the asteroid into two. But it didn¡¯t end there. The asteroid exploded into smaller remains. They were small inparison, but they were actually asrge as mountains. The pieces sped up and rushed at Sungjin. When Sungjin shed a bit more, the flying pieces split even further, and those pieces exploded into even smaller pieces. Now, the millions of pieces rushed toward Sungjin. Although the radius of the sword¡¯s range blocked some of them, a storm of meteors avoiding the radius struck to the very front of Sungjin. Sessive attacks eliminated about one fifth of them. All of the rest rushed forward as if they could tear apart Sungjin¡¯s wings. Anything that hit would have a tremendous impact like a heavy truck. They were also impossible to avoid. The cosmic scale of the tens of thousands of meteor fragments created no intervening gaps. Hurricanes, tornadoes, hurricanes, cyclones. A meteor storm in the universe was of a different level from a natural disaster on earth. Sungjin seemed to give up, releasing the sword and quietly falling down. It was as if he had left everything to fate and was praying, but they were mistaken. The next moment, a strong energy stretched out from within his body toward everywhere. It was filled with a mighty strength that overwhelmed everything. And... the flying meteorites subtly orbited. It was only a little movement, but as a result, the meteorites bumped into each other and exploded. It became a chain, as the bursting pieces flew back to another meteorite. Then the trajectory changed again and again, repeating so that they continued to bump into each other. It seemed as if the invisible hand of God decided to push and pull the meteorites against each other and destroy itself. No, it was neither fate nor divine hand. It was the energy that stretched out of Sungjin. It orbited the meteorites. It was not necessary to move all tens of thousands of pieces. Sungjin calcted exactly where to move them and how they would bump into each other. The sessive meteorite explosions created a splendid sight, but Sungjin¡¯s body did not have a single small wound. The six wings continued to shine brilliantly without any ws. Words of praise came from out of outer space. ¡°Is it possible to have full control over the force that is released from within the body, even outside of yourself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The Kaiser of White Silver couldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°If learning from a master is a privilege of disciples,¡± Sungjinughed, ¡°isn¡¯t it polite to reach beyond the master¡¯s level?¡± He was able to realize the heights much faster because he had already fought one-on-one those who had reached such heights. Then the next thing was, of course, going beyond. He also prepared while training his teammates. ¡°Hahahaha.¡± Laughter rang high. Sungjin aimed the sword toward the air. ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn.¡± Six wings spread wider, and a more intense light emanated from it. That intense light began to gather on the sword. At the end of the sword, the density of the light rose higher and higher. Soon, the rising light was reconstructed into a huge white sphere at the end of the sword. ¡°Light of Genesis!¡± The liberation of Dawn Bringer. The stillness of the world. A mythical light that cuts back chaos and returns order. The photosphere became a huge beam and ran straight. The white sphere became a huge ray of light that ran straight through the infinitely wide space, and... the light hit one of the seemingly endless spaces. As the hidden window broke, the cracks opened up. He heard the sound of space breaking. The cosmic space was broken, revealing the myriad of brain coffins. Sungjin flew wildly towards that ce and stabbed his sword. Crash. The tube was broken, and the brain inside it was stabbed. ¡°Do you have anyst words?¡± Sungjin asked before breaking the rest of the brains. ¡°Huhu. It was a good game.¡± The old man with his cane appeared again. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to lose on the very first game.¡± ¡°If I came to you first without going through the Kaiser of White Silver, I would have lost your first game.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Anything else to say?¡± Antherer looked at Sungjin with calm eyes. The eyes had many emotions. ¡°Now you will rule the world for a thousand years. But you wouldn¡¯t be content by ruling the earth for a thousand years, yes?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Haha. okay... ... . If I couldn¡¯t ept that a thousand years is enough, how could it stop you?¡± Antherer burst intoughter. ¡°This world¡¯s best game is waiting for you. You can¡¯t be satisfied unless you¡¯re in front of it.¡± It was like winning the semifinals and abstaining from the finals. Sungjin¡¯s eyes shone with enthusiasm. ¡°Well... I promised something.¡± He promised that if he became an Arc Master, he¡¯d create a better world. ¡°I see. The fate of the god¡¯s realms is upon you...¡± Trailing off, Antherer shook his head. ¡°No. You might surpass it.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Antherer scanned Sungjin from top to bottom again. ¡°What is waiting in the sanctuary is... nevermind. It¡¯s something you have to bump into and get over. My analysis is that you are more likely not to go beyond fate after all, but it¡¯s more fun, because I may be wrong¡± ¡°Ho. Really?¡± ¡°Will you find the ultimate answer beyond the sanctuary? I wonder what it would be like to find out.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It had been his research for over a thousand years. Sungjin fully understood the Kaiser of gold¡¯s disappointment, who had to leave without seeing the ending. ¡°So do me a favor.¡± ¡°What?¡± Antherer lightly hit the ground with a cane. Then, a tube of opaque crystal soared. Unlike other tubes full of liquid, the crystals were hardened. ¡°Is there anyone inside?¡± Beyond the crystal, a faint doll could be seen. ¡°My granddaughter was hibernating for this moment.¡± ¡°Granddaughter?¡± ¡°Yes. I was worried about what I should do if I don¡¯tplete my research, so she volunteered toplete it on my behalf if such an event was to pass.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I want to leave this child to you. Can you let her watch for me thest answer you find, whether it is the right answer or the wrong answer?¡± ¡°Ok. I ept that request,¡± Sungjin answered readily. How can I refuse a fan¡¯s request to watch my game? Even though he was summoned to Valha, he did not forget his role of a wannabe pro-gamer. ¡°Thank you. Afterwards, I will support you to go beyond the fate awaiting you.¡± Then, all the coffins exploded in unison. It was to leave without waiting for Sungjin to strike. ¡°Farewell. I learned a lot.¡± Sungjin bowed to his opponent¡¯sst example. This battle would surely be a great foundation for progressing into the god¡¯s realm. Chapter 137 - Vol. 6 – Episode 5

Chapter 137: Vol. 6 ¨C Episode 5

Chapter 3 Sungjin made a gloriouseback suitable for a conqueror. All his team members, who were waiting for him in the waiting room, greeted him all at once. ¡°Sungjin, you made it,¡± said Ereka with tears in her eyes. ¡°Congrattions, Sungjin oppa.¡± Jenna, with her spiky hair, smiled. ¡°You became even stronger. That¡¯s amazing.¡± Eustasia couldn¡¯t praise him enough. Sungjin waspletely different from when he had he arrived in this world. Now, he didn¡¯t have a limit on his level and had received power as the conqueror of the world, and, with that power, he was able to effortlessly defeat the Kaiser of gold. ¡°Now, is Sungjin Oppa the new Kaiser?¡± Rachel asked everyone with her shiny eyes. ¡°Haha. Congrattions.¡± Zakiya bowed to Sungjin. ¡°I¡¯m honored to be here to share this historical moment. I willpose a song to celebrate this moment for you.¡± Sooryun also praised Sungjin. ¡°Thanks, everyone. Thanks to your help, I was able to defeat him.¡± Sungjin gave an extremely bright smile. The guy who had made the greatest achievement was bright with confidence. ¡°No. It was all you, Sungjin.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. I was able to overpower him thanks to all of you who gathered your power for me. Without the six wings you created for me, there was no way I could have even fought against him.¡± Sungjin knew his power was limited, and it would only lead him to limited ces, but his power and his ss were efficient because everyone helped him, so Sungjin sincerely appreciated everyone¡¯s help, and, even before the girls were able to answer him, a ray of light from heaven came down to shine on Sungjin. The light was so bright and strong that everyone on the continent could see the light, not just Sungjin¡¯s team. * * * People from the southern continent looked at the light on the northern side. ¡°The light...¡± ¡°Is it...?¡± ¡°Did Sungjin...¡± It was a light that had a bright and lucky vibe, so people felt what it meant even without an announcement: it was the light that marked themencement of the new era. Everyone on the other three continents also saw the light. All the powerful heroes of the three continents, who were anxiously waiting for Sungjin, also understood that there was a new king who was going to rule the world. * * * One hundred Valkyries came down from the sky to stand in front of Sungjin. No one had ever seen such a huge number of Valkyries. There was a Valkyrie with golden wings standing in the front. The Valkyrie had a beauty and glory that nobody had seen so far. ¡°Are you the head of the Valkyries?¡± Sungjin asked, before the golden Valkyrie roared in the sky: [Praise and worship. Here¡¯s the new Kaiser.] The voice was powerful but dignified. The Valkyrie wasn¡¯t shouting; he was talking to the people and to the world. The voice of the Valkyrie echoed all around the world with the same tone and level. The wind brought the announcement to everywhere: to the mountain, to the sea, to the river, to the field, to the desert, and even to the underworld. [The name of the new Kaiser is Sungjin. He will rule this world for a thousand years.] The light gathered toward Sungjin as if it were its calling to shine around the new Kaiser. Every element of the center became a light. Every stone, soil and jewel became light particles. The ¡°center¡± disappeared, and the light particles in every color floated there instead. ck and white mixed with the rainbow color, and in the middle of the symphony of colorful lights, a pure white Valkyrie kneeled down in front of Sungjin. Even the head of Valkyries, who obviously had strong power, kneeled down in front of Sungjin, and he talked to Sungjin in a very polite manner. [As a messenger of the gods, I convey the gods¡¯ rules to the new Kaiser. The first present is the capital that is designed as you wished. This ce has been waiting for the Kaiser, and now it is yours for a thousand years. You can build up whatever you want here, but you will only have one chance to establish things, so be aware of that.] Sungjin was easily able to understand what the Valkyrie meant: whatever he imagined would be the shape of this space. If Sungjin imagined a ssic Greek style, Greek style marble columns would be created, and if Sungjin wanted a castle decorated with gold and precious stones, it would appear. He could even create a forest with old trees. Oh, wow. This is much better than being an emperor on earth. Emperors of earth had to spend a lot of time and money to build a castle, but the Kaiser didn¡¯t have those restrictions or limitations on building whatever he wanted. The castle he wanted to build and the capital he wanted to create: whatever he wished for became reality. The Kaiser of this world was not only ruling the people but the whole world. That¡¯s how the other Kaisers were able to create their worlds. While Sungjin didn¡¯t make his decision on what kind of city he wanted, the Valkyrie continued. [The great conqueror of the human world. Now I bless you for your victory that willst for a thousand years.] What kind of blessing or present would he receive? All the girls¡¯ eyes were shining with high expectations. Sungjin¡¯s sess was their happiness. There were presents from the gods in the legend, but what would be the present for Sungjin? The Valkyrie continued. [Nothing in the human world could harm you.] The invincible supreme conqueror. [Time can¡¯t age you. Poison, diseases, curses, magic, weapons, or any other things that could harm you can¡¯t hurt you. Nothing in this world could harm you.] ¡°So no injuries, no aging, is that it?¡± [Yes. You will stay as you are for a thousand years. You will never be tired, even if you stop sleeping, eating, breathing, or doing any other activities that you have to do as a human. You can stay as you are, youthful and healthy, and nothing in this world could affect that.] ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± Ereka was deeply impressed. ¡°Humm. So it is beyond a human¡¯s limitations. That is a Kaiser. Now I get it.¡± Eustasia agreed. The Kaiser was not just a person who had absolute power in the human world. The Kaiser was someone who was able to create the whole world as he wished and who was invincible against any force from the human world. [You also have the power to take away the life of anything or anyone in this world. If you wish to take a life away, you can do it even if the person is hiding from you.] That was the supreme power. It was an ultimate power that only the king of the underworld or Hades could have. ¡°That is huge,¡± Sooryun murmured. ¡°Yeah. Haha. Nobody could stand against you now.¡± Zakiya let out an exmation. Why would everyone obey the new Kaiser? The answer was simple. As soon as they disobeyed him, death was the only thing that waited for them. They couldn¡¯t even resist. The Kaiser held the power to take their life away, and he was also invincible. Unconditional obedience. That was the only choice. Is that the power of the God of death? While everyone was celebrating him, Sungjin understood what his power meant. If he was a normal person, he would have been celebrating his power, but he was not a normal person. He enjoyed the victory by the fact that he defeated the Kaiser of gold. He was observing the power he could hold objectively. As a human, his supreme power was already transcendent. [On top of that, you can go anywhere you want in a second.] Now he had a power to teleport wherever he wanted whenever he wanted. There was nothing that could hide from the Kaiser¡¯s eyes, and nothing the Kaiser could not look over. It was not only impossible to fight against his supreme power but to deceive him as well. It was literally the world for Sungjin. On earth, there was no empire that hadsted more than a thousand years. People said Romested a thousand years, but the real time Rome hadsted as a strong empire was less than that, and Rome only ruled a little part of the world. Hence, the emperor¡¯s power was also limited. But it was different for Sungjin. Resistance was simply impossible. The world was designed to be a ce where it had to serve Sungjin and praise him. [Lastly, your pure him would be even more stronger by time, and there would be no human who could reach your strength, and you would reach the ultimate strength that no human has experienced.] It meant his levelling up and obtaining new skills. Sungjin simply smiled. He was happy with receiving a step onto the next level to fight the bigger fight. [Next, all your followers will be awakened as well and will receive new power and ss.] ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡± Sungjin was happy that his team members would have some rewards as well. [You can choose your followers to bring their power up by awakening them, but only six people can be awakened by this at once.] ¡°Six people. I got it.¡± It was perfect. He was able to provide power to his closest team members to support him. [Enjoy the glory of a thousand years, my new Kaiser.] The Valkyrie had announced everything and was now able to leave. ¡°Wait.¡± [Do you need me for something?] ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me how to challenge the sacred area yet.¡± The golden Valkyrie looked at Sungjin silently. [Sure. That¡¯s something that you have to know anyways, so I will exin.] Then the Valkyrie pointed to the central point of the center. [As soon as you finish creating the capital, a door that will open the way to another world will appear. That is the door to lead you to another dimension that will bepletely different from this world. There, your final destination will be waiting for you.] Be God of this world called Arc Master or be destroyed. ¡°Good. Now you can go.¡± [Enjoy your glory for a thousand years. I will see you again at the fight that will decide your final fate.] The Valkyries started to fly up to disappear into the sky. * * * Sungjin¡¯s girls gathered again to celebrate. ¡°Congrattions again.¡± ¡°Now should I call you Kaiser Sungjin, or do you want me to make an even more grandiose name to call you?¡± When Ereka and Eustasia asked this, Sungjin answered with a smile, ¡°Kaiser is good enough. I don¡¯t need aplicated name.¡± ¡°But still, Kaiser is a name everyone is dreaming to have.¡± Rachel looked at Sungjin with shiny eyes. While they were talking about it, the crystal of the Kaiser of gold was starting to crack. ¡°Oh, that is...¡± ¡°The girl who was asleep for a long time is waking up.¡± Sungjin approached the coffin with a smile. ¡°I promised Antherer, the Kaiser of gold, so I should take care of her.¡± What would be the look of the grand daughter of the Kaiser? ¡°Would she... be a grandma?¡± ¡°Well. I think she was frozen when she was much younger.¡± It was tricky to count years in her sleep as her age, but she existed much longer than they had. Everyone stared at the crystal, wondering who woulde out from it, and when the crystal broke... a pretty brte girl with bobbed hair appeared. Her body was a bit curvy, with small beasts that looked like ripe pink peaches. Her white and soft skin had be even softer in her long sleep. Her slender waist showed her noble beauty. She looked like a granddaughter of a Kaiser. She slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Hum...¡± Her emerald green eyes started to shine, and she sat down slowly. She slowly woke up and looked around her. She looked like a girl with the bloodline of a Kaiser. She looked around at everyone and ended up looking at Sungjin andmenting, ¡°With a 99 percent chance, I suppose you are the new Kaiser.¡± Without any exnation, she was able to make a quick and sharp deduction, which was unlike someone who had been asleep for such a long time. ¡°Are you the one that my grandpa was waiting for? I¡¯m...¡± Sungjin stopped her. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Before anything, cover yourself up with some clothes first.¡± Sungjin sighed, looking away. Chapter 138 - Vol.6 – Episode 6 Chapter 138: Vol.6 ¨C Episode 6 He was not a child who was embarrassed by seeing a naked girl, but he was a gentleman with proper manners. ¡°Researchpleted. It is appropriate to cover your naked body. I will proceed,¡± she answered clinically, as if she were reading a verdict at court. Sungjin giggled over how she was not even embarrassed to show her naked body but kept talking clinically without any hint of emotion. A granddaughter of the Kaiser of gold. She is not an ordinary girl, for sure. He never expected her to be ordinary, but she didn¡¯t seem to have themon sense to be a girl or to have any idea on how to act appropriately as one. The wise man who ruled the universe might have missed out on educating his granddaughter, or maybe she learned everything from her grandfather. I will know soon. Fabric appeared around her. It was a piece of fabric that looked like a toga from ancient Greece or ancient Rome, but it didn¡¯t seem to do the work delicately. ¡°Then, let me introduce myself now,¡± said the girl, and when she stood up, the fabric that was covering her fell down. The scene reminded Sungjin of the Birth of Venus, and Sungjin started tough. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wear something a little more stable?¡± ¡°Adjustment activated. Scanning data from surroundings. Proceeding.¡± The fabric disappeared, and she now wore a T-shirt and jeans, just like what Sungjin was wearing. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± Although her outfit didn¡¯t suit her pretty face, at least it wouldn¡¯t fall down. ¡°Then I will confirm this outfit.¡± Suddenly, Ereka cut in. ¡°No, wait. I don¡¯t think that works well.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sungjin had no idea why Ereka wanted to stop the outfit. ¡°That¡¯s... hmm...¡± Ereka hesitated. How should I put it? Ereka didn¡¯t like it because the outfit matched Sungjin, which made them look quite close, which Ereka didn¡¯t like, but she didn¡¯t know how to exin. Then Eustasia said it. ¡°You guys look like you picked up a matching outfit, so no!¡± That¡¯s it. That¡¯s what I was thinking as well. Jenna nodded next to them. ¡°Researchpleted. There were no such rules rted to the matching outfits.¡± When the Kaiser¡¯s granddaughter objected, Eustasia answered, ¡°Then add one.¡± ¡°Okay, then. Searching for a new outfit.¡± Her outfits disappeared. She suddenly wore a ck skirt with a long whiteb coat. She looked like ab researcher. That kind of works for her. ¡°Is this good enough?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Saved. This is going to be the standard for my future outfits.¡± When she got dressed, she introduced herself to Sungjin. ¡°With a 99.99 percent chance, my name is Pandora.¡± ¡°Pandora...¡± Sungjin found it funny and smiled. Pandora was the name of the girl in Greek mythology who couldn¡¯t help her curiosity and opened the box with all the disasters in it. It was a suitable name for the sessor of the wise man who had tried to learn and study all the rules of the world. Although the end of it would be preferable if it would not be a disaster. ¡°But why 99.99 percent and not 100 percent?¡± Ereka asked. ¡°I needed to include the possibility of damaged information or maniption from the outside into ount.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°Let me continue. My ss is Seeker.¡± That was not amon ss. ¡°Seeker... It¡¯s a special ss.¡± ¡°Yes. ording to the data I have, it is a rare ss, and the same ss that my grandfather used to have before bing Kaiser,¡± said Pandora in a monotone. She neither articted her special ss nor tried to be humble, but simply shared the fact as it was. Her voice was so dry that it made people doubt if she was able to feel emotions. ¡°My level is 8.¡± ¡°You have been awakened.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Not only her ss but her level, too, was quite high, which could be helpful for Sungjin. ¡°My mission is to find the answer to the sacred ce that my grandfather was not able to reach. I want to observe you, who is the answer to that question. Would it be possible?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your grandfather told me about you and asked me to take care of you. I will make a special ce for you.¡± ¡°Thank you, my new Kaiser.¡± ¡°Should I start creating my capital?¡± Sungjin looked around again. What kind of capital should I create? It would be on a massive scale that would exceed the Seven Wonders of the World on earth. ¡°Do you want anything?¡± he asked his team members first. ¡°I will make districts of your request.¡± It was important for him to listen to his people who hade there with him. ¡°I like anything that you like,¡± Ereka smiled and answered. ¡°Hmm. A morous pce! A huge one!¡± Jenna requested with shiny eyes. ¡°I hope we can have a practice hall,¡± Eustasia requested as a general. ¡°I wish we could have a garden full of flowers, trees and animals.¡± That was Rachel¡¯s wish. ¡°We need a majestic party hall with many hidden private ces, don¡¯t you think?¡± Zakiya requested a tricky one. ¡°I can¡¯t even remember much now, but I wish to have a ce that reminds me of my hometown...¡± Sooryun looked far away beyond the horizon. ¡°Sure.¡± After listening to everyone¡¯s wish, Sungjin started. Fortunately, he had enough knowledge of styles and schools of architecture. The ce was divided into a few districts, and buildings started to appear. The castle was even bigger and more morous than Versailles, and the pce was much bigger than the Forbidden City. Then, there were small castles hidden in nature, and there was a beautiful garden decorated with flowers and trees where rabbits and squirrels were running around. There were buildings that looked like mosques from the Middle-East. Some districts had beautiful nature, while others were decorated ording to different cultures. Then there were many facilities where people could train and practice. It was a special city that the ominous power created with beauties from all around the world. There was a huge library that was for Sungjin¡¯s new guest, Pandora. In the center was a futuristic building filled with hi-tech machines andputers. It looked like a building popped out from a science fiction movie. ¡°Wow. This is our home.¡± Ereka blushed as if she were thinking about something in their future. She was right. Sungjin¡¯s building was in the center, and there were districts for each girl surrounding Sungjin¡¯s building that had been created ording to their personal taste and history. ¡°Yes, the central part of the city is for all of us,¡± Sungjin answered with a grin. The girls couldn¡¯t hide their smiles. It was a ce for their honeymoon and their lives with Sungjin. Although they were not married, it seemed like it was a great beginning for their bright future. And Sungjin was not done yet. He kept creating the city outside of the central. Now he wasn¡¯t creating ces for him but buildings for the people. Small but cozy and convenient houses started to appear. Residential area,mercial area, industrial area... The buildings were beautiful on the outside and were well organized for the residents on the inside and had water and sewage. Sungjin only took one-third of the area for his own, and the rest was for the people. ¡°Now, should I greet my visitors?¡± With the whole world in his hand, Sungjin was ready to greet the visitors. Chapter 4 The huge vortex and heavy fog covering the center of the continent were gone. When the view was cleared, the fifth continent appeared to let everyone know that there was a new Kaiser. The Valkyries already shared the news that there was a new Kaiser, and the portals that connected the four continents to the center started to open again. All the powerful heroes from the four continents came through the portal to greet the new Kaiser Sungjin. The heroes from the southern continent started to visit Sungjin to celebrate his victory. ¡°The great new Kaiser. Long live the Kaiser under the blessings of the gods.¡± ¡°Seven kings from the east continent are here to praise the new Kaiser.¡± Seven kings from the east continent bowed down in front of Sungjin, who was sitting on the throne. They never bowed to a living person before, but now they were on their knees in front of Sungjin nine times. It was a traditional ritual of surrender on the east continent. They didn¡¯t think it was humiliating or that they needed to seek revenge. That was the absolute power of Kaiser of Valha. He was a reincarnation of the legend who held their lives in his hand. They would live only a hundred years and disappear, but the Kaiser was there to rule the world for a thousand years. Kaiser was a living God that they couldn¡¯t resist, even if all of them tried to fight against him together. The fact that Sungjin was a level 0 extra from another world didn¡¯t matter anymore. ¡°Five Khans from the west continent are here to offer the goblet to the greatest Khan to make our oath to serve you.¡± Five Khans from the west continent cut their hands to collect their blood in a goblet to offer Sungjin, and other high-level generals and noble heroes lined up to make their oath. Sungjin held their lives in his hands; there was no one who could dare think otherwise. Sungjin¡¯s front yard was crowded with powerful heroes from all the continents to prove his power and his influence in this world. His storage kept filling up with offers from all around the world: jewels, precious stones, silk... Those weremon things. The more precious things were art pieces from history, and the most precious things were the artifacts that were the legends of each continent. The heroes offered artifacts that were their own power and lives to show their absolute obedience to the Kaiser. Clerks were busy counting them all. Sungjin briefly calcted the value of the offers. It is not a perfect calction, but if I convert... Apart from art pieces and artifacts, the treasure that could be evaluated as money would be around eight hundred and fifty trillion. But that wasn¡¯t all of it. That was just the offering he had received until then, and when he calcted the tax, it would be over eight thousand trillion. Huh. It is almost twice the United States¡¯. That was when he decided to only collect the tax at a low rate, and nobody would resist, even if he wanted to raise the tax rate. He could use the budget for himself or decide to share it for other means. So this is how it feels like to have the world in your hand. It was not much different from his experience of taking the continent over, but the different scale gave him a different kind of pleasure. Now, he was able to do whatever he wanted in this world. All the treasures, people and beauties of all the continents were his. Now he could protect the people on other continents as well. It was a pleasure that only someone standing on top of the world could feel, and it was a next-level pleasure from having only a few hundred people under one in an office or in the army. What would be the first order of the Kaiser? * * * Everyone was waiting for Sungjin¡¯s order. ¡°We will use the samews as the southern continent. The heroes have no right to abuse the Extras, and I will collect the tax in currency. You will be paid ording to your work and your position, and you will not be allowed to collect the tax on your own.¡± The bureaucracy. Centralized authoritarian rule. Sungjin made it clear that he was the one who was holding all the power and that heroes couldn¡¯t abuse the extras anymore by any means. And Sungjin also built up a separate legal and administrative system so that the system could protect the people. Everyone from the southern continent already knew about his style, but now everyone from other continents started to understand the changes. The new Kaiser was not just simply a strong person¡ªhe knew how to make the system and manage it. I¡¯ve already got the information from the Pandoraern continent... but... If we live as we did under this new Kaiser, we will be punished. Now it was a different era. If they couldn¡¯t keep up, they would be kicked out. But they had no choice but to follow the order from Kaiser. ¡°I will take your order,¡± everyone answered without hesitation. Chapter 139 - Vol. 6 – Episode 7

Chapter 139: Vol. 6 ¨C Episode 7

* * * There was a worldwide party to celebrate the new Kaiser. It was a real festival for the whole world. It was bigger and greater than the Olympics or World Cup. Everyone was able to enjoy the party thanks to Sungjin. All across the cities, and even in the country towns, people enjoyed the party organized by the generous Kaiser. ¡°Did you hear that? We just have to pay half of the tax that we¡¯ve been paying.¡± ¡°There are hospitals that we can go to.¡± ¡°Wow. The new Kaiser is giving us food because we are suffering drought damage.¡± People from other continents praised Sungjin¡¯s policy that he had started in the southern continent and that was now spreading all around the world. ¡°Long live the Kaiser!¡± ¡°Long live the Kaiser!¡± Nobody on Earth who lived in a democratic country would praise their leader that much, even if he was being generous, but it was different in this world. The people had to praise the ruler to survive, even if the ruler was a tyrant, but Sungjin was a great leader who was really trying to take care of his people. The world was changing under Sungjin¡¯s rulership. * * * While everyone worshipped him and his policies, Sungjin enjoyed a rxing time in his pce. The party hall that Zakiya had requested and Sungjin had created with his imagination was majestic and morous. Chandeliers decorated with precious jewels floated around, and fountains pumped all kinds of beverages. The drinks from each fountain were precious beverages that could not be found anywhere else. Dishes on the table were filled with different food before they were empty. Everything was gourmet and iparable to any dishes from anywhere in the world. And the party hall was surrounded by beautiful gardens. Beautiful was an understatement¡ªrare and precious flowers and nts decorated the garden, and there were rainbow-colored fish in the river. It was a garden of fantasy that wouldn¡¯t have been possible if it wasn¡¯t for Sungjin¡¯s power and imagination. But the most morous part of the party wasn¡¯t any of those things. The breathtaking mor of the ce was... the Kaiser Sungjin sitting in the middle of his beautiful girls around him. ¡°Wow, is that a new style?¡± Sungjinmented, looking at Ereka¡¯s outfit. Ereka was standing in front of him wearing something new. It wasn¡¯t her armor for battle or the voluminous dress she usually wore. She was wearing a see-through dress of a dancer, just like what Zakiya wore for dancing. ¡°Well... Zakiya asked me... since today is a special day... we should switch our outfits to surprise you...¡± Ereka blushed, as if she were embarrassed. ¡°Yeah, you look beautiful.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sungjin smiled thinking, it gentlemanly etiquette topliment a girl¡¯s new outfit, but it wasn¡¯t just an emptypliment: she really looked beautiful. The morous dress of a princess is the perfect outfit for her, but... The dress of a dancer that Ereka wore for Sungjin was sensational. Her tiny waist. And she had curvy breasts and hips. Her skin was so soft. She was a shy virgin who didn¡¯t allow anyone to have her yet, but she had such a strong passion for Sungjin. Ereka looked like a ripe peach with all those characteristics making a beautiful harmony. With a single bite, Sungjin would be able to taste heaven from her juicy body, and he could have her anytime he wished to. And it was not just Ereka who was waiting for him to take her. ¡°What do you think? Don¡¯t you think this suits me quite well?¡± Eustasia was wearing a morous dress, just like what Ereka used to wear, instead of her regr army-styled outfit. The baby blue dress made her look gorgeous with her silver hair. Her generous breasts and fit body made her jewels even more morous... She was an inessible woman to anyone else but Sungjin, who she didn¡¯t hide her desire and passion for. She was a great general with great beauty who would only give herself to Sungjin. It was a surprise for Sungjin, because she always presented herself as a great general in the training hall. ¡°You look graceful.¡± She was always holding her swords, but now she was telling Sungjin she was just a girl who dreamed of his love when she wasn¡¯t holding her swords. Oh well... Sungjin couldn¡¯t hide his smile. He already knew that all his girls were beautiful with their own character and charm, but he was so used to it because he was always surrounded by them. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t think they were beautiful because he saw them every day, but that day was different. The girls had changed their outfits to surprise him with their different sides. It was not just Ereka and Eustasia... The other girls were also wearing different outfits. Zakiya was wearing tight armor with two daggers on her waist. She looked like a bandit from a dessert or a secret spy. She looked like a sexy ck leopard, which was different from her usual charm that made her look like wind-blown cherry blossoms. She would be flexible and would taste better than top-notch steak if he tasted her on his bed. And two kids, Jenna and Rachel, also switched their outfits. Jenna was wearing Rachel¡¯s priest robe, sitting like a nice and sensible girl, while Rachel was wearing a yellow mini dress and had a big smile like a young girl. Sooryun was wearing her regr oriental outfit, but she was holding a different musical instrument. ¡°I wanted to y something different for you. Would you mind if I yed a song for you?¡± ¡°Please do.¡± ¡°Then I will dance for you.¡± Zakiya smiled and told him to expect some different moves. ¡°I will perform with you.¡± Eustasia pulled out her rapier she was hiding under her dress and paired up with Zakiya. They started their performance. Next to them, Rachel and Jenna held simple instruments that looked like a triangle and casts to y the beat. ¡°Great.¡± Sungjin was really impressed. It was a fantastic performance in great harmony. Ereka served Sungjin¡¯s favourite food and drinks. Everything was to serve and to entertain the new Kaiser. Everyone who was invited to the party envied Sungjin. Our Kaiser will enjoy this kind of entertainment for a thousand years. There were so many girls who wanted to be his, and if he wished to, he could have any girl in this world. He was living a life surrounded by so many beautiful girls, and he didn¡¯t have to worry about a revolt because of his absolute power. It was a life and power of a different level. People couldn¡¯t even be jealous of him; it was just a different world. ¡°Enjoy. This is a party. This is the time for us to rx.¡± ¡°Yes, Kaiser.¡± Sungjin¡¯s words started the party. Pandora was sitting in a corner watching the party from a distance. She was observing everything, but she wasn¡¯t participating. Sungjin noticed and approached her. ¡°You can enjoy the party as well. You are my guest.¡± ¡°Respond searchpleted. Thank you, but no thanks.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What I need is to expand the knowledge that my grandfather has collected. It is inefficient to spend my energy on unnecessary activities.¡± ¡°Pff.¡± Sungjinughed. Pandora hadn¡¯t dressed up, but she was a natural beauty. With a little touch-up, she would look absolutely gorgeous. Even with her beauty, she talked about expanding knowledge. Well, I¡¯m a gamer who enjoyspetitions and fights, too. But he enjoyed other things as well. ¡°But you need energy to survive, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°My body has a system that generates enough energy without consuming food.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± Sungjin shook his head. He had obtained a body that didn¡¯t require any food or sleep for a thousand years when he had be Kaiser, but that didn¡¯t mean that he had given up pleasure from those things. It seemed like Pandora had decided to give up being human to study truth and expand her knowledge. ¡°Studying truth is a good thing, but do you understand the human understanding of truth?¡± ¡°Searchpleted. Humans are members of arge group of animals known as mammals...¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°Then I need more keywords.¡± ¡°When they are hungry, they eat food to feel satisfied. They feel cold or hot. Those kinds of feelings.¡± ¡°Hunger, food, hot, cold. The definition of those words are in the dictionary.¡± ¡°But you never experienced them. The literal definition in the dictionary is not enough. You should experience them to really understand them.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Here. Have a bite.¡± Sungjin handed her a fresh apple, and Pandora hesitated before she had a bite. Her eyes became big. Crunch. She made a sound with her teeth. ¡°It¡¯s quite different from what you knew from the literal meaning, right?¡± ¡°Yes. You are right. I admit that there is information that I shouldbine with real experiences.¡± ¡°If you understand, now you should experience different things,¡± said Sungjin, and stepped back. He thought he would be overly interfering if he tried to tell her everything. * * * While partying with the others, Sungjin looked at Pandora from time to time. I promised the Kaiser of gold, so I should take care of her. It seemed like Pandora was surprised by her first-hand experiences. She was walking around the party to do different things. She ate a crunchy cookie and was surprised, and then she couldn¡¯t move for a while after she smelled the scent of flowers in the garden. She started to have facial expressions that showed surprise and admiration. Then she stood in front of a squirrel that was moving its tail. She stood in front of it for a while, just looking at it. She tried to reach her hand toward it, but then she stopped. I should help her out this time. Sungjin approached her again and held the squirrel gently. ¡°Here you go. You can touch it.¡± But Pandora still hesitated, so Sungjin held her hand gently. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Touch it.¡± Finally, she had the courage to lightly touch the squirrel¡¯s head. The squirrel moved its ears. ¡°Is this what soft means?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This is it?¡± Pff. Sungjin tried not tough. Pandora didn¡¯t look like a child at all, but how she reacted to the world was like a child. I¡¯m sure she knows a lot of things literally, though. But she was just like a child in terms of experience, and everything was new to her. ¡°You are my guest in this pce and all around this world, so feel free to explore to experience and learn what you would like to learn.¡± Studying was a good thing, but Sungjin felt bad that she was missing basic human experiences, and thought it would be nice for her to experience life to understand the truth and study it as well. Sungjin wanted her to keep a bnce and be human to pursue the truth that she was seeking. That was the reason why he kept living like a human, although he now had a transcendent body. ¡°Then enjoy yourself.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± Chapter 140 - Vol. 6 – Episode 8

Chapter 140: Vol. 6 ¨C Episode 8

* * * The morous party came to an end. Everyone needed to rest for the pleasure waiting for them the next day. Sungjin ended the party and let everyone go to get sleep and headed to his bedroom as well. He didn¡¯t need to sleep. He didn¡¯t even feel fatigue of any kind. While walking, he started to think. Now he had this world in his hand, and he had eternal youth and immortality for a thousand years. He was also able to feel that his pure power had be stronger. Now, if I had to fight against the Kaisers, I could win without any help. He had everything he could possibly have. The only challenge left for him was to be an Arc Master. This power. These abilities. This immortality. What should I do with all these powers, and what should I do for my team members who stood by my side until now? I¡¯m sure they¡¯re waiting for it. He knew that the girls were waiting for the wedding. I would be quite young to get married back in my world. Although, even on earth, in different eras he was old enough to get married. Modern society was a special case where people got married in ater stage of life. And he was in Valha. By its standard, he should get married, and that was what everyone was expecting. Should I? He already knew that what they all wanted was to be with him. Being with the one they loved was their biggest and their only hope and happiness. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know that, although he was postponing his answer because he was working on his goals. Maybe it¡¯s time to reward them to thank them all for fighting for me with their lives. Maybe it¡¯s time to give them the love they wanted from the start. No, it would be weird to say it was a reward or a present. It wasn¡¯t something he had to sacrifice for them; it would be something that he would also enjoy with all of them. He had tried to control himself until now, but those days he would enjoy with them would be very pleasant. Then, what should I do... He was in deep thought and was about to walk into his room when he realized that Pandora was right behind him. ¡°Hey. Until where are you nning to follow me?¡± ¡°Well, it is not definite,¡± said Pandora with her voice without any emotion. ¡°Do you know this is my bedroom?¡± ¡°Yes, I know,¡± Pandora answered, as if it wasn¡¯t a problem. Sungjin had to sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what it means when a girl visits a guy¡¯s bedroom, especiallyte at night?¡± Pandora blinked before answering. ¡°Searchpleted. Yes. I checked the rules to follow to be a nicedy, but I¡¯m just a researcher who is going to observe and research you, so the rule doesn¡¯t apply to me.¡± ¡°You are a girl more than a researcher, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m rather a researcher than a girl.¡± Pandora firmly answered, and Sungjin had to sigh again. Oh my. I knew from the beginning, but she doesn¡¯t havemon sense. Pandora had massive amounts of knowledge umted with time, but she had no ability to apply her knowledge to reality. Is it because she was hibernating for such a long time? Or is it because she was programmed only to umte knowledge? Anyways... Sungjin put his hand on Pandora¡¯s shoulder. If Pandora was a normal girl, she might have been frightened. If she loved Sungjin, she should have been excited in expectation, but Pandora stared at Sungjin without any emotion. In that situation, Sungjin... pushed her away with rity. ¡°You can observe me when I¡¯m in my training and during the fight, but I won¡¯t allow you to invade my privacy, especially not when I¡¯m in my bedroom.¡± ¡°I need to observe you at all times for full observation.¡± ¡°It is forbidden for a girl to visit a guy¡¯s bedroom if they are not lovers. This principle can¡¯t be changed...¡± ¡°Is that so? Okay.¡± When Pandora seemed that she understood him, Sungjin thought he could finally get away from this, until Pandora started to take off her clothes. It was in the middle of the night. In front of his bedroom. And Pandora was undressing and revealing her pure and beautiful body. And Sungjin had a healthy young man¡¯s body. The sight naturally made him excited, but Sungjin tried to control himself. Let¡¯s calm down. Pandora was not a girl with a normal thinking process. She didn¡¯t have anymon sense or any experiences that were even remotely normal, so maybe she had different intentions. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t allow me to observe you in your bedroom because we are not lovers, I will be your lover. Take me as you want, and allow me to observe you.¡± ¡°... No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something you can do with just anyone.¡± ¡°I have various information on that.¡± ¡°Yes, if you have some, that¡¯s great.¡± ¡°It depends on the culture. In some cultures they don¡¯t allow the activity before marriage, while it is allowed in others...¡± ¡°Wait. You don¡¯t need to exin that.¡± When she started to spout out knowledge, Sungjin had to stop her. ¡°So, just to share the conclusion, you are the Kaiser now. That means you can have multiple lovers, and it is your decision to take them as your wives or not...¡± When Pandora tried to exin that there would be no legal or cultural problem for him to take her, Sungjin couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°That¡¯s enough. The important thing is that I have no intention to have such an activity.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do my favor?¡± ¡°That is not something I would do.¡± ¡°It is known that the Kaiser has no restriction on this kind of activity.¡± ¡°Update your information. There are some guys who have their own rules.¡± ¡°What is your rule?¡± ¡°Hmm... I would take the girl only when I felt like she was my destiny.¡± ¡°That¡¯s subjective. You can¡¯t systemize it.¡± ¡°Love is something subjective and emotional.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± I was able to stop her. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Sungjin started to worry about other things. ¡°Wait. You shouldn¡¯t ask other guys to do this,¡± Sungjin told her firmly to prevent her from making mistakes out of curiosity. ¡°No problem. I don¡¯t want anyone else but you. You are my first choice. No. You are my everything.¡± ¡°Oh... okay.¡± If someone heard that, they would think it was a marriage proposal. He was happy to understand that she meant he was her research subject. ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡± He felt relieved. He thought since she was a granddaughter of a Kaiser, she was only interested in other Kaisers as her research subjects. ¡°Then I have another favor to ask.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Sungjin was prepared and decided not to be surprised, whatever her request would be. ¡°Can you put me back in my hibernation?¡± ¡°But why?¡± Sungjin¡¯s face hardened. ¡°My mission is to observe what the answer is beyond the sacred area.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°If you only allow me to observe you during your fight and your training, I don¡¯t have time to waste.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have time to... waste.¡± ¡°Unlike you, I can¡¯t live a thousand years, so to learn about the truth beyond the sacred area, I need to be in my hibernation until then.¡± ¡°Hey, you just woke up. Why don¡¯t you try to enjoy this world a bit?¡± ¡°Yes. Your rmendation to research information by experiencing was valuable for sure.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°But if I have to make a choice, I need to set my priorities.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. So after a thousand years, when you finish enjoying your life as a Kaiser and are ready to start your final challenge, wake me up. Then I will be able to observe your answer.¡± To see his final challenge, Pandora asked him to put her back in her hibernation. ¡°Okay. Now I understand.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°But not just yet.¡± ¡°Then when?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush it, and just enjoy for now. The Kaiser¡¯s party has just started.¡± Pandora hesitated a bit but nodded. ¡°I get it. It is valuable to collect more information on you.¡± ¡°Pff. Not just because of that. I want you to learn more about the world. With more experience, you can have better perceptivity, which will help you to collect your information properly.¡± ¡°Is that the reason? You don¡¯t think I could understand the answer if I saw it now?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Good night then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± When Pandora left, Sungjin sat down on his bed. Pff. Oh my... What should I do with this researcher girl? His main concern was when and how to have the ceremonies with his team members, but he realized that taking care of Pandora would take a lot of effort as well. Chapter 5 The long festival for his coronation was over, and at the end of the festival, Sungjin called up his girls to a simple tea party setting. A lot of people were predicting what woulde next. That must be about his wedding ceremonies. He had conquered the world. It was natural for him to start his family now. Would he take them all at once? Or one by one? Sungjin could decide however he wanted to. Sunjin slowly started to talk. ¡°I have a difficult topic I would like to talk about.¡± ¡°Tell us.¡± ¡°I would like to start my challenge to be an Arc Master without waiting for a thousand years.¡± Sungin decided not to beat around the bush, and cut to the chase. He had enormous power and glory that he could enjoy more than a thousand years. There was no clear reason why he would start his challenge in the sacred area. Although that challenge could bring even more power and wealth, he had too much to lose. It was too risky. But Sungjin was different. He had started this because he wanted to be an Arc Master. Although the reward from the preliminary league was huge, he had no ns to retire and enjoy what he had. He wanted to be the best in what he started. His burning desire hadn¡¯t gone out, even after he had gotten the title of Kaiser. And there was one more reason to be an Arc Master. This is not the world that I promised to create. He could be a merciful ruler. He might not have the heart to be one, but he knew what he had to do to let his people live their lives as humans. And with his absolute power, he could do much better than those kings who had good heart but not enough power. But that wasn¡¯t a world with natural human rights. It wouldn¡¯t be a world where every individual would be respected and could decide their own future with their free will. It would be a world where people survived peacefully by the mercy of the tyrant with absolute power. He wanted everyone to be equal, but now, everyone equally had to follow the Kaiser¡¯s rule. Well, that is not such a bad thing, though. There was sudden truth in the Kaiser of White Silver¡¯s world. It was better than a world where the weak were the prey of the strong. But that¡¯s not the world that I promised to create for them. So he had to move forward, but... that was his personal ambition. It was his choice if he wanted to move forward, but he didn¡¯t have the right to force his team members to join him. His team members had the right to stop him or convince him to stop. It hadn¡¯t been a smooth path until now, and his girls had supported him to be a Kaiser. They had the right to request him to stop so they could enjoy this life until the end of a thousand years. ¡°So this is not an order but a request.¡± Sungjin lowered his head. ¡°If everyone tries to stop me... I will stop here for now.¡± Sungjin always kept his head up, even when he was in a terribly disadvantageous situation, and told everyone he would go his own way. He was now on the top of the world but lowered his head. ¡°I know the risk of challenging to be an Arc Master now. And I know if you join me, you might lose your happiness that you have now.¡± He made a lot of achievements and a lot of people were counting on him. He had a massive responsibility. He understood the weight of the responsibility. Without the new Kaiser Sungjin, everything mighte to nothing. Stopping at 90 percent achievement wouldn¡¯t be apromise. But he still wanted to go forward. He still wanted to pursue his dream. It was always risky to take the challenge, but he still wanted to go further. ¡°But I want you toe with me.¡± He wanted them toe with him for the final challenge, but he didn¡¯t know how they would answer. Ereka answered him with a warm smile, and held Sungjin¡¯s hand. ¡°Sungjin. My answer is the same as when you challenged the Kaiser. If that¡¯s what you want, I will join you and support you by your side.¡± ¡°I am your loyal servant for always.¡± Jenna put her hand on top of Sungjin¡¯s and Ereka¡¯s. ¡°Same here. It is a knight¡¯s duty to join her king.¡± Eustasia put her hand on top of their hands. ¡°Without you, Sungjin Oppa, I wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°Pff. Without you, I was already dead. Even if we fail, I wouldn¡¯t regret being with you.¡± Rachel put her hand on top, and Zakiya added her hand. ¡°Sungjin. From the start, I promised you to join your fight to liberate everyone in this world. I will fight by your side.¡± Sooryun promised with everyone else to join him until the end. ¡°Thank you... everyone.¡± He had to respect his girls who would support him on his path to achieve his goal. He thought he was such a lucky person to have his team who supported him no matter what. And to thank them all©¤ I should win. Chapter 141 - Vol. 6 – Episode 9

Chapter 141: Vol. 6 ¨C Episode 9

* * * When their meeting was over, Pandora slowly approached Sungjin. ¡°It was not in my predictions that you would challenge the sacred area at this stage.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that predictable,¡± Sungjin answered with a smile. Pandora lost her usual poker face. At Sungjin¡¯s words, confusion showed on her face. It was different from her normal expressions. My analyzing system is confused. He was the third Kaiser who had overpowered her grandfather, but he couldn¡¯t be described by just that. Sungjin waspletely unpredictable, even with all the information Pandora had umted to make predictions. ¡°If you consider the risks you have to take and what you could achieve, your decision is unreasonable.¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± A thousand years. It was a reasonable decision to enjoy everything he could for a thousand years before challenging the sacred area. That was what the two Kaisers before Sungjin had done. Pandora couldn¡¯t understand why Sungjin decided to take the challenge right away. My heartbeat has elevated. Pandora tried to understand why her heartbeat had elevated. Searchpleted. I¡¯m in an excited state. And it was because of Sungjin. ¡°But you will still proceed with your challenge. Is that it?¡± ¡°There are a thousand years that are promised to me that I can enjoy, but not for the people who are living with me now.¡± ¡°It is predicted that your era will be an age of peacepared to any other era...¡± ¡°I know. I also know that the world I¡¯m trying to create wouldn¡¯t be a much better and peaceful worldpared to the world where I rule with my power.¡± Sungjin knew it well through his experience on earth. Democracy, natural human rights, and equality for everyone. They all sounded amazing, but in reality, they were far from perfect. ¡°But there was no case where the Kaiser left his thousand years of prosperity to challenge the sacred area.¡± ¡°But there were only two cases before, right?¡± ¡°Statistically speaking.¡± ¡°Statistically... anyways, I¡¯m going. So you don¡¯t need to go back to your hibernation.¡± ¡°That was why you stopped me?¡± ¡°Yes. So until then, try to experience as much as you can.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pandora understood why Sungjin told her that she didn¡¯t have to go back into hibernation, but what had she to experience in this world? What do I want to learn about the most? The answer was right in front of her. Her eyes were fixed on the guy who was standing in front of her. I want to know more about Sungin. I¡¯ve been observing and trying to analyze him, but I didn¡¯t expect him to make such a decision. Is this the reason why my grandfather left him as myst research subject? * * * That night, Sungjin saw Pandora follow him again to his bedroom. ¡°Hey. We already talked about this issue.¡± He was a Kaiser with iparable power; his word was final. ¡°I know. I remember you said you wouldn¡¯t take anyone if you didn¡¯t feel like she was your fate.¡± ¡°I mean, you can¡¯t follow me to my bedroom to observe me. Anyways, what do you want?¡± Sungjin was able to predict what Pandora wanted, though. ¡°I understood something today. That I was in my sleep for such a long time in order to meet you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s notpletely false.¡± It was true that Pandora was in her sleep for a long time in order to meet the new Kaiser. ¡°So you are my fate and destiny.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So don¡¯t you think you can take me into your bedroom?¡± Sungjin had to sigh. ¡°That is a different kind of fate you are talking about.¡± Her strong curiosity and passion for research that made her eager to get into his bedroom didn¡¯t make sense for Sungin. ¡°Even if it is fate, why do you want me to take you? If you want to observe me while I¡¯m sleeping, that wouldn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another reason.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I want to know everything about you. And to understand a guy, it is important to have a sexual rtionship toplete the information.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± Sungjin agreed with her point. There were some things that only lovers would know about each other, but... ¡°That¡¯s not what lovers do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s an interest in a new and interesting subject. Not love.¡± ¡°It has to be love?¡± She looked down. She always looked unemotional, but there was a slight change in her face. Huh. Is she disappointed? She looked like a girl whose candy had been taken away, but Sungjin had no ns to step down. ¡°If you got it, go back. You can observe me during the fight.¡± ¡°But I wanted to know everything about you, not just your battles.¡± ¡°Pff. Fans want to know everything in the private lives of their favorite stars, but there¡¯s always a limit. I will let you observe my everything during the battle, though.¡± ¡°Okay. I will observe everything about you, but will not cross the line.¡± God, I have a stalker now. Sungjinughed and thought that it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing to have a fanatic fan during his final match. Chapter 6 Although Sungjin decided to challenge the sacred area, he wasn¡¯t nning to start the next day. Everyone needed a bit of time to train and adjust themselves to their new ss and their new power, and Sungjin was leading that training for everyone. Everyone became much stronger. Sungjin was able to see the changes, but he also had to consider that there could be strong and unpredictable enemies in the sacred area. What is waiting for us? The Kaiser of White Silver had warned Sungjin not to challenge the sacred area. And the Kaiser of Gold had told Sungjin that he would have no chance to win. I¡¯m sure they told me those things with good reason. He was ready to challenge, but he didn¡¯t n to underestimate his unknown opponents. His preparation was part of his challenge. He had to make sure everyone could use their full power, and then he would go forward for the challenge. He was either going to fly or be crushed. I have no idea what will happen. But that was the reason why Sungjin was even more excited about this fight. * * * They were finally ready, and Sungjin stood in front of the door to the sacred area. It was a strange structure to be called a door. There was an arch shaped frame in the middle of an empty space, and there was something made of light and darkness that looked like a curtain. ¡°So the sacred area is beyond this door.¡± ¡°So... this will be our final fight.¡± Ereka stood close next to Sungjin. Ereka respected Sungjin¡¯s decision, and had decided to fight with him until the end to support his dream, but she was a bit worried. If we go back, we can enjoy a thousand years of prosperity and happiness. Although, if they went back, she wouldn¡¯t be the one next to Sungjin who would fight with him for his final fight. And she also knew that stepping back because of the risk or strong opponents was not what Sungjin would do. Maybe you could live a safer life. She wanted to see the world with natural human rights that Sungjin had told her about, but she was worried about Sungjin. But going on until the end is what you would do. All she had to do was support him as he was. Next to them, Pandora looked at them with her eyes that looked like an abyss. Would he be able to make what my grandfather tried but failed? Maybe Sungjin¡¯s fate was waiting for him. ¡°Here. I stand here to challenge the sacred area. Open the door.¡± When Sungjin shouted, the space with light and darkness started rolling, and two huge crows appeared from the space. The crows started to talk in english. ¡°My name is Muninn.¡± ¡°My name is Huginn.¡± ¡°Two crows of Odin,¡± said Sungjin in a low voice when he heard the two names. The name of this world was Valha. It was the name of the ce Odin, the God King of Asgard Pantheon, created to let his warriors fight and challenge each other. The Valkyries had guided him until now. Valkyrie was the name of Odin¡¯s messenger, who guided warriors in Valha, so it was not a strange thing that Odin¡¯s crows hade down here to guide Sungjin to hisst challenge. I heard that these crows can see the past, the present, and the future. But it didn¡¯t really matter. He was going to go forward anyways. ¡°So you guys are the guide for my final challenge?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the two crows answered together. ¡°Pff. That means Odin is waiting for us behind the door?¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°He organized it, and he is watching, but he won¡¯t be the one waiting for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°The fate that has been waiting for you. The destiny that has been waiting for you. Your nemesis. That is what is waiting for you.¡± The two crows talked with rhythm and looked at Sungjin with an unknown energy. ¡°The one who wants to be an Arc Master. Who wants the absolute power that is more than a thousand years of glory. The higher you fly, the more dangerous it bes.¡± It sounded like a warning and a prophecy at the same time. ¡°Do you want to relive the past where they tried to fly high only to fall to the lowest?¡± ¡°Pff. Do you want to tell me about the legend of Icarus?¡± Sungjin smiled and continued. ¡°I know the risk, and I know there is a lot to lose.¡± His capital that he had built as he wanted. All the people who hade to make an oath to serve him. Endless people who lined up to present him with precious jewels. All those beauties that he could have. The world he could rule as he wished to with the youth of a thousand years. He had everything that humans could possibly dream of. Even Qin Shi Huang didn¡¯t have all the things Sungjin had. The emperors on earth ruled for only a few decades, in fear of assasiation and rebels, but Sungjin was free from those concerns. If that was all he wanted, he had to stop here. ¡°But I will go.¡± To be an Arc Master and do what only an Arc Master can do. The two crows flew up on their wings. ¡°Then we will open the door.¡± ¡°This is the path to your destiny.¡± ¡°Everything is as expected.¡± ¡°Now go forward.¡± ¡°Your fate is waiting for you!¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go¡± Sungjin walked into the rolling space. ¡°Yes, Sungjin.¡± His girls followed him. * * * They arrived at a gigantic ind floating in the middle of outer space. The sky was not a blue sky. They were able to see vast ck endless space. There was a transparentyer covering the ind. There were many different geographical features on the ind. A volcano, jungle, desert, valley, field, river, ocean... It was an impossiblebination of various geographical features on one ind... ¡°Hmm. That is quite an interestingbination.¡± It looked like the gods had collected different features and put them all together in one ce with their transcendent power. Swish. A bird made of me flew up from the volcano. Is that... a phoenix? A mountain surged from the ocean. It was a gigantic fish that was carrying a mountain on its back. Ha, this is where all the legendary animals live? Shooting stars appeared among thes, and living nts moved in the jungle. A colony of ants bigger than humans crossed the desert; a corner of the desert copsed, and a huge bug that almost looked like a river appeared and swallowed the colony of ants. There was a peal of thunder for no reason, only to be followed by a typhoon. The weather was unpredictable and extreme. It was a perfect battlefield for the final challenge. And... Sungjin was able to see Vaha in a distance universe. Sungjin was able to recognize it at once, because the Kaiser of gold had showed him once before. So that is the world we came from, which means this is another universe that is separate from it. And on the other side, there was another that looked exactly like Valha... ¡°That side of the world looks... a bit... ominous.¡± Sungjin was able to understand why Ereka said that. Valha looked like a vivid, colorful world with green forests, blue oceans, yellow deserts, white clouds, and ice on the north and south poles. But the other was simply red, and the ocean area was ck. It looked like a world without any life. But that world... It didn¡¯t take long for Sungjin to recognize that on the other, all the continents were ced in perfect symmetry and were exactly the same size. That can¡¯t be a coincidence. There must be another Valha. Chapter 142 - Vol. 6 – Episode 10

Chapter 142: Vol. 6 ¨C Episode 10

* * * The two crows came to Sungjin again. ¡°Wee to the sacred area.¡± ¡°Such a foolish human,ing to find your destiny.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know how to stop, and challenged the forbidden area.¡± ¡°Pff. Stop the nonsense and tell me the rules of engagement and who my opponent is.¡± When Sungjin answered, one of the crows started to spin and exin. ¡°Then this is your answer. Your opponent is the Kaiser of another Valha.¡± When a crow said this, Sungjin and his teammates looked at the other side again. ¡°Another Valha?¡± ¡°Yes. Valha is a battlefield made by gods, but they didn¡¯t create just one. Your world is Valha as much as the other world is Valha. There are two.¡± ¡°Our opponent is another Kaiser...¡± Ereka murmured. Everyone was a bit relieved. They had been worried that an omnipotent god woulde out, but their opponent was better than what they thought it might be. The Kaiser of another world was somehow a counterpart to Sungjin with simr power, and Sungjin had already defeated two other Kaisers from his side. Eustasia started to question things. ¡°But that¡¯s strange that we have to fight against another Kaiser. We already fought against Kaisers to win this position. Would it be enough to just defeat another Kaiser to be an Arc Master?¡± ¡°Good point, general Eustasia.¡± The two crows praised her for pointing out the crucial matter. ¡°Be scared.¡± ¡°He is the Kaiser of Darkness.¡± ¡°He conquered a Valha a long time ago to eat up everything in the world to make the world a part of himself.¡± ¡°Do not presume that the other two Kaisers would have had a close fight against him.¡± ¡°You are doomed to be destroyed.¡± When the two crows warned him, Sungjin simplyughed. ¡°I don¡¯t need your cheap prophecy. Just tell me the rules.¡± ¡°You will have three chances.¡± ¡°Three chances. You can challenge him three times.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t win in three fights, that will be the end of the battle between the two Valhas.¡± ¡°The battle between two Valhas?¡± ¡°Yes. If you win, you will be an Arc Master and the only god of Valha. Other gods will give this world to you and leave.¡± ¡°But if you lose, the ruler of Dark Valha will be the only god and will take over your world as well.¡± ¡°Either way, the long battle will be over. Two Valhas will be one, and one god will rule both.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Sungjin felt there was something strange in that logic. That means my opponent defeated two challengers from this Valha. But if Sungjin won, he could be an Arc Master by defeating a Kaiser once. That was not a fair rule for everyone. Is this a survival game where thest man who stands after three fights wins? Well, I will find outter, anyways. ¡°You have one year of preparation between fights.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean much.¡± ¡°Because even if you have a thousand years, you are doomed to be defeated.¡± ¡°I will decide my own fate. Your job is to tell me the rest of the rules.¡± ¡°The battlefield is the intersecting point of this space. The rule is simple. You and your six wings have to fight against him. He will bring an equal number of wings.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Eachndscape has its own monster. Those monsters will attack whatever suits them, regardless of the person¡¯s side.¡± ¡°That is a variable that we can use to our advantage.¡± While Sungjin looked around, something appeared from the final gate. It was impossible to see what it was because a heavy and dark fog covered it up, but the blurred silhouette looked like a man. ¡°Finally.¡± The voice was strange, as if the fog was also distorting its voice. ¡°So you are the Kaiser of Dark Valha.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡± The figure still covered in darkness stood in front of Sungjin. Although his voice was distorted, he sounded quite happy. ¡°So you will be myst sacrifice to bing the only god.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know who will be the sacrifice yet,¡± Sungjin snapped back. ¡°Haha. That¡¯s the spirit. I hope you have some abilities as well.¡± The Kaiser of Darkness snapped his fingers. A dark fog starteding out from the ground as if he had summoned something. ¡°Before the real fight, let me test you to see if you are capable of anything. Death Calling.¡± Fog spread, and a horrible echo came out from the fog as if the gates of hell were about to open, and the fog brought unexpected people out. ¡°They are...¡± Sungjin¡¯s first opponent: Blood Ruler Riad. The Mad king Seizo. And the Holy Pope Pedrian and Wise King Kapitle. The four deadly opponents Sungjin had fought. ¡°How is it possible...¡± Ereka was confused. ¡°Start analyzing.¡± Pandora¡¯s eyes started to sparkle. She was the only one to see 3D images and numbers and different colors in front of her. She shared the analysis with the team. ¡°Verificationpleted. They are puppets reborn by a controlling power that brought them back.¡± ¡°Controlling the dead...¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have the will or the ego they had when they were alive, but they still have the same abilities. The Summoner is the one who is controlling them fully...¡± Everyone in Sungjin¡¯s team looked at the Summoner hiding behind the darkness. Necromancy was an evil, dark magic that controlled the dead, but in order to control many dead people, the necromancer needed extremely strong power, especially when controlling many strong dead people like now, which meant the necromancer was much stronger than all the dead people¡¯s powerbined... A necromancer who can control all four of them... who is... How strong is our opponent... Ereka realized that her hands were shaking with anxiety. Because she had fought every single one of them, she knew their strength, and that made her scared. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. You guys are much stronger now!¡± But Sungjin told her not to be scared, and she found her confidence again. Yes, you are right, Sungjin. The dead were strong. They were all awakened heroes over level 8. But Ereka soon realized that they were also awakened heroes over level 8, and even though she didn¡¯t have a power like Sungjin or other Kaisers, she could fight against the summoned dead with her team. Unlike when she had to face them the first time, she now had a chance with her new power and abilities. ¡°Pff. That¡¯s the spirit,¡± said the Kaiser of Darkness. ¡°But it is not appropriate for us to have a dogfight with those things, so let¡¯s separate ourselves for our own battle. Dark Colosseum,¡± said the Kaiser of Darkness, and created a wall of darkness that came from the ground to reach the sky. And the wall separated Sungjin and the Kaiser of Darkness into a different space from the others. ¡°Sungjin!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic. It¡¯s just a test, so I¡¯m giving you better conditions.¡± The voice of the Kaiser of Darkness echoed all around the space. ¡°All you guys have to do ispete with those puppets. You pass the test if you defeat them. The battlefield has to be...¡± The Kaiser of Darkness rolled dice. ¡°Good. The battlefield will be a desert.¡± Sungjin¡¯s team and the revived puppets were ced in a desert while Sungjin was ced in a separate space where he could watch the battle through a screen. The ability of the Kaiser of Darkness was quite impressive. He was able to separate space and time to ce a group of people in different ces in a second. Then the Kaiser of Darkness looked at Sungjin. ¡°Since this is our very first encounter, let¡¯s y a game of intelligence rather than an intense physical fight.¡± A table floated between Sungjin and the Kaiser of Darkness, and a 3D image was projected on the table. The 3D image was... an AoS game that Sungjin used to y back on earth. ¡°Pff. I didn¡¯t expect to see this here.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s y the game you used to y on earth. But we will be controlling five characters simultaneously.¡± Fiveputers were ced in front of Sungjin. There was no human who could control five characters simultaneously, but when Sunjin became a Kaiser, he had gotten the ability to control things with his thoughts, so it was not an impossible task for Sungjin, although it was an impossible task to monitor and control five of them at once with a normal human brain. ¡°Okay.¡± Sungjin sat down, saying to the Kaiser of Darkness that he would take the challenge with pleasure. ¡°Even if your team loses their fight, if you defeat me, I will take it as that you guys passed the test.¡± ¡°Pff. You are being arrogant.¡± Sungjin smiled and said, ¡°I will take this challenge.¡± * * * While Sungjin¡¯s team was having an intense fight against the puppets, Sungjin was having an intense fight against the Kaiser of Darkness. He is not an easy opponent. That was Sungjin¡¯s thought while controlling five different characters simultaneously to fight against the Kaiser of Darkness. Sungjin was confident in his gaming skills. He used to be an invincible gamer on Earth. But now he was facing an opponent of another level. This is the first time. It was the first time Sungjin had an opponent who was able to have a tight match against him. In the meantime, Sungjin¡¯s team was struggling to fight against the puppets who hade back to life from the Kaiser of Darkness. The problem wasn¡¯t a difference in level or power. The problem is the difference in refinement of movement. Looking at the situation in the desert, Sungjin had to sigh. It was not his team¡¯s fault. His girls were doing their best, but the Kaiser of Darkness was controlling his puppets so perfectly. The Kaiser of Darkness was also controlling five characters in an AoS game to fight against Sungjin while controlling his puppets to perfection. That¡¯s exactly how I would control them. Sungjin knew that his team couldn¡¯t fight against such refined movements. They were able tost a little bit because they had been through a lot of battles and trainings. But that wouldn¡¯tst much longer. That was something he couldn¡¯t me his team for. They were fighting against almost impossible opponents. Then I should defeat the Kaiser of Darkness. That will be the only solution. But it was not an easy fight for Sungjin, either. The Kaiser of Darkness didn¡¯t give Sungjin any opportunities to win, although Sungjin didn¡¯t give him any either, so there was only one way to finish this game. If he¡¯s not giving me a chance, I should make one. Sungjin used a technique called ¡°shaking,¡± but he didn¡¯t try to make a huge chance, because the bigger the chance, the bigger the risk. Sungjin used a careful ¡°shaking¡± to get his chance. He tried to hunt a monster that could give him power and was close to his base camp. It was not a strong monster. He was able to hunt it with one character, and if he brought a few characters, it would take only a second to hunt it down. But, if the opponent let Sunjin keep hunting the monsters, Sungjin would be able to umte his power to finally defeat the Kaiser of Darkness. What would be the Kaiser of Darkness¡¯s reaction... Three seconds... Two seconds... One second... A half second before the monster was killed, the Kaiser of Darkness started to attack Sungjin¡¯s character. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been waiting for. Sungjin knew that his opponent wouldn¡¯t let him have the monster. It will be a tight match, but I will take the monster to win this game. But... What is he doing? It was a difficult battle where Sungjin had to control five characters and try to hunt down a monster, so Sungjin was controlling all his five characters by 0.01 second, which was the minimum control time for the game. It couldn¡¯t be controlled in a shorter amount of time, but Sungjin¡¯s opponent managed to control his characters with the same precision to end the game... The only difference between the two was the minor stamina that Sungjin had to spend to hunt down the monster. That made the difference. It was a minor difference that defined the winner in such a perfect match. The Kaiser managed to use such a tiny difference to his advantage. It was perfect. Even Sungjin would have done exactly the same thing if he was in his opponent¡¯s shoes. Sungjin¡¯s team was annihted, and Sungjin¡¯s base camp was destroyed. Sungjin¡¯s team lost. ¡°Foolish. You couldn¡¯t even pass such a simple test. Come back next time with better preparation.¡± The Kaiser of Darkness waved his hand, and everything around him disappeared into the darkness. * * * After they lost, they were bounced back to the waiting room. Did I just... lose in an AoS game? Sungjin felt an electric feeling from head to toe. ¡°Pff, pfff, hahahaha! This just happened!¡± Although he lost the battle, Sungjin wasughing. This is getting interesting. Chapter 143 - Vol.6 – Episode 11

Chapter 143: Vol.6 ¨C Episode 11

This wasn¡¯t Sungjin¡¯s first time losing. Au contraire, Sungjin had experience where he had seen the limits of his intelligence and tactics in front of an impossible opponent who had overwhelmingly stronger power. But it was his first time losing a fight where he had the same amount of power as his opponent and had to fight against him with his calctions. Although Sungjin had tried to create a chance to save his team, he hadn¡¯t expected the Kaiser of Darkness to hit back with a perfect counterattack. It was the first time Sungjin had fought such an opponent. It was the first time he had been defeated like this. It made him happy, in a strange way. So this is the sacred area. This is what I should expect when challenging to be a god. This was a painful defeat, but it was also a valuable experience. It was amazing to have a goal that he wanted to ovee. Wow, this makes my blood boil. Whoever was hiding behind the darkness was clearly someone great. Yes. This is what my opponent should be. I will challenge him again to climb up the mountain. If my opponent is not just a mountain but a sky, I will ovee that sky and fly to outer space. Chapter 7 Lost in the first round. When his team looked worried, Sungjin smiled and cheered them up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The fight has just begun.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. The first fight was for collecting information on our enemy.¡± ¡°But we couldn¡¯t collect enough information.¡± That was what Ereka was worried about. It was the first fight against an unknown enemy to bing an Arc Master. It was the first chance out of three, but they had wasted that first chance. Ereka and the girls had been defeated in their fight with the summoned puppets while Sungjin hadn¡¯t even been able to have a proper fight against the Kaiser of Darkness. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Now I know two things about him. One is that he can summon and control the puppets, and the other is that he has an ability to separate the battlefield.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Eustasia nodded and agreed that they had gotten that information. ¡°There¡¯s one more. He was not just using his level or skill. He was using his intelligence, and I picked up a few things about his tactics...¡± ¡°I knew you would find a way. How should we prepare our second round?¡± ¡°And because of that, we need to solve one problem.¡± ¡°What is that, Sungjin?¡± Sooryun asked. ¡°You guys are strong enough to fight against the puppets. The problem was that the Kaiser was controlling his puppets in real time while he separated the battlefield so that I couldn¡¯tmand you guys in real time.¡± Sungjin had tried tomunicate with his team using the stone of wind elf, but since the space was separated, there was a massive dy in theirmunication. It took almost thirty seconds just to send a word to another battlefield. Moreover, Sungjin wasn¡¯t able to keep his eyes on his team. The information he could use was also limited. That made it impossible for Sungjin tomand his team like the Kaiser of Darkness. Pandora broke her silence and told them, ¡°If that¡¯s the problem, I can help you with that.¡± ¡°Pandora, can you?¡± ¡°Yes. I can create an equipment to share information that can ovee the issue of distance or separation.¡± ¡°That means...¡± ¡°Just like your enemy is able to control the summoned puppets, this equipment will make you able tomand your team.¡± ¡°Great. I appreciate your help.¡± Sungjin epted Pandora¡¯s offer without any hesitation. ¡°Then give me a moment.¡± * * * Pandora concentrated for a while and started to show her ability apart from ¡°observation and analysis¡± that she had shown until then. ¡°Producing the machine.¡± Numbers in 3D image started to disy in front of her. Multiple rows of numbers started to unfold and turn around to create circuits of some kind, and then the circuits started to be connected to each other to show a blueprint. When Pandora reached out her hand to the blueprint, the blueprint became a real machine, and Sungjin recognized the machine right away. That looks like a walkie-talkie but much finer than the one from earth. That was an actual machine. Is that so? The Kaiser of Gold gave such an ability to his granddaughter. Since his empire studied the foundation and rules of this world, it was not surprising that Pandora had knowledge on science. It was a high tech product that even Sungjin couldn¡¯t create. Sungjin understood how the machine worked, but he didn¡¯t know all the details behind it. Pandora is making this fight easier. Pandora handed walkie-talkies to everyone. ¡°This uses invisible light to give signals. The speed of light is ny times faster than the speed of sound, so this will solve the dy problem that you had when you guys were using the stone of wind elf...¡± ¡°Wow. So you canmunicate well from a distance.¡± Rachel was impressed, and her eyes were shining. ¡°Correct. Also, this camera here will show the situation in another battlefield to provide better information than verbal exnation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s convenient.¡± ¡°Moreover, there are additional features to cover blind spots.¡± When she pushed a button on the side of a walkie-talkie, it looked like something wasing out of it. ¡°Nano machines will take multi-dimensional photos around you so that you can receive equal amounts of information as your opponent. But this can¡¯t ovee the fact that your enemy can control everything by himself while you have tomand your team verbally.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough. I can handle that much,¡± said Sungjin, smiling confidently. ¡°Now that we have these, should we start training?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°On our next fight, I willmand you in real time. So let¡¯s practice how to adjust ourselves.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± * * * Sungjin and his team started training for their next fight. Sungjin used his power that he got when he became Kaiser to create four puppets that his team had to fight during their first fight to have a mock battle. But Pandora was a bit confused about if what she had done was okay. Why did I offer my help? Her duty was to observe the answer to the question of what would be winning factors for the final fight at the sacred area. Pandora was supposed to be an observer, but she had provided an item to help Sungjin. Would it be okay for an observer to provide help and ruin the experiment? Maybe it was my fault. Pandora couldn¡¯t understand why she did it. Sungjin saw that she was troubled. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡± Sungjin gave his team a break and walked toward Pandora. ¡°Do you have worries? You look confused.¡± ¡°Yes. I am supposed to be an observer, but I just supported you, so I¡¯m worried that it might hinder my pursuit of truth.¡± ¡°The participation of an observer. Pff. There¡¯s something called quantum mechanics on earth.¡± ¡°Quantum mechanics? What is that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a principle of uncertainty, which means that observation is already an intervention, so there¡¯s no such thing as a pure and perfect observation without any intervention.¡± ¡°Observation is an intervention...¡± ¡°You told me that you will observe me and my fight for the sacred area. When you told me that, you became a part of the whole thing. Maybe you are apart of your answer.¡± ¡°Myself as a part of the answer?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? There are truths that you have to experience to learn.¡± Sungjin smiled again. ¡°Yes, you did.¡± ¡°And you told me you wouldn¡¯t mind sleeping with me if that was the way to learn everything about me. If you want to learn everything, you shouldn¡¯t simply step aside and observe.¡± ¡± ...¡± ¡°So, if there¡¯s anything you want to take part in, if there¡¯s something your heart wants,¡± Sungjin said, pointing at her heart, ¡°Do it. You are always wee to join me to create the answer.¡± ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe truth is something that you can find while observing from a distance. For example, when you are ying a game, you feel a thrill that you couldn¡¯t feel if you were simply watching.¡± Sungjin was talking about the vivid feeling that only a gamer could feel while ying the game. ¡°Life is the same. I think you can feel the real thing only if you join in andugh and cry with the others.¡± ¡°Is that so? Okay. I will not just be an observer but a participant.¡± Pandora thought that she would love to know what this guy Sungjin could really achieve. Not only because Sungjin was the homework that her grandfather left her, but she was truly curious. Why? Every time Pandora thought she found out one thing about Sungjin, she always wanted to know more about him. I will find out the limit of the power of this guy who defeated my grandfather, and I will find out what he¡¯s looking for and what the result of his life will be. * * * While training his team, Sungjin prepared for his own fight. There are a few points I learned from ourst fight. It wasn¡¯t simply that the Kaiser of Darkness was very smart. The Kaiser of Darkness was very smart and used his intelligence to calcte what would happen next, and his calction style was... Very simr to mine. In order to choose the best solution, the number of solutions had to be limited, but there were situations where there was no clear right answer. In those situations... He would choose exactly what I would choose. Now Sungjin knew his opponent. Now he had to decide how to react to such an opponent. This is getting interesting. It was a matter of movements, like the ones Sungjin couldn¡¯t detect during his fight against the Kaiser of Gold. Sungjin was truly happy to have an opponent who had equal power but wasn¡¯t an easy opponent to defeat. He hit me once. It¡¯s time for me to hit him back. * * * Sungjin headed to the sacred area again to face his nemesis the Kaiser of Darkness. ¡°Are you prepared to pass the test this time?¡± the Kaiser of Darkness asked Sungjin, and Sungjin provoked him with a smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit boring to y just one game?¡± ¡°Then?¡± The Kaiser of Darkness showed interest. Sungjin used his power to create eighteen moreputers on top of what the Kaiser of Darkness had already created. ¡°Let¡¯s y ten games simultaneously and pick fifty different characters without duplication.¡± That meant they both needed to choose characters that they were not used to, and controlling fifty different characters in ten games was already beyond the ability of human beings. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would chicken out.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Okay. Let¡¯s do that.¡± The Kaiser of Darknessughed as if he were enjoying this situation and agreed to Sungjin¡¯s terms. ¡°Your team against my puppets. You against me. Let¡¯s y again.¡± They started their second round. This was the fight that would define who would be the god. * * * Sungjin¡¯s team shed with the puppets again on the battlefield. This time, the battlefield was a coast where a desert and an ocean met. In the meantime, Sungjin yed ten games at the same time to fight against the Kaiser of Darkness. It was a war of intelligence between them. Was it Sungjin who wasmanding his team better? Or was it the Kaiser of Darkness who was controlling his puppets better? At the same time, they were both ying different games. It was two different wars with eleven different battles to find out the winner. Is it even possible that one person can receive and process data from eleven different battles and control andmand them all? It was natural to think that it was an impossible task, but it was possible for Sungjin and his opponent, the Kaiser of Darkness. He is the same level as me. I shouldn¡¯t give him any chance to defeat me fast. Winning fast wasn¡¯t something that Sungjin needed. Sungjin had to push his opponent to the limit to verify who had more experience and who knew the game better to finish it. It was a battle of various aspects. Sungjin¡¯s team fought against the puppets summoned by the Kaiser of Darkness while Sungjin had to control fifty characters in total in ten different games to fight against the Kaiser of Darkness. They were controlling so many characters, but they weren¡¯t missing any of them. They both were controlling their characters with perfect precision and perfect timing. It was beyond a game between pro-gamers on earth; they were controlling their characters by 0.01 second. But... there was no clear winner. It was clear that Sungjin and the Kaiser of Darkness had the same level of knowledge and ability to use their tactics in the game. Chapter 144 - Vol. 6 Ep. 12

Chapter 144: Vol. 6 Ep. 12

Team y began in ten different games all at the same time. Hundreds of characters gathered and fought. Sungjin¡¯s teammates and their opponents¡¯ dolls began to use their skills, flying into the fight headfirst. Good. Now¡¯s the moment. This ultimate fight was what Sungjin had been aiming for. This was what Sungjin had realized in his fight against the Kaiser of Gold: no matter how much he calcted, there was a point where he would reach his limit, and that when he reached that limit, the speed in which he calcted what to abandon and bring would make arge difference. In this kind of fierce battle, such a small difference made a huge impact. If I consider this guy to have the same intelligence as me, then the difference isn¡¯t him¡ªthe difference is how much more experienced he is against opponents with extreme strength or extreme intelligence. And I suppose such a difference can be easily recovered. And the fight would be decided when the difference was recovered. The dy that would ur for 0.01 seconds before everything could be calcted¡ªthat was the moment he was aiming for. Sungjin¡¯s character destroyed other characters. Of course they won¡¯t be defeated too easily. This couldn¡¯t be what his opponent had prepared. As soon as the game became advantageous to one side, he was going to concentrate on the other nine games and somehow counterattack. And, as he predicted, suddenly the opponent¡¯s movements became sharper in all nine games. But that¡¯s what I was aiming for. At that moment, there was a slight dy in his control of the dolls. ¡°Now.¡± He alerted everyone on the team that it was the moment to end the battle... At the same time, a huge monster jumped out of the sea. I knew this would happen at this time, a seabed beast that¡¯s stimted by the waves generated by a fight between two opposing sides and that indiscriminately chases people. Of course, the appearance of this beast was expected by the opponent. At this point, where there are more variables, it¡¯s time for me to calcte faster than you, and that will determine the game. ¡°Aegis!¡± ¡°Durandal!¡± ¡°Mjolnir!¡± The ultimate skill of Sungjin¡¯s teammates burst forth. ¡°Bloody Lane.¡± ¡°God¡¯s hand.¡± ¡°Gungnir.¡± The enemy¡¯s ultimate skills were also revealed. While they were tangled up, the beast rampaged. When all those forces were intertwined and spread out... standing this time were Sungjin¡¯s team members. Sungjin¡¯smand decided where and how the power was distributed in 0.01 seconds. And on the monitor screen, the enemy¡¯s home was destroyed. ¡°I won this time.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± The Kaiser of Darknessughed happily. ¡°Okay, fine. You¡¯ve survived the easier test, so I¡¯ll take it a bit more seriously. ¡± Finally, the dark veil surrounding the Kaiser of Darkness was torn. It was the moment when his true identity would be revealed. Who is it? Team members gathered by Sungjin and looked on with curious eyes. And he was... ... . ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Huuh?¡± Everyone was so surprised. Only Sungjin and Pandora looked at each other calmly. The one who came out as their enemy... ... . Was Sungjin. ¡°Sungjin... is two?¡± Ereka murmured. ¡°No. Something¡¯s different. But... ... . ¡± Eustasia shook her head, saying she couldn¡¯t figure it out. The two Sungjins faced each other. The Kaiser of Darkness, dressed in the same clothes as Sungjin,ughed. Even hisughter was the same as Sungjin¡¯s. As if satisfied, he called out to himself as if he was a real Sungjin. ¡°As expected of myself. Very well. I should expect this kind of joke.¡± ¡°Is... ... Is it fake? Like a doppelganger who steals your appearance or something?¡± Jenna pressed down her embarrassment and quickly added, ¡°But it¡¯s strange. I think something¡¯s different.¡± Rachel made an unknown sound. ¡°What are you saying is different? That¡¯s a fake!¡± Jenna shouted, and Zakiya grabbed her shoulders. ¡°No. I think I understand what Rachel is saying. I feel a deep darkness and evil in himpletely different from His Majesty.¡± Even though their appearance was the same, there were things that separated them, like energy and atmosphere, which could be felt by humans. The Sungjin on the other side had a very threatening and frightening darkness. ¡°However... for some reason... it¡¯s not a projection or a transformation... Except for the dark energy, in every other way it feels like our Majesty...¡± As a sorcerer, she knew the art of mixing truth and falsehood. ¡°I see. It¡¯s like seeing your brother, who¡¯s chosen to be the king of darkness.¡± Sooryun agreed with Zakiya¡¯s analysis. ¡°Hahaha. Are you the women that I gathered? I didn¡¯t recognize you, since I gave you all as a sacrifice, but it seems like you kept them alive. They¡¯ll gain that insight.¡± The dark Sungjinughed cheerfully. Sungjin stared with sharp eyes. ¡°You are... me.¡± ¡°Did you realize it was me?¡± ¡°I thought it was a 50 percent chance that it was you.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t havecked in giving you clues.¡± They were enemies, but the two talked freely. No, they understood each other better than anyone in the world. ¡°The realm is... ... It¡¯s the point of contact between two parallel worlds.¡± ¡°Yes. Me from another world.¡± ¡°You are... ... . ¡± Sungjin¡¯s eyes became sharper. ¡°Did you sign a contract with Lucifer?¡± Naturally, necromancy was not Sungjin¡¯s ability. It was an ability strong enough to dominate enemies that had been defeated. With such a mighty power of darkness, he could only think of one source. ¡°Contract? Hahaha. Wrong. It seems like I¡¯ve gotten poor at reasoning since I turned toward the wrong path.¡± ¡°Who if not Lucifer?¡± The dark side Sungjinughed. ¡°I said the contract is wrong.¡± It wasn¡¯t not Lucifer. ¡°That means... ... . ¡± Sungjin¡¯s brain spun. What if his assumption of Lucifer being the contracted one was correct? What if it wasn¡¯t a contract? Lucifer¡¯s sword, the Dawn Bringer, recognized him as the owner. That was not a Trojan horse that Lucifer had lent... ... . If... ... . If... ... . Why was he a seraph when he transformed with power? There were many heavenly beings with wings besides angels, but his appearance was clearly an archangel. A coincidence? But what if it wasn¡¯t a coincidence? He didn¡¯t paint himself in that form. It just came out naturally. Additionally, why did the devil of hell have a strong connection with him, leaving aside the other stronger people? Why was he... How did he have a brain that could handle even the strongest people of the age? Was it possible to have martial arts skills that dealt with the strong despite having weaker power? Was it genius? That was the word for someone like himself, but were geniuses so transcendent? It was a long time ago when he had realized he was born differently, but if the reason was beyond being a human genius... ... . Where else? ¡°Sungjin. What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Ereka. This is just a hypothesis, but... ... . Maybe I share Lucifer¡¯s soul that was defeated, descended, and split by Heaven¡¯s Creator in the beginning.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a contract. It¡¯s a ¡®fusion.¡¯¡± With his original self. ¡°Well, let¡¯s call it restoration. That¡¯s the answer: me.¡± Sungjin of darkness confirmed the hypothesis. * * * Muninn and Huginn flew around the sanctuary. ¡°The earliest brightly shining angel rebelled against Heaven¡¯s god,¡± the two crows said together. ¡°To free men from God¡¯s control.¡± ¡°To seize the status and glory of God.¡± The words of the two crows split from there. ¡°The motive was light.¡± ¡°The motive was darkness.¡± The conflicting stories of a history. Which was true? Or were both true? ¡°And he was defeated.¡± ¡°God ripped his soul apart so that he would not challenge again.¡± In the beginning, the angel who had challenged God was split apart. The magic was sealed in hell and became the shape of a ck dragon that reigned in hell as the demon king. The soul split in two fell into parallel worlds with different timelines, and the two souls took different paths, as if their truths were their own. ¡°The fallen supreme angel became one with his strength sealed in hell. He recovered almost all his strength.¡± ¡°The supreme angel is not one with the strength of darkness sealed in hell. His pursuit was above power.¡± ¡°The fallen supreme angel is strong. Thus, he overcame mortals and regained his original strength. It¡¯s much stronger than yours, not by magic, but stronger than your own wisdom and martial arts.¡± ¡°The supreme angel is strong. Thus, he could win over mortals without his inherent power. But he was weak in front of himself who bears darkness. ¡± The words of the two crows came together again. ¡°So this battle is...¡± It was a prophecy. ¡°... the victory of darkness.¡± It was fate. ¡°The archangel, fallen by the lure of hell, has resurrected.¡± It was his life¡¯s goal. ¡°He will rule over the two worlds and ascend into a new position.¡± Both crows sentenced Sungjin¡¯s defeat. Chapter 8 The Sungjin of now and the Sungjin of darkness had originally been one and a part of a dark dragon in hell. The fact that two of the three split together was the enemy they were supposed to face shocked all of Sungjin¡¯s teammates. Did they have to deal with the ruler of nine hells? And... ... . Sungjin too... ... . At the same time his extraordinary ability was understood, they had a moment of fear. If the wisdom of the two divided souls wereparable, then the one with the power as a ¡®evil ruler¡¯ would be more powerful. ¡°Let¡¯s stop ying around. I¡¯ll summon my men.¡± The dark Sungjin snapped his fingers. Sungjin¡¯s team members froze. What had they been fighting against until then? ¡°Everyone get ready. It¡¯s not a puppet controlled by necromancy. It¡¯s a real enemy.¡± Sungjin¡¯s words cleared up the situation, although it wasn¡¯t a good situation. Chapter 145 - Vol. 6 Ep. 13 Chapter 145: Vol. 6 Ep. 13 Six magic circles appeared around the dark Sungjin. Sungjin could read the words in between the cold hellfire burning within the magic circle. ¡°The six major underworldmanders.¡± Astaros, Asmodeus, Belial, Beezelbub, Mephistopheles, Mamon. The best rulers of hell that ruled each region under themand of the great devil lord Lucifer. ¡°The sixmanders...¡± ¡°Prepare yourselves,¡± Sungjin could only say. The fire exploded outwards, and its aftershocks spread out. At the shock, Rachel and Jenna tripped, and Sungjin gathered them up, and before them, sixrge existences of darkness appeared one by one. ¡°The lord of swords, Asmodeus.¡± There were sixrge swords on his muscled back that had the wings of a bat. ck butterflies gathered and formed into a seductive figure of a gentleman. He had a feminine side to his masculinity, creating a depraved yet seductive beauty. Perhaps to melt the hearts of women with a serenade, he had a violin in one hand. ¡°The lord of seduction, Belial.¡± Clouds of flies gathered. Clouds of flies, rot, and poison gathered. In the middle of it, the lord of flies sat with a golden crown on his head. ¡°The lord of pestilence, Beezelbub.¡± Arge mound of flesh trembled before a monster appeared from it. Jewels and gold were embedded awkwardly in several ces of the mound. The flesh without eyes or ears swallowed everything. Even the dirt of the earth was its food. ¡°The lord of gluttony, Mamon.¡± With a pocket watch in one hand, a handsome man as prim as a London gentleman appeared with a hat and a walking stick. His well-trimmed mustache made him look like a normal human beingpared to the other lords. If they had met without knowing each other¡¯s identity, he would have thought he was a mannerly gentleman, but Sungjin knew the sigil of Dark Sungjin¡¯s summoning circle. ¡°The lord of pride, Mephistopheles.¡± Andstly, an old man with a luxurious costume simr to Christmas attire appeared. In his hands was a staff of a two-headed snake. ¡°The lord of knowledge, Astaros.¡± At the appearance of the six lords, Sungjin predicted what the result would be. So this is the real enemy. ¡°Lucifer¡± and his six devil lords. Could he and his teammates fight against them? Each of them had reached a level where they could be called legends, but their opponent was the devil lords of legends. The dark Sungjin snapped his fingers. ¡°Now, since it¡¯s our first confrontation, a one-on-one should be sufficient, right? Let¡¯s check our limits. Dark Colosseum.¡± The skill that separated Sungjin from his teammates activated, but this time, the target wasn¡¯t solely Sungjin. The darkness exploded, and everyone was separated into different spaces. * * * Ereka and Astaros went against each other. ¡°Are you the woman who the other master has taken in?¡± the overconfident yet elegant grand magician of knowledge of the six devil lords asked. Ereka didn¡¯t say anything and only raised her spear. She wasn¡¯t ignoring him on purpose. She was simply nervous. A devil lord of hell... Could she win against such an existence? But if she didn¡¯t win... That couldn¡¯t happen. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the first strike. Try your best.¡± My opponent is probably a magician, right? I shouldn¡¯t give him the time to finish chanting. Ereka ran head-first. Her spear pierced the air. The air exploded all around it, and the air rotated around the edge of the spear like a chain mill. She was cautious by nature, but she was also a strong knight. She had been awarded a new ss after transcending called ¡°Aegis defender.¡± The blow of her spear was already a legend in and of itself. ¡°Hmm.¡± But, watching her attack, Astaros simply raised his walking stick. As he did, a round magic circle appeared between them. Creeeak. The spear full of ki couldn¡¯t ovee the magic circle. ¡°Now, try receiving my attack. Hell fire.¡± Arge fire ball appeared above Astaros¡¯s head. When a spark from the fire ball fell out, an explosion urred. Each of the fire sparks was like a bomb, and together they were a bomb of destruction. Ereka ran forward without hesitation. Craaash. With arge explosion, the ground broke apart, and arge crater appeared. Above, clouds of dirt gathered and reached the sky, and a light pierced the clouds. ¡°Ha! Glorious Strike!¡± With a shout, Ereka delivered a stronger strike of her spear toward Astaros. Her figure, which had emerged from the explosion, bore burnt marks here and there, but she wasn¡¯t defeated. ¡°Ho. You¡¯ve endured it.¡± Spear and magic shed together several times. Ereka¡¯s spear couldn¡¯t break through her opponent¡¯s defense, and Astaros¡¯s fire couldn¡¯t burn Ereka. Astaros¡¯s attacks became even more varied. Ice fell and lightning struck. Each and every attack had the power of hell and destroyed the surroundingnds. The desert was covered with ice, and lightning struck the ice, breaking it into several pieces. But Ereka endured any and all attacks, even though her body endured more burnt marks, frozen skin, and injuries. I will endure until my opponent runs out of magic. That was herpetitive mind. As soon as Ereka thought that, Astaros strengthened his grip on his staff. ¡°Huhu. How annoying.¡± Therge magic circle in the air began to rotate. ¡°Let me finish this with one blow. Hole of emptiness. Crevice of time. In the name of the day of judgement.¡± Air was sucked into the magic circle. Even the grains of sand were sucked in. Everything was sucked into the center of the circle. Ereka tried her best with all her might not to be sucked in, but it became harder. A spell that sucks in things? Finally, her body floated into the air. Is this an attack that lifts then ms me into the earth? Ereka prepared herself for a hardnding. ¡°Huhu. Did you think you coulde back down? That won¡¯t happen. You¡¯ve only seen the beginning of this magic, after all.¡± Then what came afterwards... ¡°The forbidden darkness that swallows everything. Descend and destroy my enemy! The ck Hole!¡± It was a small ck hole norger than the size of a coin. But at the same time, it was the point of destruction within therge universe. ¡°Ah.¡± The moment the small hole approached her, Ereka was torn from the spot and sucked in. * * * Eustasia¡¯s opponent was Asmodeus. ¡°I¡¯m facing off because of my master¡¯s orders, but to think you¡¯d just have a single sword. How boring.¡± Asmodeusughed as he watched the flying Durandal. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t youmand at least several swords at once?¡± And the six swords on his back flew out at once. One was wrapped in blood. Another was burning in mes. One exuded ice, another lightning. There was one with poison like a snake, and another with dead souls. The swords with different elements flew in a row. It was the same controlling ability of flying swords, but the numbers and level were different. One holy sword and six devil swords met in the air, but it couldn¡¯t be called a sh. One devil sword suppressed a holy sword. The other five swords ran straight toward Eustasia. Kuk. She tried to avoid the five swords with defensive movements like water. The movement to avoid the attack from the five pincers was vital, but cold had hardened her body. ¡°Kuk.¡± A sword with poison pierced her. It was a small wound, but it quickly paralyzed her. ¡°You¡¯re boring. Let¡¯s finish. ¡± Five swords aimed together toward Eustasia¡¯s body. She avoided getting hit in her critical parts, but only for a moment, and at that moment, sheunched her final counterattack. I knew from the start that you weren¡¯t using your full strength. This moment she held the five swords in her body was a chance to reverse the situation. ¡°The Sword of Heaven. Durandall! ¡± Durandall soared through the sky... and at the next moment, split into twelve. It became a burning meteor, scattering in a sh and shooting toward Asmodeus. Twelve streaks of the sword in a moment reversed the opponent¡¯s vignce with a single blow. At that moment, Durandal couldn¡¯t be cut by anything. It stopped and crushed the bloody sword, and with that, a sword disappeared. The remaining eleven fell toward the defenseless Asmodeus. ng, ng, ng. The sh rang out eleven times. ¡°Is this yourst attack?¡± Asmodeusughed. Before him... ... . Over a hundred swords newly floated. ¡°Kuk... ... . ¡± ¡°You are so stupid. You can¡¯t even take out a tenth of the swords that I dominate.¡± Then Eustasia realized that her opponent was the sword demon. It was not from carelessness that he had neglected her, but from leisure. Five swordspletely shed her body. * * * The other four¡¯s fights were no different. Jenna, Rachel, Zakiya, Sooryun. Each was overwhelmed by their opponent. The power they had been given was by no means weak, but the opponent was literally the devil of hell. Mamon ate all of Jenna¡¯s lightning. The jumbled flesh grew bigger with every lightning, and then threw itself with incredible speed, covering Jenna. ¡°Noooo!¡± Jenna screamed but could not escape the fate of being eaten. * * * A flock of flies gathered to Rachel, who was praying. One, two, three, four... ... One thousand, two thousand. Each fly flocked to her with deadly disease and poison. ¡°Your healing only prolongs your suffering before me.¡± Beezelbub¡¯s sentence was the truth, not arrogance. Rachel¡¯s power, which was only healing, provided only a little more time against poison and disease. * * * Zakiya was an outstanding illusionist, but Mephistopheles¡¯s illusion was beyond excellence. ¡°You are so sloppy inparison to my thousands of years of dispensation.¡± Their difference in strength was too clear to fight with the same power of illusion. Her illusions didn¡¯t deceive him for a second. On the other hand, Mephistopheles¡¯s illusion deceived her, even if she didn¡¯t wish to believe it. Mockingly, she fainted from an illusionary injury. * * * Sooryun¡¯s pipa was beautiful and sharp. Belial yed the violin in response. It wasn¡¯t beautiful music that matched his fascinating beauty; it was a terrible scream containing the condemnation of hell. The scream was sharper than expected. It pierced through her attacks and left injuries on her body. Ring. Riiing. Her strings broke one by one. Eventually her carotid artery ruptured, and she copsed. Chapter 146 - Vol. 6 Ep. 14

Chapter 146: Vol. 6 Ep. 14

* * * Watching his teammates being swept away, Sungjin made a frustrated fist. D*mn it... To think they¡¯d be defeated so easily. Watching Sungjin, the dark Sungjinughed mockingly. ¡°Is that the limit of your subordinates¡¯ strength?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not my subordinates. They¡¯re my teammates.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even more pathetic.¡± ¡°I ept your victory, but don¡¯t mock my teammates.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only pointing out what¡¯s pathetic. You should have known that they¡¯re weak.¡± ¡°My victories would have been impossible without them.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Hahahaha.¡± The dark Sungjinughed heartily and stared at Sungjin with cold eyes. ¡°Really? If you and I had be one, you could have earned an easier victory. You haven¡¯t won because of them. You were held back by their incapability.¡± ¡°Yes. Such a method would have been easier.¡± Sungjin did not deny his words. If he had absorbed his darkness sealed inside hell, he could have won much more easily. It was not what he had wanted, but was the truth he could admit to. ¡°But that is not victory. It¡¯s simply another loss for abandoning my dream.¡± ¡°Ha. A victory is a victory. Putting a meaning to it is simply a variable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the difference between losing to an enemy or to myself. Having lost my goal, that would mean a loss.¡± ¡°Ha. Isn¡¯t it also your desire to challenge the best? You are the loser, wrapped in your own delusions of being virtuous.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been decided who won.¡± ¡°Then let us decide now.¡± The dark Sungjin pulled out his sword. Unlike Sungjin¡¯s sword, his sword was wrapped in darkness. The figure was... [Dusk Bringer] It was the exact opposite to Sungjin¡¯s sword. What were its properties? ¡°You guys stand back.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The six devil lords epted Sungjin¡¯s orders and stepped back. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance. My subordinates have won, but I¡¯ll fight with you one-on-one.¡± In response to dark Sungjin¡¯s ease, Sungjin pulled out his own sword. [Dawn Bringer] The sword that cut chaos and brought light was revealed. ¡°I¡¯ll take up your challenge.¡± Which was his ¡°true¡± self? Which was the shard and which was the main soul? There was no point in debating. The victorious would decide. * * * Sword and sword continuously shed. Fists rose into the air, and kicks were exchanged. They repeatedly shed in the air, fell apart, and shed once more. They read each other¡¯s movements and the best way of counterattacking. It was a tense exchange of calctions andparable use of controlled skills¡ªthere wasn¡¯t a single foot out of ce beyond their physical movements and weapons. Because they were equally matched... the fight wasn¡¯t advantageous to either side. The energy expelled from the sword changed the topography. The sea evaporated, and the mountain copsed. The ground was cleaved, and the forests burned. Because their movements were faster than their respective light and dark power¡¯s attributes, they were above earth¡¯s measurement of 34 maha. ¡°Do you think Sungjin can win?¡± At Ereka¡¯s question, Eustasia gripped her sword. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They¡¯re evenly matched.¡± ¡°But... if... Sungjin bes the victor...¡± Eustasia looked at the six lords standing behind the dark Sungjin. ¡°Would they leave him alone?¡± If even one of them stepped up, the bnce would be broken. ¡°You know they won¡¯t.¡± ¡°... You¡¯re right.¡± They closed their mouths. No matter how they viewed it, the current situation indicated their loss. But still, they kept cheering. If Sungjin won, they had at least a little chance. Light and darkness fought. Six white wings and six ck wings shed several times in the air and flew back down. The dark Sungjinughed in excitement. ¡°Reaping the powers of your subordinates to create six wings of light. Not bad. But it¡¯s not up to my level.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk after you¡¯ve won.¡± ¡°I¡¯m about to.¡± At the same time, light poured out of the dark Sungjin. ¡°This...¡± Sungjin immediately predicted the worst case scenario, and that prediction came true. Six wings of light appeared above the six ck wings on dark Sungjin¡¯s back. Sungjin¡¯s teammates screamed in terror. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he choose the darkness?¡± ¡°How... did he gain the wings of light?¡± The twelve wings emerged within the darkness. ¡°Be released. Holy sword.¡± Light exploded out of the dark Sungjin¡¯s dark sword. [Dawn Bringer] He held each of the swords in each hand. Tworge powers wavered around him as the sword of holy light and darkness resonated. The presence that controlled both the darkness and light made his existence stronger. Time-space trembled, and every living being held their breath. The immense ki became silent, and the continents bowed. The six devil lords kneeled in unison. ¡°We greet our master¡¯s true self.¡± It was the true image of a traitor who boasted dictatorship over the strongest demons of hell and was worshipped, ambitious enough to fight the gods and burn both heaven and hell with warfare. ¡°You would have learned if you couldn¡¯t remember. ¡®We¡¯ have more than six wings.¡± That was true. ording to mythology, six wings was the symbol of archangels, the greatest of the angels, but Lucifer was even more special. ¡°You. Do you also control the light?¡± ¡°Yes. I swallowed it and made it mine.¡± ¡°Kuk.¡± Sungjin grabbed his sword. In the midst of his hurting head, memories flowed in that were not his own. * * * It was him. At the beginning. He was facing himself, who was not really himself. The fork in their paths was when he had to choose whether or not to gain Lucifer¡¯s power at the expense of Ereka. He gained Lucifer¡¯s power. In Hell, he became one with the dark dragon who polished his hatred, anger, and jealousy for God. The beginning was the death of Ereka. Then it was easy. All he needed to be the ¡°King of Hell¡± was to regain his original strength. Humans were insignificant. Like how humans ate food as an energy source, he used the souls of humans as his energy source. The light, the dark. The good and bad. Every one of them were burned by the fires of hell and swallowed as his sacrifice. He swallowed the good souls and gained the power of light. The power of darkness was inherent within him. Bypleting both conditions, he almost recovered his original form. Then he stepped on two challengers who came in ¡°turns¡± from different timelines. And waited. To get the rest of his soul and a chance to be perfect. The Valha he had descended on couldn¡¯t be called hell anymore. All life had been destroyed. Humans, of course, but also animals, nts, and insects. In hell¡¯s mes, only his sub-devils were free, waiting for another day to fight God. * * * I see, he... He had not be one with just the power of darkness sealed in hell. If he could spread six white wings through his bonds with his six team members, the enemy... You swallowed all the humans, or the whole parallel world, as your sacrifice. And after taking him down, dark Sungjin nned to make all of his Valha a sacrifice. Killing a world was not something to be hesitant about to the king of hell. I need to stop him. This guy has to be stopped. If this guy wins, it won¡¯t end with just my defeat. Ereka, Jenna, and Eustasia. Rachel, Zakiya, and Sooryun, too. All of his team members would be sacrificed and killed, and everyone who was waiting for his news was going to die. Beyond the death of their flesh, their souls would be burned in hellfire. Such a terrible ending should nevere to everyone, but how can I stop this? How can we ovee another self with equal wisdom and overwhelming power? Justice wasn¡¯t a power. Morality was not the key to victory. ¡°Now you¡¯ve predicted your loss.¡± Sungjin countered dark Sungjin¡¯s words by holding tightly onto his scabbard. ¡°Ha. The game isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°Ha. You are me, so I know. Your brain has predicted correctly, even if your own mind has rejected it.¡± ¡°I say the opposite. Do you think you¡¯ll give up without fighting, even after a rational judgement?¡± ¡°Hhahahaha. Okay, that¡¯s me.¡± Dark Sungjinughed happily. He could speak on an equal ground with himself. He saw the same things he had. How long had it been since he faced someone like himself? Even if all the demons in hell were his subordinates, no one could be his ¡°equal.¡± None of the two Valha offered an equal match. Only he was fit to be his own opponent. ¡°But it¡¯s disappointing that you¡¯re not that powerful. You could have been as strong as me.¡± Two souls that were originally one. As such, their qualifications wereparable. Each one¡¯s potential was the same. If they had made the same choice, they would have reached the same location. ¡°Why did you choose to stay weak while leaving the path to bing the strongest?¡± He was disappointed and angry that the person he had been waiting for was ¡°weak.¡± In the final game for bing the Arc Master, was his enemy only this? However, Sungjin epted that fact without losing. ¡°I am the one who¡¯s disappointed. It means nothing to triumph over the enemy as a human being. You¡¯re just a loser who gave up a difficult game and ran away with an easy cheat. ¡± ¡°The loser? Hahaha, hahaha.¡± The eyes of dark Sungjin rapidly became cold. ¡°This power?¡± Two holy swords attacked Sungjin at the same time. ¡°Kuk.¡± Sungjin tried to hit it back with just one sword, but... ¡°How slow.¡± A two swords attack was not simply double the strength. The same sword struck out Sungjin¡¯s sword. At the same time, the evil sword stabbed Sungjin¡¯s side. ¡°Kuk.¡± The dark Sungjin pressed down on the bleeding Sungjin. Sungjin fell vertically down to the ground. Thend broke and cracked all over, creating a deep crater. Because he was a Kaiser, he didn¡¯t shatter, but the bones and organs in his body broke apart. The dark Sungjin overwhelmed him with overwhelming power and looked down at Sungjin. ¡°Be honest. You are me. That¡¯s why I know your truth.¡± Chapter 147

Chapter 147: Vol. 6 Ep. 15

¡°What are you saying that you know?¡± ¡°What I want is victory. What I enjoy is victory.¡± The ¡°I¡± he was talking about was himself and therefore Sungjin. ¡°I¡¯ll try to make myself the best. That¡¯s my life.¡± He spoke as if Sungjin himself was speaking. ¡°That thirst won¡¯t go away even if you earn a country or a continent. Rather, it wouldn¡¯t have been enough.¡± ¡°...¡± Sungjin didn¡¯t reply to the dark Sungjin. That was truly ¡°himself.¡± ¡°Your teammates¡¯ power? Can they use it better than you can? No way.¡± That was also what Sungjin had thought. That was what his brain had already analyzed. Even if they had the same power, the truth was that he could use his ¡°teammates¡¯¡± power better than they could. That was why he earned the title of amander of exchanging ¡®power¡¯ and ¡®skill¡¯. And the ascendance of his defeated allies¡¯ powers. Even if they had the same power, it was a skill that suited him the most. ¡°So why did you abandon the chance to be stronger by taking care of those weak beings?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look down on my teammates.¡± ¡°Humiliation? That¡¯s only an analysis.¡± ¡°Kuk.¡± ¡°If you chose ¡®women¡¯ before ¡®strength,¡¯ I would have epted that. It¡¯s a part of celebrating, taking women as your pleasure.¡± ¡°My teammates are not the prize of my victories. Don¡¯t mock them!¡± ¡°Ha, things like women? What I really can¡¯t understand is...¡± The dark Sungjin aimed at Sungjin¡¯s throat. ¡°That your actions are not truly your ¡®desire.¡¯ You have the same greed as I do. If you have the same greed, then why don¡¯t you get strength for the better good?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t an act of a samaritan.¡± ¡°Are you saying that you aren¡¯t lying when you say your true desire is not what you earn? You are me. I know what you really want.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk without knowing anything!¡± At his strong words, the dark Sungjinughed. ¡°To think you would lose your rationality at this kind of provocation. Seems like I was right.¡± ¡°Kuk.¡± ¡°If you were honest, we would have be one already. But you, who cannot be honest to yourself, cannot possibly be my opponent.¡± With that, the dark Sungjin pierced Sungjin¡¯s heart with his sword. Kuk, d*mn it... He didn¡¯t even have two swords. Speed. Strength. Even the level was different. With those things, he could have fought even the most difficult of opponents. He could defeat others with his special brain and difference in specs, but against a person who had the same ability as him... the sword in his chest told him everything. ¡°Realize your ce. Then I¡¯ll absorb you.¡± Sungjin hadn¡¯t attained the powers he could have gained. He did not sacrifice Ereka. He denied all opportunities to gain power. He protected his special ones. He protected others than himself. That was why... the result was... ¡°You¡¯re weaker than I, who chose to be stronger.¡± The Dusk Bringer cut off Sungjin¡¯s head. ¡°The second fight has also ended in the victory of the Valha of darkness,¡± the two crows of Odin announced. ¡°What is left is thest true fight. Everything begins from hereon.¡± ¡°But the result has already been decided.¡± ¡°The strong will win.¡± ¡°The weak will fall.¡± ¡°May a new god emerge from the merging of two souls.¡± And the two vanished into the skies. Chapter 9 A second defeat. In such a situation, Sungjin gathered everyone for a meeting. ¡°Sungjin, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t beat the enemy.¡± ¡°Uu, Oppa.¡± ¡°I was so scared.¡± ¡°The enemy was... stronger than me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Oppa. I was weak.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize. This failure is my responsibility as your leader.¡± Sungjin drew the line. He made the choices. He led everyone. This was no one¡¯s fault but his. And that responsibility could only be fulfilled by his victory. But how was he going to win? He had to be colder as the tasks became harder. ¡°As we are, we cannot beat the six devil lords, and I can¡¯t make you guys win, either.¡± If the enemy had been someone different, he could havee up with something, but the enemy was himself. If the opponent was himself who could read his movements, then he couldn¡¯t hope for such a miracle. ¡°Then how...¡± At Sungjin¡¯s analysis, everyone¡¯s face turned a shade darker, and they waited for Sungjin¡¯s next words. The Sungjin they knew wasn¡¯t the type of person who would give up due to an obstacle. He would definitely have something to say about a possible solution. And the answer Sungjin gave the excited girls was... ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to throw ourselves immediately into the next battle, do we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°We did make a capital, which we can enjoy after all.¡± Dining, sleeping, training. Their capital had everything necessary to fulfill those conditions, but telling them to rest was unexpected. But Ereka soon nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Sometimes resting is also necessary.¡± There was still time until their match. Although a difficult question was left unsolved, resting their brains was a method to arrive at an answer. * * * Before theirst chance, Sungjin¡¯s crew returned to their capital. ¡°Now, forget all about that battle and rest. That¡¯s the first thing you should do. Rest properly when it is time to be resting.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± And Sungjin¡¯s teammates entered their resting phase. Break. Sungjin had said as such, but Ereka wondered what she should be doing. What should I do? I thought there would only be fighting once we entered that realm. She didn¡¯t know they would be taking a break. What should she be doing? A special training for Sungjin? No, then Sungjin wouldn¡¯t be able to take a break. Sungjin needs time to cool down and think again. Then what she had to do was... Fine. I¡¯ll try to make an appropriate dish for Sungjin to regain his calmness. Ereka hummed as she made a feast for Sungjin. Although food could be made by simply asking for some, making it with her own hands was much more enjoyable. Baking, steaming, frying, mixing. Several dishes began toe together by her hands. Standing in the kitchen is definitely the best. If she had not been born as royalty, she would have been a cook at this point, or, more realistically, she would have been receiving bride training. What she wanted wasn¡¯t to be a sessful restaurant owner but a cook for someone she loved. Bride... training, ahh! At the thought, Ereka¡¯s face turned red. She had dreamed of it once. She was still dreaming of it. But could she achieve it? Or not? Right now, they were before the greatest fight of all time. If only the remaining year had been... But Sungjin won¡¯t consider that until he bes an Arc Master, so never mind. Would they win or not? How would it be for this kind of day to continue until next year. ¡°The smell is good. Seems like you¡¯re cooking.¡± ¡°Ah, Sungjin.¡± Ereka was happy Sungjin had visited her room. ¡°You always liked cooking.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You were deep in thought. What were you thinking about?¡± ¡°Were you watching since the beginning?¡± ¡°I was waiting for the right time to talk to you.¡± Sungjin smiled. ¡°Oh, my...¡± ¡°Haha. Is there something you can¡¯t talk about?¡± ¡°No, just... I was hoping this kind of day would happen for the rest of the year.¡± ¡°Even after several years?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°Hm? What?¡± Sungjin smiled warmly at her. ¡°This time you didn¡¯t think about sacrificing yourself.¡± ¡°That...¡± ¡°Your heart for sacrificing yourself for everyone is admirable, but Ereka, if you¡¯re gone, everyone will be sad.¡± ¡°Sungjin.¡± ¡°Me, too.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°He said this: that I¡¯m pretending to be nice. Ha, fine. I do have such a darkness inside me,¡± Sungjin epted cooly. He liked fighting. He wantedpetition. He admired strength. He was himself. But... ¡°But I could deny his words because my desire to save you was honest.¡± It was a really small difference. A small enough difference to separate the fate of the parallel worlds. But his decision was to save others. That was why he could face Ereka. ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t think about victory through sacrifice. You should protect yourself.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you¡¯ll protect the people around you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Then should we eat?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll prepare it now.¡± Ereka smiled brightly. Cooking for Sungjin, eating with him¡ªthat was her best happiness. * * * Jenna ced a bunch of ingredients in her basket for Ereka. Sungjin helped carry it, since she was struggling. ¡°Are you trying to give it to her?¡± ¡°Ah! Yes, Oppa. Hehe.¡± Jenna waved her tail as she twisted her body. ¡°You¡¯re trying really hard.¡± ¡°Yes, I want to help Her Majesty.¡± ¡°You really do like Ereka.¡± ¡°Hehe. I don¡¯t wish for anything else but... I just want her to be happy.¡± ¡°Yes. That is your greatest wish. Didn¡¯t you want to stop me?¡± Jenna shook her tail as she opened her eyes wide. ¡°No, how could I...¡± ¡°Just speak honestly.¡± Jenna finally released her innocent expression, and sighed like an old woman. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s toote now, but I wanted you to remain a Kaiser and live with her majesty for the rest of your life.¡± Because Ereka would have been satisfied with that. ¡°I understand that you have a bigger dream, and that Her Majesty wishes to help you through it... But I simply want Her Majesty to be happy without such a grand purpose.¡± She lowered her head. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t stop you because everyone was all for it, because everyone seemed to be talking about the greater world out there, while I wanted to be stuck in a small world.¡± But really, she just wanted everyone to be happy. ¡°I feel like I don¡¯t belong on this team. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t use my full strength against the demon lord and lost.¡± Sungjin patted her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel guilty about that.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Ruling the world. Well, that¡¯s my dream, but I don¡¯t think a person¡¯s wish to protect another person is any less greater.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jenna¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yes. I believe there are people who want to conquer the world all because of a precious other.¡± There were people who wanted to save the world just to save one person. ¡°I¡¯d be really satisfied if Oppa and Her Majesty were happy. But do you think that¡¯s enough?¡± ¡°Of course. So let¡¯s help Ereka so that she can cook.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jenna answered readily. Sungjin smiled.. Chapter 148

Chapter 148: Vol. 6 Ep. 16

* * * Eustasia drew a line with her sword. ¡°I told you to rest, but you still hold a sword.¡± Sungjin¡¯s appearance stopped her sword for a while. ¡°This is me resting.¡± ¡°Ha, is it?¡± ¡°I feel better when I am distracted and moving my body.¡± She raised her chin, as if to ask if he were ining.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just like you.¡± ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re not stopping me.¡± ¡°Well, everyone has a different way of resting.¡± Sungjin justughed. ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s inconvenient to take a rest. I will make you win your final game.¡± ¡°Okay. It¡¯s your trait to not give up.¡± Sungjin nodded slowly. ¡°Hmph. Whatever.¡± Eustasia turned her head slightly. I really almost gave up once. When abandoned by her father, the king, she had given up hope. But Sungjin saved her. He woke her up and allowed her to dream. So I won¡¯t give up this time. I will definitely make Sungjin win. * * * Rachel prayed. ¡°What are you praying for?¡± ¡°Oh, Oppa.¡± At Sungjin¡¯s question, she got up in the middle of her prayer. ¡°Hehe. I wished for you to win. ¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± They smiled face to face. ¡°If you can¡¯t win... that other person... will he burn our world?¡± ¡°Yes, but that won¡¯t happen, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Why is he...¡± ¡°It¡¯s his desire to be stronger.¡± Knowing what it was, Sungjin spoke bitterly. ¡°Is that so? Why would he want strength by harassing others? It¡¯s better to just live together and be peaceful.¡± The wish ¡°don¡¯t bother anyone¡± was pure because she herself had suffered so much from the desires of others. ¡°Yes, that would be nice, however... he won¡¯t listen to you. His desirees first and foremost.¡± ¡°Even if the others are sick?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Rachel was sullen. She knew that there were such people in the world. She had been through a lot herself. Still, she wanted others to change their minds. ¡°Your heart is wonderful. Just... there are those who don¡¯t listen to it. ¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be hard, but let¡¯s win. Otherwise, everyone in this world will suffer.¡± ¡°Yes, brother. I will do my best. ¡± ¡°Okay.¡± * * * Zakiya approached Sungjin. Her dizzying body shook following her shaking step. ¡°If you¡¯re going to take a break, how about a more exciting entertainment?¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± ¡°Even though you try to have everything, you have a strong temperance. It¡¯s really different from Your Majesty on the other side. ¡± Zakiya grinned. If the Sungjin who had chosen the ¡°dark¡± didn¡¯t control his own desires, the Sungjin she knew inside and out thoroughly did. They were the same but so different. ¡°Yet that¡¯s still too bad.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If not for this hot body, what else would I reward Your Majesty with?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about rewarding me.¡± ¡°But I am greatly blessed by Your Majesty. How can I repay the grace that has forgiven this body of sins that has been tainted with all kinds of lies?¡± At Zakiya¡¯s words, Sungjin smiled softly. ¡°You made a false approach... ... You still care about that?¡± ¡°How do you not care?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I saved you because I saw one truth in your lies.¡± ¡°You said one truth?¡± Sungjin looked straight at Zakiya. Facing him, Zakiya ced her hands on her chest as she felt her heart rate be faster. The strong hard-willed eye had all of her. Ah, those eyes. Those eyes that melt everything just by facing me... Those eyes that had forgiven her misguided past. ¡°Love and sadness for your brother. Wasn¡¯t that true?¡± At the end of Sungjin¡¯s words, Zakiya once again recalled her past. The moment she was saved. ¡°Hoho. Yes. Your Majesty has indeed recognized it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what really moved me.¡± ¡°Not my beauty?¡± ¡°Why, are you disappointed?¡± ¡°Hoho. That¡¯s just like you.¡± Zakiya shook her head. Sungjin was Sungjin. Even if the appearance is the same, he ispletely different from the Sungjin of darkness. ¡°So let¡¯s shake off the past and have confidence.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± * * * Sooryun yed the pipa with elegant technique. The tone was beautiful, sad, and warm. ¡°Is it a song for those trapped in that world?¡± Sungjin appeared and asked, so Sooryun stopped training for a while. ¡°Yes, it is for those who have finally found rest in the long curse of eternity but have not yet been liberated.¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Sungjin nodded slightly, and sat down and listened to her pipa. ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡± ¡°No. It really was beautiful.¡± The live music of a true artist was vivid, unable to be replicated in a recording. Such was Sooryun¡¯s music. ¡°I¡¯m stillcking.¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to save the world myself if brother hadn¡¯te along, and now...¡± Sooryun¡¯splexion paled. ¡°I can¡¯t handle my enemy alone, so I¡¯m burdening my brother.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. The biggest responsibility for the defeat rests with me, the leader. ¡± ¡°But I did nothing for their rest and salvation.¡± ¡°Oh no, no. I told you to rest, but you were thinking about it.¡± Sungjin gave a gentle smile. ¡°They are all in me now.¡± The souls of the world were all asleep but not yet liberated. It was a task to bepleted after he became an Arc Master. ¡°And your music would have been heard by them.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Could they be listening to my performance without a physical body?¡± ¡°ying with the heart can be heard by the soul.¡± ¡°ying with the heart... ... . ¡± ¡°Let me hear your music. I think the souls that sleep in me are happy. And most of all... ... . ¡± Sungjinughed. ¡°I want to hear more.¡± Sooryun blushed slightly. ¡°I see. Next time I¡¯ll y better. To move the soul.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be expecting that.¡± * * * Sungjin had a leisurely rest in his pce. Sometimes he visited the other women¡¯s dwellings in order to chat and y together, but that was all. Whoever saw him could see he wasn¡¯t ready for the final fight. Pandora approached Sungjin, who was sitting in a chair and looking at the sky with ease. ¡°My grandfather was curious. What is the final answer for victory in the sacred realm?¡± Sungjin turned to her. ¡°And did you know that the enemy would be myself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re spoiled for not telling me.¡± ¡°He thought it was a process that you have to go through.¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s not wrong either.¡± ¡°And on behalf of my grandfather, I now have to watch you, whether it is you of light or of darkness that will be the victor.¡± No other man in Valha was a match for Sungjin. Both Valhas had made Sungjin their final winners. The candidates for the right answer were narrowed down to ¡°two.¡± The ¡°two¡± were one andpletely different. One side wanted to get strength by destroying the world. The other side was... ... . ¡°You¡¯re weaker than him, because you couldn¡¯t go that far.¡± That was the result of Pandora¡¯s analysis. Even with equal potential, the gap between one who did anything to be stronger and one who didn¡¯t was noticeable. ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you already lose twice?¡± ¡°Yes, I did lose twice, but that was due to a difference in information and in the preparation period. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll lose thest game.¡± ¡°How can you say you have a chance?¡± ¡°Why? You think I can¡¯t win?¡± ¡°No. Your opponent is yourself. He is equal in every way.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Your opponent consumed the world and strengthened himself. You gave up being strong in return to keep what you pursue. That difference made an absolute difference.¡± Sungjin¡¯s six wings. His opponent¡¯s twelve wings. Sungjin¡¯s team members were still unprepared despite their awakenings and, on the contrary, the demon kings of hell had gained experience since ancient times. The strength of each individual and powery in that aspect. ¡°My analysis has already determined the results.¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s the answer your grandfather was looking for?¡± ¡°In my analysis, yes. If you don¡¯t think so, please say so.¡± Sungjin smiled at Pandora. ¡°If there is strength in not hesitating to destroy the world...¡± His eyes shone sharply. It was a sharp and intense re that made everything that had happened previously seem like a lie. Even the emotionless Pandora couldn¡¯t breathe because of its intensity. ¡°... there is also strength in protecting the world. I¡¯m bing stronger to do so. And I will be even stronger this time.¡± For the world... for his precious ones... To protect everything... he couldn¡¯t lose. He couldn¡¯t lose because he was his opponent. He couldn¡¯t lose because the enemy was his own ¡°truth.¡± Obviously, the enemy could have been his form. If he had chosen a different path in a moment of conflict, he could have reached such a power contemting himself at a crossroad. The darkness inside him was his greatest enemy, so he could never lose. He had to win, otherwise the current Sungjin was a lie. Pandora, who was overwhelmed by his intensity, barely recovered. ¡°Did you say that protecting the world is strength?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your words don¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°When a lot of resources are used, it makes sense that the expected value for the output increases. Protecting the world is a strength achieved by the effort alone, while using resources would give an entirely different result.¡± ¡°So, you think I¡¯ll lose?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sungjin stood up and tapped Pandora¡¯s head lightly. ¡°You can¡¯t confirm a theory without testing it out first.¡± ¡°That fact is true, but...¡± ¡°Wait and watch. I¡¯ll show you what true strength is.¡± ¡°Are you saying that you can really win?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pandora watched Sungjin and scanned him from head to toe. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how that would be possible.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ovee your possibility.¡± ¡°... May I look forward to it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Pandora watched Sungjin once more. What is this man talking about? The man who defeated her grandfather. And the man who wished to ovee himself. The man who wanted to challenge himself again even after two devastating defeats. Was he bluffing, or was it the truth? I don¡¯t understand. But she knew the answer. She wanted to see this man¡¯s final scene, whether it was an ascendance into godship or grand destruction. I don¡¯t understand what he has prepared for thest month. To the word, Sungjin and his teammates had done nothing but take a break. They hadn¡¯t done any special training. But was that some sort of preparation for victory? ¡°You seem to be doubting me. But that¡¯s good. It¡¯s a schr¡¯s attitude to confirm what he hasn¡¯t seen.¡± Sungjin passed by her naturally. Pandora¡¯s eyes followed his movements. ¡°I¡¯ll show you now. If you want to see the ending, follow me.¡± ¡°... Yes.¡± She automatically followed Sungjin. She wanted to see how this man was going to prove himself, not because she wanted to keep her promise to her grandfather, but because she wanted to see for herself. This endless curiosity... What is this emotion called? She looked it up. And the results were. [A step before love]. Chapter 149

Chapter 149: Vol. 6 Ep. 17

Chapter 10 Sungjin gathered everyone together. ¡°Did everyone have a good rest?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And everyone¡¯s prepared?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. Then we should greet everyone before leaving. They do have a right to know what¡¯s going to happen on this earth.¡± ¡°Announcing. I will do the final battle against the god¡¯s realm,¡± Sungjin announced to the entire world with his power of a Kaiser. His bright and strong voice rang. ¡°The enemy is my opposite. He¡¯s from a parallel universe. He¡¯s the ruler of the Valha of darkness. He has burned his world and is trying to burn ours.¡± Sungjin knew that the entire world would talk because of his announcement, but he did not hide the truth, because... ¡°This is not only my fight. I will stand at the forefront, but this is also a fight where your fates are on the line. That is why I want you guys to be with me on this. I¡¯m assuming you want to ask how you can participate?¡± The only ones who could stand on the battlefield were Sungjin and his teammates. ¡°Cheer for us. I believe that everyone¡¯s hearts gathered together will create a stronger strength. A yer does better on their home ground. Even if you can¡¯t be with us, cheer for us.¡± Entrusting them with thestpetition¡¯s cheering responsibility, he shouted for thest time, ¡°I¡¯ll take your cheers, and win!¡± The entire world kneeled before their Kaiser. ¡°Your Majesty, we wish you the best.¡± Everyone cheered for Sungjin. They weren¡¯t cheering just because Sungjin was their Kaiser. They hoped Sungjin would continue to be their guardian. Sungjin, who had just thrown down his challenge, turned toward Pandora. There was no way of knowing what he had prepared, but she was expectant. What she wanted to know was if he would break all preconceptions. Do I want him to? She was confused. She had infinite knowledge within herself, but she couldn¡¯tprehend her own emotions. What did Sungjin mean to her? Was he the only person capable of showing her what life was? Or... was he something more than that? Right now, she knew nothing, and could only watch him. They entered the realm once more. For the final battle. * * * The two crows greeted them with an ominous aura. ¡°He hase to meet his final fate.¡± ¡°They were one in the beginning. They cannot continue to be apart.¡± ¡°The strong will swallow the weak.¡± ¡°How noisy.¡± Sungjin snorted and ignored them. ¡°You two just watch.¡± Chasing the two crows away, he faced his other self. Sungjin¡¯s region and his opponent¡¯s region had entirely different auras. Even though they were the same forests, Sungjin¡¯s forests were more peaceful andfortable and quiet. The green of the trees and the bright colors of the flowers were beautiful. On the other side, dark Sungjin¡¯s forests were strangely twisted and filled with ck trees. It could be called hell, not a ce fit for humans. If the desert on Sungjin¡¯s side had an oasis and cacti and desert animals, the dark Sungjin¡¯s side had souls drifting around ck grains of sand. Their different directions, of their own creation, were already affecting their world. The dark Sungjin greeted him cheerfully. ¡°You¡¯ve finallye to meet your end.¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do our final battle.¡± Sungjin smiled at his opponent. They understood each other. They knew each other. They wanted the victory over each other. They couldn¡¯t ept each other, because the opponent was himself. ¡°There¡¯s no need for words. Let¡¯s start our fight.¡± ¡°Good.¡± There was no reason to drag the fight out, because they had already decided to defeat each other. ¡°I¡¯ll see how much you¡¯ve grown during the break. I¡¯ll defeat you in the same conditions.¡± The dark Sungjin snapped his fingers with ¡°leisure.¡± ¡°Dark Colosseum.¡± The battlefield that would decide their fate separated them. The dark Sungjin and Sungjin. The two faced each other, and the rest were sucked into their opponent¡¯s devil lords space. ¡°I wonder how many of your subordinates will be able to make it back here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying it once more. They¡¯re not my subordinates. They¡¯re my teammates.¡± ¡°Equals? They¡¯re simply subordinates.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°I feel the same.¡± But the two did not fight immediately. The two both had time to wait for the others¡¯ fights to be done. * * * Astaros and Ereka faced each other once more. ¡°Huhu. Let¡¯s see how much you¡¯ve changed.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ereka stabbed her spear at Astaros. Astaros stopped her spear¡¯s explosion with his magic circle. ¡°It did be sharper, but there is no meaningful difference.¡± Even if her spear had be stronger, it wasn¡¯t strong enough to pierce through his defences. After several exchanges, he gathered his power in his staff. ¡°How boring. Even if you¡¯re hiding something, you¡¯re not my opponent. I¡¯ll end this.¡± Severalrge magic circles appeared in the air, and the surrounding objects began to be sucked into it. The universe¡¯s suction force didn¡¯t ept any resistance. Watching it, Pandora shook her head. That¡¯s simr to a ck hole. A destructive point that was created by Astaros¡¯s magic. Before that force, which could destroy everything, even the Sun, Ereka¡¯s defences were meaningless. Any material would be demolished within that thing. ¡°Disappear.¡± As she was being sucked upwards, she closed her mouth firmly. Now what was she going to do? She had always tried to do something by sacrificing herself. It was her inner kindness to do so, but she had realized something as she had fought with Sungjin. If she truly wanted to protect everyone, she had to be stronger herself. Sacrifice only worked once. In order to support the world and protect it for a long time, she had to be strong. That was how Sungjin had protected everyone and had gathered them. That was why she had to... ¡°I¡¯ll be strong for those I have to protect!¡± Ereka raised her shield. ¡°Aegis!¡± A bright light surrounded her. The holy shield she used to protect everyone but herself protected her. That was the new strength she had earned after ascending. The Aegis appeared after she had decided to stand as firm as Sungjin. ¡°Huh?¡± An ultimate barrier that didn¡¯t waver even before the strongest destructive force in the universe¡ªthat was a god¡¯s power that went beyond scientific specifications. The name of Aegis was much stronger, but Astaros had never thought it could stop his magic. He had never imagined his opponent could be released from his magic. That was his pride as hell¡¯s magician. But at the same time, he had let his guard down. Because he had used his all to create the best magical situation, he couldn¡¯t use a defensive magic. Surrounded in light, Ereka ran forward. The holy sword pierced Astaros¡¯ heart. ¡°Kuuuhk...¡± ¡°Haah, hah.¡± Astaros started to dissipate. ¡°Huhu, admirable. But I can¡¯t disrupt my master¡¯s cause. If I go, you go with me!¡± But he did not create a micro ck hole again. What he created was something that swallowed everything, even Ereka, whose Aegis had been released. ¡°Sungjin...¡± That was how strong his curse was. The result was a tie. * * * Pandora¡¯s eyes opened wide. Did the ultimate skill evolve into a new form? Ereka¡¯s Aegis wasn¡¯t that form, ording to historical data. It was only to protect others. It was also a form that had its own weaknesses. What happened? * * * Eustasia¡¯s Durandal met Asmodus¡¯s numerous swords. A much faster Durandal hit a number of swords in a row. ¡°Ho. That¡¯s good. Speeding ??up one sword to handle several swords. It¡¯s not a bad development.¡± Asmodeus knew the end. Although Durandall was a legendary sword, it was suppressed before overwhelming numbers. Like Randall, the original owner of Durandall, the legend of the earth was overpowered by numbers, and Durandall eventually broke down. At first the de went out, and then it broke and eventually shattered. Her body was soon pierced by the cursed swords. Asmodeus praised the fallen Eustasia. ¡°You¡¯ve developed a lot. But the power of numbers can¡¯t be beaten by speed alone. This is it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± What could a swordless swordswoman do? Asmodeus watched with curiosity, but nothing happened. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He started his final blow against Eustasia, saying he wouldn¡¯t wait any longer. But his instinct as a prosecutor warned him of something. And he saw... tiny starlight shimmering and filling their surroundings. That is? It wasn¡¯t starlight. It was pieces of the shattered and scattered Durandall. ¡°Justice may be broken.¡± Eustasia admitted. In reality, justice had been defeated and defeated over and over again. ¡°But nevertheless, moving toward justice again, that¡¯s the chance he gave me!¡± Small pieces of the sword soared. They all became brilliant stars in the air. ¡°So my sword will rise again and again!¡± She had been defeated. However, Sungjin had allowed her to fight again. Sungjin had also been defeated at times, but he had stood up again. Justice wasn¡¯t one victory. She was going to make it so that justice would win over and over again. ¡°Indomitable Justice! Durandall! ¡± Pieces of the sword fell down on Asmodeus, spewing light like the Milky Way. ¡°Cheeky! It¡¯s already a broken sword!¡± The demon swords also flew toward Eustasia in unison. Swords once again rammed her body. At the same time, star pieces prated Asmodeus¡¯s entire body. ¡°With just a sword... ... . ¡± ¡°Sungjin... ... This is my limit. ¡± The two disappeared at the same time. Chapter 150 - Vol. 6 Ep. 18 Chapter 150: Vol. 6 Ep. 18 * * * Did something happen while I wasn¡¯t looking? Pandora blinked. Her eyes analyzed everyone. Everyone¡¯s skills have evolved. Although there wasn¡¯t any data on her system that matched the current situation. I see. Everyone has received some form of evolution of their skills. That was why their skills could evolve into a second form. But didn¡¯t they fight before without using such skills? Then again, how? While she was confused, everyone¡¯s battle raged on. * * * Jenna and Mamon faced each other. She gripped her hammer tightly as she faced the trembling unknown figure that could eat anything in its path. It¡¯s scary. Horrible. Just watching the disgusting figure made her tremble. She wanted to run. Being eaten by that thing had been a horrible experience. But she didn¡¯t run. I don¡¯t have grand aspirations like the others. She didn¡¯t have an ideal goal like Her Majesty, nor did she have a difficult path like the others. Somehow, she was an outsider of the team. She was fortunate to have apanied Sungjin through some hard battles. That was why she had received this incredible power. Lightning gathered above the girl who epted and faced herself. But even she had something she wanted. I want the people I love to be happy. Her viewpoint was too small to include the greater humanity. Her te was small. But now she knew one thing. If she ran away from this, if she lost... then her Sungjin and Her Majesty would disappear. She had to win this fight, even if she had to burn her entire being. Her hammer rang around the skies. Lightning that broke the mountains and burned the seas fell down on the ground. But since he had eaten it before, Mamon ate it without hesitation. The lord of greed was only going to eat it... Jenna knew that would happen. That was why she needed to... ¡°I¡¯m going to use everything I have to not lose to you.¡± She ran toward the lightning and threw her body into it. ¡°Kuuuuuu.¡± The lightning burned her body, but she entered it regardless, and drew up some more lightning. ¡°I sacrifice myself! May transcendent power be brought down on this earth.¡± She burned off her own flesh to boost the power of lightning. The lightning turned from white to blue, proof of it having heated up, and she threw it upon Mamon. ¡°Kwaaaah!¡± A scream erupted from somewhere inside the flesh. The desire of a girl overcame the limit of what gluttony could eat. The flesh became ashes inside the blue mes. * * * Beelzebub sent Rachel a flock of flies, poisons, and gues. In front of him, Rachel faced him with prayers of healing and purification. Beelzebubughed at her. ¡°There¡¯s no point. Defending can never beat the attacker. The power to heal others just forestalls my gue.¡± The flock of flies covered Rachel more. ¡°Others seemed to respond in their own way, but you are miserable.¡± Rachel waspletely crushed and destroyed. Beelzebub turned around. ¡°Now it¡¯s time to go see the Lord.¡± He didn¡¯t dare say that he was going to help him. It was easy for Lucifer, who ruled hell, to fight his debris as a human being. How could he dare be of help? Then he caught onto something. Is there something yet? He felt a subtle flow of power and turned around. Intense mes arose from Rachel, who should have rotted and disappeared. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like fighting. I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone. However... ... However... ... . ¡± Her me burned a flock of flies. ¡°I learned that if I don¡¯t fight, others will have to, and if I back out, there will be times where others will get hurt.¡± That¡¯s what she learned from seeing the back of Sungjin, who was fighting in front of her. That there were times when she had to fight against evil even if she didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Patyekabuddha.¡± The kidney of an ascended being that is known to push away all evil. Rachel clung to Beelzebub with mes all over her body ¡°Release me!¡± ¡°Your curse will not touch anyone except me.¡± The mes encircled both of them and burned intensely. * * * Pandora had now assembled a logical interpretation of the situation. Yes, I see now. Sungjin had deliberately waged a fight when his team members had notpleted a new ultimate skill to know the enemy and make an ultimate skill ordingly. The enemy is strong. The dark lords¡¯ levels were one level above the awakened women. There was only one way to fill the gap: specialized counters. Once an awakening was evolved into a new form, it became a fixed skill. So his n was to gather information on his opponent and his skills in order to win the next fight. She remembered Sungjin¡¯s words. The first two defeats are just differences in information and preparation. That wasn¡¯t a bluff. He had nned to throw the first two games from the beginning to get information on his opponent, and during their break he had led their ultimate skills to their proper form. The leisurely conversation that seemed to be just a chat was actually a ¡°trigger¡± for each person. He had predicted that they would be able to bring out their own specific skill once he gave them the trigger. Indeed, he surpassed my prediction once again. What will he show next? She was curious. The more she came to know him, the more interesting he became. Her heart was beating fast. * * * Demon King Mephistopheles. He was known for depraving the renowned Dr. Faust, and his illusions were as simrly well-known. Even while knowing that it was a lie and a fantasy, it was so sophisticated and powerful that Zakiya couldn¡¯t wake up from it. Even though she knew it was all in her head, the illusion caused her to believe it was real. ¡°Red mes.¡± Hot mes wrapped around Zakiya¡¯s body. ¡°Ugh.¡± No matter how much it appeared to be an illusion, her body burned as if it were real. ¡°Ice.¡± Cold ice wrapped around Zakiya. Even though it was also a lie, her body was frozen cold. Injured in a series of forceful illusions, she eventually fell to the floor. On the other hand, her fantasy didn¡¯t touch Mephistopheles. The difference in skill level between the two was evident. ¡°It is your misfortune facing me, human.¡± If she had met a different kind of opponent, there would have been a chance, but there were no weaker devil lords. ¡°Farewell.¡± Mephistopheles raised his hand, saying that he would make the most spectacr fantasy. ¡°The ghost corps of the death list.¡± Innumerable ghosts of hell appeared and rushed to Zakiya all at once. Every pain the endless number of ghosts exerted was an illusion. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be defeated again.¡± Zakiya summoned thest of her strength to use against Mephistopheles. A storm of swords was born and shot toward him. ¡°Did you imitate Asmodeus? There is no point.¡± This illusion was meaningless before him. As soon as the sword touched him, it disappeared. ¡°Yes. My illusion is really helpless before you,¡± Zakiya admitted. But what if it wasn¡¯t an illusion? ¡°This is... ... . ¡± Mephistopheles¡¯s knees shook seeing the sword prating him. ¡°Dawn Bringer.¡± ¡°Huhu. Yes. Are you familiar with the sword?¡± ¡°How did you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make a fantasy as powerful as yours.¡± Dealing with the deceptive lord, she was only an illusionist. ¡°But he told me that there was one truth in my life, even if everything else may have been a lie.¡± So her new ultimate skill was an illusion except for one thing, the one thing that was in her heart that made the illusion ¡°real.¡± It wasn¡¯t a matter of believing it or not. There was something true beyond the fantasy, and the one truth in her heart was... ¡°My heart for His Majesty. That¡¯s why his sword is real.¡± ¡°Kuk... ... . ¡± ¡°Huhu. After all, you are but summoned to this battlefield. If the core of your existence is destroyed, you¡¯ll be destroyed too.¡± ¡°To think I will be extinguished by this ¡®truth.¡¯ I will be teased for itter.¡± ¡°I do not know. Will there be ater?¡± Believing that their respective Sungjin would win, the demon and dancer disappeared together. * * * Pandora once again admired the feats of the team members who had drawn a tie against the Six Demon Kings of Hell. Behind all this was the guidance of Sungjin, and... ... . Everyone lived up to that expectation. Did Sungjin predict this? Or had he believed in them? Either way, it was amazing. Utilizing a power one already had and pushing it to its maximum potential was an amazing thing. It was another way to unlock the full potential of his team by teaching those who were less talented than him at eye level. Then the end of this game will be... ... . Chapter 151 - Vol. 6 – Episode 19

Chapter 151: Vol. 6 ¨C Episode 19

* * * Sooryun held her lute and looked at Belial. ¡°I will beat you this time for Sungjin¡¯s victory and to give true rest to my people.¡± ¡°Your Lute of Heaven can¡¯tpete with my Violin from Hell. I¡¯m sure you know that by now.¡± Satan was so much stronger than Sooryun. ¡°But I still have another song I can y for you.¡± ¡°Really? Go for it.¡± Sooryun¡¯s fingers started to y the lute. Her music held meaning, and that meaning started to produce phenomenon. ¡°Shooting Meteor.¡± Powerful sound came from Sooryun¡¯s lute, and the sound started to shoot meteors around to break the ground and create craters. But Belial took his time ying his violin. When he started to y it, screams from hell came from it and covered him up and spread around him. When the shooting meteor reached around him, it became powerless and disappeared. It was a fight of sound. ¡°Shadow of Moon.¡± Sooryun put her beautiful nature into her music. ¡°Hell¡¯s Scream.¡± While Belial yed grotesque screaming from hell. Two sounds collided and pushed each other to take over more space, and the space vibrated with shockwaves where the two sounds met, making a cloud around the space. ¡°A Hundred Blooming Flowers.¡± ¡°Cursed Whale.¡± Finally, it started to rain. Their fight was fierce and intense. They both used their skill to its maximum, and the collisions of sounds became more and more intense. Then, Belial started to y his ultimate destructive sound. ¡°Infernal Symphony!¡± When the symphony from hell started to y, the sky tore open and rain thundered. The ground exploded, and fire came out from the crack. The smell of sulfur was everywhere, and corrosive fog filled the whole ce. And to fight against him, Sooryun started to y herst song ¡°the Eight sounds of Heaven.¡± ¡°The Peace of the World.¡± It was quiet and peaceful music, but Sooryun¡¯s music contained the rule of mother nature and the harmony of heaven. It started to restore everything to peace, fighting against the sound of hell that was creating chaos and destruction. The sky cleared up, and the ground calmed down. The fog started to disappear. The space around Sooryun was beautiful and calm, while the space around Belial was destructive and grotesque. It was hard to tell which music was stronger, but then... Tic. A string on Belial¡¯s violin snapped. The two sounds had appeared equally strong for a while, but Sooryun¡¯s music was creating harmony to be stronger in time, while Belial¡¯s music was destructive and would destroy itself if it couldn¡¯t destroy its opponent... The crazy power from hell started toe back to his violin... Tic. Tic. There was no string left to y on Belial¡¯s violin, and Sooryun showed a happy smile for her victory. I won. She had destroyed Belial¡¯s violin. She had been able to y music to soothe the suffering souls in order to neutralize the curse of hell, thanks to Sungjin¡¯s teaching. Sooryun won against Belial in the battle of music, but then... Belial started to run toward Sooryun with his broken violin. ¡°What?¡± Sooryun quickly yed another note. ¡°Heavenly Wall.¡± Her note created shockwaves to push Belial away, but Belial was faster. Belial reached his hand in the middle of his broken violin and pulled out a rapier. Belial had been hiding this weapon in his violin from the start, and he stabbed Sooryun with it. ¡°Ahh. Sooryun tried to stop it with her lute, but the lute waspletely destroyed, and the rapier pierced Sooryun¡¯s heart. ¡°Cough.¡± ¡°You defeated the Wailing of Hell. Humans can do much more than I expected.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°But music isn¡¯t the only thing I can use. That¡¯s why you lost.¡± Belial pulled out his rapier. Blood came out from Sooryun¡¯s body like a fountain, and Sooryun fell down on the ground. ¡°If I were still the head of Heaven¡¯s Chorus, I¡¯m sure I wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance, but this is me now. Now, be gone!¡± Belial beheaded Sooryun to reduce her pain. It was clear that Sooryun was the winner in the fight with music, but that wasn¡¯t all Belial had. She had been naive enough to believe she simply had to win the fight with music. ¡°Now I should go back to report to my Master.¡± But Belial stopped. I can still hear the sound. How? Belial checked Sooryun¡¯s dead body one more time. He checked to make sure Sooryun¡¯s lute was still in pieces and that she was dead, but he could still hear the sound of Sooryun¡¯s lute. Where is iting from? The sound of Sooryun¡¯s lute started to be louder. The sound that made the world peaceful started to chain him in its harmony and light. ¡°Ugh, How dare you.¡± Belial swing his rapier around. But the sound became more and more perfect to create a closed space to lock him down. If you have an instrument in your heart, you can still y it without your hands. Sooryun¡¯s thought echoed in the space. ¡°Is your soul ying the music?¡± If a spirit can make music, that music can move the heavens. Now I get thest part of ¡°the Eight sounds of Heaven.¡± Sooryun had always thought that the final sound of ¡°the Eight sounds of Heaven¡± would be the eighth sound called ¡°Reaching Heaven¡¯s will.¡± Understanding that it simply meant the attitude on how to y music¡ªthat was the real sound behind ¡°the Eight sounds of Heaven.¡± In the moment she fell down to the ground, she was reminded of thement that Sungjin had made: If you really put your heart into your music, even spirits can hear you. Now I understand what you wanted to teach me that day. Sooryun started to y thest song against Belial. It was an immortal music that was above and beyond life or death. And what Sooryun put into the music was... Love. Love for human beings, the world, and her lover. ¡®Respect the god and love human beings.¡¯ Sooryun¡¯s music made a perfect harmony to purify the creature of hell in peace. When the music started to erase his existence, Belial started to remember a few things. The perfectly pure music notes were in his memory. This is... what I used to... They were the notes he used to sing when he was the head of the chore in Heaven. He thought he had cursed it and thrown it away, but the music was still in his memory. And he was losing this fight because of music he used to sing in Heaven. It was ironic for Belial. But Belial started to scatter and disappear. Sungjin, I wish you luck for the rest of your fight. Sooryun¡¯s soul finished its best and final performance. * * * Pandora observed the fight¡¯s final verdict. The team members of light and servants of darkness were destroyed together. The darkness that was waiting for them was strong. But the light was strong enough to fight against the darkness during two pre-fights. At least half of Sungin¡¯s words hade true. The break time was to bring out their own ultimate skills fully. Sungjin¡¯s break time was to bring out his power as an awakened hero. He is a great man, grandfather. Sungjin just made the impossible fight a tie. But there was still the biggest difference left, which was the most difficult part of the fight: the difference between Sungjin and the Sungjin of darkness. The one who refused Lucifer and the one who epted the power of Lucifer. Would it be possible for Sungjin to ovee the difference in power? My conclusion is that it would be impossible. But would it really be an impossible fight? Pandora hadn¡¯t been able to predict that Sungjin would make it this far when he had lost his first two fights. Maybe Sungjin could make the impossible happen. It wouldn¡¯t be his first time. But how? Sungjin¡¯s girls had the second awakening period, which had helped them a lot. Then what about Sungin? I want to see Sungjin upset my analysis and win. Chapter 11 Sungjin faced the Sungjin of darkness. ¡°So you evolved your team to be nemeses to my servants? That¡¯s not too bad. I like what you did.¡± The Sungjin of darknessughed as if the result satisfied him. ¡°Good. We should finalized this battle between us. We don¡¯t need any little creatures to cut in and make this fight messy.¡± Behind Sungjin of darkness, twelve wings started to spread: six wings of light and six wings of darkness. Two different powers of extreme ends ced in him. His hands held Holy Sword of Dawn and Magic Sword of Dusk to show his power controlling both. ¡°So what is the answer that you found? Show me.¡± ¡°I will show you. Session of the Spirit!¡± Sungjin raised his Holy Sword of Dawn to gather six lights Sungjin¡¯s team members left for him with trust. Six pure white wings came out from his back. The shiny pure white wings were beautiful, but they look weakerpared to the twelve wings on his enemy. ¡°Well, I was waiting for you, but are you still giving me the same answer? So your obsession with hypocrisy is the only thing you have?¡± ¡°Pff. Do you want me to admit the darkness inside of me?¡± ¡°Yeah, that is your real wish and your real desire. That¡¯s who ¡®I¡¯ am.¡± ¡°Yeah, I admit it. That¡¯s who I am, too.¡± Sungjin nodded. What he said to dark Sungjin was true. He had darkness inside him. That was something he couldn¡¯t deny. Sungjin analyzed what choice would make him stronger, and his conclusion was that it would be better for him to have more power than his teammates... Sungjin¡¯s brain came up with a cold yet clear conclusion. ¡°I know I have darkness inside me, but I also have something that I want to protect by stopping myself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you are weak, like now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be disappointed. You clearly choose the dark side and conquered the light to have everything you want. But I got my own things through my own path that¡¯s different than yours.¡± Sungin¡¯s Holy Magical Sword started to spread darkness around it. ¡°I will take all the responsibilities that I¡¯ve got with my darkness!¡± All the vindictive spirits inside the sword started to awaken. All the spirits that had been caged inside the world that the Kaiser of White Silver had created started to awaken. ¡°I¡¯m also a human being who wants to win. I have my own desires that aren¡¯t always right.¡± Sungjin wanted to fight and win. When Sungjin risked his life in a fight, he wasn¡¯t nervous but excited. He knew that his decision would put everyone in danger, but he still wanted to go further... That was the darkness inside Sungjin. Sungjin embraced the darkness that wanted to absorb the light with the people who were chained by darkness. If his enemy was trying to conquer the light with darkness, Sungjin was protecting the light by embracing his darkness. Sungjin knew what kind of power he was missing, but he had no regrets, because he had his people that he was able to protect. ¡°So I will embrace them all to go forward. Be awakened, Dusk Bringer.¡± Chapter 152 - Vol. 6 – Episode 20

Chapter 152: Vol. 6 ¨C Episode 20

Under six white wings, six dark wings appeared. It was another side of the Holy Magical Sword. The magic sword of destruction, Dusk Bringer, separated from the wings and ced itself on Sungjin¡¯s left hand. Whatever Sungjin thought. Whatever Sungjin¡¯s desires were. Whatever Sungjin knew. Whatever Sungjin had in his mind. What Sungjin had chosen wasn¡¯t strength but to save everyone. That was the undeniable truth. That was what had happened. That was why, although Sungjin had darkness inside him, he was able to reach beyond his darkness and be the light. The highest angel and the worst devil: Sungjin had both inside him and faced another him. ¡°Hahahaha.¡± Sungjin of Darkness startedughing, as if it were a joyful thing to watch. ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± Sungjin of Darkness also held two swords in his hands. ¡°So, even if it¡¯s wrong, you will follow me until this point?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s decide who¡¯s wrong.¡± They started to cross each other again. A magic sword pointed at a heart, and a holy sword blocked the magic sword. Holy swords blocked each other while magical swords blocked each other. The swords collided in the sky over and over again only to fall apart and rise again to attack each other again. Each time the swords collided, light and darkness spread around them. Two conflicting powers were ced in one body. When two sides have perfectly equal power, that means there won¡¯t be a winner, or... ¡°It is probable that this fight will end with the destruction of both.¡± Pandora predicted the result as a seeker without any emotion. ¡°The chances are 99.999999 percent.¡± Ereka had to ask Pandora, ¡°If this fight ends without a winner... what will happen?¡± From the beginning, the rule of the fight was winner take all. But what if there wasn¡¯t a winner? ¡°If winner takes all, the one who didn¡¯t win gets nothing.¡± ¡°No...¡± ¡°Does that mean they both could be destroyed?¡± ¡°For those who don¡¯t want the other to survive, that would be the best result.¡± * * * Sungjin and Sungjin of Darkness stepped aside after an intense closebat. ¡°It will be impossible to finish the fight like this.¡± Unlike human beings, they would never get tired. Equal power. Equal speed. Equal technique. And equal intelligence. There would be no winner in this fight, or... ¡°It will end in our co-destruction.¡± They were enemies, but they came up with the same conclusion. Muninn and Huginn started to talk again. ¡°Co-destruction. Co-destruction.¡± ¡°Two equal souls.¡± ¡°They are one soul.¡± ¡°Bing one would be beneficial for both.¡± They were one. There was no reason to fight. They could decide to be united to avoid co-destruction. ¡°If you unite, a being will be born.¡± And that being wouldn¡¯t protect the weak like Sungin, but it also wouldn¡¯t try to abuse the weak like Sungjin of Darkness. It would go its own way. Even if the two crows didn¡¯t exin that, the two Sungjins already knew it was another option and the most reasonable choice for their coexistence, but they both refused to take that option. ¡°I will be the winner!¡± Both said the same thing and started to sh. The fight could bring co-destruction, but unification could be the answer. They both knew that. But what they had experienced and what they had chosen until now made it impossible to ept the other. Sungjin couldn¡¯t ept another him who sacrificed everyone to gain power. But the other Sungjin couldn¡¯t ept Sungjin, who didn¡¯t pursue the path to being the strongest conqueror. They couldn¡¯t ept one another and had no ns to give up the fight, either. Light and darkness shed again. A desert disappeared and an ocean evaporated. A mountain became dust. The world that was created to be their battlefield started to break down. The battle field couldn¡¯t handle the fight between two Sungjins with twelve wings. Crack. Crack. The space broke down, and the world started to explode. They both started to have wounds on their wings, but they didn¡¯t step back. ¡°Hahaha, this is fun. That¡¯s me. I¡¯ve never experienced this kind of close fight.¡± Sungjin of Darknessughed with joy, and Sungjin held his swords even tighter. ¡°Same here. I¡¯ve never experienced this much thrill before.¡± They were giving everything to attack and to defend. Neither could miss a single movement. It was Sungjin¡¯s first time having such a fierce fight, and he knew this would be thest as well. Sungjin¡¯s sharp brain had already reached the conclusion that the end of this fight would be their co-destruction, but that didn¡¯t make him step back. Even if I will be destroyed with him, I could never let the darkness win. Sungjin had people to protect and the world to protect. It was his responsibility to stop the darkness, because it was Sungjin who started this fight. But Sungjin wasn¡¯t nning on dying with the darkness. He was looking for a chance to cut in to defeat Sungjin of Darkness. He was determined to create an ending that was unpredictable, because Sugnjin knew there were so many people who would be in sorrow if he disappeared. But the enemy was also determined to win. Sungjin¡¯s Holy Sword cut off a wing from Sungjin of Darkness. But the Magical Sword of Sungin of Darkness stabbed Sungjin¡¯s nk. Then, Sungjin¡¯s Magical sword pierced the lung of Sungjin of Darkness. Sungjin of Darkness used his Holy Sword to cut off one of Sungjin¡¯s wings as well. They couldn¡¯t wound one another without being injured. There was no way to attack the opponent without getting hurt. They were both covered with blood, and their lives were slowly fading away. Then, Sungjin of Darkness stepped back. ¡°This will create a spectacle only enjoyable for the audience.¡± ¡°So are you going to give up?¡± Sungjin asked with his dry sense of humor, and Sungjin of Darkness stoppedughing. ¡°Stop joking. I meant that I¡¯m ready to defeat you.¡± ¡°You are ready.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t using my final transformation because I wanted to go back to myself fully, but since we¡¯vee this far, I should use everything.¡± Is he hiding a card under the table? Sungjin¡¯s instinct warned him that his enemy hadn¡¯t used everything he had yet. But what could it be? ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind bing a fearful magical monster that destroys everything. That would be better than missing my chance for victory.¡± The next moment, mes of darkness covered up Sungjn of Darkness. ¡°You!¡± Sungjin tried to stop what was about to happen, but the wave of energy from the me stopped him. ¡°Ugh.¡± The Dark Valha from far away started to be pieces. The disappeared, and the pieces of the became dark mes and gathered around Sungjin of Darkness. A whole disappeared topress its power into Sungjin of Darkness. The next moment, the dark me spread to cover the world that used to be the battlefield. The sky, ground, and ocean were covered with the dark mes, and then the mes gathered to create a figure. It was a... Dragon. It was a dragon that could cover a mountain with its wing. The dragon was covered with hellfire, and Sungjin was even smaller than the dragon¡¯s eye. It was a gigantic magical creature. ¡°Well, you became big.¡± Sungjinughed as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but Sungjin was feeling the overwhelming power of the dragon. It wasn¡¯t just its physical size that was big but the power within it. This guy... did he just unite himself with his own hell... The dragon¡¯s power was literally the power that had swallowed a whole world, and the power could easily destroy another world. Sungjin of Darkness just became one with hell, and there was no turning back. He decided to be a transcendent monster for his victory. ¡°Now it¡¯s time for you to disappear,¡± said the ck dragon from hell, and it started moving its wings to shoot a hundred ck fireballs at Sungin all at once. But Sungjin avoided the fire balls by using his twelve wings. ¡°That¡¯s cute.¡± The number of fireballs became double. ¡°Ugh.¡± The fireballs wereing from every direction, so Sungjin couldn¡¯t avoid them but had to fight them back. Dawn Bringer, the Holy Sword of Dawn, blocked fireballs and destroyed them. But Sungjin only had two swords, while there were a few hundred fireballs that he had to stop. Sungjin struggled to fight back the endless attacks. It looked like he was barely making it. ¡°You are annoying.¡± When the fireballs were not enough to kill Sungjin, the dragon stepped on Sungjin with its gigantic body. Its foreleg, which seemed as big as a horizon, swept Sungin. Its foreleg was bigger than a few mountains. Sunjin had no time to avoid it. Sungjin tried to stop it by crossing his swords, but it didn¡¯tst long. Sungjin was flown away by the massive shock. ¡°Ugh.¡± The difference of power was too great. ¡°This is the end for you.¡± The dragon hit Sungjin again. * * * Looking at the scene, Pandora held her hands tightly together. Is this where everything ends? So the darkness is the final winner? The man who protected the world can¡¯t win against the man who ate up the world? So the protector who tries to use all his power can¡¯t defeat the tyrant who absorbs other people¡¯s power? The answer for the question that my grandfather was looking for his whole life is the victory of darkness? You promised to show me, but it seems like you will not able to. Without realizing that she was being unfair, Pandora was disappointed in Sungin. It was natural, because she had such high expectations. I thought you had something that was beyond my logical conclusions... Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Sungjin was just a man who didn¡¯t know anything more than what she learned. Chapter 153 - Vol. 6 – Episode 21

Chapter 153: Vol. 6 ¨C Episode 21

* * * ¡°You!¡± Sungjin blocked the dragon¡¯s foreleg with his crossed sword. There was some kind of golden light behind Sungjin. It wasn¡¯t white or ck wings, but a golden light that looked like the bright light of daybreak announcing a new era. ¡°Thank you for showing your ultimate power by swallowing a world. Then, I should use mine now.¡± The golden light became stronger. ¡°Now address the world and the path I¡¯ve chosen. This is also your destiny, so fight with me!¡± Small pieces of lights started to rise from the Valha that Sungjin had been protecting. His words echoed around the whole world. ¡°That¡¯s Sungjin¡¯s voice.¡± ¡°We can hear Sungin.¡± ¡°He¡¯s telling us this is everyone¡¯s fight.¡± ¡°One for all, all for one!¡± Sungjin wasn¡¯t the only one who was trying to protect others. Everyone rose to protect themselves. It was their responsibility and duty... Having rights meant... they also had to contribute to the fight to save their world. Sungjin¡¯s voice reached the heart of every soul in his world. And everyone sent their power to Sungjin. The people that Sungjin protected and took care of were supporting Sungjin now. Thanks to Sungjin, they had found hope and happiness in their lives, so they wanted to thank and support him by sending him their power. Their prayers wishing for Sungjin¡¯s victory were small but desperate and truthful. Pieces of light gathered in Sungjin, and... a golden wing spread among twelve wings. ¡°The thirteenth wing...¡± Pandora¡¯s eyes started to shine intensely. That is the real appearance of the highest angel from the legend. Hebined six lights and six darknesses together, then got everyone¡¯s heart to be the brightest angel. Who would be stronger? A being that found its own light back and... a being that createdplete darkness. The protector who got his power from the people in his world standing on its behalf against the destroyer who absorbed the power from the world that he destroyed. * * * ¡°Please take care of this world. I will not let my darkness swallow it.¡± Everyone was able to hear Sungjin¡¯s will. ¡°Sungjin!¡± Ereka felt something, and screamed out his name, but Sungjin didn¡¯t answer her. He flew toward the dragon of Sungjin of Darkness. ¡°You!¡± The dragon made ck mes rain on Sungjin, but the golden light surrounding him made the fire disappear. ¡°Good, then. I am all in as well.¡± The dark me that made the dragon of darkness started to concentrate on Sungin. Light and darkness shed at one point, and the massive energy from the sh started to destroy time and space. The power from the sh wasn¡¯t simply destroying things; it was strong enough to create something from nothing and to make something disappearpletely. The power destroyed the sacred areapletely. ¡°Aegis!¡± Ereak quickly activated her shield to protect her team. The chaos created from the sh of light and darkness started to condense in one spot as if they were in the process of co-destruction. The shape of two Sungjins started to be one spot and then exploded. The explosion made an energy that was stronger and brighter than the Sun. It was an energy that could create a world. It looked like the ¡°big bang¡± that had created everything. ¡°Oh...¡± Sungjin¡¯s team looked at the energy in outer space in sadness. It seemed like there was nothing that could survive the intense energy storm. Then the light went down, and... There was nothing left. * * * Muninn and Huginn appeared. ¡°The beginning for the world ended here.¡± ¡°What was supposed to disappear disappeared.¡± ¡°Fate has been decided.¡± Finishing their words, the two crows opened the dimension¡¯s gate and flew away, as if they had seen everything they had to. Epilogue Ereka looked at the sky. ¡°Is Sungjin noting back?¡± Or maybe he couldn¡¯t. ¡°So, when that happened...¡± She started to cry. After the final fight, Sungjin hadn¡¯te back. Only his girls hade back to Valha. The world Sungjin had created for his people didn¡¯t copse in his absence. Anyways, Sungjin¡¯s girls were awakened heroes and had strong enough power to keep and continue what Sungjin had started. The world was peaceful. There was no incident where the gates of hell opened and the devils attacked Sungjin¡¯s world. Most of the people in this world didn¡¯t even know that Dark Valha had tried to destroy this world. The world was peaceful as if nothing had happened. But... ¡°Sungjin is not here.¡± Her eyes were filled with tears. She couldn¡¯t even count how many days she had cried and missed him after that day. ¡°Do you think Sungjin would be happy if he knew that you keep crying?¡± Eustasia tried to stop Ereka from crying again. ¡°I know... but... I can¡¯t help myself. Everytime I think of Sungjin... my heart hurts.¡± And Ereka couldn¡¯t stop thinking about him. ¡°Same.¡± Next to Ereka, Rachel was crying. ¡°I miss Sungjin Oppa so much. When I look at the sky, it reminds me of the moment when I looked at it with Sungjin Oppa. And when I look at an apple, the apple reminds me of when I ate an apple with Sungjin Oppa.¡± ¡°Stop crying. Because of you, my Queen is crying again.¡± Jenna tried to stop Rachel from crying, although she was also hiding her tears. ¡°... Your Highness.¡± Zakiya was wearing ck veil that looked like a funeral outfit. She looked at the sky. ¡°But you protected your world. That¡¯s my king.¡± But the king didn¡¯te back. Haha. You¡¯re going to make me a virgin widow. Sungjin left, leaving Zakiya with memories she kept thinking on in sorrow. Sooryun was ying her lute in silence, but her notes told everything. It was obvious that she was missing her lover who had left her. Sungjin had protected this world from the fire that would have swallowed everyone along with it, but he didn¡¯te back. ¡°Sungjin... you told me not to leave people in sorrow.¡± Thinking that he wouldn¡¯te back, Ereka started crying again. Did he trust us so much? Or was that the only choice he had in that situation? The world was so peaceful, but they were in the deepest sorrow. Although leaving as if he weren¡¯ting back anding back without notice was something he would do. * * * Pandora watched everyone in sorrow without a word. Too bad. She wasn¡¯t shedding tears, but she felt some part of her heart hurt. I wanted to see you win and then see what kind of world you would create. But now it was impossible. Grandfather, I think the only answer is that the two were perfectly equal. There was nothing left to study. She had gotten the answer for her grandfather. She didn¡¯t know what to do from now on. He protected his world. His answer was great. But now, since she had the answer, she had no idea what to study anymore. Sungjin was the only subject that made her heart beat. Then, there was a voice from the sky. [I, Sungjin. I am talking to everyone as the only god of this world.] ¡°Sungjin?¡± Everyone was shocked. They had no idea what had happened. * * * Light and darkness. Pouring everything they had into the fight, Sungjin and Sungjin of Darknessmunicated to each other. They both knew they were about to destroy each other. ¡°But why? I¡¯m the one who chose power over everything. This result doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± When Sungjin of Darkness became confused, Sungjin answered, ¡°You are right. You decided to be the strongest.¡± Sungjin admitted that. ¡°But this is a team fight, isn¡¯t it? I have chosen the world where we can be the best as a whole.¡± ¡°As a whole... hahahaha. Hahaha.¡± Sungjin of Darknessughed out loud. ¡°So that¡¯s it. Bing the strongest individual and the strongest as a whole. Those are different things.¡± Sungjin of Darkness crushed everyone and swallowed their power to be the strongest, but Sungjin protected those who could have been his sacrifices to lead them and help them to grow with him. ¡°Yeah. It was a team fight.¡± If it was a one-on-one fight, maybe the result would have been different, but this was a team fight. One destroyed everything while another protected and fostered everything. That made the difference. Because Sungjin of Darkness did everything for his victory... ironically, there were powers that he couldn¡¯t have. When Sungjin of Darkness fought by himself, Sungjin fought with the support from the whole world to fight against the darkness. ¡°Good. It was a good fight.¡± Sungjin of Darkness smiled. ¡°It was a great fight. I¡¯m happy with it.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sungjin was able to understand perfectly what the other Sungjin was talking about. It was a fight they had put everything into without any regret. Although only one would be the winner, both were satisfied. They both understood how that felt because at the end of the day, they were both Sungjin, although they made different choices. ¡°Let¡¯s be destroyed together.¡± Sungjin offered, and Sungjin of Darknessughed. ¡°Hahaha. That is your conclusion? Because you cherish your world more than yourself?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not like that.¡± Sungjin of Darknessughed. ¡°If we meet our co-destruction, we will be following the scenario of god. I¡¯m the most important thing to me.¡± Hell or the world. It didn¡¯t really matter. ¡°I will defeat the god¡¯s n to stop having hispetition.¡± Sungjin of Darkness became a scattered light and darkness. ¡°However we merge, at the end we are one. I will give you the position to be god. I will be with you inside of you.¡± Then he went inside of Sungjin. The power that was separated in the beginning merged inside Sungjin and became one, and all the power they had umted in each Valha merged as well. ¡°You...¡± ¡°You are me. I¡¯m you. Even if you decided to protect your world, I will find a way to keep fighting to be stronger.¡± So nothing would change. The fight might have changed a bit, but Sungjin was still Sungin. All the power of darkness scattered and flew into Sungjin. The whole world merged into him. Bing god: that was the only way to exin what was happening. Time stopped. Sungjin became another being and stepped into another dimension. It was a space that was impossible to describe in words. It was a concept beyond what humans could understand. But Sungjin was able to see the past, the present, and the future, and all the different time zones and everything that was happening in the world. ¡°Where...¡± But Sungjin understood what was happening right away. He was standing in the transcendent space that connected every time and space of Valha. He won the final fight. Or unified. Then, he heard the voice of Golden Valkyrie. [Congrattions on your victory, the new god.] Chapter 154 - Vol. 6 – Episode 22

Chapter 154: Vol. 6 ¨C Episode 22

¡°So I am the winner.¡± Light and darkness. Dawn and dusk. All the power from both worlds were inside Sungjin. [Following the pact the gods made when they created this world, other gods will not intervene in this world. This world is solely yours.] ¡°Got it.¡± Sungjin had a look at Valha. When he became an Arc Master, his consciousness had reached a higher levelpared to when he was a Kaiser. It wasn¡¯t just eternal youth and immortality anymore. He was able to observe and intervene in different parts of the world at the same time now. He was also able to reorganize the world as he saw fit. When he was a Kaiser, he was able to rule the world with his supreme power and give or take the lives of humans as a living godly king, but now he was an Arc Master... I can reorganize the world as I see fit... An absolute God of this world. Kaisers were the top of the existing world, but now Sungjin was able to change the rules, materials, and even energy itself. The difference is like that between the top level in the game and the CEO of the gamepany. [Now, this world is yours. Do whatever pleases you.] The Valkyrie didn¡¯t have to exin more than that. There was no need to. Sungjin already knew a lot of things. He already knew everything that existed before him and what he could do as God. The knowledge and power of God were in him. There was only one thing he had to decide: what to do. ¡°Good. Now you can leave.¡± [Yes. Now we are leaving for good.] This world was only for Sungin, so the messengers from Odin who controlled and managed battles didn¡¯t need to be there anymore. If Sungin needed to, he could create his own servants. And Sungjin had to create his territory as God. Sungjin could name it heaven, paradise, or anything he wanted to call it. As the only God, he could look down on his world and y with it, or he could stay in his ce and send his double to his world. Sungjin could also stay in his world as his own double or bring them all up to him as demi-god. ¡°What should I do first?¡± Sungjin thought for a second. He could create some kind of protectors or a pce of God with a paradise. He could also create heaven and hell next to each other and ce the battlefield in-between. And the first thing Sungjin decided to do as God was... ¡°Great. I will change the game of Valha.¡± So that the game could stay as a game. Anyone could enter the battlefield, and more people coulde and join. He decided to make it so everyone could enjoy the game, so he decided to make more battlefields and to make them open all the time. But countries or lives wouldn¡¯t be at stake. ¡°A game is a game. Nobody can abuse others as a result.¡± Although Sungjin had taken everything through the game, a world with endless war couldn¡¯t be a happy ce. There was only misery when people had to die and lose their dignity as a result of a battle and be ves to the winner. There would still be reward, honor, and achievement but it wouldn¡¯t be a war anymore; it would be a game that people could y and enjoy. ¡°That¡¯s what a game¡¯s supposed to be, right?¡± Losers would get their egos hurt, but that was all. And the world reshaped itself as Sungjin wanted. That was the power of God, the creator of the world, and his joy. Then, Sungjin created four dragon gods. Red, blue, white and ck. Sungjin used his favorite colors, and four dragon gods appeared and bowed down in front of him. [We are presenting ourselves to our creator and the only God.] Four dragon gods had massive power beyond a human¡¯s level, but to Sungjin, they were just part of his creations. ¡°I give you the power so that you can protect this world. When beings from outer space try to attack this world, you should stop them.¡± [Your wish is ourmand.] ¡°Good. I should give you your territory and ces to stay.¡± Sungjin created four small spaces orbiting around Valha. ¡°Since I decided to open the game to everyone, I should provide variety for the people.¡± He wanted to give people chances to enjoy games of different genres. When Sungjin wanted it, various ¡°gaming ces¡± appeared all around Valha. It was not a ce to y with aputer or a console, but it was a ¡°real VR space¡± that was unimaginable in scale. There were dungeons, one-on-onebat, and many other different games. ¡°Hmm. Good.¡± When he was satisfied with his creation, four dragon gods asked him: [So, are you happy with your new world?] ¡°No, not yet. There¡¯s still the most important thing that I need to do.¡± [What is that?] Sungjin smiled. Although he was now God, he was still yful Sungjin. ¡°Eliminate the difference between Hero ss and Extra ss.¡± He ended the era where only the special ss could be born with special power through their bloodline. ¡°So now power will be distributed equally. And the representatives who will run the government will be elected. Bloodline or individual power won¡¯t be factors that will decide the government. And...¡± The next was the real thing: ¡°I distribute my power to everyone equally.¡± [How can you give God¡¯s power to humans!?] The four dragon gods were shocked. ¡°Because that is how I will make the world that I wanted.¡± Natural human rights that were given by God. And he did it not just by providing power to humans as God, but by distributing his power as God to everyone¡ªjust like what he had dered in front of Ereka at the beginning. Now every human being will be special with a piece of God. Everyone will have their dignity and free will to y games and enjoy. Now, people can vote and decide how to run this world. Their decisions won¡¯t be perfect. They¡¯ll make mistakes, but they will learn from them and find a better way, because democracy evolves through trial and error. The idea that everyone was equal as creatures who contained a piece of God would run this world. Sungjin became a light and scattered all around the world. Everyone in Valha saw that thirteen wings covered up their sky. White light and ck darkness made a harmonious golden wing that was like sunlight in order to show everyone it was the beginning of the new era. The extras were no longer the bounty of battles but equal individuals with equal rights. Now it was the work of history to decide how to live in this world where everyone was equal as a part of God. It was a difficult task but a valuable one. ¡°So those who were limited because you were extras, stand up now and reach your potential. And if you want...¡± Sungjin articted hisst words with a gesture of his hands. ¡°... You don¡¯t have to be an audience. Now you can enjoy the game.¡± Sungin invited everyone to his game. It would be a shame if only a few people could enjoy my games. * * * And... ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Not as God but as a human, just like when they had met him for the first time. Sungjin came back to his girls, who were waiting for him. ¡°Sungjin!¡± Everyone called out his name and ran into his arms. ¡°Well, now I¡¯m back to level 0.¡± He had distributed all his power to everyone. He was no longer God. Although he had given up everything as God and had be human again, he was still confident as if he still had everything. What he pursued was beyond what God could do. ¡°But in my new world, even a level 0 or an extra can enjoy the game.¡± Sungjin smiled and continued. ¡°So now I¡¯m nning to be a pro-gamer so that the world can watch me y.¡± Not as God. ¡°Want to join?¡± He was back where he started¡ªlevel 0¡ªbut he was offering everyone to join him again. ¡°With pleasure.¡± The girls smiled with tears and hugged him. [You are not nning to tell them that you can take the power back anytime you want?] The dragon gods in the outer world asked Sungin. Well, if I let them know that an omni God is watching them, people won¡¯t learn how to do it by themselves. Anyways, they need to learn from their mistakes, both in democracy and in gaming. If the world would hopelessly go toward self-destruction, Sungjin nned to give a hint of God¡¯s miracle. I shared the power to this immature world. I should also take care of it. But that was all he would do. You guys shouldn¡¯t intervene with what is happening in this world. You should just protect it. [Your wish is ourmand.] And, above all, the game was more fun... When I was level 0. To make the game interesting, he wanted this kind of disadvantage. ¡°What are you thinking, Sungjin?¡± Ereka asked, and Sungjin simply smiled. ¡°Nothing. I was thinking about which game I should y first.¡± ¡°Which one do you want to y?¡± ¡°Should I start dating everyone now?¡± Everyone who had waited for him and had supported him with their everything. ¡°Oh my.¡± ¡°But this is not a game. It is a real thing.¡± ¡°... Great,¡± everyone answered at once. And Pandora raised her hand next to them. ¡°I want to be a candidate as well. While you were gone, I confirmed that you are my biggest interest.¡± And he was also her destiny. ¡°Pff, sure. Anytime.¡± I will take all of you, Sungjin answered with his spirit that made him able to embrace the world. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!