《The Divine Twilight's Return》 Chapter 1: Underworld, Invitation (1)

Chapter 1: Underworld, Invitation (1)

[The jury vote regarding the Divine Trial of ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ has begun!] People always looked for gods in times of need. It didn¡¯t matter whether the god was the Great Jade Emperor or Buddha. The list went on¡ªOdin, Shiva, Ahura Mazda, Ah, or even the ancestral god of one¡¯s family. The god they usually believed in woulde to mind first. They would pray for help attaining the things they wished for. However, if that ¡®god¡¯ ended up in a crisis¡­ Who would they look for then? [Compiling the votes.] [Compiling the votes.] ¡­ [Comption isplete. The result will soon be announced.] [The result of the vote¡­] * * * The rushing waves crashed roughly against the rocks. ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ gradually dispersed the fog in his mind while listening to the sound. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ The unfamiliar scene before him made him squint. A gloomy gray sky, a river that flowed with ck water, a dark beach, and an almost-copsed ferry slip¡ªhe had never seen his surroundings before in his entire life. ¡®Huh? I died, didn¡¯t I?¡¯ In truth, the word ¡®annihted¡¯ would be more urate. After all, the concept of death only applied to mortals. ¡®My divine ss, essence, faith, and rank¡­ They¡¯ve all been downgraded by force. My divinity has been severed, and my divine power has disappeared too. But¡­ Why haven¡¯t I gone mad?¡¯ He had been trying to open his system window for some time. [Unable to open system window.] [Unable to open system window.] [The system connection is unstable in this world. Please contact an administrator for more details.] Or¡­ [ess permission denied.] Only such messages popped up. Ever since that day, he had been unable to open the screen that had once apanied him everywhere he went. It was a bit frustrating. Just as he was wondering about his next move, however¡­ [Someone is approaching.] Swish, swoosh! Out of nowhere, a boat appeared in the midst of the river and floated toward him. Rattle! The boat smoothly docked at the ferry slip. On it, there was a boatman wearing a straw hat and a middle-aged man wearing a fancy ceremonial suit. ¡°Divine Twilight¡­ Are you Lee Chang-Sun?¡± the middle-aged man called out. At that moment, the eyes of ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ widened a bit. Lee Chang-Sun was his real name, which he had long since buried deep in his heart. ¡°Father, Lee Jo-Myung. Mother, So Yu-Ha. Born on December 25th, 2001, in the Republic of Korea, on Earth. Your name means ¡®a bright and generous person¡¯.¡± The middle-aged man continued to read out the things listed in his notepad, and ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯¡ªno, Chang-Sun¡ªfelt his mind starting to nk out. ¡°In 2027, you ended up on the ¡®Arcadia¡¯ for an unknown reason, and became a ¡®star¡¯ after a series of tribtions¡­ Ironically, despite your name, you killed hundreds of deities in ¡®that¡¯ conflict. Just reading about it gives me goosebumps, fiend,¡± the middle-aged man said, shaking his head. However, there was no sign of terror on his face. ¡°Then, you got caught and were put on trial. Based on the records, I should be looking at the right person. Are you not going to answer¡­?¡± The middle-aged man paused, taking an unnecessarily deep breath in the middle of his sentence. Whoosh! Chang-Sun abruptly sank into a low crouch, then in the blink of an eye, chopped at the man¡¯s throat with his hand. [Initiating attack.] It was clear that the man would lose his head if he did nothing. However, he quickly drew his sword and deflected Chang-Sun''s attack to one side. sh! [Due to your revoked status, this skill is currently unusable.] [Substituting with skilled hand-to-handbat.] However, Chang-Sun did not stop attacking. Like snakes darting forth to snatch prey, his hands continued unleashing a coordinated flurry of attacks. Bam, bam, bam!? Each of his blows was powerful enough to mutte part of the man¡¯s body. After blocking Chang-Sun¡¯s attacks consecutively for some time, the man broke out into a cold sweat, leaping backward andnding on the surface of the river far away from Chang-Sun. Bang! The man¡¯snding sent a spray of water high into the air. He looked perplexed, shaking his head in astonishment as he eximed, ¡°Huh? What the¡­! Has your divine essence really been taken away? How can your attacks be this powerful even under the restraint of Divine Steel?¡± Chang-Sun was known as a fiend among the deities of Arcadia, but the man had taken this mission too casually. Now, he was regretting it. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun¡¯s face crumpled. The moment he took a few steps to attack the man, a restraining device made of steel chains had appeared to subdue him. ng, clunk! He was well aware of what they were. [Currently under a restriction. Unable to move without permission.] Divine Steel shackles. They were a restraining device capable of turning even a deity with supreme authority into a being less powerful than a mere mortal the moment it touched them. They were also the device Chang-Sun had worn during his divine trial. He had assumed the device was gone because he couldn¡¯t see it anymore. However, it seemed he had been wearing it the whole time; it had just been invisible to the naked eye. Due to the restriction, Chang-Sun could no longer move. The only choice he had left was to re at the suspicious people in front of him, asking, ¡°Who are you?¡± The man heaved a sigh of relief, then slowly bowed. He said, much more politely than before, ¡°Sigh, if I knew things would turn out this way, I would have started with the self-introduction. I apologize. I am Yool, the top-rank reaper of the Underworld.¡± Chang-Sun squinted heavily and asked, ¡°Underworld? Is this thend of the dead, then?¡± ¡°Correct. You are looking at the River Styx, and this man is Charon the Boatman.¡± Pulling his hat over his eyes, the boatman nodded. ¡°I heard that a deity who underwent a divine trial couldn¡¯t avoid being annihted. What am I doing in thend of the dead?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Well, it is because you are under our jurisdiction,¡± Yool replied. ¡°Jurisdiction?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡°Yes. It is a bit of aplicated story¡­ We can talk about the details while we walk. There is a man who brought you to this ce by invitation,¡± Yool exined, smiling slightly. * * * ¡°You see, Arcadia is totally different from Earth, the world you originally resided in.¡± Swish! Every time Charon rowed with all his might, the boat slid quickly down the River Styx. Chang-Sun listened to Yool, watching the water ripple gently across the bow of the boat as it moved through the water. It was hard to see through the opaque waters of the Styx. He asked, ¡°Is it rted to the jurisdiction thing you talked about?¡± ¡°Of course it is. People live and die ording to the death lists¡ªlists in which people¡¯s lifespans and fates are written down. However, who could have known? The death lists can only be used in the ces where they were written,¡± Yool responded. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°At some point, one of them managed to escape, vanishing without a trace.¡± A beam of light shone before Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes, surrounded by the ripples of distorted space. Ever since that day, the system window had filled one of his eyes.? ¡°If a single list goes missing, it causes a lot of trouble¡­ We put in a lot of effort to find it. As it turns out, it ended up in a very strange ce,¡± Yool exined. ¡°Was that Arcadia?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Yes. It drove me crazy. I assumed the owner of that list would just live longer than an average human, but no one could ever have guessed you would be a deity like that!¡± Yool replied, bitterness evident on his face as he continued, ¡°On top of that, you made too much of a mess there¡­To hush things up and bring you back, we had to pay a hefty price.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Memories of the many twists and turns of fortune he had endured coursed through Chang-Sun¡¯s mind. ¡®Earth...¡¯ He had left his hometown so many centuries in the past that he could barely remember it. To be honest, he had remembered the name ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ only after Yool said it to him. That alone showed how little longing he had left for the life he had lived on Earth. Thus, he only became more curious about why they were looking for him. Though he wasn¡¯t sure what kind of price they had paid, one thing was for sure¡ªif they had revived him, there had to be something they wanted from him. He asked, ¡°Why did you go through all the trouble of bringing me here? It would have been better to let me be annihted over there than to im me like this.¡± Yool shrugged and replied, ¡°Who knows? I was just following orders.¡± ¡°Then who¡¯s your boss, the one who made this decision?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Thanatos,¡± Yool replied in a solemn tone. ¡°He is the head of Tartarus and Erebus. Some people refer to him as the King of Underworld.¡± Chang-Sun nodded. If Thanatos oversaw the four phases of human life, he had to be in a pretty high-ranking position. He no doubt had a lot of power. ¡°We have arrived,¡± Yool said. Before anyone knew it, the boat had arrived at a ferry slip next to the river mouth. It was much bigger than the one they had departed from. Souls were lined up on it, leading all the way inside a grand pce. ¡°It would take at least 49 days if we headed that way. Follow me. We are going to take a different path,¡± Yool said. Chang-Sun followed after Yool and quickly bypassed the line. The reapers in charge of the line saluted Yool simultaneously. * * * After they passed the crowd, Yool used a skill Chang-Sun recognized as Space Folding. Many ces flickered into view and disappeared. [This is the ¡®Burning Hell¡¯.] [This is the ¡®Freezing Hell¡¯.] ... [You have safely passed all of the Ten Hells in thend of the dead.] A pit of fire with souls trapped inside appeared, followed by a forest densely filled with frozen trees. Most of the souls trapped in the hells were ordinary, but there were some celestial beings among them as well. ¡°What is that?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Oh, right. You were a fighting deity before you became a fiend. That must be why you are interested,¡± Yool replied. ¡°It just caught my eye,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°They are the ¡®fallen stars¡¯,¡± Yool said. ¡°Fallen stars?¡± Upon hearing the unfamiliar phrase, Chang-Sun tilted his head sideways in confusion. ¡®Star¡¯ usually referred to beings who shone brilliantly, and thus decorated the sky beautifully. s, they were very prideful. If they fell, they would generally choose annihtion rather than to remain in such a pitiful state. ¡°Judging the sins of the dead is not Tartarus¡¯s only job,¡± Yool exined. ¡°Then?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°We also seal demonic and evil deities who push the world into a crisis in the abyss,¡± Yool continued. Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened a bit. He asked, ¡°Why haven''t I heard about that before?¡± ¡°That¡¯s understandable. It would ruin Heaven''s image, so why would they bber about it?¡± Yool replied. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chang-Sun mused. ¡°Those people were sentenced tobor, either because their sins were considered light offenses or because they were almost finished serving their sentences. Of course, thatbor would not be easy either,¡± Yool exined. On some level, Chang-Sun could grasp why Heaven stayed vignt against the Underworld and tried to not talk about it. He could also guess what kind of deal the Underworld had made with Arcadia. ¡°Right this way,¡± Yool said as they finally arrived at their destination after their long walk. Before them stood a towering castle that soared endlessly into the distance. They passed through its dark red gate, then crossed the main road where several officials busily came and went. In the innermost area, they reached the castle¡¯s entrance. ¡°I, the top-rank reaper Yool, have brought ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ safely to this ce as you have ordered, sir.¡± ¡ºEnter.¡» A deep, resonant voice rang out as the front gate opened, and a strong wind blew. Chang-Sun¡¯s expression stiffened reflexively as the wind swept over him. [Immense energy overwhelms you!] Whoosh! Chang-Sun had heard stories about the King of the Underworld, but it was beyond his wildest expectations. Wasn¡¯t the King of the Underworld one of the highest-rank stars? The darkness writhed, looking almost as if it wanted to devour him. [The eyes in the darkness are observing you.] Death was a power feared by all living beings, even deities. Just then, it had bared its brutal fangs. Even if he were to fight after regaining his status, Chang-Sun wouldn¡¯t be able to guarantee the oue. That was why¡­ Badump! Badump! ¡®¡­I think this will be fun.¡¯ Chang-Sun could feel his heart beating for the first time since he entered the Underworld. Chapter 2: Underworld, Invitation (2)

Chapter 2: Underworld, Invitation (2)

Within the castle, Chang-Sun saw a wise-looking man sitting on a grand throne. ¡°Ever since I received the report, the thought of what an absurd being you might be came to my mind. However, I suppose I underestimated your absurdity,¡± said the man. He was Thanatos, the King of the Underworld. As Chang-Sun revealed his desire to fight, Thanatos looked at him unhappily. Thanatos¡¯ divine ss was so high that he couldpel most deities to kneel, and yet the man whose deity status had been revoked was still standing upright. At the same time, however, Thanatos was also satisfied with his decision to choose the man before him for the job he had in mind. ¡°Have you ever thought of where you might have ended up after you died, if you had kept living on Earth instead of ending up in Arcadia?¡± he asked, seemingly at random. Chang-Sun had wanted to ask about Thanatos¡¯ purpose for bringing him here first, but he just shrugged, thinking there had to be a reason. He simply replied, ¡°Not really. I haven¡¯t thought of it.¡± ¡°You would have gone to hell,¡± Thanatos said simply. ¡°Why?¡± Chang-Sun asked. Thanatos adjusted his sses, picking up the report about Chang-Sun on his desk. He began, ¡°You were an active professional gamer in 2024.¡± ¡°And?¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°On June 21, you cursed very badly. While ying the game with a five-member party, you used all the curse words in the world and raged against your colleague for trolling. Those words hurt your colleague¡¯s heart very deeply,¡± Thanatos exined. ¡°...¡± Chang-Sun remained silent. ¡°Yool, what kind of punishment would he have received then?¡± Thanatos asked. Yool stood upright beside them as he answered in a disciplined tone, ¡°Sir, he would receive the punishment of having his tongue plucked out for fifteen days, and having his soul scorched in the Condemning Hell.¡± ¡°Exactly so,¡± Thanatos said. Chang-Sun was so dumbfounded that he was speechless, but Thanatos continued, paying no heed to him, ¡°On April 9th, 2020, your friend was heartbroken from his breakup, so he asked you for a drink. However, you ignored him while ying a game, didn¡¯t you? That alone was enough to send you to the Scorning Hell.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°On November 10th, 2018, you skipped your lesson and went to a PC bang. Then you lied to your parents. In September of 2017, you stepped on several ants while you were going to school. Oh no! Those were poor creatures who were bringing food to their fellows. How sad. That¡¯s murder, so unfortunately, you would have had to spend four days in the Serpent Hell.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°In April of 2009, you were nine years old. You identally peed while you slept, but then you yed innocent by framing your dog. There¡¯s nothing worse than framing, tsk! That would have added ten more days in the Condemning Hell.¡± Each time Thanatos listed his sins one by one, Chang-Sun¡¯s expression contorted in a strange way. In contrast, the corners of Thanatos¡¯ lips lifted upward as if he were having an excessive amount of fun. He continued, ¡°On top of that, you even failed to date any women in your twenty-six years on Earth¡­That would have meant six days in the Pitch-ck Hell. Tsk tsk, whatever shall we do?¡± ¡°...What on earth are you trying to pull?¡± Chang-Sun finally snapped in annoyance. If not for the Divine Steel shackles on his hands and feet, he would have punched Thanatos for saying such ridiculous things with a straight face. Thanatos crossed his legs,ying down the report in his hands. He said, ¡°I was just joking. You may have had too much of a desire to win, but you lived a pretty ordinary life on Earth. However, you became a totally different person after you ended up in Arcadia.¡± After reading Chang-Sun¡¯s report for the first time, Thanatos¡¯ evaluation had been very simple. ¡®He fought like a rabid dog.¡¯ In his seven years as a professional gamer, there had been several instances of Chang-Sun being severely criticized for the way his obsessive desire to win affected matches. However, the real problem was that his obsession with winning had taken a turn for the worse in Arcadia. When Chang-Sun first ended up in Arcadia, he had arrived on a battlefield in the midst of a battle fought by many soldiers. Until then, he had been an ordinary young man who was just a fanatical gamer; he had never even had a single Taekwondo lesson in his neighborhood. However, he had wished to survive, and thus picked up a spear from the ground. He had fought and won, and in doing so, realized his talent. The more he fought, the stronger he had be. The more tribtions he went through, the more powerful he had grown. The electrifying thrill and joy he got in the process had driven him to the battlefield again and again. That was probably when Chang-Sun had begun to treat everything in the world like a ¡®game¡¯. He had only focused on ¡®leveling up¡¯, and considered all the abilities he received to be just like skills in a game. That process had continued until it eventually culminated in a war against several deities. At present, he seemed very cool-headed, but there was nothing cool orposed inside him¡­ No, he was a fiend. A monster, battle-crazed and warlike. ¡°So, what do you want to talk about? And what¡¯s your reason for reviving me?¡± Chang-Sun growled. He was not going to let it slide if Thanatos continued with his needless thering. ¡°I want you to do a job for me,¡± Thanatos said. ¡°...A job?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Yes. There are some deities who are trying to manipte humans, breaking the Oath in the process. I would like you to go to the Saha World and seal them on my behalf,¡± Thanatos exined. At that moment, Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes sparkled. He asked, ¡°Are you going to reincarnate me?¡± ¡°To be urate, I¡¯ll be returning you to the ce where you originally belonged,¡± Thanatos said as he lightly snapped his fingers. Flick! The scenery around them changed, revealing the image of a universe filled with multiple clusters of stars. Beneath his feet, Chang-Sun could see Earth, the blue he had long since left. He stared at it, mesmerized. Watching Chang-Sun¡¯s reaction, Thanatos burst intoughter. He said, ¡°Your eyes are gonna pop out if you continue. I thought your emotions had all dried up by now, but I guess that wasn¡¯t really the case, huh?¡± Chang-Sun had growled like a wolf after enduring Thanatos¡¯ energy, but at that moment, he was like a docilemb as he replied, ¡°No matter what happens¡­ It¡¯s my hometown.¡± In truth, even Chang-Sun was surprised with himself. He had truly believed he had forgotten everything about Earth. However, when he saw it with his own eyes, old memories reappeared one by one from the deepest depths of his mind. Then, an unfamiliar emotion spread throughout the corners of his heart¡ªit was nostalgia. ¡°You¡¯re going to freak out when you watch what¡¯s about to happen,¡± Thanatos said. ¡°What?¡± Chang-Sun eximed. Earth suddenly began growingrger. The continent of Eurasia came into view, before the disy zoomed in on the Korean Penins. It zoomed in further on South Korea, and then to Seoul, then to Songpa-gu and Jamsil. Afterward, it kept going, focusing on the Jamsil station intersection that held the Lotte World Tower. And there¡­ was Chang-Sun, walking along the crosswalk between Exit Six and Seven in the middle of the night. ¡°...!¡± Chang-Sun eximed wordlessly. For a moment, he felt as if he were suffocating. After his retirement as a professional gamer, he had suffered from lethargy because he couldn¡¯t feel the excitement and energy from the matches anymore. Due to that, he was utterly dejected and always drunk, seldom leaving the house. That day had been just like any other. The alcohol in his house had happened to run out, so he had dropped by the convenience store. However, while returning to his home, he had gotten caught up in a Dungeon Break. He had never been sure whether he had just missed the street sign because he waspletely wasted, or if he had just been so unlucky as to have gotten caught up in a Random Break. The only clear memory in his mind was of finding himself standing in the midst of a battlefield in Arcadia by the time he came back to his senses. However¡­ The frozen scene being shown on Earth was from right before all those things had happened. Right before the Dungeon Break had urred. ¡°I¡¯ll be sending you here,¡± Thanatos said. Naturally, Chang-Sun¡¯s gaze was fixed on Thanatos. ¡°Like I told you, focus on sealing some deities on my behalf. That¡¯s the punishment I¡¯ll be sentencing you to,¡± Thanatos said. ¡°...Why are you giving me this chance?¡± Chang-Sun asked. If there was one thing Chang-Sun had learned after ending up in Arcadia, it was the fact that every act of goodwill had a price. Anyone who granted a favor no doubt nned to receive ten times its cost in return. One corner of Thanatos¡¯ mouth turned up. He replied, ¡°Because you¡¯re the perfect man to hunt those things.¡± ¡°Those things?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°I¡¯m talking about deities from the Otherworld. Starting from the deities in Arcadia, such as Ahura Mazda, Dava, Chen¡­ There are a lot of them,¡± Thanatos said. Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Did they do something?¡± ¡°The Dungeon Break you experienced, why do you think that urred out of nowhere?¡± Thanatos asked. Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone. He replied, ¡°Breaking the Oath¡­ So that¡¯s what you meant. Does that mean they covet Earth?¡± ¡°Yes. They haven¡¯t revealed their intentions, but they¡¯re approaching Earth in secret,¡± Thanatos answered. Every deity craved faith, as it was the source of their power. The best way to gain faith happened to entail conquerings that had civilizations on them. ¡°Why isn''t the Underworld doing anything about it?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°They¡¯re using the loopholes of the Oath too well. We don¡¯t have sufficient justification to intervene. But¡­¡± Thanatos paused, his lips curling into a cold smile as he continued, ¡°It would be a whole different story if a ¡®human¡¯ dealt with those kinds of beings. The Oath doesn¡¯t say anything about that¡­ Besides, you know them pretty well.¡± As Thanatos said those final words, the same sort of cold smile spread across Chang-Sun¡¯s face. He replied, ¡°So are you telling me I¡¯m your hound? Are you going to throw me away after you finish hunting?¡± ¡°No, this is just abor sentence. After the work is done, I¡¯ll free you from your chains and give you a new life,¡± Thanatos said. ¡°...Hm,¡± Chang-Sun mused. ¡°If you don¡¯t like the term ¡®sentence¡¯, we can call it a deal. How does that sound? Isn¡¯t it a good deal for you, too?¡± Thanatos asked. Chang-Sun quietly nodded. As Thanatos said, it was definitely not a bad deal for him. In truth, he still had unresolved grudges against the deities of the Otherworld. Besides that, he was not the sort of pushover who would leave those deities alone after finding out they were the entire reason he had been dragged into the Otherworld. After being stripped of his deity status, he had lost his power, but he had still earned it once. He was confident he could regain it. Above all, however, it seemed that some part of him wished to get his ordinary life back. However, Chang-Sun did not hastily answer in the affirmative. There was no trust between him and Thanatos, so he would not be so gullible as to believe everything that had been said. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not asking you to seal all of them alone without any backup. Without that, you¡¯ll just fade away from running out of power like thest time. So, I¡¯ll give you a gift,¡± Thanatos said. ¡°What would that be?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Authority,¡± Thanatos said, the smile remaining on his face. ¡°¡­?¡± Chang-Sun briefly fell silent in shock. Shortly after, his expression conveyed how ludicrous he thought the idea was as he asked, ¡°Is it okay for you to give away things like that? It sounds as if it goes against thews of the Underworld.¡± ¡°Laws of the Underworld¡­ Well, all the borders of life and death are under my supervision. I could say it¡¯s an imperial gift to an agent of mine. Anyway, are you willing to do this?¡± Thanatos asked. ¡°If you¡¯re even giving me that¡­ I have no reason to decline,¡± Chang-Sun said with a nod, grinning widely. He knew that if Thanatos truly kept the promise, he could grow much stronger than before. He had run into limitations as a former mortal, but Thanatos was offering to lift those limitations. ¡°Okay. Then the deal is sealed,¡± Thanatos said with a satisfied smile before turning around. Behind him were various reapers and agents standing in a row, including Yool. He continued, ¡°Now, we¡¯ll begin the reincarnation, no, regression. Everyone, get ready to open the Door of Reincarnation!¡± 1. These are a specific kind of inte cafe popr in Korea, where people can y games on high-specputers. 2. A Buddhist term that refers to the mundane world we live in. 3. A term used in Korean webnovels as part of the popr ¡®dungeon¡¯ genre. It refers to a phenomenon where monsters or other magical phenomena ¡®break out¡¯ from a Dungeon (here referring to an otherworldly realm) into the real world through the formation of a ¡®Gate¡¯. So in this case, Chang-Sun was transported through the Gate that formed. The term ¡®Random Break¡¯ will be exined in the next chapter. 4. There is a saying in Korea about how hunting hounds are discarded by their owners when they be useless. Chapter 3: Star, Regress (1)

Chapter 3: Star, Regress (1)

¡°Do not forget this. You will be regressing as a human, not a deity, so you will have no power or divinity. It will be a whole new start for you,¡± Yool warned Chang-Sun. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°Additionally, your soul is still bound by Divine Steel shackles. Although their functions are inactive right now, they will be activated again if they sense any suspicious activity from you. So, be careful,¡± Yool added. ¡°When will you stop exining things? My ears are going to hurt,¡± Chang-Sun grumbled. ¡°...Then, let us go now,¡± Yool responded. ¡°Let¡¯s meet again if we have a chance,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°You must always remember that you are an agent empowered by the King of the Underworld,¡± Yool concluded. Just like that, Chang-Sun¡¯s previous life began again. * * * [Sessfully passed through the Door of Reincarnation!] [essing a new server. Downloading necessary data for smooth operation.] [Updating the system. Please wait for a moment.] ... [Your current status is ¡®Administrator¡¯.] ... It was dizzying. That was the first thought that entered Chang-Sun¡¯s mind after he passed through the Door of Reincarnation. He had been told that, since he would be entering apletely different world and timeline altogether, the pressure on his degraded soul would be immense. Indeed, it truly was. [This is ¡®Earth¡¯.] Paah! As soon as Chang-Sun came to, he opened his eyes without dy. [Achievement unlocked!] ¡°A regressor with the memory of a previous life.¡± Reward: Intact memory. All stats +5. Marveling at the fact that even such a thing could be an achievement, Chang-Sun moved the information window aside and quickly observed his surroundings. ¡°W-What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°A Gate suddenly appearing? I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing!¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t the Council helping us?!¡± Murmur murmur. Chang-Sun was in a wide open forest. In the midst of an empty clearing, several people stood, perplexed. Every one of them had ck hair and eyes, which would have been a rare sight in Arcadia. Even thenguage they used was familiar¡ªit was Korean. ¡®I¡¯ve returned for real,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. For the briefest of moments, he was overwhelmed with emotion. Soon, however, his gaze turned sharp. Technically, this ce wasn¡¯t Earth. It was a Dungeon that had broken out on Earth. On April 6th, 2027, an Instance Dungeon had appeared in Jamsil Station Intersection. ¡°First, I believe I need to ask for your understanding in one matter.¡± ¡°Understanding?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to wake up on Earth, but it¡¯s not really Earth. It¡¯s not really easy to open a conduit to a world without being detected by anyone.¡± ¡°Then where will I wake up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Before Chang-Sun went through the Door of Reincarnation, Thanatos had given him several precautions about things he had to keep in mind. One of them had been about the location Chang-Sun would appear in when he regressed. ¡®A Dungeon is a fragment of a shattered world¡­ Thanatos said he would use it as a bypass,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Thanatos had also asked for Chang-Sun¡¯s understanding about the dy before he could meet his family, but Chang-Sun actually preferred the idea of appearing in the Dungeon. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to find a way to train his alcohol-wasted body if he went back home directly, so Thanatos had saved him a little bit of trouble. Of course, the civilians who had gone out to a high street to spend their Friyay, wouldn¡¯t be so happy to be swallowed up in a Dungeon. ¡°Sh-Shit¡­! Let me go!¡± ¡°Oh my god! What am I going to do?!¡± Some faint-hearted people even copsed on the floor and burst into tears. A Random Break, otherwise known as an ¡®Unpredictable Gate¡¯, was a Dungeon Break that happened with no forewarning or telltale signs, and had a one-in-a-million chance of urring. It would close only after inflicting dreadful damage on those unlucky people who got caught up in it. An outbreak in a big city like Seoul would have a bigger aftermath than usual because of how many people it dragged in. However, as always, the Dungeon was apathetic toward the stories of those who had been pulled into it. [Wee to the Instance Dungeon ¡®The Forest of Firewielders¡¯.] [Current number of participants: 431 people.] Crackle! For a split second, the message window that had appeared over people¡¯s heads made an unusual noise. [An error has urred!] [Found an omitted participant.] [Counting again.] [Current number of participants: 432 people.] The ordinary civilians, whose faces had already turned paper-white, they could not afford to think too deeply about an ¡®error¡¯ that had only appeared for a brief moment. [Evaluating the strength of the participants in the Dungeon. Assigning a quest at the appropriate difficulty.] [Commencing the Dungeon Quest!] [Quest theme: Pioneer.] [Eliminate the monsters that roam in ¡®The Forest of Firewielders,¡¯ then climb up to the top of the hill that lies beyond the forest.] [The forest is divided into five sectors. Different monsters reside in each sector. Be aware that the methods required to pioneer each sector will also be different.] [To execute the quest, every participant has been granted ess to the , , and .] [Instructions are clearly provided below, so please refer to the documentation.] [Best wishes to all participants.] [The first sector has been opened.] As soon as the messages stopped popping up, Chang-Sun sprang forward. ¡°H-Hey, that man¡­!¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± The other people present were taken aback and tried to stop him, but Chang-Sun had already entered the danger zone. ¡°Is¡­ Is he a yer?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he too ordinary to be a yer¡­?¡± No matter how low the rank of a yer was, their presence was different from that of an ordinary civilian. As they could not sense anything different about Chang-Sun, the ordinary civilians could not help but be concerned about him. ¡°But¡­ Doesn¡¯t he look familiar?¡± ¡°I think I saw him on TV.¡± Just then, some people who frequently watched professional gaming broadcasts remembered Chang-Sun and were surprised. ¡°No way, is he the ¡®Tyrant¡¯?¡± * * * ¡°My body is really a mess,¡± Chang-Sun said, frowning deeply as he ran. The muddy ground that sank beneath his feet was a problem in its own right. However, he had a bigger problem¡ªafter running for only a short time, he was already out of breath. First, he needed to urately understand his condition. He called out, ¡°Open system window.¡± [Unable to open the system window.] [No ess to the system. Qualifications have been revoked.] ... [The system has been partially updated.] [Opening the system window with ¡®Administrator¡¯ status.] [Lee Chang-Sun] Divine Name: Divine Twilight? Title: ??? (Error) Faction: ??? (Error) Strength: ??? (Unknown) Agility: ??? (Unknown) Stamina: ??? (Unknown) Divinity: ??? (Unknown) Acquired Skills ?? Lv.??? (Illegible) ??? Lv.??? (Illegible) ??? Lv.??? (Illegible) ... Acquired Authorities ??? Lv.??? (Illegible) ... Special note: A considerable amount of information is illegible and cannot be essed. Additional Stats: 5 The position of ¡®Administrator¡¯ was simr to that of the Underworld Reapers. Although Chang-Sun had been given abor sentence, the Underworld had granted him some power to carry out his mission more smoothly on Earth. Due to that, he was able to check his status window. However, the contents left him dumbfounded. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s an absolute mess,¡± he grumbled. As Chang-Sun had been a deity before regressing into mortal form, it was no wonder that the status window failed to properly reflect his current status. Fortunately, his divine name remained, but he felt as if even that could go away at any moment. ¡®Though¡­ Where is the thing the King of the Underworld was going to give me?¡¯ Chang-Sun squinted. Even after scanning through the status window multiple times, he was unable to find Thanatos¡¯ ¡®gift¡¯. Wondering if he had gotten ripped off, he frowned. [Renewing the window based on updated data.] [Lee Chang-Sun] Divine Name: Divine Twilight (Unusable) Title: None Faction: Underworld Level: 0 Strength: 1 Agility: 3 Stamina: 2 Mana: 0 Acquired Skills ¨D Acquired Authorities Soul Exploitation Lv.1 (New!) Execution Sword Lv.1 (New!) Special Note: Upon the confirmation of degraded status, all previous information has been reset. Please check the newly granted authorities. Additional stat points: 5 ¡®...Fortunately, I haven¡¯t been ripped off,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. He quickly tapped on Thanatos¡¯ ¡®gift¡¯ with his index finger. [Soul Exploitation] A privilege that can only be used by the emissary recognized by the King of the Underworld. The soul of a being killed by the emissary can be locked in storage and burned in the fires of Purgatory, after which the emissary can extract its karma. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Authority. ¡¤ Effects: Wound treatment, body strengthening. [Execution Sword] A privilege that can only be used by the emissary recognized by the King of the Underworld. The emissary will be able to substitute for the King of the Underworld in the execution of Divine Punishment, limited to the sinners who have broken the ¡®Oath¡¯. After being put through a ¡®Trial¡¯, the sinner will be sealed proportional to the gravity of the offense. As a reward, the emissary will be granted the opportunity to extract a portion of the sinners¡¯ Authorities. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Authority. ¡¤ Effects: Execution of divine punishment, punishing evil, extracting authorities. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t have been easy for the King of Underworld to give me these skills. He must be really mad at the deities of the Otherworld,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. Both of the Authorities granted by Thanatos were undoubtedly magnificent.. First, there was [Soul Exploitation]. The King of the Underworld¡¯s mighty reputation was rooted in his dominion over souls. However, [Soul Exploitation] granted part of the King¡¯s power to Chang-Sun and even enabled him to gain karma from burnt souls. After killing monsters, he would be able to gain not only their experience points, but also their souls, which could be converted into even more experience. Thus, his progress would undoubtedly be efficient. ¡®If a soul has a high status in life, that means more karma for me. If I have to, I should be able to use that in ce of a healing potion.¡¯ While wandering across the battlefield in the past, Chang-Sun had sometimes been surrounded by many enemies. At those times, he had feared nothing more than exhaustion and the umtion of injuries from Rolling-Wheelbat. However, the proper usage of [Soul Exploitation] would be helpful in preventing those two dangers. It was a perfect Authority for Chang-Sun, who was more at home on the battlefield than his own house. ¡®I¡¯ll be able to use it to torture enemies, too.¡¯? If he had to interrogate an enemy, there would be no need to waste time, and there would be a lower probability of failure than by using normal means. All he had to do was kill the person, summon their soul using [Soul Exploitation], and constantly inflict pain on them until they answered. ¡®So this will see the most use from now on. [Execution Sword], though... That will be hard to use for the time being.¡¯ Based on its strength alone, [Execution Sword] was a few levels above [Soul Exploitation]. Not only was it capable of sealing a deity¡¯s status, it was also capable of seizing their Authorities. As Authorities represented a deity¡¯s power, its potential was almost inconceivable. In theory, Chang-Sun could seize innumerable Authorities, bing omniscient and omnipotent. It seemed that Thanatos had granted Chang-Sun such an absurd ability after carefully considering what he would need to continuously deal with deities from the Otherworld. The problem was that the conditions to use [Execution Sword] were highly restrictive. ¡®I have to prove that the subject is definitely a sinner who broke the Oath. Even if I do, they might counterattack right away if I fail to take them out.¡¯ Deities were prideful beings, the stars that shone brilliantly in the sky above. To extinguish their light, Chang-Sun had to shine just as brilliantly. ¡®So, I won¡¯t use it for now.¡¯? Fortunately, Chang-Sun had a secret method that would let him use [Execution Sword] against Celestials such as deities and stars even without his divinity. That method was only possible because he was none other than ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯. ¡®Until then¡­¡¯ After shutting down the screen window, Chang-Sun looked directly ahead at the Dungeon. ¡®I¡¯ll get stronger, as quickly as possible.¡¯ At that moment, his eyes gleamed. [A ¡®ck Mamba¡¯ has found you!] Hiss! Amid the thick branches above his head, a snake as wide as a human arm opened its mouth wide and pounced onto Chang-Sun. ¡®And¡­¡¯ Without a hint of nervousness, Chang-Sun grabbed an item from his inventory and quickly brandished it. Luckily, as a novice, there was only one item in his inventory. [Pulled out a ¡®Beginner¡¯s Rusty Dagger¡¯!] [Initiating attack.] The rusty dagger in Chang-Sun¡¯s hand pierced deeply into the snake¡¯s jaws and tore its body apart easily, and all it took was one neat strike. sh! The snake was cut in two, spraying a fountain of blood and other fluids into the air. Ding! Ding! [Sessfully killed the ¡®ck Mamba¡¯ in a single strike!] [It was undoubtedly a clean attack.] [As a reward, the skill ¡®Lesser Dagger Proficiency¡¯ has been created.] ... [Level up!] [Strength increased by 2.] [Agility increased by 1.] System messages continuously popped up. However, only at the end did the message Chang-Sun had been waiting for appear. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ shows interest in you!] ¡®...I¡¯ll be a rookie they¡¯ll drool over.¡¯ Chang-Sun smiled coldly, thinking of the deities who would be watching him outside the Dungeon. 1. This is amon tendency in Korean culture. Koreans say things like ¡®Let¡¯s meet again in the future¡¯ instead of saying ¡®goodbye¡¯, whether the promise will be fulfilled or not, because a simple ¡®goodbye¡¯ is seen as too in. 2. The Korean word is ??, which is a ng term that has roughly the same connotation as ¡®Friyay¡¯ in English; that is, spending time off at the end of the work week. 3. This is a kind of battle that appears in Korean and Chinese wuxia novels. When one strong enemy fights against an army, the army takes turns attacking the strong enemy to drain the opponent¡¯s stamina. It got its name because they take turns endlessly, like a rolling wheel. Chapter 4: Star, Regress (2)

Chapter 4: Star, Regress (2)

Although Dungeons were catastrophic disasters to humans, they were alsonds of opportunity. It was not so different for Celestials, either. They tested human potential through the Quests given by Dungeons. Then, they picked out priests or clerics who would spread their gospel as the asion demanded. From time to time, they were even able to select an apostle to execute their will directly. Thus, many people in need of Celestials entered Dungeons, only to die beneath their apathetic gazes. As Celestials were beings that arrogantly watched over worlds and universes, most mere mortals'' performances were insufficient to pique their interest. Only a small minority of people who were born with luck and fortune could meet that standard. However, there was also another way to attract their attention. ¡®Show overwhelming talent from the beginning.¡¯ Chang-Sun was sure that was how he looked to the Celestials who were watching him with interested gazes. They could never have imagined that the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ who had threatened their very lives would appear before them as a drunk. Although deities could see a soul''s traits and characteristics, rather than mere appearance that was easy to change, the current Chang-Sun would still lookpletely different from ''Divine Twilight''. Chang-Sun stood still and stared silently at the message filling his sight. ''A Good Season to Hunt'', huh? She was not so bad, considering she was the first deity to show interest in him. ¡®No, technically it''s a jackpot.¡¯ Her real name was Pabilsag. She was known to utilize various tools such as a sword, a spear, a bow, and her fists while hunting. She was famous for being a warring deity, as well. The reason Chang-Sun considered her a ¡®jackpot¡¯ was because her mother was Tiamat, the ''Primordial Evil Dragon''. Why would such a great figure show interest in Chang-Sun from the beginning? ''She must have liked my dagger skill quite a lot.'' Daggers were the most basic weapon when it came to hunting. For the time being, the deity had probably approached Chang-Sun purely for entertainment. As she was temperamental, she would tire of him quickly if he failed to meet her expectations. Of course, Chang-Sun was sure that would not happen to him. [The Celestial ''A Good Season to Hunt'' is curious about your hunting skill.] ''I¡¯ll meet your expectations.'' From that moment forward, Chang-Sun would be a perfect jester for the Celestials. * * * ''This forest has too much poisonous air overall. Most of the monsters in it are probably toxic as well. Then¡­ Shall I go with n C?'''' Chang-Sun had several detailed basic ns of action after falling into an Instance Sungeon, depending on its type and difficulty. In this Dungeon, he was going to be a serpent hunter¨Da hunter who specialized in snakes. Hisss¨D Hiss! Hissss! The deeper Chang-Sun went into the forest, the more ck Mambas fell from the branches. The situation was so dire that ordinary people would panic. For Chang-Sun, however, the snakes were just experience points wrapped up in pretty little packages. sh, sh¨D [Lesser Dagger Proficiency] Enables beginners to freely control daggers. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Passive. Basic. ¡¤ Effect: Acquire proficiency. Chang-Sun was undoubtedly using a basic skill that was given to novices who had just entered a Dungeon. On top of that, the weapon in his hands was so rusty that some would wonder if it was even capable of cutting anything; it was a dagger of very poor quality, meant for beginners. Despite that, every time he shed with the dagger, the mutted carcasses of ck Mambas rained down from above. [Sessfully eliminated a ''ck Mamba'' using the Skill ¡®Lesser Dagger Proficiency¡¯.] [Earned experience points!] [Sessfully eliminated a ''ck Mamba'' using the Skill ¡®Lesser Dagger Proficiency¡¯.] [Earned experience points!] [Level up!] [Level up!] Levels and stats steadily piled up. [Your senses are bing heightened!] [You have entered a battle frenzy, focusing all your energy on your weapon!] ¡­ [The ''ck Mambas'' that dominated the first sector of the ''Forest of Firewielders'' are being eliminated at lightning speed!] [The ''ck Mambas'' have developed an instinctive sense of their natural enemy.] [You have sessfully made the ''ck Mambas'' live in fear!] [''Title: ck Mamba Butcherer'' has been created!] [ck Mamba Butcherer] A title given to a hunter who has killed over 100 ck Mambas. ¡¤ Type: Title. ¡¤ Effect: Strength +5. Causes fear in serpent-type creatures. ''Yes, this is it.¡¯ Kill, kill, and kill again. sh, sh, and sh again. Although it was difficult to catch his breath, Chang-Sun shivered with excitement at the freedom he had not felt for a long while. This thrill, this ecstasy¡­ Such feelings could not be felt outside the battlefield. When he first arrived in Arcadia, this sensation had terrified him; on the other hand, it had also made every experience incredibly fun. ¡®After I was put on trial and all my abilities were restrained, even my freedom was taken away.¡¯? They had locked him up just because he was a war-loving fanatic. They had suppressed him, saying he would harm the world. However, Chang-Sun knew all those reasons were just cowardly excuses for the Celestials. Even though he had had no intention of doing so, they had been afraid that a wastrel of mortal birth would stand above them. And so¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll make their fearse true.¡¯ Swoosh, sh¨D Pah, pah! [The Skill ¡®Lesser Dagger Proficiency¡¯ has reached its maximum level. A higher-level skill has been created.] [The Skill ¡®Intermediate Dagger Proficiency¡¯ has been created!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ marvels at your supreme knife fighting skills!] ¡®Don¡¯t get so shocked so soon.¡¯ Chang-Sun did not stop there. [Your stamina is depleted!] [You have fallen into the ¡®Exhausted¡¯ state. Please locate a secure area and take a rest.] [The ¡®Authority: Soul Exploitation¡¯ has been activated!] [You have lit the fire in the Purgatory Brazier, sessfully acquiring the ashes of a ¡®ck Mamba¡¯.] [5% of your stamina has been regained.] [Your ¡®Exhausted¡¯ state has been canceled.] As expected of an alcoholic¡¯s feeble body, Chang-Sun¡¯s stamina drained out very quickly. Each time it did, Chang-Sun unsparingly used the gift Thanatos had thrown at him. ck haze billowed from the carcasses of several ck Mambas, and Chang-Sun absorbed every trace of it. Simultaneously, his fatigue vanished as if it had been washed away. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ tilts her head in confusion, because she is unable to find out the category of your talent.] ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ continued to respond with confusion each time Chang-Sun repeated the process. No one would think that a novice who had freshly entered a Dungeon had received the King of the Underworld¡¯s blessing; she seemed to assume Chang-Sun¡¯s ability was a or of the source that yers acquired when they first awakened. ¡®On the surface, it resembles something from the Energy Drain category. From another perspective, though, it would seem to have Darkness or Death-like traits.¡¯ By human standards, Celestials looked omnipotent. However, the reality of the situation was different, and Chang-Sun was very well aware of that fact. ¡®The restrictions imposed by causality are too immense. It¡¯s difficult for Celestials to take a close look at yers¡¯ data, unless they¡¯re Zodiacs or part of the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions.¡¯? Of course, a way to sneak a peek at yer data did exist. If Celestials paid a sufficient price or put up with the side-effects in the society they were affiliated with, it would be possible. ¡®Going through all that to read a novice¡¯s data, though? That¡¯s insane. ¡¯ Despite that, Chang-Sun did not worry about any such attempts being made on him. The protection cast on him by the Underworld was just that solid. ¡®Otherwise, my divine name would have been caught already¡­¡¯ sh¨D Squirt! Just then, a ck Mamba¡¯s head flew into the air once again. It was the veryst one. Blood gushed across the ground; it was green due to being mixed with strong acid. Pzzz¨D ck haze once again billowed up from of the carcasses, indicating that [Soul Exploitation] had been activated. [Sessfully killed thest ¡®ck Mamba¡¯.] [Level up!] [Achievement unlocked!] ¡°A Serpent Hunter Who Has Caught 444 ck Mambas.¡± Reward: Strength +5. Effect: Lesser Toxin Resistance. Ding! Ding! Listening to the ever-pleasant notification sounds, Chang-Sun expanded his status window. ¡°Open system window.¡± [Lee Chang-Sun] Divine Name: Divine Twilight (Unusable) Title: ck Mamba Butcherer Faction: Underworld Level: 6 Strength: 14.2 (+10) Agility: 16.2 (+10) Stamina: 13.9 (+10) Mana: 0 (+10) Acquired Skills: Intermediate Dagger Proficiency Lv. 3 Acquired Effects: Lesser Toxin Resistance Lv.1 (New!) Acquired Authorities: Soul Exploitation Lv.1 Execution Sword Lv.1 Special note: One deity is currently curious about you. You may win the deity¡¯s favor if you disy an even greater performance. Additional Stats: 35 ¡®Levels, stats, skills¡­ Everything is constantly rising. Pabilsag¡¯s level of interest went up from ¡®Interested¡¯ to ¡®Curious¡¯. Very good.¡¯ Chang-Sun had saved up the additional five stat points that were given every time he leveled up. He had nned to use them to resolve unexpected situations. And yet, the thing that caught his eye the most was the Magic stat. Previously, the stat had been listed as zero, but by unlocking an achievement, he had received an extra five points. ¡®With magic, I¡¯ll be able to start using skills to their full potential. That, and being able to imbue a weapon with magic will make a big difference.¡¯ Until then, he had overtaxed his body to purify it from the stench of alcohol, but now, he could use magic. Thus, it no longer seemed necessary to do so himself anymore. Additionally, it seemed possible for him to level up at a faster rate. ¡®I took out the ck Mambas. Now, the next ones are¡­ the Red Mambas and the Bloody Mamba, right?¡¯ ck Mambas carried deadly poison that could end a human¡¯s life with just one bite in under five minutes. However, Red Mambas had even stronger poison than ck Mambas. Just smelling it was enough to be poisoned by it. ¡®Although they¡¯re at a low level, I have poison resistance and magic. That should make it easier to endure.¡¯ That was the reason Chang-Sun had checked the status window without obstinately marching further in. ¡®No matter what happens, I have to catch the Bloody Mamba.¡¯ The Bloody Mamba was ssified as a boss monster that ruled over Mamba-type monsters. It was ridiculous for a novice who was not even at level 10 to go after it; and yet, Chang-Sun nned to catch it via solo raiding. It was a very good opportunity to attract the attention of deities. He also needed the carcass, which could be used as an ingredient in various artifacts. Above all else, however¡­ ¡®The Bloody Mamba¡¯s Poisonous Fang¡­ It¡¯s essential for taking a shortcut to achieve the [Impervious Body].¡¯ Though ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ had been outnumbered in the war, the reason he had lost was that curses and poison had incapacitated him, rendering him helpless. ¡®Gaia¡¯s Curse¡­ I need the Poisonous Fang to beat it.¡¯ After organizing his thoughts, Chang-Sun was about to move to the next sector. However¡­ Thwack! Bzzz¨D ¡®Huh?¡¯ [The durability of the ¡®Beginner¡¯s Rusty Dagger'' has reached zero. It has been destroyed!] The dagger in Chang-Sun¡¯s hand crumbled, scattering into a cloud of dust. ¡®Well, it was amazing that this dagger could hold out for so long¡­¡¯ In truth, he was lucky that the dagger had not broken apart during the battle. Chang-Sun was about to open his inventory and search for any dropped items he could use as a substitute when suddenly, he sensed something fall from the sky. He raised his head. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ sends you a gift for amusing her!] ¡®What?¡¯ Whirl! Pa! A dagger with a slightly curved de fell right at Chang-Sun¡¯s feet. The de alone was 18 inches long. From the look of its sturdy material and handle, it was definitely not a weapon meant for a beginner. The moment he saw the seal in the center of the de, Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone keenly. ¡®The seal of Taotie¡­? That means this weapon came from Tiamat. Why is she suddenly giving me this as a present?¡¯ Chang-Sun knew all too well that there was no such thing as a free lunch, especially when the favor came from the daughter of the ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯. Sure enough, it was as he expected. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ offers you a bet using the gift as a wager!] [¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ will kill you for the sin of wasting her time if you lose the bet.] 1. Pabilsag is a Mesopotamian god who is normally male, but in this novel, she is female. 2. A gaming term that refers to fighting ¡®raid bosses¡¯, bosses that are designed forrge parties to fight, as a solo yer. This is very difficult and only possible in some games. 3. Approximately 46 centimeters Chapter 5: Star, Regress (3)

Chapter 5: Star, Regress (3)

¡®She¡¯s putting death on the table from the start, huh.'' Dumbstruck, Chang-Sun snorted. This was why he hated Celestials. They believed they were the only noble beings in existence, and anyone else was nothing but a source of entertainment. If their interest faded even slightly, they discarded that entertainment on the spot. However, Chang-Sun thought it was better this way. If he yed along, he could take so much from them. Besides, a de marked with the Seal of Taotie would help him out greatly if he could get his hands on it. Thus, he replied, ¡°You¡¯re on. What do you want me to do?¡± [You have epted the bet.] [The Celestial ''A Good Season to Hunt'' bursts intoughter. She seems to find your bravado pleasant.] [A Sudden Quest (The Hunter¡¯s Verification) has been created!] * * * Meanwhile, in the Safe Zone Chang-Sun had left¡­ ¡°Everyone, gather around here first!¡± a man in a military uniform called out. When they heard his shout, the others present looked at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Does he seriously want to y boss right now?¡± Facing the murmuring crowd, the soldier pulled out his credentials from an inner pocket and continued, ¡°I''m Second Lieutenant Park Hae-Seong, a C-Rank yer in the Awakened troop of the Military Security Support Command. Please follow my instructions ording to the official manual for emergencies.¡± Decades had passed since Dungeons began to break out, and there had been multiple incidents of civilians getting entangled in Random Breaks that urred across the globe without any warning signs. Thus, countries had written up manuals regarding states of emergency and distributed them. The first code of conduct was to follow a yer''s instructions in the Dungeon if there was one. Normally, if yerspleted their official registration, they were then required byw toplete a training course in leading people in situations such as this. As the yer present was also a soldier, those present could not help but trust him even more. Just as Second Lieutenant Park Hae-Seong instructed, the others divided up into groups. Each of them pulled out a basic weapon from their inventories, then prepared for a monster waveing from the forest. ¡°We¡¯re lucky to have a yer among us. If he hadn¡¯t been here, well¡­!¡± ¡°Still, we don''t know what''s going to happen. Let''s stay sharp.¡± ¡°Of course. Do you think he¡¯ll be okay, though?" ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The guy who sprang forward right into the forest as soon as the quest message popped up.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± After their emotional turmoil subsided, people began to worry about Chang-Sun. ¡°He seemed weak and didn''t look so good. I hope nothing bad happens to him.¡± ¡°You''re right. Was he in need of money or something?¡± There were a lot of moths who aimed for quick bundles of cash, thinking Dungeons werends of opportunity rather than disaster. They were primarily low-ie people who had trouble making a living. At that moment, a young man in his twenties abruptly cut in on their conversation, saying, ¡°No way. That guy probably has more money than you.¡± ¡°Huh? How do you know?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the Tyrant, leader of STband,¡± the man answered. ¡°Oh, that''s where I saw him!¡± ¡°He spent so much time fighting with his colleagues for not listening to him. Still, thanks to his pretty face, he did a bunch ofmercials. Enough to buy a 330 square meter apartment in Jamsil, some say. Actually, his parents¡¯ families are both rich, so he was born rich. I¡¯m telling you, he was born with a gold spoon.¡± ¡°Wait, why would that kind of guy run into the forest out of the blue?¡± The young man shrugged as if to say ¡®Who knows?¡¯ ¡°After his retirement, I heard he became an alcoholic. There were reports of dissent among the team. Well, who knows? Maybe he left to kill himself because he felt toozy to live.¡± ¡°Dude, stop. What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you still drunk?¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± At some point, the young man''s speech had be full of contempt and mockery. His friend, who had gotten swept into the Dungeon along with him, tried to calm him down. For some reason, however, the young man seemed quite irate. He sounded as if he really wanted Chang-Sun tomit suicide. The other people¡¯s expressions subtly changed. Some did not hesitate to reveal their unease. Using the excuse of needing the bathroom or taking a break, they tried to head toward another area. Just then, however¡­ Ding! [All ''ck Mambas'' in the Dungeon have been eliminated!] ¡°...?¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°...?¡± Those present simultaneously tilted their heads sideways. All the participants were gathered in the Safe Zone, so how had the monsters been eliminated? [All ''White Worms'''' have been eliminated!] [All ''Blue Crows'''' have been eliminated!] [The ''Red Mambas'' are being eliminated rapidly!] [The yer ''Lee Chang-Sun'' is dominating!] ¡°...!¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°...!¡± The shocked people were unable to look away from the messages that continuously popped up. The young man, who had spent quite a bit of time speaking ill of Chang-Sun, had an especially difficult time looking away. * * * [The Hunter¡¯s Verification] Type: Sudden. Exnation: ¡®A Good Season to Hunt'' has been feeling limited in the growth of her power. To build up Faith, she has shown an avid interest in raising apostles and priests. However, most promising candidates currently have their own guardians, leaving her no choice but to monitor novices. Just now, she found you. ''A Good Season to Hunt'' considers you, someone with elegant moves and exceptional hunting skills, a suitable candidate to be her apostle. Still, she cannot hastily select you as an apostle candidate, so she wishes to verify your qualifications. Starting now, kill a Bloody Mamba within 24 hours using the weapon you have temporarily been given. Requirements: ¨D If you fail: Death. If you seed: 1. You will be gifted ¡®Tiamat''s Snaggletooth¡¯. 2. You will be selected as an apostle candidate. ¡®So that¡¯s what happened.¡¯ After scrolling through the quest window, Chang-Sunughed dryly. No wonder the deity had begun showing an avid interest in him. She was not simply interested in his potential as a ¡®hunter¡¯; rather, she also had some problems of her own. ¡®Come to think of it, there was a severe dispute between Tiamat and Bel-Marduk recently. Is this rted to that too?¡¯ Bel-Marduk was considered one of the highest-rank stars. He was the Taurus, one of the Zodiacs. Chang-Sun wondered whether the deity was in need of more faith to enter a war with Bel-Marduk. If his assumption was correct, he could drain a lot from this deity. ¡®The higher I go with my betting, the better.¡¯ Examining the dagger with the seal of Taotie, he read through its description. [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] This dagger is made from the tooth of the ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯. Her child never stayed at home, so she had no choice but to pull out her tooth and forge it into a dagger. It contains an autonomous ego. ¡¤ Type: Dagger. Relic. ¡¤ Damage: Unmeasurable. ¡¤ Effect: Unknown. *You have currently ¡®borrowed'' the relic from its original owner. *Requirements have not been met. Unable to use the relic¡¯s ability. *Requirements have not been met. Unable to inspect the details of the relic. Most of the weapon¡¯s functions were locked, so it was simply a high-quality dagger at the moment. Still, it was enough. As someone who had handled and seized various relics, Chang-Sun instantly realized that it was not so ordinary. ¡®Hm¡­ ¡®Persistent Bleeding¡¯ and ¡®Evil Devourer¡¯? On top of that, they¡¯re upgradeable. Not bad.¡¯ ¡®Persistent Bleeding¡¯ would wear out an opponent¡¯s stamina more and more with each hit. ¡®Evil Devourer¡¯ would absorb the opponent¡¯s curses and grudges. The more malicious the opponent was, the more damage they would receive. Chang-Sun wished to have the item. However, it would undoubtedly be a verymon item by Pabilsag¡¯s standards. ¡®If I¡¯m going to receive a gift, I should aim for a bigger and fancier one.¡¯ Thus, he spoke, pretending to gaze at the air where Pabilsag would be.?¡°Would you care to add one more thing to this wager, perhaps?¡± [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ tilts her head in confusion.] ¡°Thirty minutes,¡± Chang-Sun continued. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ tilts her head even more, unable to understand what you mean.] ¡°Starting now, I will eliminate the Bloody Mamba within thirty minutes. In that case, I¡¯ll have been able to entertain you even more. So in return, I want to receive a bigger reward.¡± [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ has her eyes wide open in shock upon hearing such an unexpected suggestion.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ bursts intoughter, saying your suggestion is incredibly funny.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ epts your proposal! The deity bares her fangs and warns that if you fail, you will never have a peaceful afterlife.] ¡°Thank you,¡± Chang-Sun said, a corner of his mouth twisting into a smile. He thought to himself that his smile was likely not so different from Pabilsag¡¯s own. However, the meanings behind those smiles were entirely different. * * * That was how Chang-Sun¡¯s massacre began. It was undoubtedly difficult to reach the sector where the boss monster, the Bloody Mamba, resided. Apart from the Red Mambas, he had to face White Worms that leaped out of the ground unpredictably, and Blue Crows that swooped suddenly from the sky. sh, sh-? sh! [Level up!] [Level up!] [Strength increased by 3.] [Stamina increased by 2.] ... [News of the wager between you and ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ has spread rapidly throughout Heaven!!] [Some deities have begun to watch your performance with skeptical gazes.] [Some deities have begun to show interest in your practical martial arts skills.] . The Celestials Chang-Sun knew of were all scoundrels. They were always curious and nosy beings, as they were unable to handle their eternal lifespans. That was why Chang-Sun had been certain that the bet between him and Pabilsag would spread almost instantly. While he had primarily raised the stakes to turn Pabilsag into a sugar-deity, he had also done so with a greater purpose in mind: To cement his image as a ¡®super rookie¡¯, one worth being noticed by the Celestials, by creating a massive spectacle. Just as Pabilsag had casually thrown him [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], Celestials had a tendency to act on impulse. Thus, the more sugar-deities Chang-Sun could have, the better. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is quite taken aback by the unexpectedly high number of viewers online.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ has strongly warned the other Celestials who have shown interest in you!] Of course, Pabilsag nned to have Chang-Sun all to herself, and seemed quite unhappy to see the crowd grow in size. ¡®I wonder if I¡¯ve gotten some extra deities from this. I hope I hooked a good one,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. [Level up!] [Achieved Level 10. Sessfully graduated from being a novice.] [Achievement Unlocked!] ¡°A Person of Talent Who Has Broken Through in the Shortest Time.¡± Reward: All stats +5. Secret ss opened. Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone dangerously. ¡®Secret ss¡¯. Just as he had expected, the word he wanted popped up. In his previous life, he had received the ordinary ¡®Spearman¡¯ ss and had only leveled up with great difficulty. He could never be satisfied with a mediocre ss. ¡®If I got ¡®Dragon Lord¡¯ or ¡®King of Darkness¡¯, those would be the best options. That¡¯s very unlikely, though. Well, if I¡¯m going down this route. ¡®Berserker¡¯ would be the best.¡¯ The biggest disadvantage of the ¡®Berserker¡¯ ss was that its ability to explosively boost one¡¯s damage output came at the cost of one¡¯s sanity. However, Chang-Sun was not too worried about that, as he had nned a countermeasure for such problems. Above all else, the reason he wanted to choose ¡®Berserker¡¯ as his first ss was that it was the earliest starting point to reach the final ss he nned to acquire. ¡®Aside from that, the Berserker ss is essential for killing the Bloody Mamba.¡¯ The Bloody Mamba was a monster that could not be easily killed even by a group of yers at Level 20. Chang-Sun, who was only Level 10, had made the bet because he had something up his sleeve. [From the two-digit levels, selecting a ss will enable faster growth andbine suitable skill trees.] [Reviewing the list of suitable sses by considering the yer¡¯s achievements and records.] [Revealing the results.] [ss Selection] 1. Swordsman 2. Spearman 3. Brawler ... 17. Dragon¡¯s Child (Secret!) 18. Wanderer of Darkness (Secret!) ... 30. Rune Master (Secret!) Considering that the first ss selection provided five sses on average, and even geniuses were offered ten sses at most, the number of sses avable was ridiculous. On top of that, secret sses¡ªa single one of which would be considered a jackpot¡ªfilled half of the list. It was truly absurd. After spending quite some time scanning through the list, Chang-Sun wavered for the first time. ¡®Berserker isn¡¯t there.¡¯¡¯ He had six minutes left. Chapter 6: Star, Regress (4)

Chapter 6: Star, Regress (4)

Chang-Sun could not help butugh dryly at the situation. ''The only reason I suggested a bet was to get the Berserker ss, but there¡¯s no Berserker on the list? What the¡­?!''¡¯ Chang-Sun had no idea where he had made a mistake. Considering his attack-focused fighting style and the achievement he had gained from quickly eliminating monsters, he had really thought the Berserker ss would be guaranteed. However, he could not lose his focus just because something unexpected hade up. Even now, the time he had left was decreasing quickly. [00:05:56:21] [00:05:56:20] ¡­ [The Celestial ''A Good Season to Hunt'' has posed a question as to how you will finish the bet within the remaining time.] [Three Celestials who have not revealed their names are curious about your future decisions.] ¡®I have no choice then.¡¯ Scrolling down the list quickly, Chang-Sun took a look at thest choice. ¡®Among these sses, this is the one that can disy the greatest destructive power.¡¯ 30. Rune Master (Secret!) It was clear that Pabilsag and the other three deities who were now watching Chang-Sun would all tilt their heads in confusion. It was true that Rune Master was a secret ss; however, it was more of a supporter-type ss, not an attacker. [Rune Master] The way Rune Masters passed down their knowledge was a mystery. In the present, very few people were knowledgeable about ancient rune magic. However, Chang-Sun would be the exception with this ss. [Choose ''Rune Master'' as your first ss? Y/N] In truth, although Chang-Sun was about to choose Rune Master, even he was having a hard time grasping why it had shown up on the screen. The ss selection was decided based on achievements and records, but he had only shown mundane fighting prowess. However, no matter what the reason was, all that mattered was that he could be powerful as a Berserker if he could utilize runes well. Rune Master was more than sufficient to reach the final ss he aimed to achieve. ¡®Drawing runes will be pretty tricky¡­ but this might be better. In terms of pure destructive power, this ss has the upper hand.¡¯ Apart from that, it was cumbersome to keep the Berserker¡¯s increasingly out-of-control sanity in check for each battle. ¡®I can work with theck of damage.¡¯ As soon as Chang-Sun collected his thoughts, his finger headed directly toward the ¡®Y¡¯ button. A continuous stream of messages popped up in his vision. Ding! Ding! [You have chosen ¡®Rune Master¡¯ as your first ss!] [ss Upgrade: ¡®Rune Master¡¯!] [Agility increased by 5.] [Magic increased by 5.] [New stat ¡®Intelligence¡¯ has been added.] [New stat ¡®Willpower¡¯ has been added.] [The ss Skill ¡®Poor-Level Rune Creation¡¯ has been created.] [The ss Skill ¡®Poor-Level Rune Engraving¡¯ has been created.] The Intelligence stat improved one¡¯s cognitive and memorization abilities, making it easier to think strategically. Meanwhile, the Willpower stat improved mental strength and heightened one¡¯s concentration. It was a must-have stat for Chang-Sun to create and utilize runes on the battlefield. Both stats had appeared because Rune Master was considered a wizard-type ss. Afterward¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is astounded by your choice!] [A Celestial who has not revealed their name giggles emptily.] [A Celestial who has not revealed their name is doubtful.] Without exception, the deities who had been watching Chang-Sun found his choice iprehensible. Rune creation was not an easy skill to master, and was definitely not suitable for use by a beginner in an actual fight. Moreover, Chang-Sun did not own a tool to create runes with, or a wand to cast spells using them. Thus, the deities¡¯ confusion was understandable. Regardless of their reactions, however, Chang-Sun paid no mind to them and quickly inspected his ss skills. [Poor-Level Rune Creation] You can create runes. Higher skill levels represent deeper understanding of runes, heightening their sess rate and decreasing their production time. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: ss. Active. Manufacturing. ¡¤ Effect: Rune crafting. [Poor-Level Rune Engraving] You can enchant a designated target with a pre-crafted rune. Higher skill levels will allow the enchantment of more kinds of targets, from objects to people. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: ss, Active, Buff. ¡¤ Effect: Rune enchantment. ¡®As expected, I got these two this time, so it¡¯s fine.¡¯ Roughly four minutes remained. Chang-Sun activated one of his new skills without dy. [The Skill ¡®Poor-Level Rune Creation¡¯ has been activated.] [Distributed 30 additional stats to Intelligence. 0¡ú30] [Distributed 25 additional stats to Willpower. 0 ¡ú 25] [The increased stats have increased your chances of sess!] Cerulean energy formed at the end of Chang-Sun¡¯s left hand, which meant the skill had been activated. Then, he cut his left hand deeply with [Tiamat''s Snaggletooth]. Paaah! Blood sprayed forcefully out of the wound. In spite of the terrible pain, however, Chang-Sun did not even blink once. He drew a long line on the surface of [Tiamat''s Snaggletooth] with his heavily bleeding palm. leaving a scarlet mark on the weapon¡¯s ck de. As blue energy seeped into the de, [Tiamat''s Snaggletooth] trembled slightly. Chang-Sun thought ¡®I never thought that skill the old man forced me to learn would be this useful.¡¯ [¡®Tiamat''s Snaggletooth¡¯ has been converted into a temporary wand!] As soon as Chang-Sun finished reading the messages, he began to draw runes on the de¡¯s surface rapidly. His still-dripping blood served as the paint, and his index and middle finger as the brush. Not a hint of hesitation held him back as he drew the same rune over and over. Each stroke was extremely sharp and decisive, without a single hint of neatness or refinement. [The Skill ¡®Poor-Level Rune Engraving¡¯ has been activated!] [An ¡®Explosion Rune¡¯ has been engraved!] [An ¡®Explosion Rune¡¯ has been engraved!] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯, having read your thoughts, scoffs.] Pabilsag finally understood what Chang-Sun was aiming for. Most of a practitioner¡¯s mana was contained in blood, thus making it the most efficient medium for releasing mana from one¡¯s body. Using that, Chang-Sun did not need to prepare tools for rune creation, and could simply turn [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] into a wand. Now, he was even imbuing it with runes. Nomon sense could describe what was happening. [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] was a relic Pabilsag had received from her mother; thus, even if most of its options were locked, it would be better than anymon wand. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ wonders how a novice like you knows about runes.] ¡®Done.¡¯ When Chang-Sun finished drawing the fifth rune, which was thest one he needed, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] jolted violently as if it were about to explode. [Due to your exceptional concentration and willpower, rune creation and engraving has not failed even once!] . [Due to your exceptional concentration and willpower, rune creation and engraving has not failed even once!] [The skill level has been increased!] [As an additional reward, the effects of ¡®Explosion Rune ¡Á 5¡¯ have beenpounded!] [Your mana supply is exhausted.] [You have fallen into the ¡®Hunger¡¯ state.] Whoosh¨D Stab, stab, stab! Forcing himself to remain conscious, Chang-Sun used [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] to draw several diagonal lines in midair. [00:03:21:05] [00:03:21:04] ¡­ About three minutes remained. However, that was more than enough to wipe out the forest before Chang-Sun and kill the Bloody Mamba. Thud! Rumble¨D! * * * ording to the official government manual, civilians were supposed to divide themselves into groups ording to the each of them received if they were entangled in a Random Break. Shieldbearers would join a Shieldbearer group, Spearmen would join a Spearman group, and Supporters would join a Supporter. Each of the groups would have a unique formation, and they were to be led by a yer or a soldier. By that standard, Second Lieutenant Park Hae-Seong was the perfect man to handle the current situation, as he was both a soldier and a yer. ¡®Again?!¡¯ Hae-Seong thought, having trouble focusing on leading people. For some time, explosions had begun ringing out through the forest. Thetest one was significantly louder than any Hae-Seong had heard before. Naturally, the civilians also looked in its direction, where smoke and fire rose above the trees as the ground rumbled. ¡°W-What is this?!¡± ¡°The monsters aren¡¯t rushing in, are they?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going to happen?!¡± ¡°What on earth is going on¡­?!¡± They had already been on edge due to the messages rted to Chang-Sun. They had no idea what was going on inside the forest. The ¡®Tyrant¡¯ they knew was just a normal professional gamer; it was hard to believe that he was disying such an exceptional level of performance. Of course, some yers did flourish, developing entirely new talents upon awakening. Thus, in theory, Chang-Sun¡¯s achievements were usible. However, what happened afterward was the problem. Monsters were never to be taken lightly. Apart from their extraordinary power and ferocity, they were much smarter than most animals. If they were present inrge groups, the danger they posed only grew. What if a wrong move in the monsters¡¯ habitat triggered a monster wave, sending it over to the Safe Zone? That was the worst-case scenario. Thus, the best option would be for someone to go into the forest and get a grasp on the situation. The problem was that no one dared to leave the Safe Zone. To civilians, Dungeons were a hellish ce where anything could happen. Park Hae-Sung, who happened to be the only yer among them, had a duty to protect and lead them as a soldier. However, he was also unable to exit the area. In the end, they were dependent on the messages that popped up in their vision for information, and could only make assumptions. The government-mandated formations were for such asions, to allow civilians to prepare for the worst. Their weapon-holding hands were all sweaty as they hoped nothing more would happen. However¡­ Ding! [The yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ has begun the boss raid!] [Boss: Bloody Mamba.] ¡°W-What¡­?¡± ¡°The boss raid? Already?¡± ¡°Damn! That bastard will kill us all, I¡¯m sure of it!¡± The group could not help but curse at the newly-appearing messages. No matter how confident Chang-Sun was, how could he even consider messing with a boss monster?! Due to the extreme threat it posed, the Bloody Mamba was one of the most famous massive monsters, and even civilians were familiar with it. It was a demonic monster that could fell an ox in an instant with a single drop of its venom. If it escaped its dwelling, the damage it caused would be worse than an ordinary monster wave. ¡°Son of a bitch¡­! He did this kind of thing in games, and now he¡¯s doing it again here!¡± Jeon Choong-Jae, the young man who had spoken ill of Chang-Sun, hissed through gritted teeth. As far as Choong-Jae knew, Chang-Sun was just an alcoholic; he had no idea how Chang-Sun had awakened his talent as a yer. Regardless of the answer, however, Chang-Sun had run amok and caused trouble for many people. The civilians all looked at Hae-Seong, seeing him as theirst hope. ¡°Hey, soldier guy! Do something!¡± ¡°Right! We¡¯re all gonna die if we don¡¯t do something!¡± Hae-Seong called out, ¡°Everyone, just remember what I told you. Calm down and maintain your positions.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± someone protested. ¡°Maintain your position. If our formations copse even a little, everyone will die,¡± Hae-Seong instructed them. He knew that if he showed how nervous he was, things would take a turn for the worse. Thus, he could not waver even in the face of opposition. In the end, although the civilians were all nervous and on edge, they maintained their positions. ¡®Damn. Out of all the Dungeons it could have been, why did I have to get entangled in an Unpredictable Gate?!¡¯ Hae-Seong thought. With great difficulty, he swallowed those words back down despite wanting to say them out loud. Unlike the others, however, he felt a faint glimmer of hope. Amid the ck smoke, he saw a golden light shining. He thought ¡®If that¡¯s the skill effect that shows up when someone scores a critical hit, we definitely have a chance of winning¡­!¡¯ The golden skill effect only appeared after satisfying extremely tricky conditions. Among those were decisive blows that reduced a monster¡¯s HP considerably, disys of perfect control, and wless execution of a skill. Thus, if a yer could trigger even one or two of them, that was sufficient for them to be evaluated as having ¡®great control¡¯. Some of the yers who were associated with godlike control were ¡®Dr. Frost¡¯, who could bombard vast areas if his magic spells were not dispelled perfectly, or ¡®Killer Queen¡¯, who could terrorize targets with a unique assassination technique called ¡®One Flower in the Midst¡¯. Now, however, golden skill effects were being triggered constantly! So many of them filled the air they began to eclipse the ck smoke and scarlet fire. ¡®What on earth is happening there¡­?!¡¯ How could Chang-Sun continuouslynd critical hits against the boss monster of a two-star Dungeon, and during a solo raid, no less? Hae-Seong was certain that even yers who had levels in the thirties would struggle to aplish such a feat. Now, however, it was being done by a mere novice. Such an event would undoubtedly go down in history if it were revealed to the world. Perhaps, Hae-Seong thought, he was witnessing the birth of a new member of the ¡®Ten Overlords¡¯! Thud¨D! Just then, something extremelyrge fell to the ground, and the continuous explosions faded like a mirage. Afterward, a new message from the Dungeon appeared in the eyes of the novices. [The first boss monster, the ¡®Bloody Mamba¡¯, has been sessfully hunted!] ¡°Huh?!¡± Hae-Seong gulped inadvertently. [The first sector of the Dungeon Quest: ¡®Pioneer¡¯ has been sessfully conquered.] [Compiling a temporary ranking.] Without giving anyone a moment to speak, the messages quickly continued. [Dungeon Ranking] Maximum Points: 5,000 Points First ce: Lee Chang-Sun (4,999 Points) Second ce: Park Hae-Seong (1 Point) Third ce: None [Different rewards will be given out based on performance.] [Different rewards will be given out based on rank.] Chapter 7: Star, Regress (5)

Chapter 7: Star, Regress (5)

Shortly afterward, Chang-Sun reappeared in the Safe Zone. Thud! Chang-Sun nonchntly threw something that was draped over his shoulder onto the ground. ¡°...!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Gulp! Including Park Hae-Seong, all those present gulped as they saw the Bloody Mamba¡¯s eight-meter-long carcass, lying dead with its tongue out. They had remained skeptical until the end, but the messages had proven to be true regardless. No one had any idea what kind of stunt Chang-Sun had pulled, but one thing was for sure: It was absurd to think this was the work of a novice. ¡®Monster¡­¡¯ That was the only word that entered their minds. In the face of the intimidating air Chang-Sun gave off, Second Lieutenant Hae-Seong gulped dryly once again realizing it. From the looks of it, Chang-Sun seemed to have returned to the Safe Zone without going on another raid because he was nning on taking a break¡­ ¡°I assume you¡¯re a yer. Is that right?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Y-Yes. I am,¡± Hae-Seong replied. Inwardly, however, he thought ¡®What kind of person''s eyes are¡­!¡¯? He was certain he had to be stronger than Chang-Sun, at least level-wise. However, it was strangely difficult to meet Chang-Sun''s gaze, even though he had already encountered numerous ster experts as a summa cumude in the military academy. He did not know how to exin it¡­ Perhaps it was that Chang-Sun looked like a very hungry and annoyed beast. Merely standing face to face with him was enough to sense a ferocity sharp enough that it almost seemed as if it could tear bodies apart. ¡°For now, I¡¯ve wiped out most of the small fries, so there won¡¯t be many monstersing down here. Still, there might be some that try, so I hope you¡¯ll take care of them on my behalf.¡± Hae-Seong knew that Chang-Sun was not really ¡®asking,¡¯ but rather ¡®ordering.¡¯ That probably meant he was going to rest somewhere else because he was fatigued. However, Hae-Seong thought that could be for the best. Even he, a yer, had felt unsettled while having a conversation with Chang-Sun. Surely it would be even worse for civilians. Some people¡¯s faces had already turned pale, and they stayed far away from Chang-Sun. A few even looked away, hoping to avoid making eye contact with him. Someone offered, ¡°If you¡¯re nning on resting, I¡¯ll make room over¡­!¡± ¡°No need. Everyone seems uneasy around me, so I¡¯ll find my own ce,¡± Chang-Sun replied, then left the Safe Zone after slinging the bloody mamba carcass over his shoulder. Hae-Seong and the civilians finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew¡­!¡± ¡°Is he really the Tyrant? Are you sure you didn''t mistake him for somebody else who looks like him?¡± ¡°Yeah. He really seems like a totally different person¡­ He¡¯s not a demon, is he?¡± ¡°Come on, man! Out of all the questions, you had to ask that one¡­! Besides, if he were a demonic being, wouldn¡¯t we all be dead already? He would have already finished us off.¡± ¡°I¡­ I guess so? Ha¡­ Hahaha! I guess I must have been worried over nothing.¡± Like a ripple in a pond, theirints spread far, but as a result, no one witnessed the sight of Jeon Choong-Jae ring at Chang-Sun''s back as he left. * * * [A momentary break will be provided before the second sector opens.] [01:00:00] [00:59:59:99] ... ¡°Demonic being¡­ Well, I suppose it isn¡¯t too weird to be called that,¡± Chang-Sun remarked with an empty chuckle as he left the Safe Zone, heading toward the forest on the other side of the first sector. Perhaps because of how much experience he had umted, his senses were keen enough for him to overhear their conversation. Naturally, if they realized that fact, they would freak out. ¡°This will be fine,¡± Chang-Sun remarked as he sat down in a moderate-sized clearing amid the trees. Then, he slit his left index finger with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and scribbled a new rune on a nearby boulder. [¡®Obstruction Rune¡¯ has been engraved!] [Skill Level increased!] [The Skill ¡®Poor-Level Rune Creation¡¯ has reached its maximum level. A higher-level skill has been created.] [The Skill ¡®Low-Level Rune Creation¡¯ has been created!] The Obstruction Rune could not regenerate Chang-Sun¡¯s stamina or make fatigue disappear, but it could serve to hide him from monsters. Thus, it was the perfect rune to use if he wanted to take a short break. ¡®I have to organize my rewards first,¡¯ he thought. [Two rewards for your achievements (Performance ¡¤ Ranking) and three rewards (The Hunter¡¯s Verification) are on hold.] ¡°Receive achievement rewards.¡± [The Performance reward has been granted. Choose one from the following selection.] [1. Skill] [2. Effect] [3. Item] [4. Merit] Several choices appeared, but there was no need for Chang-Sun to give it much thought. He already had his choice in mind. [Category No. 4 ¡®Merit¡¯ has been chosen as a reward.] [10,000 Karma has been umted!] [The Performance reward has been granted. Choose one from the following selection.] ... [5,000 Karma has been umted!] [Currently owned Merit: 15,000 Karma.] ¡®Well, the rewards given at lower levels only have cool names, but they¡¯re mostly superficial. unnecessary. [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] should be enough for now, and if I really need something, making it on my own will be more efficient,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. On the other hand, Merit, which would be converted into a currency called Karma, was different. ¡®When the shop is unlocked, nothing will be more useful than this.¡¯ The Saha World and the Otherworld had something inmon: The rich guy would win in the end. Merit was none other than the primary means of making that happen. That was why Chang-Sun nned to focus on umting Merit for a while, to the fullest extent possible. In the shop, he would be able to buy and trade many things, such as skills, items, and blessings. Even divinities could appear in it from time to time. The next thing he did was to check his status. ¡°Open system window.¡± [Lee Chang-Sun] Divine Name: Divine Twilight (Unusable) Title: Natural Enemy of Serpents (New!) Faction: Underworld ss: Rune Master Level: 15 Strength: 36.5 (+25) Agility: 32.7 (+20) Stamina: 29.9 (+20) Magic: 10 (+20) Intelligence: 33 (+20) Willpower: 28.2 (+20) Acquired Skills. Intermediate Dagger Proficiency Lv.5 Poor-Level Rune Engraving Lv.9 Low-Level Rune Creation Lv.1 (New!) Serpent Eyes Lv.1 (New!) Acquired Effects Lesser Toxin Resistance Lv.5 Acquired Authorities Soul Exploitation Lv.1 Execution Sword Lv.1 Special note: Several deities have shown deep interest and admiration for the achievements you have aplished. Additional Stats: 50 ¡®Not too bad,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. In truth, although Chang-Sun saw his current status as merely ¡®alright¡¯, the reality was that it was far more than that. Who would believe that this was the status window of a yer who had just received his first ss? Even Chang-Sun, who had already gone down a simr road in Arcadia, smiled faintly as he read the window. ¡®Catching the Bloody Mamba in a solo raid definitely contributed the most toward making this happen.¡¯ The achievement he had been awarded raised his Strength and Agility tremendously, making it possible to raise the relevant skills to Level 5. He decided to keep the additional stats in reserve, as they would be useful in the future. Apart from that, the extra rewards were also useful. The title ¡®Natural Enemy of Serpents¡¯ had been granted by killing the Bloody Mamba on a solo raid. Equipping the title was enough to cause fear not only in snakes, but also in all reptile-type monsters, and it granted an additional 10 points to all stats. The title¡¯s effects were extremely potent. The new skill [Serpent Eyes] was of a simr caliber. It would allow Chang-Sun to easily identify an opponent¡¯s weak spot and would be immensely useful to him. Those two rewards alone would already grant him an enormous advantage. On top of all that, my strength and agility stats are so high that Pabilsag will drool over them. Chang-Sun turned his gaze toward the messages that had been ringing continuously, as if begging for his attention. [The first of three rewards from clearing the quest, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], now belongs to you indefinitely.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ has expressed a strong desire to have you!] Despite bestowing a relic she treasured immensely on Chang-Sun. Pabilsag was not unhappy. Instead, she had revealed a firm desire to make him her apostle, one way or another. That was how much Chang-Sun meant to her. [Some deities have begun to show clear interest in you after finding out the results of the wager.] [Some stars have begun to take interest in you.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ once again issues a strong warning. Anybody who attempts to steal her ything will taste a dragon¡¯s wrath!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ asks what you want as additional rewards for the wager.] The entire time, Pabilsag had not forgotten about their wager. She went as far as to open up her personal treasury, telling Chang-Sun to take whatever he wished. [The second reward has been granted.] [The dragon¡¯s treasury has been opened!] [Reward List:] 1. Anatizan Gold. 2. Blue Sky Grail. 3. Universal Stone. ¡­ As Chang-Sun reached the end of the list, he repeatedly clicked his tongue ¡®She has all sorts of things. Not only does she have the [Blue Sky Grail], which can turn any alcohol into an elixir, she also has the [Universal Stone] that can grant its bearer more mana just by carrying it around?¡¯ As Pabilsag was a daughter of Tiamat, Chang-Sun had assumed that she would own all sorts of treasures and riches. Still, the actual list surpassed his wildest expectations. It exceeded all the wealth Chang-Sun himself had acquired in his ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ years. It was indeed a dragon¡¯s treasury. However, what surprised Chang-Sun the most was Pabilsag¡¯s magnanimity. Although he had been aiming for such a result from the start, he had never expected her to be so generous. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ says you can request anything without reservations.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ affirms that even a million gold coins will not be a waste if she can win you over.] [Several deities are bbergasted by the offer given by ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯.] [Several stars have revealed their interest in the treasury of ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯.] Chang-Sun got the impression that many Celestials were watching him and Pabilsag at that moment. ¡®That gives me even more of a reason not to be content with this.¡¯ Reaching out with one hand, Chang-Sun closed the list. [The treasury list has been closed.] [You have not chosen any rewards!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ frowns noticeably, asking about the intent behind your choice.] [Some deities have revealed their suspicion of your unfathomable mind.] ¡®If I choose a reward from the list, I¡¯ll be under Pabilsag¡¯s control forever.¡¯ It was a given that Chang-Sun had nned to attract the attention of deities and stars, but he had no intention of bing someone¡¯s apostle. Bing an apostle meant mortgaging one¡¯s soul. In the long run, it would close many options off. ¡®After all, I didn¡¯t see anything that was truly valuable.¡¯ He had had enough of mortgaging his life in Arcadia. Still, it would be unwise to incur resentment from a deity. He needed to entice Pabilsag as best he could. ¡°As far as I am aware, the more Merit one umtes, the better, because it is useful in the reward system. I want to do that instead.¡± [The reward you have not received has been substituted with Merit.] [1,000,000 Karma has been umted!] [Currently owned Merit: 1,015,000.] ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because I had a bet with a deity, but I¡¯ve received a lot.¡¯ Chang-Sun already owning over a million Karma was as ridiculous as the stats he had. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ has a disapproving expression.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ rmends at least taking the remaining reward of bing an apostle candidate.] ¡°Again, I apologize. I wish to experience more rather than making a hasty decision. I also have no ns to end my journey as an apostle candidate.¡± [You have also rejected the third reward (Bing an apostle candidate).] [The reward you have not received has been substituted with Merit.] [1,000,000 Karma has been umted!] [Currently owned Merit: 2,015,000.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is furious at you for mocking her!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ growls ferociously, warning you that you will regret this in the future!] It felt as if the air itself had begun trembling, and Chang-Sun could feel the deity¡¯s wrath physically. However, that did not mean he had to keep his head down. After all, Celestials were bound by thew of causality, limiting their ability to freely interfere in the Saha World. Even if they wished to get in Chang-Sun¡¯s way in the future, they were bound to run into limitations. Besides¡­ Ding! Ding¨D Messages continued to ring incessantly. [Some deities have begun to watch the interesting spectacle unfold while eating popcorn,menting that ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ ended up behaving in an unsightly manner.] [Some deities have begun paying attention to your ambition that is not content with bing a mere apostle candidate.] [Some deities who previously gave up on you have once again begun to show their interest and attention.] It was inevitable that demonstrating excellent value would eventually lead to deities siding with Chang-Sun. Eventually, they would be enough to protect him from Pabilsag¡¯s attempts to pressure him. Even if that did not turn out to be the case, if he understood the situation correctly, she would never stop wanting him. ¡®Tiamat and her children are never satisfied until they get their hands on something they¡¯ve begun to desire. Besides, if Pabilsag really needs fighting power for a battle against Bel-Marduk, she¡¯ll be in dire need of as many talented people as possible.¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ watches you for a moment with zing eyes, then rapidly looks away.] With that, Pabilsag would most likely stop expressing her will openly for a while. However, Chang-Sun was fairly sure that she was going to keep watching him. ¡®From beginning to end, everything has been going smoothly ording to n. It¡¯s actually starting to be concerning¡­ I think this will be enough to get me to the next stage, though. I wonder how much time is left until the next sector opens?¡¯ [00:51:49:33] Roughly fifty minutes remained. ¡®It should be enough to make the necessary preparations.¡¯ With [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], which remained sharp even after enduring so many Explosion Runes, Chang-Sun dismembered the Bloody Mamba¡¯s corpse. He did not show the slightest hint of hesitation as he gutted it to remove its organs, separated its skin from its flesh, and drained its blood. ¡®Normally, not a single thing should go to waste with a boss monster like this.¡¯ [Acquired ¡®Bloody Mamba¡¯s Blood¡¯!] [Acquired ¡®Bloody Mamba¡¯s Tendon ¡Á 5¡¯!] [Acquired ¡®Bloody Mamba¡¯s Eyeballs ¡Á 2¡¯!] ¡­ [Some deities have be curious about your next move.] [Along with the rumors pertaining to the wager, the news of you refusing the offer to be an apostle of ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is slowly spreading through Heaven!] [The deities who have grown curious about you are connecting to Dungeon Channel KR-9721 one after another.] [The current number of viewers is ??. ] [The current number of deities showing deep interest in you is ??.] * * * [00:25:11:98] People always became preupied with safety in the face of a crisis. On the other hand, if someone turned that crisis into an opportunity and soared high into the sky, it would form two things in the minds of the hopeful: The question of ¡®Wouldn¡¯t I be able to do that too?¡¯, and confirmation bias. That was the case for Jeon Choong-Jae, who blurted out all of a sudden on his break, ¡°...Wouldn¡¯t I be able to do that too?¡± In response, his friend Kim Hyeong-Won asked, ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Be a yer,¡± Choong-Jae answered. ¡°Hey, are you nuts? You¡¯re gonna do what now?¡± Hyeong-Won asked. ¡°If a drunk can do it, why can¡¯t I?¡± Choong-Jae answered the question with another question. Hyeong-Won facepalmed without realizing it. Choong-Jae had been talking trash about Chang-Sun a while back, and it seemed he had be delusional in the end. He was well aware of Choong-Jae¡¯s long-held jealousy toward ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯. How could he not be? Chang-Sun had stomped on the opportunity Choong-Jae had desperately desired ever since he was a child. Later, Chang-Sun had be a piece of trash who looked at Choong-Jae with scorn. Choong-Jae¡¯s wounded heart from that time was not to be taken lightly. That was why he had been quite appalled after finding out that Chang-Sun was with him when he first got entangled in the Random Break. Out of all the ways he could form an ill-fated rtionship, he just had to have met Chang-Sun in a Dungeon. ¡®Although everything turned out this way because we found Lee Chang-Sun exiting the convenience store with alcohol and followed him afterward¡­¡¯ Thus, Hyeong-Won had been worried that Choong-Jae would say something ridiculous to Chang-Sun when he showed up in the Safe Zone with the Bloody Mamba¡¯s body. Luckily, Choong-Jae had held his burning resentment in rather than trying to pick a fight. That had convinced Hyeong-Won that Choong-Jae had at least a bit of sense. However, it seemed he had been mistaken. Still, how could Choong-Jae even think of bing a yer? Hyeong-Won had always thought of yers as ¡®mad moths caught up in get-rich-quick fever¡¯, so he wanted to stop his friend from running headfirst into danger. However, Choong-Jae continued, ¡°No. I think I can do it. I didn¡¯t realize it earlier, but I think I might have a . I think I acquired it here.¡± If Choong-Jae would not listen even after so much in the way of exnations and reasoning, even someone as gentle as Hyeong-Won was bound to get angry. He eximed, ¡°Hey, cut it¡ª¡± Choong-Jae cut him off, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not talking nonsense. I see it now.¡± Hyeong-Won asked, ¡°What do you see?¡± Choong-Jae replied, ¡°A god¡¯s message.¡± ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Hyeong-Won began to yell, but he fell silent, his eyes widening in shock as Choong-Jae shared the message he had been looking at. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ has revealed a deep interest in the talent of yer ¡®Jeon Choong-Jae¡¯!] ¡°...!¡± Hyeong-Won was taken aback. He was well aware of the deity known as ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯. In fact, it was impossible for him not to be aware of her identity. Based on her number of followers alone, ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡® was one of the most highly venerated deities among all the ns in the world. She was a goddess of justice and war; naturally, that made her one of the most notable deities in the world of yers, where power was prized above all else. However, as she did not have an apostle, the deity was also known as the epitome of pride¡­ Why was she showing interest in Choong-Jae? Such a story could never be overlooked. If news were to leak out, it would cause an uproar across the world. Hyeong-Won began to ask Choong-Jae for details on how such a thing had happened. ¡°Have you ever taken the tests for awakening¡­¡± Suddenly, however¡­ Fumfumfum! The sky rumbled, and a public message appeared above the Safe Zone. [An administrator has appeared!] 1. The original word in Korean was ¡®???¡¯, which trantes to ¡®countless stars twinkling in the night sky¡¯, but metaphorically refers to a gathering of people with high status, power, or honor. ¡®Ster¡¯ coincidentally has a simr connotation in English. Chapter 8: Star, Tutorial (1)

Chapter 8: Star, Tutorial (1)

¡°Administrator?¡± ¡°What? Why is it appearing now?¡± Jeong Choong-Jae and Kim Hyeong-Won both looked up at the same time. So did the other civilians, who had previously believed that they could rx for the remaining time, and Park Hae-Seong, who had been trying to anticipate what the quest in the second sector would be. As the title implied, an Administrator was a being that managed Dungeons. Still, they were rarely seen, as each Administrator oversaw multiple Dungeons. Unlike deities or stars, they were beings who always gave people trials and tribtions, which meant even high rankers or apostles would avoid meeting Administrators. Why would such a being show up without warning? Most people took a step back, their expressions filled with fear. However, Hae-Seong stepped forward to take charge as their leader. Tap! A pir of light descended from the sky. When it disappeared, it revealed a rabbit-man wearing a tuxedo, standing quietly in ce. He had a monocle over one eye and a pocket-watch in one hand, reminiscent of the White Rabbit from . ¡°Oh my! I unintentionally disrupted your rest, didn¡¯t I?¡± the Administrator began, greeting those present with exaggerated elegance. ¡°It is so good to meet you all for the first time. I, Herald, am an Administrator responsible for the KR channel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Park Hae-Seong. I¡¯m currently in charge of the safety zone,¡± Hae-Seong replied. ¡°Oh. I assume you are the famous yer Park Hae-Seong,¡± Herald said. ¡°Do you¡­ know me?¡± Hae-Seong asked. ¡°Of course I do. You are the sole survivor of the ¡®Den of the Evil Dragon¡¯, no? The is also keeping a close eye on you, Mr. Park Hae-Seong. It would be impossible for me not to know you,¡± Herald replied. The name ¡®Den of the Evil Dragon¡¯ left a faint frown on Hae-Seong¡¯s face, but he quickly hid his feelings and cautiously asked, ¡°Thank you, but what brings you here¡­?¡± ¡°A matter hase up, for which I have to ask for your understanding,¡± Herald answered. ¡°By understanding, you mean¡­¡± Hae-Seong trailed off, his expression stiffening as he felt an ominous sense of foreboding. ¡°In truth, unlike the , my main principles are ¡®non-intervention¡¯ and ¡®freedom¡¯. I tried to not interfere with all of you¡­ However, as you may know, it is difficult to act on one¡¯s own beliefs inside an organization, is it not?¡± Herald remarked, before calmly continuing, ¡°The transmission rate in this channel abruptly rose tenfold, making my bosses quite irritated¡­ Thus, I am sorry, but it seems the difficulty level needs to be adjusted.¡± ¡°Wha¡­!¡± Hae-Seong began to splutter in protest, but Herald lightly flicked his fingers. Flick! [Reflecting the currently recorded achievements, the difficulty level has been revised significantly.] [The Safe Zone has disappeared.] [The monsters¡¯ aggression has been increased.] [The monsters¡¯ damage and defense has been increased.] ... The Safe Zone¡¯s dividing line that had previously surrounded the civilians disappeared. At the same time, the concentration of mana in the air became so high that it was difficult to breathe. However, that was not what truly filled the civilians with horror. Dozens of eyes that resembled will-o¡¯-the-wisps began to appear throughout the forest surrounding the Safe Zone. Krrr¨D ¡°W-What the¡­?!¡± ¡°Why all of a sudden?!¡± The civilians could not help but be petrified with fear; for them, this was no different from their survival rate being lowered abruptly for no reason. ¡®It¡¯s just like back then!¡¯ Hae-Seong thought desperately, biting down hard on his lower lip. He had experienced something simr before. News of a super-talented novice¡¯s appearance had attracted a lot of attention from the Celestials, and an Administrator had suddenly showed up. In an instant, a quest that had been about to end changedpletely. Because of that, the evil dragon they hadid to rest with much difficulty went on a rampage, killing countless colleagues of his¡­ The man once called the Hope of Korea had also vanished vainly in its wake. After bing the sole survivor, the only thing Hae-Seong had seen was a message casually thrown out by the watching Celestials. [Disappointing.] Later, Hae-Seong had found out that whenever a notable person of rare talent showed up, Celestials would raise the difficulty level of a quest significantly to gauge the person¡¯s potential for bing an apostle. They did not care one bit about the people who would be sacrificed in the process. The term they used seemed to be ¡®The Filtering¡¯. All those who had the absolute power needed to be called high rankers had all gone through ¡®The Filtering¡¯, one after another. Hae-Seong had never imagined that the same thing would happen here! ¡®Do they consider Lee Chang-Sun to have that much talent?¡¯ While Second Lieutenant Park Hae-Seong was screaming silently, the Dungeon underwent the final stage of its transformation. Thump! [As the difficulty level rises, the remaining time has reached zero.] [Free will has been granted to the monsters.] [Currently, they are in the ¡®Hungry¡¯ state. Survive the hungry predators¡¯ attack.] [The
function has been unlocked. The maximum number of members in each party is 10. Depending on individual contribution, various armaments may be acquired.] [Sessfully hunting monsters will cause them to drop a with a certain probability.] [Each party requires 99 Sariras to earn the qualification to pass through the second sector.] ¡°Ahh! What is this¡­?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard such a thing!¡± The forest soon filled with people¡¯s screams, as the monsters grew exponentially in number and their howls grew louder.. [The monster wave will begin in five seconds.] [5.] [4.] ¡°Then, I wish you all the best,¡± Herald said while watching people running around in confusion, before bowing elegantly and vanishing without a trace. [1.] . [0.] [The second sector has been opened.] ¡°S-Stop them!¡± ¡°S-Sh-Shit! What¡¯s going on now?!¡± Hae-Seong tried to cast the skill he had acquired across as wide an area as possible, intending to stop the monsters at all costs. As the system message announced the beginning of the monster wave, however, arge pack of fire-breathing dogs began to charge forth. Woof, woof! However, just then¡­ Pah¨D! One person suddenly shot forward, passing Hae-Seong while thinking ¡®This is my chance!¡¯ It was Choong-Jae. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ blesses¡­] Crackle¨D! All of a sudden, there was an error in the message window, scrambling several of the letters on screen. [The Celestial ¡®Great #### the ### ####¡¯ blesses you!] * * * [Acquired ¡®Bloody Mamba¡¯s Poisonous Fang¡¯!] ¡®I got it,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he finished butchering the Bloody Mamba. When only the parts he wanted were left, his eyes shone. He had finally received the first clues toward achieving the [Impervious Body]. Of course, to use the Bloody Mamba¡¯s body to the fullest extent, he would require other ingredients, along with fulfilling other necessary conditions. Still, the sense of aplishment from finally achieving the first step brought him great joy. However, that feeling came to an end quickly, as an incessant series of messages from the Dungeon suddenly appeared. [The second sector has been opened.] [The deities who show interest in you wonder about your future exploits.] [The deities who show interest in you have ced wagers on how long you will survive.] ¡°What?¡± Chang-Sun muttered, narrowing his eyes. He thought ¡®Have they already begun the Filtering?¡¯ Celestials did not normally pay much attention to mere mortals¡¯ life and death. After all, the vast universe overflowed with various civilizations, and each civilization was filled with countless intelligent lives. All they wanted was more faith. In order to make that happen, they were only interested in acquiring talented apostles who could do their bidding in the Saha World. Still, even if a fine candidate were to appear, that did not mean they could blindly bless the candidate and make them an apostle. Pabilsag was the odd one out; ordinarily, Celestials were particrly determined to choose apostles through a highly selective process. Therefore, whenever they discovered a promising candidate, they went directly to the to make a request. They would drastically raise the difficulty level of the Dungeon to put the apostle candidate in harm¡¯s way. If they had superb and , candidates¡¯ potential would flourish one way or another in a crisis. If not, they would just disappear, buried among the ordinary people, at which point the Celestials¡¯ interest would fade away as if it had never existed. They would never care about the victims of such a crisis, either. That was how the term arose to describe such crisis scenarios. yers had begun to consider them tribtions used by Celestials to awaken people into great yers, taking the word ¡®tutorial¡¯ to mean ¡®instruction manual¡¯. ¡®It¡¯s stupid to believe that.¡¯ The ¡®Tutorial¡¯ was actually a special manual made by the for Celestials. Therefore, Chang-Sun had assumed that as long as he was carrying out the quest in the Dungeon, the Tutorial would be activated in some way or another. However, he had thought that it would only begin when it was time for sector three or four to open. ¡®Is this because I won the wager with Pabilsag?¡¯ he thought. From the looks of it, he had attracted far more attention from the Celestials than he anticipated. Shoving the [Bloody Mamba¡¯s Poisonous Fang] into an inner pocket, Chang-Sun quickly inspected his physical condition. [HP: 151/448] [Mana: 8/250] ¡®It¡¯s a mess.¡¯ Only a third of his HP was left, and his mana was almost gone. He could refill his HP with [Soul Exploitation], but there was not much he could do to restore mana, which he needed to use his skills. However, there was a bigger problem giving him a headache¡­ [Stamina: 2/30] ¡®My stamina is almost depleted.¡¯ No matter how much mental fortitude Chang-Sun had, it would be strange for his physical condition to be normal. He had acquired his first ss and killed a Bloody Mamba in less than half a day with his wasted body. That was why he had really wanted to rest during the break period. ¡®I guess things aren¡¯t going to work in my favor.¡¯. Pah¨D! As soon as Chang-Sun reached his conclusion, he firmly gripped [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and shot forward. In the past, he had more often than not been forced to face crisis situations in poor physical condition, rather than having the luxury of taking them on in peak condition. Each time, he had been victorious. That was how the legend of ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ had been born. Rustle, rustle¨D! ¡°A Fire Lizard?¡± Chang-Sun remarked. Arge reptile leaped out of a nearby thicket. It resembled an ordinary gecko, but it was two meters long. It had a violent nature, seeking to burn everything in its sight. ¡®First came biotoxin, and second came me toxin. Will it be in the order of ice toxin, mineral toxin, and corpse toxin next?¡¯ Chang-Sun recalled the pattern that would manifest based on the quest theme as he tried to hit the lizard with a sliding tackle. In response, the Fire Lizard spat out a fireball. ¡®Then what I need to do from here is¡­¡¯ Chang-Sun ducked, narrowly dodging the fireball. Then, he struck with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], aiming for the Fire Lizard¡¯s lower body. ¡®umte fire elemental energy!¡¯ sh! [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] quickly shed through the Fire Lizard¡¯s leg, just beneath the joint. It wailed in pain and twisted its body in an attempt to bash Chang-Sun¡¯s head in with its tail. However, Chang-Sun had already rolled away, well out of striking distance. Thud! The Fire Lizard¡¯s tail pounded down on nothing but empty ground. Once again, Chang-Sun closed in on it, shing toward its vulnerable carotid artery. Rip¨D! Squirt! Kiee! Kieeee! The Fire Lizard struggled, spitting more fireballs as blood poured from its body. However, the fireballs did not hit Chang-Sun even once, passing harmlessly through the air. In contrast, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] unleashed several quick, deep cuts, only striking the fire lizard¡¯s weak points. sh¨D! Rip, rip! Boom¨D! Thump! [Sessfully hunted a Fire Lizard!] [Level up!] The Fire Lizard copsed onto the ground,pletely helpless to resist. ¡®It has way more HP than the ck Mambas¡­ If these things moved in groups, I would have a hard time hunting.¡¯ While trying to think of easier ways to hunt the Fire Lizards, Chang-Sun butchered the dead monster as quickly as he had the ck Mambas. Soon, he uncovered a red marble located in its left chest. [Found ¡®Sarira of Fire¡¯.] A Sarira of Fire was the fruit and essence of all the fire elemental energy that Fire Lizards carried. To pass through the sector, it was a must-have. Chang-Sun stuffed it into his mouth as if it were nothing. Crack! As soon as he bit down on the sarira, it was as if a burning ball of fire filled his mouth. A horrible pain apanied it, but he simply swallowed it whole without regard for it. It left a burning trail from his esophagus to his stomach, and he could smell the stench of his own scorched flesh. [Sessfully swallowed ¡®Sarira of Fire¡¯!] [Acquired Lesser Fire Resistance.] [Fire elemental energy has increased by 2.] After checking the message, Chang-Sun quickly headed toward the second area, where Fire Lizards and other fire-type monsters roamed. In part, he did intend to minimize the damage for the unlucky people who had to experience the Tutorial because of him. More importantly, however, if others were given a chance to achieve brilliant exploits, that would mean fewer sariras for Chang-Sun, and he would never let that happen. That was because he nned to umte as much fire elemental energy as possible by eating many more sariras than the quest required. They were the hidden piece he needed to achieve the second condition for acquiring the [Impervious Body]. ¡®[Heat of the Eight Trigrams Brazier]. I¡¯ll get the ember needed to light the brazier here.¡¯ Chapter 9: Star, Tutorial (2)

Chapter 9: Star, Tutorial (2)

[Impervious Body] had been Antares¡¯ and . He was Chang-Sun¡¯s long-time nemesis, and ¡®Scorpio¡¯ of the Zodiacs. His had been the ability to remain unaffected by exposure to any kind of toxin in the world, and his had been to absorb all of those poisons into his own blood cells. Those blood cells then formed his toxic blood. Because of that Trait, Chang-Sun could not even dream of approaching the poison fog Antares could spray out, even though their power had been on the same level. In the end, Chang-Sun had lost to Antares. Because of the [Gaia¡¯s Curse] Antares had inflicted, Chang-Sun had gotten infected, rapidly breaking down his divine essence. Thus, ever since Chang-Sun hade back to life with Thanatos¡¯ help, he had set his mind to acquiring the [Impervious Body] any way he could. Of course, that would be impossible if Antares had acquired a one-of-a-kind Trait. However, Chang-Sun had encountered a strange coincidence that could allow him to turn the tables. ¡°While the Door of Reincarnation is being opened, you¡¯re going to learn as many secret techniques as possible here.¡±? After saying that, Thanatos had selected a few for Chang-Sun to learn secret techniques from. ¡°Among those techniques, there will be some you haven''t even thought of trying. Or they could be techniques you did think of trying, but had no idea where to start.¡± Moreover, there were several , stars that had been captured and imprisoned in the Underworld, with deep grudges against the Zodiacs. The Zodiacs had made many enemies in order to earn their thrones. ¡°Most of those techniques will be very effective for knocking those guys off their pedestals. The techniques will no doubt intrigue you too.¡± Even though they were , they were very prideful. Most of them did not wish to reveal their skills and techniques, the root of their power. Still, there were some who desperately wished for revenge, even at the cost of their pride. Chang-Sun had begun calling the ten who volunteered to teach him the ¡®Ten Elders¡¯. They had taught him a few of their techniques, and one of them was a shortcut to achieving the [Impervious Body]. One , who refused to reveal his name, had said that Antares killed his daughter. He had unhesitatingly given away all of his painstakingly gathered research on how to kill Antares. Although the star had failed to find thest piece, the remaining pieces were still especially helpful to Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun had called him ¡®First Elder¡¯, for being the first to enlighten Chang-Sun among the Ten Elders. First Elder was the one who had taught Chang-Sun about the Eight Trigrams Brazier. ¡°The Eight Trigrams Brazier is famous for being Daode Tianzun¡¯s brazier. That artifact is the very same one that allowed the great, undefeatable, and arrogant Sun Wukong to obtain the Fiery Eyes of Truth in Wukong¡¯s time as the Monkey King. However, its true essence is that of purification fire. It can burn away demonic energy, erase evil, and refine substances into their purest forms.¡± ¡°If you can light that fire within yourself, you will be able to refine your own body into its purest and toughest form.¡± ¡°Such a body would then be immune to the threat of any toxins!¡± Of course, the Eight Trigrams Brazier could burn away one¡¯s entire soul, let alone the body, if it were lit improperly. However¡­ What did it matter? Chang-Sun was determined to do anything that could allow him to grow stronger. Even if the path before him inflicted pain that could burn his soul to ash, he was confident that he could walk all the way to its end. That was why he was intent on igniting the ember he needed to spark the me in the Eight Trigrams Brazier. And that ember was¡­ ¡®The fire element energy gained from consuming Sariras of Fire.¡¯ A Sarira of Fire was a magical organ that held all the mana of fire-element monsters. If it could be digested whole, there would be no better elixir for umting fire elemental energy. However, simply eating a Sarira of Fire would not normally allow someone to umte fire elemental energy. If the method were that simple, it would not truly be a hidden piece, after all. Still, it was possible for Chang-Sun, and the reason for that was very simple. [The Authority ¡®Soul Exploitation¡¯ has been activated!] [You have lit the fire in the Purgatory Brazier, sessfully acquiring the ashes of a ¡®Fire Lizard¡¯.] ¡­ [The data of the ¡®Sarira of Fire¡¯ has been sessfully analyzed using the ashes of the ¡®Fire Lizard¡¯.] [Fire elemental energy has been umted!] How could there be any resistance when Chang-Sun was absorbing the sarira using the soul of its original owner? It allowed him to umte quite a lot of fire elemental energy. No method could be more efficient than that. ¡®I can¡¯t create an ember with just this amount, though. I have to kill as many as possible to umte fire elemental energy. Then, I need to locate their nest and ransack the ce from top to bottom. The strongest, toughest monsters will be there, and I also have to eat their sariras.¡¯ Although he felt that just one sarira was not enough, there was one thing that made Chang-Sun yell in delight. It was that the early activation of the Tutorial would enable him to umte even more fire elemental energy. The higher the difficulty level was, the bigger the reward would be. That had always been the nature of Dungeons. And so¡­ Zoom, zoom, zoom¨D! Chang-Sun broke through the Fire Lizards that rushed endlessly toward him as he searched for the location of the nest. * * * [The Celestial ¡®Twil## ### ##¡¯ is watching over her subordinate.] [The Celestial ¡®##ight ##ing O#¡¯ cheers on her subordinate, telling him to keep swinging that sword.] Paying little heed to the messages he received that contained several distorted letters, Jeon Choong-Jae watched the Fire Smander in front of him. The monster was nearly three meters long, almost as if a model dinosaur from a museum hade to life. Still, Choong-Jae did not care, and he simply pounced on the monster to continue his hunt. [Eliminated a Fire Smander!] [Experience points acquired.] [Experience points acquired.] ¡­ [Level up!] [Eliminated a Fire Lizard!] [Eliminated a Fire Dog!] [The yer ¡®Jeon Choong-Jae¡¯ is dominating!] ¡®Yes, this is it. This is what I¡¯ve been waiting for!¡¯ Choong-Jae shuddered multiple times as ecstasy ran down his spine each time he killed a monster. He had always lived a life of oppression and restrictions, but when he held a sword, it seemed as if he could sh all of those restrictions away and gain real freedom. The sensation of ¡®getting stronger¡¯ simply gave him that much of a thrill. Perhaps it could be said that he had felt the same way when he first experienced a videogame and discovered he had a talent for it. At first, killing even one monster had been difficult. However, after five days passed, Choong-Jae had be strong enough to handle five of them at the same time. He owed his rapid progress to the blessing the goddess had granted him. Each time he brandished his sword, it spat mes. Each time he stomped his foot, the ground shook. If he maintained such supernatural strength, he could do anything. Perhaps he could even smash that damned guy¡¯s face in¡­! That was what he had thought. However¡­ [Dungeon Ranking] First ce: Lee Chang-Sun (7,500 Points) Second ce: Jeon Choong-Jae (565 Points) Third ce: Park Hae-Seong (150 Points) From time to time, Choong-Jae checked the rankings because he wanted to see how great he had be. s, whenever he did, the thrill he felt was instantly extinguished. It was true that Chang-Sun had shown outstanding performance in the first sector, but Choong-Jae had thought his performance was on par with¡­ no, better than Chang-Sun¡¯s. Despite that, in the time it took for Choong-Jae to obtain a mere 560 points, Chang-Sun had obtained 2,500, widening the gap even further. That lit the me of a certain emotion in Choong-Jae¡¯s heart¡ªan inferiorityplex toward Chang-Sun. ¡®How can this be true? What could he possibly be doing to achieve this kind of result? This can¡¯t be true without him using some kind of exploit¡­!¡¯ When his train of thought reached that point, Choong-Jae¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡®Yes! An exploit! He must be using an exploit¡­ or rather, a cheat that lets him abuse the system. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t be this strong already, right?¡¯ Just then, a message popped up. [The Celestial ¡®### Pierc# ###¡¯ says that with her subordinate¡¯s current ability, it will be impossible to beat the target until the Dungeon Quest is over.] The reason ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ provided for granting Choong-Jae power was that she ¡®felt pity for Choong-Jae¡¯s desperate cravings for power.¡¯ It struck Choong-Jae like a bolt from the blue when a being such as her stated that so decisively. He eximed, ¡°Dear goddess, how could you say such a thing¡­?!¡± [The Celestial ¡®##ight Pie## #wl¡¯ says there is a way to narrow the gap.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilig## ### ##¡¯ advises that if the enemy is using an exploit, her subordinate can do so as well.] Jeon Choong-Jae was shocked. The powers he had received were already so great on their own that other yers would likely think he was ¡®favored¡¯ by deities. Was she telling him there was even a faster way? [The Celestial ¡®##ight ### ###¡¯ says very cautiously that the exploit might cause horrible pain, depending on how it is used.] ¡°No! It¡¯s okay. I can do anything if it means I can get stronger. Please, please give me more power¡­!¡± Choong-Jae eximed. He had only one goal, and that to surpass Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun was a wall that Choong-Jae had failed to surpass even in games. Thus, he did not want to be a loser who failed to surpass Chang-Sun even in the world of yers. [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ says she will help her subordinate if he is determined to do so.] [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ whispers that insufficient ability and talent can be improved with alternative methods.] Choong-Jae was mesmerized for a long time by the message sent by ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯, so much so that he failed to realize that the divine name of his goddess had broken downpletely, bing illegible. * * * At first, when Choong-Jae had begun to hunt actively, others assumed he was just reckless, motivated by Chang-Sun. They also thought he would die if he continued the way he had, surrounded by so many monsters. Despite that, he did not die. Rather, he kept going, only widening the gap between himself and the others. Slowly, the rest began to feel agitated. ¡°If¡­ If we leave him like that, won¡¯t that young man sweep the whole second sector clean?¡± ¡°How is he doing this¡­?¡± ¡°From what I heard, he received a blessing from a deity. A star, even.¡± ¡°A star? Is that true?¡± ¡°Do you see his friend who was with him? I heard it from him. I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°I guess the world really is only for the talented¡­ I wish we could get stronger like him¡­!¡± After the Gates to the Dungeons had opened, and the Celestials had begun interfering with the world, the word ¡®yer¡¯ hade to be synonymous with ¡®life-changing opportunity.¡¯ Bing a yer came with a great risk of death, but it also came with an equally great opportunity to quickly rue vast wealth. Thus, many people tried, but most failed because theycked talent. Organizations such as governments and the World yer Council for Freedom often held training sessions to prepare civilians for such things. However, they also tried to prevent those who failed their tests from jumping through the Gates. However, a civilian who had been no different from the others merely two days before had suddenly be extremely active. More than that, there was not only one, but two such individuals. Naturally, the other civilians¡¯ hearts fluttered with vague hints of possibility. Park Hae-Seong had noticed their agitation and tried his best to control the crowd, preventing them from forming false hope in their hearts. s, as the monster wave continued for three days, people grew tired. That only made their jealousy and desire grow even stronger. At that moment, Choong-Jae suddenly called several people over and announced, ¡°Just now, I acquired¡­ a new skill.¡± . ¡°Skill?¡± ¡°What skill is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a way to guarantee our survival. We can all be yers and exit this Dungeon alive. The goddess I believe in has answered my desperate prayer,¡± Choong-Jae said. As he spoke, he gestured to his friend, Kim Hyeong-Won, to take his shirt off. A clear look of hesitation spread across Hyeong-Won¡¯s face, but he could not say no to Choong-Jae for fear of him turning violent. There was a moderatelyrge tattoo on the right side of Kim Hyeong-Won¡¯s back, depicting an owl perched atop a book. It was the symbol known as ¡®Minerva¡¯s owl¡¯. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the mark of the Illuminati¡­?¡± someone murmured. The ¡®Bavarian Illuminati¡¯, as it was known in the East, was one of the biggest ns in the world. And yet, the symbol of that organization had appeared. The onlookers¡¯ eyes widened inadvertently as they thought of various possibilities. ¡°No. This is a seal. Actually, you could say that the Illuminati¡¯s mark imitated this,¡± Choong-Jae said. ¡°¡­?¡± As the crowd stood there silently awaiting an exnation, Choong-Jae emphatically said, ¡°¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ is the goddess I believe in.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°No way¡­!¡± ¡°So far, I¡¯ve been able to get stronger with the help of the goddess. Just now, the goddess has given me a new revtion¡­¡± Choong-Jae said; his graceful demeanor made him resemble a saint from a holy icon, preaching doctrines to the masses. He concluded, ¡°...to help you seek the truth.¡± The following exnation given by Choong-Jae was very simple: Simply bearing the seal of ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ was sufficient to allow people to share power. ¡°It can allow us to share experience points. I can even share the skills I received with you. Of course, their power will differ depending on your ability¡­ Still, it means we all can be the goddess¡¯ priests.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead. I¡¯ll kill the monsters in advance, so everyone, please have my back. That way, we¡¯ll be able to ovee this tribtion,¡± Choong-Jae said. The others exchanged looks before rushing to volunteer. With the prospect of having ess to skills and a powerful star watching over them, they had to take the offer. More than anything, their patience had long since worn thin from the constant damage they received from the endless monster waves. ¡°No! A seal can ce a restraint on your soul! If we happen to make mistakes here¡­!¡± Hae-Seong called out, urgently trying to stop them. ¡°Move!¡± ¡°Right, what do you know?!¡± ¡°We have a goddess watching over us!¡± ¡°We¡¯re gonna get ughtered anyway if we do nothing! We have to get stronger somehow!¡± Hae-Seong knew the risks involved with such seals, which were known as ¡®skill marks.¡¯ Thus, he tried to dissuade them no matter what. They were nowhere near as good as they sounded. On top of that, he had never heard of the Illuminati having a skill mark with such an effect. However, it was difficult to persuade anyone who had gone half-mad. ¡°Lieutenant, are you currently using the goddess I follow of being evil? Are you sure?¡± Choong-Jae retorted. ¡°Th-That is¡­!¡± Hae-Seong spluttered. ¡®It would be really dangerous if our formations broke down now!¡¯?Hae-Seong thought desperately, trying toe up with something to say. Choong-Jae¡¯s counterattack had only served to widen the divisions within the group. To counter an onught of monster waves that continued day after day, it was best to have as many people as possible in a defensive formation, taking turns at fixed intervals and enduring until the end. After all, there was a limit to the number of monsters that would rush forth. That was why Hae-Seong had been trying to rally people to endure at all costs, even though they had begunining about mental fatigue. However, if arge number of people were to break away from the group, it would be a major problem. Despite all that, Park Hae-Seong was unable to finish his sentence. He could only watch as a smirk spread across Choong-Jae¡¯s face. 1. In the specific context of gaming, an ¡®exploit¡¯ refers to a tactic that is technically allowed by the rules of the game, but still takes advantage of the mechanics in unintended ways to get an unfair advantage. Chapter 10: Star, Tutorial (3)

Chapter 10: Star, Tutorial (3)

Kieee¨D! A me Goat ran frantically across the ground, letting out strange cries. It was trying to get away from the ¡®monster¡¯, as far away as it could. Normally, the goat would have stayed true to the order engraved in its instincts: ¡®Upon encountering a human, kill.¡¯ However, its desire to live and its fear of ¡®that man¡¯ superseded that order. To the me Goat, that man was definitely not a human. It was wearing the skin of a human, but it was an entirely different sort of being altogether. Although he was soaked with blood, he brandished his dagger with murder in his eyes, and yet his face was nk as if he wore a mask. No matter how many monsters blocked his way, no matter how many wounds were inflicted on him, he did not let out a single cry. No monster thought of him as a human. Feeling pressured by the man¡¯s murderous demeanor and inexhaustible vigor, the monsters either chose to avoid him furtively, or return to their homes to gather reinforcements. Thetter was what the me goat nned to do. Its ¡®mother¡¯, living in their cave, was fully capable of handling the human. In truth, only ¡®Mother¡¯, the queen of the mountain, could take on the human. If things continued the way they were going, the monsters that bore me cores would definitely go extinct. As it approached the cave, the me Goat wondered why its view suddenly turned upside down before it could even call out ¡®Mother!¡¯ That was thest thought to go through the goat¡¯s mind. Swish! * * * [Eliminated a ¡®me Goat¡¯!] [You have lit the fire in the Purgatory Brazier, sessfully acquiring the ashes of a ¡®me Goat¡¯.] ... [Acquired ¡®Sarira of Fire¡¯!] [Acquired ¡®me Goat¡¯s Horn¡¯!] ... ¡°I finally found it.¡± Chang-Sun beamed, walking past the me Goat¡¯s head as it rolled along the floor. It had been three days since he began to roam around amid the monsters, and he had finally found the ce he wished to find. It was a small cave. It was easy to overlook, as thick branches and leaves covered the entrance and it was located on a shallow slope where many monsters still remained. However, it was the origin of the monster wave and the true heart of the second sector. ¡®It took longer than I thought,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, lightly clicking his tongue. He had thought a day would be enough, but it seemed he had underestimated the ¡®Tutorial¡¯. He began to wonder whether the civilians could withstand the onught, thinking ¡®Still, with that soldier, they¡¯ll be able to hold out somehow.¡¯ Chang-Sun had not just blindly left the civilians alone to sustain damage all by themselves. To begin with, if they could maintain a phnx formation, basic weapons would be enough to counter the monster waves. In Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes, Park Hae-Seong¡¯s leadership was more than enough to aplish that. Besides, he had even handed Hae-Seong some runes in case unexpected problems urred. Thus, the civilians would be able to hold out if they did not overtax themselves. On top of that, he had already killed the dangerous monsters. Still, if there was one part that bothered him because it had not gone ording to n, it would have to be how long it had taken him to locate the cave... In truth, his discovery was partly due to luck. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ thinks highly of you. He grants you a bonus!] [The Skill ¡®Serpent Eyes¡¯ has been temporarily changed into ¡®Viper Eyes¡¯.] [Viper Eyes] Just like a snake that instantly catches its prey, you can analyze terrain and locate important ces. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Active. ¡¤ Effect: Identify important details, strengthen intuition. A new deity had cut in and helped out Chang-Sun. He thought ¡®First came Pabilsag, and now there¡¯s?J?rmungandr?¡¯ J?rmungandr was a snake so big he could wrap around an entire world, and had even swallowed a world in the past. It was rumored that he had great cunning and wisdom. He represented a different kind of jackpot from Pabilsag. In truth, if only their divine essence were to be considered, J?rmungandr far surpassed Pabilsag. Being able to partially borrow the eyes of such a being was very effective for hunting monsters. ¡®For him to give this away as a without any terms, it seems he wants to test my ability.¡¯ When civilians encountered totally different types of skills they had never seen before, they often had no clue how to use them, and were left bewildered. However, the most talented ones fully understood those skills. They even tried to think of better ways to apply them. Chang-Sun fell into that category. The word ¡®apply¡¯ was, however, an understatement in this case. He used the skill so well, it was as if he had known everything about it to begin with. [Viper Eyes] could help him identify information about nearby environmental features if he widened its field of view. If he narrowed it down, on the other hand, he could identify weak spots on his opponents. If he narrowed it further to the size of a fingernail, he would be able to locate opponents¡¯ vital points and kill them instantly. As he had already been able to achieve critical hits with every attack, there could be no more urate targeting system. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ expresses his admiration of your ability, but is also curious as to how it is possible for you to disy such skill.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ asks whether your talent is rted to ¡®Death¡¯ or ¡®Battle¡¯.] The distrustful snake J?rmungandr seemed to have reservations about Chang-Sun¡¯s identity, as opposed to simply admiring his ability. However, that changed nothing. ¡®Anyway. Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡¯ Resolving to increase the pace, Chang-Sun firmly grasped [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. It had been apanying him for three days, and it already felt like a part of his body. He had gotten much more familiar with it. Then¡­ ¡°Ahhhh!¡± A sharp shriek that seemed toe from a young woman pierced Chang-Sun¡¯s ears. ¡®Was there someone here?¡¯ Chang-Sun was concerned about whether any of the escapees from Hae-Seong¡¯s group had located the cave more quickly than he did. Still, he could not let people die, so he shot forward in the direction of the scream. In the outer area of the cave stood a bear, far toorge to be considered an ordinary bear. It stood over a female student in a school uniform. The student trembled, her legs shaking so violently that she was unable to stand up. ¡®me-Patterned Bear?¡¯ Just as Asian ck bears had half-moon-shaped patterns on their chests, the monster was marked with a me-shaped pattern. It was ssified as a fairly high-rank monster,parable to the Bloody Mamba in strength. With its power, one swing of its front paw would be enough to tear the student apart like a sheet of paper. ¡®It¡¯s too far. So¡­!¡¯ Chang-Sun quickly reached into his inventory. [Equipped the ¡®Fire Dog¡¯s Rib Spear¡¯!] Whenever Chang-Sun had a spare moment, he had butchered monsters and carved their bones into spears. He grabbed one such spear in his left hand as he ran forward. Then, he powerfully nted his right foot on the ground, pivoting on it; in one smooth motion, he twisted his waist, throwing the spear using the torque of his rotation. It was not particrly difficult for him to choose a target, as [Viper Eyes] urately revealed the opponent¡¯s vital spots. At the moment, the red dot it created marked the me-Patterned Bear¡¯s right eye. Swish¨D! The bone spear flew so quickly that it could practically be mistaken for an arrow, embedding itself in the bear¡¯s eye. Roar¡­! The bear¡¯s attempt to attack the student was interrupted, causing it to rear up to its full four-meter height and let out a horrific roar that shook the whole area. However, the roar did not continue for long. Another bone spear swiftly followed the first, piercing through the bear¡¯s thick neck and embedding itself in a boulder. Thud! The ground shook as if an earthquake had begun. [Eliminated the ¡®me-Patterned Bear¡¯!] [Level up!] ¡°I-Is it d¡­ dead¡­?¡± the student murmured, dazed and shocked after her narrow brush with death. She felt as if the fallen bear would stand back up and tear her apart the way it had done to her friends. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Chang-Sun called from above. Hearing that voice finally brought the student back to reality. She shed a single tear of relief, finally realizing she had survived. Drip¨D! * * * ¡°Woo Hye-Bin?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°...Yes, that¡¯s right. Thank you for saving me, mister,¡± the student replied, having just introduced herself. She was in third grade, studying at the middle school in the nearby Jamsil district. Chang-Sun listened as Hye-Bin recounted the story of how she had gotten entangled in the Random Break; she had been visiting Jamsilsaenae Station to eat tteokbokki after her sses ended. ¡°Your friends?¡± he asked. ¡°That is¡­ sob!¡± Hye-Bin choked back sobs, trying to hold back her tears from bursting out. If Chang-Sun considered her a burden, what would happen afterward was obvious. Due to that, her face was contorted, but she could at least have a conversation. ¡°They¡¯re dead, aren¡¯t they?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Hye-Bin replied. It was a fairlymon story in Arcadia. A Dungeon would suddenly break out, and a colleague would be found dead after happily drinking andughing the day before. Earth did not have that problem at the moment, as Dungeons there had been monitored. From now on, however, if the Celestials continued to tantly interfere, the events of today would be moremon. ¡°How did it happen?¡± Chang-Sun asked. Hye-Bin silently pondered how to begin her story for a while, then eventually began talking. The story was simple. After Chang-Sun left, Jeon Choong-Jae had begun to take an active role, and started creating a group of followers. Hye-Bin and her friends had been among them, having simply wished to go back home using the power of a goddess. ¡®Jeon Choong-Jae?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, his eyebrows knitting. He vaguely remembered the name, but he could not recall where he had heard it. Had he met the other man on Earth? His memories were just too faded from the passage of time. However, the questions that came to mind when he heard the name were not enough to make him stop the story, so for the time being, he continued to listen. ¡°When people started to fall behind one by one, though¡­ He suddenly changed,¡± Hye-Bin said. ¡°Changed?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡°Yes. He just left them to be eaten by the monsters,¡± Hye-Bin replied. Chang-Sun lightly clicked his tongue. Such things also happened often. Certain individuals would encourage people while pretending to act like a noble hero, but when they served their purpose, they would be discarded. Those people either became bait, or sacrifices to form an elite army. ¡°Then were you and your friends left alone, just like the others?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°...Yes,¡± Hye-Bin said, nodding with a heavy heart. Chang-Sun¡¯s every word was sharp like a thorn, so he did little to soothe her wounded heart. Still, his voice carried power and felt reliable. ¡°How did you get here?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°My friends helped me, telling me to escape no matter what happened¡­ I ran frantically to find a hiding spot and ended up here. But there was a bear inside¡­!¡± Hye-Bin eximed. ¡®She has a for escaping. Then she coincidentally ended up here,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. Even if Hye-Bin had a , she would have little choice but to die if she were left alone amid a pack of monsters. For her, meeting Chang-Sun was a lucky break. It was also good for Chang-Sun, as it allowed him to discover what had been happening to the civilians in the Dungeon, and alerted him to possible interference from new variables. However, there was still an unanswered question. He asked, ¡°That guy named Jeon Choong-Jae, what skill does he have that allows him to share power?¡± Chang-Sun was well aware of the divine name ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl.¡¯ Her real name was Minerva. She oversaw civilization, wisdom, and war. She was a Star who could be clearly seen even in Earth¡¯s sky, and her divine rank was on par with the Zodiacs. She was also famously known by the name Athena. However, as far as Chang-Sun knew, the closest skill or authority Minerva had was formanding an army. She had nothing that would allow someone to transfer power. Nheless, giving out a deity¡¯s power for free to civilians who did not even qualify to be followers would be impossible¡­ ¡®...Unless all of that was just bait to harvest their life force and their souls after death.¡¯ In that case, several skills and authorities with such evil characteristics came to mind. Everyst one of them belonged to beings that were ssified as absolute evil. ¡°The thing is¡­!¡± Hye-Bin trailed off, feeling somewhat uneasy about answering. Chang-Sun lightly snorted, remarking, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to answer. But you¡¯d better not wish for my help anymore.¡± ¡°N-No.¡± Woo Hye-Bin shook her head and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a tattoo on her left arm. It was shaped like the seal of ¡®Minerva¡¯s Owl¡¯. She said, ¡°Mister Jeon Choong-Jae¡­ No, that bastard said he could share the power of the goddess through this.¡± ¡°You got ripped off.¡± Chang-Sun snorted again after seeing it, briefly dumbstruck. Hye-Bin¡¯s gaze rapidly shot over to her arm. Her pupils trembled as she asked, ¡°Then what¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the brand of a devil,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°What¡­ is it?¡± Hye-Bin asked again. Chang-Sun reached out his hand to the seal, saying, ¡°When this seal is stamped on a person, it means their soul has been sold to the devil. It means a sacrifice.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°The real seal of ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ doesn¡¯t look like this. This bird is a tawny owl, not a true owl¡­ The closed eyes are upside-down, and the book is torn. Basically, it¡¯s a fake mark to trick people. Since the seal is reversed, its effect is the pr opposite,¡± Chang-Sun exined. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ is surprised by your wide knowledge!] ¡°T-Then¡­?¡± Hye-Bin asked. ¡°Upon death, the marked person¡¯s life force and soul are instantly taken. Their life force goes to the host, and their soul goes to the devil. It¡¯s messed up. Perhaps by consuming the victims¡¯ life force¡­ Jeon Choong-Jae must have gotten pretty strong,¡± Chang-Sun remarked. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ nods in response to your analysis.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ wonders as to the source of such profound knowledge.] ¡°W-What about my friends? No way¡­ Then¡­?¡± Hye-Bin stuttered. Chang-Sun said no more, merely remaining silent. However, Hye-Bin knew quite well that his silence meant ¡®yes¡¯. She copsed onto the floor. Her dead friends¡¯ faces shed before her eyes. They had died in her ce, trying to save her. Frustration and despair weighed heavily on her heart like a boulder. Chapter 11: Star, Tutorial (4)

Chapter 11: Star, Tutorial (4)

After hearing Hye-Bin¡¯s story, many troubling thoughts crossed Chang-Sun¡¯s mind. ¡®This brand¡­ This is too high quality. An amateur would never be able to create something like this.¡¯ On top of that, imitating a symbol of Minerva was far out of an amateur¡¯s league. Marks and seals were never simple drawings. They were a kind of relic, infused with faith and divine power. Considering Minerva¡¯s divine ss, it was impossible for a being of mediocre status to imitate her symbol and edit it as they pleased. It would take at least a star to achieve such a thing. If this was a demon, however, it would have to be¡­ ¡®A great devil at the demon king level¡­!¡¯ However, it seemed unlikely that a powerful being would do such a thing that only low-rank devils ordinarily did. High-rank devils did not pretend to be elegant nobles and try to save face. In fact, most of them were not interested in the Saha World in the first ce. There were only two possible scenarios remaining. ¡®One is that Jeon Choong-Jae might have such supreme talent that even a great devil has its eyes on him.¡¯ However, in that case, one thing would make no sense. Chang-Sun was in this Dungeon, so it made no sense to show interest in Choong-Jae over him. Of course, Jeon Choong-Jae could be an exceptional genius; still, it was hard to assume he could surpass Chang-Sun, who had once be a star. ¡®Then it has to be the other scenario¡­¡¯ Chang-Sun stopped thinking about it. Whether a great devil had appeared because of the first scenario or the second, it would not harm him in any way. Even though he had found out what was going on, he had no intention to go and save the people who were in danger. In the end, they had chosen Jeon Choong-Jae, who had given them false hope, over Park Hae-Seong the soldier, of their own free will. It was the same whether one was in Arcadia or inside a Dungeon: People had to take responsibility for their decisions. Although it was cruel, that was reality. Above all, Chang-Sun had to conquer the second sector. He could not spare time to attend to other matters. ¡®Now, the problem is, what to do with this kid?¡¯ Chang-Sun quietly watched the shocked Woo Hye-Bin, who did not even have the strength to sob any longer. Although he had no intention of saving the people who were with Choong-Jae, Hye-Bin was different. After all, she had informed him of new developments pertaining to the current situation in the Dungeon, and she was right in front of him. No matter how coldhearted he was, he was not so cold as to abandon a child before his eyes without a second thought. Still, that did not mean he could carry the child around, as she would be a burden to him. He tried to think of the best answer. Suddenly, an idea shed through his mind. ¡®Hold on. There¡¯s a role that even this child should be able to perform,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought silently, his eyes shining. Just then, Hye-Bin looked up, having felt Chang-Sun¡¯s gaze on her. She quickly wiped her eyes. Afterward, the look on her face waspletely different, having be one of ferocious tenacity. ¡®She¡¯s changed,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. Such a change normally meant one of two things: The person was either desperate or determined. It seemed that Hye-Bin had chosen thetter, as she said in a low voice, ¡°Help me.¡± ¡°Saving you from the me-Patterned Bear should have been enough, right?¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°Yes. I know. So please, ask me to do anything. Cleaning,undry, cooking¡­ I can do anything. In return, help me get stronger,¡± Woo Hye-Bin desperately continued. Hye-Bin was asking for Chang-Sun¡¯s help to get stronger, not for him to kill Choong-Jae? From the looks of it, she had no intention to ask Chang-Sun to lend his assistance. She wanted revenge for her friends herself. Chang-Sun chuckled without realizing it. It was not only Hye-Bin¡¯s mindset that had changed; she looked like a totally different person now. He replied, ¡°That¡¯s not necessary in a Dungeon.¡± ¡°Then what do you want me to do? If you need¡­!¡± Hye-Bin eximed. Biting her lower lip, she grabbed the hem of her top. His expression stiffening, Chang-Sun bent over and batted away her hand, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid. But there happens to be a job you can do. Are you sure you¡¯re really willing to do anything?¡± [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ has a question about your n.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ is amused, saying you look like a sly devil when you persuade someone.] Without hesitation, Hye-Bin nodded as she answered, ¡°Yes, anything.¡± Chang-Sun also nodded, then pulled out something small from his inventory. [Equipped ¡®me Goat Corbone Dagger¡¯!] ¡°Let¡¯s begin modifying the brand,¡± Chang-Sun said. Not ¡®erasing¡¯, but ¡®modifying¡¯? Hye-Bin realized the hidden implication of Chang-Sun¡¯s words and nodded heavily, gritting her teeth. This was going to hurt a lot. * * * [The cursed yer ¡®Shin Jin-Gwang¡¯ has died.] [Due to the ¡®Stigma Brand¡¯, their remaining life force now belongs to you!] [The cursed yer ¡®Kim Min-a¡¯ has died.] [Due to the ¡®Stigma Brand¡¯, their remaining life force now belongs to you!] ... [The Celestial ¡®### ### O##¡¯ is greatly pleased with her subordinate¡¯s growth.] ¡®I¡¯m bing stronger! More, more¡­!¡¯ Choong-Jaeughed silently, watching as a fallen monster sprayed blood all over the ce. The monster¡¯s poisonous blood covered Choong-Jae, but he did not care in the slightest. He paid equally little attention to the fact that four of his yers had just died. To him, branded humans were simply assets while they were alive, and nutrients when they were dead. They were nothing more than useful recyble materials. At that moment, Kim Hyeong-Won, who had been following behind him, called out to Choong-Jae with a tired expression. ¡°Hey, Choong-Jae¡­!¡± ¡°What?¡± Choong-Jae asked. ¡°N-Nothing,¡± Hyeong-Won stuttered, swallowing his words back down and failing to say anything. Seeing Choong-Jae¡¯s zing eyes made him feel as if he would be lying right next to the dead yers if he said what he wanted to say. Soon after entering the second sector, Choong-Jae had revealed his true colors, stabbing all the people following him in the back. However, they could not say anything in protest. The gap in power between them and Choong-Jae was simply too wide, and they were in the midst of a field filled with monsters. It would be impossible to survive without his help. Certainly, it had been tiring when they were with Hae-Seong, but they had not needed to worry about dying. They regretted their decision, but that ship had long since sailed. Forced to follow Choong-Jae¡¯s orders, they were made to fight monsters again and again in order to level up. Countless casualties urred, but Choong-Jae did not care one bit. Now, only about forty people were left alive. Seeing as over a hundred people had joined Choong-Jae¡¯s group, more than half of them had already been sacrificed. However, the biggest problem remained. ¡®This seal¡­ This is keeping all of us restrained!¡¯ The seal acted like an invisible chain. It kept people within a certain range of the host, Choong-Jae, making them unable to escape. It also made them feel pain in their chests if they showed the slightest bit of resentment toward him. The more they leveled up, the more restraining power it had over them. ¡®He¡¯s trying to work us like ves! Choong-Jae keeps snatching part of the experience points we gain¡­ This is a prison!¡¯ The Jeon Choong-Jae whom Kim Hyeong-Won had known for over ten years no longer existed. He might have had a strong inferiorityplex and had often been very jealous of others, but his nature had not been evil. Seeing how he had be so cruel after only a couple of days, Hyeong-Won wondered if a devil had gotten into Choong-Jae. To Kim Hyeong-Won¡¯s sorrow, it felt as if the friend he once knew would never again return. ¡°I¡¯m already done. Why on earth is the bastard taking so long?¡± Choong-Jae muttered, frowning in anger. The scout he had sent out had not returned yet. He checked to see whether the scout was dead, but he was definitely alive. Just as Choong-Jae considered going after him, the scout who had annoyed him returned. He eximed, ¡°What took you so long?!¡± Upon hearing his reprimand, the scout hurriedly ran in Choong-Jae¡¯s direction. However, his right sleeve fluttered helplessly in the air like a g, and his shirt was soaked in blood. ¡°Ha! You stupid fuck. You couldn¡¯t even pull off one job without bing a pathetic cripple, huh?¡± Choong-Jae scoffed in seeming disbelief. The scout could not look him in the eye as the stump of his shoulder continuously dripped blood. ¡°So. Did you find the ce I asked you to find?¡± Choong-Jae asked. ¡°I¡­ did,¡± the scout replied. ¡°Where is it?¡± Choong-Jae asked. In response, the scout told him everything he had found while oveing the tribtions that had almost cost his life. Soon, Choong-Jae eximed with a satisfied smile, ¡°Ha! Who would have thought that it was hidden in that kind of tricky ce? Good. Everyone, get off your asses right now! We¡¯re going on a boss raid now!¡± It had not been long since the start of their break, so the other yers¡¯ expressions naturally stiffened upon hearing the news. However, none of them could say anything. In turn, Choong-Jae also paid no attention to their plight. He was simply fixated on the fact that he had to clear the second sector before Chang-Sun did. ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡­ Just you wait. I¡¯ll shove you into the gutter no matter what, just as you did to me before!¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®Twil## ### ###¡¯ keenly watches her subordinate dwelling upon his anger.] * * * However, Choong-Jae¡¯s dream was shattered not long after. ¡°...What the hell?¡± he eximed. Until Choong-Jae entered the cave, he had been incredibly ted as he followed the scout¡¯s guidance. Convinced that even Chang-Sun could not have located the ce in all this time, he had clicked his tongue at Chang-Sun¡¯s stupidity for not bossing other people around with that much power. However, he noticed something strange after some time walking through the cave¡¯s interior. The passageway was filled with monster carcasses lying everywhere. They had all been massacred, and there were even signs that they had been butchered. Thump! Thump! Choong-Jae felt his heart sinking. [The Celestial ¡®#wili# ### ###¡¯ loudly clicks her tongue.] [The Celestial ¡®### ##ing ###¡¯ sarcastically says that her subordinate arrived one stepte. She urges him to hurry up.] ¡®No¡­ It can¡¯t be. Shit! That bastard knows nothing but fighting. There¡¯s no way he found this ce already!¡¯ Firmly believing that something other than Chang-Sun had swept through the cave, Jeon Choong-Jae explored the tunnels that were as convoluted as an anthill for a long time. However, when he reached the end of the cave, he saw the carcass of the boss monster, the me Tiger. It seemed to have long since died. ¡°Shiiiiit!¡± Choong-Jae swore, his face contorting with rage. ¡®I lost again!¡¯?he thought, and he swore and swore without end. However, at that moment¡­ [The second sector of the Dungeon Quest: ¡®Pioneer¡¯ has been sessfully conquered.] [Compiling a temporary ranking.] Choong-Jae¡¯s eyes widened. The carcass of the boss monster was still lying there. However, why would the message about conquering the sector show up only then? That meant Chang-Sun was still around! ¡°G...!¡± Choong-Jae began, but he was unable to finish his sentence. As if the system had encountered an error, new messages had begun showing up unceasingly. [The third sector of the Dungeon Quest: ¡®Pioneer¡¯ has been sessfully conquered.] [Compiling a temporary ra...] [Canceled.] [The fourth sector of the Dungeon Quest: ¡®Pioneer¡¯ has been sessfully conquered.] [Compiling a temporary ranking.] ... [A grand achievement has been unlocked!] [??? deities currently viewing Dungeon Channel KR-9,721 have gotten fired up about the yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯, who is passing the Tutorial with overwhelming sess.] [The number of viewers keeps increasing.] [The current number of viewers is ???.] ... ¡°W-What the¡­?¡± It had not been long since the second sector was conquered. However, what were the odds of the third and fourth also being conquered in a row? On top of that, Choong-Jae had no idea what the message meant by ¡®Dungeon Channel¡¯ or ¡®Tutorial¡¯, which gave him even more of a reason to be dumbfounded. However, one thing was for sure. The supreme beings often called gods were showing interest in Chang-Sun, not him! Choong-Jae could not help but re in the face of the unbelievable situation. [The Celestial ¡®### Pie## ###¡¯ lightly chuckles.] [The Celestial ¡®### #rcin# ###¡¯ slyly shows an enigmatic smile.] ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ reacted as if she had known what would happen, rather than being angry. [Dungeon Ranking] First ce: Lee Chang-Sun (29,550 Points) Second ce: Jeon Choong-Jae (1,230 Points) Third ce: Park Hae-Seong (550 Points) [Different rewards will be given out based on performance.] [Different rewards will be given out based on rank.] ... [The Celestial ¡®### ##ing ###¡¯ murmurs that she can make this more interesting.] Just then, a warning message appeared in front of Choong-Jae, who was left speechless for a moment. [The Celestial ¡®### ### O##¡¯ admonishes her subordinate, saying that she will never forgive him, the representative of her divine name, if he continues to sully her honor.] ¡°¡­!¡± Choong-Jae¡¯s expression stiffened. [The fifth sector has been opened.] [The Celestial ¡®### ### #w#¡¯ warns her subordinate that this is hisst chance.] [The Celestial ¡®### ### ##l¡¯ looks forward to the performance of her subordinate.] Chapter 12: Star, Tutorial (5)

Chapter 12: Star, Tutorial (5)

[Current number of viewers in this channel is ??.] [Current number of deities showing deep interest in this channel is ??.] [Many deities crave for a more brilliant spectacle than this.] [Many deities marvel over the yer who has been quickly oveing the Tutorial.] ¡®What on earth¡­?¡¯?Woo Hye-Bin thought. She could not maintain herposure due to the messages that had continuously begun to fill her gaze mere moments before. Ever since the Dungeons and Gates opened, she had begun hearing about beings called Celestials. Still, she had just been an ordinary middle schooler until a few days earlier. Those had just been stories of another world. However, messages saying those deities were surprised and shocked kept on appearing. She was surprised to see them the whole time. ¡®Well, I¡¯m just doing what Mister told me to do, and I¡¯m still dumbfounded¡­ People watching this will make it worse.¡¯ Technically, it was difficult to think of Celestials as ¡®people,¡¯ but that did not matter to Hye-Bin. At that moment, she was just happy that she could help Chang-Sun, who was truly responsible for the astounding achievement. [The Skill ¡®Gale Dash¡¯ has been activated.] Krrrr¨D! Kieee!! Kwikwikwi!! Stirring up the sand beneath her feet, Hye-Bin ran forward. Arge number of monsters trailed behind her. However, each one of them had a half-vacant expression. [The Charm Rune has sessfully bewitched a ¡®Rotten Zombie¡¯.] [The Charm Rune has sessfully bewitched a ¡®Dposing Ghoul.¡¯] ... [Many monsters perceive you as tasty prey!] After ¡®modifying¡¯ Hye-Bin¡¯s brand, the first thing Chang-Sun had ordered her to do was to engrave a Charm Rune on her palm. Afterward, he had told her to run through the monsters. In other words, he had instructed her to be monster bait. He had told her not to worry about the aftermath. No matter how many monsters she sessfully attracted, he would wipe out all of them. He even added that her y in escaping. Just like that, the first skill Hye-Bin acquired with Chang-Sun¡¯s help was [Gale Dash]. With that skill active, most monsters could noty a single w on her. She found her extremely fascinating. Ever since childhood, she had always been called a ¡®sports klutz¡¯, so she had never even dreamed of joining the track and field team. However, as Chang-Sun had said, she had a talent for escaping, which undoubtedly made her effective at her task. In an incredibly short time, she was able to attract all the monsters along the route by running from the second sector to the fourth, and finally toward the location where the boss monstery in wait. When she led the monsters to the agreed-on spot, Chang-Sun would jump in and take them all out¡­ Just as he was doing now. [Level up!] [Level up!] Just as Chang-Sun instructed, Hye-Bin added all of her additional stats to [Agility] whenever she leveled up. She literally poured all her stat points into it, and as time passed, her body grew lighter and lighter. She was simply using the experience points she had gained from party y, so she had noints. Rather, she marveled as she watched Chang-Sun¡¯s one-sided massacre, thinking that was how she was supposed to fight. She unconsciously learned a lot from the disy. Chang-Sun naturally disyed fighting skill that looked almost as if it came out of a video with CGI effects. He cut off a zombie¡¯s limbs and kicked its body far away before the monster detonated itself, then knocked down a ghoul twice his size with judo before separating its head from its body. [Eliminated ¡®Rotten Zombie¡¯!] Thud! As thest undead¡¯s head fell to the ground, Chang-Sunnded beside it without making a sound and asked Hye-Bin, ¡°Is this thest one?¡± Hye-Bin replied, ¡°Yes. As you requested, I attracted every monster within a three-hundred-meter radius.¡± ¡°What about the preparations?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°It¡¯s all done. I even checked to see if it works properly,¡± Hye-Bin replied. ¡°Then run away as far as you can. A monster will soon appear, and you can¡¯t deal with this one by running after contact,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°Okay!¡± Hye-Bin replied. She had never once suffered a loss from listening to Chang-Sun; thus, she decided to run as quickly as she could away from him. If things went ording to n, the boss monster of the fifth sector, the final boss of this Dungeon, would soon make an appearance. It was at that moment¡­ Booom! Suddenly, an immense shadow descended from the sky, and the world itself seemed to tremble as if a bomb had detonated. [The final boss monster, the ¡®Decaying gue Spider¡¯, has appeared!] Kieee! The boss monster was as big as a three-story apartment. It was a truly horrific creature roughly in the shape of a spider, but made of corpses. It looked as if countless rotting zombies and ghouls had been stitched together haphazardly, their limbs iling and mouths emitting terrible screeches. The stench emanated by the monster was so foul, it was enough to render Hye-Bin half-unconscious, even though she was five hundred meters away from where the boss monster hadnded. ¡®Toxin¡­!¡¯ On top of that, the toxin mixed into the stench was strong. Even though it was Chang-Sun who was fighting the monster, Hye-Bin still wondered how he could possibly hunt such a thing. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ flicks his tongue and looks forward to your new insights.] Meanwhile, Chang-Sun firmly gripped [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and opened his [Viper Eyes] wide. [The Effect ¡®Lesser Toxin Resistance¡¯ has been activated.] [The Effect ¡®Lesser Toxin Resistance¡¯ has been activated.] ... [The level of ¡®Lesser Toxin Resistance¡¯ has increased!] [The umted fire elemental energy defeats the prating toxin!] Chang-Sun¡¯s lips twitched as he saw that [Lesser Toxin Resistance] was working properly. He had leveled it up by making it to the fifth sector in one attempt. He had gone through a great deal of trouble to do so, as well. Whenever he felt hungry, he had chewed on the Bloody Mamba¡¯s meat to force the skill¡¯s level to increase. All of that had been a preparation to fight the final boss monster, the Decaying gue Spider. ¡®The toxin this guy emits makes it impossible for anyone to reach.¡¯ The Sariras of Fire that steadily umted inside his body had finally lit the ¡®ember¡¯ within Chang-Sun, which was a great help to him. [Achievement unlocked!] ¡°Source of the Purification Fire Lit by 666 Sariras of Fire.¡± Reward: Enhancement of the fire attribute, Stamina +5. ¡®Purification Fire¡¯ was the power of fire among the eight elemental powers thatposed the Eight Trigrams. It symbolized the purest fire elemental energy. It was the true name of the ¡®ember¡¯ Chang-Sun had aimed to obtain, and it had already begun to infuse Chang-Sun¡¯s mana with its energy. Even if some toxin remained that could not be filtered by [Lesser Toxin Resistance], it would be burned awaypletely by the mes. Consequently, that meant Chang-Sun was the gue Spider¡¯s natural enemy! Pounce¨D! Chang-Sun leaped off the ground, shing through the gue Spider¡¯s leg. The Explosion Runes he had carved into his weapon activated once again. Rumble¨D! Kieee! The gue Spider let out an eerie cry as a chunk of its leg, which was thicker than a human torso, fell away. It raised its other leg high and stabbed it toward where Chang-Sun was. Thud! However, that spot was already empty, as Chang-Sun had moved quickly to target another area. [Viper Eye] had shown him a weakness in the monster¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°If you seed in igniting the ember, you need to turn it into a powerful, unstoppable. So, what ¡®kindling¡¯ could make that happen?¡± While Chang-Sun had been in the Underworld, the had posed that question while giving him a hint about lighting the fire in the Eight Trigrams Brazier. In response, he had immediately thought of one particr method. ¡®The most useful ¡®kindling¡¯¡­ would be deadly toxins.¡¯ Thus, Chang-Sun had to gather the toxic organs of each boss monster from the five sectors: The Bloody Mamba¡¯s Poisonous Fang. The me Tiger¡¯s me Toxin w. The Ice Kite¡¯s Ice Toxin Beak. The Underground Scorpion¡¯s Stinger. And thest was¡­ ¡®The gue Spider¡¯s Toxin Sac.¡¯ All five ingredients had to be obtained to light the fire in the Eight Trigrams Brazier. It was the key to opening the gate on the road to attaining the [Impervious Body]. Chang-Sun had already gathered four of them as he passed through the sectors, and now, only one remained. ¡®The location of the toxin sac was¡­ beside the heart for sure!¡¯ As the thought passed through Chang-Sun¡¯s mind, his de bit deep into the spot next to the gue Spider¡¯s heart. The Explosion Rune activated in a violent burst of energy. Boom, boom, boom! However, as if Chang-Sun had hit a hard boulder, his attack bounced off the spider with recoil that made him feel as if his wrist would shatter. Only a few pieces of flesh fell off the boss, leaving behind traces of soot on its lightly scratched exoskeleton. [The attack failed!] ¡®Indeed, it''s tough.¡¯ Chang-Sun knew that gue Spiders were created bybining several undead into one. In Arcadia, such monsters were considered particrly tricky enemies to hunt. Even [Viper Eyes] only highlighted it in yellow, which indicated a ¡®rmended spot to attack¡¯, as opposed to red, which indicated a ¡®vital point¡¯. Swoosh! Chang-Sun took a deep breath, unconsciously gritting his teeth as he rapidly took a step back. The gue Spider¡¯s front leg pierced through the spot where he had just been, narrowly missing him. As a result, arge opening appeared. Chang-Sun attacked once again, prating deep inside and aiming for the joints in the spider¡¯s armored carapace. If he could not break the shell, he had to aim for the gaps in between instead. sh! However, the joints themselves were so tough that they deflected his de, rendering the dagger useless. It turned out that there was an inneryer of armor beneath the spider¡¯s carapace. [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] was extremely sharp and tough, allowing it to leave a scratch on the surface. Otherwise, the de would already have been ruined. Squirt! The gue Spider spat fluid from its mouth, but Chang-Sun swiftly rolled across the ground to evade it. The fluid struck the ground, rapidly melting it away in a plume of white smoke. It seemed that the spider even had horrifically powerful acid. ¡®In the end, will I have to go with that n?¡¯ It was impossible for Chang-Sun to kill the spider at the level he had attained in just over three days. He could withstand the toxin in the air, but if the spider spat acid at him, that would be different, as he had not had the opportunity to acquire acid resistance. It was truly fortunate that Chang-Sun had prepared something for just such a contingency with Hye-Bin. That was why Hye-Bin had attracted all the monsters to the area for Chang-Sun to exterminate them. Despite that, he had attempted another solo raid regardless. However, it seemed he had been acting with reckless bravado. After arriving at that conclusion, Chang-Sun quickly moved, taking a step back and hurriedly leaving the area. [Retreating from the area!] [The ¡®Decaying gue Spider¡¯ is all riled up. It expresses strong hatred for the person who killed its children.] Thud! Thud! Thud! As if to say ¡®you¡¯re not going anywhere¡¯, the gue Spider swiftly moved its huge body, running toward Chang-Sun. Each time its legs struck the earth, it left a hole, as acid began to melt the ground itself. The sheer potency of its acid scorched the ground ck. However, the left side of its body suddenly sank into the ground, preventing it from chasing after Chang-Sun any longer. It was a trap! [The ¡®Decaying gue Spider¡¯ falls into your trap!] [The ¡®Decaying gue Spider¡¯ squirms, trying to escape the trap!] [An ¡®Explosion Rune¡¯ has been activated.] [The ¡®Decaying gue Spider¡¯ sustains damage!] [It has entered the ¡®Burning¡¯ state.] [A ¡®Severing Rune¡¯ has been activated.] [The ¡®Decaying gue Spider¡¯ sustains damage!] [It has entered the ¡®Bleeding¡¯ state.] ... [Achievement unlocked!] ¡°Caught a Rat in a Trap.¡± Reward: Intelligence +5, Skill ¡®Lesser Trap Instation¡¯. Dozens of bone spears crafted by Chang-Sun lined the bottom of the trap, and its walls were densely packed with runes. The moment the gue Spider fell into the trap, the Explosion Runes within triggered a chain reaction, quickly weakening its shell. Afterward, the bone spears, which were engraved with Severing Runes, were able to prate the shell and damage the gue Spider. Kieeee! [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ bursts into uproariousughter at the gruesome trap you have made.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ughs, pitying the spider floundering in the trap. ] O¨D! Oo¨D! Kieee! Screaming and crying in pain, the gue Spider managed to climb out of the trap with much difficulty. However, the trap¡¯s narrow opening forced the spider to be struck by a chain of explosions, the intensely hot ze dyeing its shell scarlet. The undead on the spider¡¯s outer shell caught fire, wailing sorrowfully. Little did the spider know that the trap was just the beginning. Chang-Sun shed down hard with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], slicing through a taut rope next to his foot. Huge log spears swung down from between therge trees and smashed into the gue Spider. Boom! The gue Spider¡¯s two right legs were smashed to a pulp, causing rotten meat to fly through the air. New log spears continued to swing toward it. [The ¡®Decaying gue Spider¡¯ falls into the second trap!] [The level of the Skill ¡®Lesser Trap Instation¡¯ has increased!] Pow! Pow! Chang-Sun had predicted the gue Spider¡¯s route based on what he knew of its habits. Then, he had installed a total of six traps that would activate consecutively. After the onught of swinging log spears, the third trap was a rain of bone arrows, and the fourth was the Explosion Runes engraved on them, which detonated soon afterward. The fifth trap was a swamp that engulfed the gue Spider¡¯s entire body. Each of those traps hit the spider in quick session, followed closely after by the final trap. Right above the swampy terrain, severalrge piles of dried grass prepared by Chang-Sun beforehand were set aze, falling onto the boss. Whoosh! [The level of the Skill ¡®Lesser Trap Instation¡¯ has increased!] [The level of the Skill ¡®Lesser Trap Instation¡¯ has increased!] ... As a result, the gue Spider was set on fire, and excruciating pain coursed through its body as its outer shell began to melt. Kie! Kiee! It felt that it had to do something. Somehow, it managed to escape from the swampy ground, trying to get as far from Chang-Sun as possible. However, it was already toote. A good hunter would never miss such a golden opportunity. Pah¨D! Leaping out from amid the trees, Chang-Sun pounced on the gue Spider again. Unlike the first time it had appeared, the monster was covered with red spots. There were simply too many vital points to attack. Chapter 13: Star, Tutorial (6)

Chapter 13: Star, Tutorial (6)

¡°Hyeong-Won¡­ I miss my father. I want to get out of here. Sob, sob!¡± the scout Yang Gwang-Jin wailed, bursting into tears. In response, Kim Hyeong-Won quietly patted his shoulder. Just a few hours prior, Gwang-Jin had just been a high school student who was bright and zealous. Now, however, that child had turned into a total loser. He simply cried and cried, drenched in feelings of depression and self-loathing. The boy had once talked about how he wanted to y baseball with his friends after exiting the Dungeon. Now, he could not even do that anymore because he had no right arm. ¡®Choong-Jae. How far are you trying to go?¡¯ Hyeong-Won was bitter about his friend, the cause of the current situation. However, Jeon Choong-Jae had no intention of listening to him. ¡®If he¡¯s going to keep doing this, I¡¯ll just have to¡­!¡¯ Throb! Hyeong-Won had to bring his train of thought to a halt, as the brand on his back read his thoughts and began to do its work. It growled, saying it would detonate itself if he continued with his stupid thought. ¡°What are you all dawdling for?! Come on, why aren¡¯t you moving?!¡± a man suddenly yelled, kicking Hyeong-Won from behind. He was an intimidating-looking man with a back covered in tattoos. His name was Han Shin-Gu, and ever since Choong-Jae had revealed his true colors, Shin-Gu had been busy being his henchman. Evidently, he had been a gangster in the outside world. ¡°Huh, what? You got a problem, man? Aren¡¯t you gonna lower your eyes? I went easy on you because you were Big Brother¡¯s friend, but why is the look in your eyes so cocky?¡± Shin-Gu taunted Hyeong-Won. He swaggered forward, trying to pick a fight by daring Hyeong-Won to punch him if he was capable of doing so. After realizing that Hyeong-Won and Choong-Jae had drifted apart, he wanted to take the position of second-inmand. Hyeong-Won thought about snapping back, but he fought the urge back down. Fighting Shin-Gun would just be stooping to his level. ¡°Hmph. You can¡¯t say shit, but you¡¯re still such an ass,¡± Shin-Gu spat. He believed that Hyeong-Won had reacted that way due to being afraid of him. He lightly snorted and passed by Hyeong-Won. Of course, he did not forget to intentionally crash into Hyeong-Won¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Haa! What should I do, really?¡¯?Hyeong-Won thought, forcing himself to swallow down the sigh that nearly escaped his throat. He felt constantly suffocated by the frustrating situation, which had no solution in sight. * * * Of course, Hyeong-Won had no way of knowing whether Choong-Jae knew his thoughts. ¡®This doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­!¡¯?Choong-Jae thought, his expression stiff as he led the group into the fifth sector. He kept encountering signs of the massacresmitted by Chang-Sun. ¡®Overpowered¡¯. If such scenes were to be summarized with one word, that would be it. There were not only hundreds, but over a thousand monsters lying dead. As Choong-Jae¡¯s group continued along the path, they did not find a single spot that was not covered in monster carcasses. Each corpse was missing one or two limbs, their torsos often blown apart. The sight was so horrific that people with weak stomachs copsed on the floor and retched. However, others felt a thrill as they imagined Chang-Sun¡¯s performance. Still, they did not matter to Choong-Jae, who never gave up in his pursuit. His eyes were filled with a mad gaze. Although he had not realized it yet, he had unconsciously begun to umte another kind of mana little by little. It was demonic energy, a kind of power only wielded by demons. It could eventually lead to an illness known as Demonization Syndrome, warping a being into someone who could no longer make sound and rational decisions, and instead lived for power and power alone. Choong-Jae was already being irreversibly corrupted. ¡®There must be some kind of mistake. No, I¡¯m sure. Otherwise, how could a normal human who hasn¡¯t been chosen by a god get stronger this quickly¡­?!¡¯ Only one resolution remained in Choong-Jae¡¯s mind, and that was to see Chang-Sun¡¯s brilliant exploits with his own two eyes as soon as he could. If Chang-Sun was using an exploit, Choong-Jae would figure out how it worked. If Chang-Sun was cheating, Choong-Jae would stop him. After that, Choong-Jae would take everything himself and gain the goddess¡¯s recognition once again. That was his goal. [Entering the fifth sector.] [The yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ is shing with the ¡®Decaying gue Spider¡¯!] [The yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun is dominating!] However, by the time Choong-Jae finally reached the destination¡­ ng, ng, ng! Boom, boom¨D! He discovered Chang-Sun was fighting the giant spider one-on-one. [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ exims lightly at the brilliant exploits of the yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun.¡¯] [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ strongly pushes her subordinate to do something.] Now, the divine name of ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ waspletely illegible. Choong-Jae thought it was simply evidence that the goddess¡¯ attention was drawing further and further away from him. Under such conditions, when he found out the goddess¡¯s focus was on Chang-Sun and not on himself, it was like pouring the oil of jealousy to the fire of his inferiorityplex. ¡®I must kill Lee Chang-Sun,¡¯?Choong-Jae thought, gritting his teeth. At the moment, he had no way of gaining back the goddess¡¯ attention or taking the top spot in the Dungeon Ranking. [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ threatens her subordinate, saying she will not forgive him if he fails to disy a proper performance.] Choong-Jae felt impatient, but he did not hastilyunch an attack. Instead, when he came within reach of his goal, his feverish madness subsided and his mind began to work more clearly. ¡®If I sh with him right now, my group will just end up dying. I have to y both sides. A little bit more¡­ Let¡¯s wait a little bit more for them to be weakened.¡¯ He had no idea what trick Chang-Sun had used, but the gue Spider¡¯s injuries looked severe. Half of its eight legs were gone, and its body was severely injured. However, the final boss monster was still a final boss monster. It was incredibly powerful. Its every step caused the ground to copse beneath it, and an endless stream of toxic gas emanated from its mouth. Due to that, Chang-Sun visibly became more fatigued over time. At this rate, even if the gue Spider died, Chang-Sun would be exhausted. Choong-Jae¡¯s n was to aim for that very moment. If he forced the civilians to attack Chang-Sun¡­ No matter how strong he was, Chang-Sun would still bepletely worn out. Then, Choong-Jae himself could step in and finish the fight. ¡®Besides, when I think about what he¡¯s done so far, it looks as if he¡¯s been uncharacteristically trying to keep the civilians out of harm''s way. In that case, things will be much easier.¡¯ Chang-Sun would no doubt think Choong-Jae had a bit of conscience left, but Choong-Jae himself thought that kind of clumsy attitude would only result in a quicker death. ¡®Still, I think it would be better to have another weapon, just to be sure.¡¯ Such as a hostage, for instance¡­ ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Choong-Jae¡¯s thoughts were suddenly interrupted, as he sensed a foreign presence within his field of perception. Atop a big tree on the other side of the clearing, there was someone else lying in wait, obscured by leaves. That person was a significant distance away, but Choong-Jae could smell the distinctive scent of the brand even from where he was standing. The person was Woo Hye-Bin. However, Hye-Bin had not discovered Choong-Jae¡¯s group. ¡®That girl, wasn¡¯t she¡­?¡¯ Having trouble remembering the little girl, Choong-Jae squinted as he searched his memory. Eventually, he remembered a certain group of five female middle school students. He had abandoned them to a monster wave because he found their endless chattering noisy and bothersome¡­ From the looks of it, however, Hye-Bin had been fortunate to survive after being rescued by Chang-Sun. ¡®This will be easy.¡¯ A corner of Choong-Jae¡¯s lips twisted into a smile, and he quickly mouthed words in the direction of Shin-Gun. It was a direct message system that could be only used with branded ves. ¡ºHey, Han Shin-Gu.¡» Shin-Gu replied subconsciously, ¡°Huh?! Yes, Han Shin-Gu reporti¡­!¡± In response, Choong-Jae berated him. ¡ºYou stupid moron! Won¡¯t you shut up? Do you seriously wanna get caught by that bastard?¡» Han Shin-Gu swiftly covered his mouth. ¡ºI-I apologize¡­!¡» Choong-Jae asked him a question. ¡ºYou, you said you would do anything I asked you to do, right?¡» Shin-Gu replied with a rosy expression. It seemed almost as if he would even cut out his heart if Choong-Jae asked him to. He clearly knew what to do in order to survive the hellish Dungeon. ¡ºYes, indeed! Ask me anything! I will even bark or wag my tail like a dog if you ask me to, Big Brother!¡» Choong-Jae responded with amand. ¡ºIn that case, go do as I say right now.¡» As Choong-Jae continued to give orders, Shin-Gu¡¯s eyes widened and wavered nervously. However, in the end, he nodded heavily. * * * [Critical hit!] [Critical hit!] Constantly bobbing and weaving between the gue Spider¡¯s limbs, Chang-Sununched an unending barrage of attacks. He drove bone spears deep into the parts of its shell that were riddled with burn marks, and stabbed [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] into the red spots shown by [Viper Eyes]. And yet, the gue Spider showed no signs of copsing. Living up to the title of ¡®final boss¡¯, its ¡®health bar¡¯ was simply too long. On top of that, it continued to move as if it had sustained no injuries at all. Its strikes were strong and violent, and it moved extremely quickly. It also spat both toxic gas and acidic fluids, making it difficult to approach. However, the situation was far from hopeless. ¡®I¡¯m almost there.¡¯ Chang-Sun noticed that the gue Spider was slowly approaching its limit. He knew how gue Spiders normally behaved because he had experienced killing such monsters in Arcadia. ¡®Toxic gas. That¡¯s made from the monster¡¯s blood. It means the monster is using itsst bit of strength.¡¯ Of course, Chang-Sun had no intention of allowing it to keep releasing toxic gas. What he needed was the gue Spider¡¯s heart. If the blood drained out, the heart would be empty too. If that happened, all his efforts would be for naught. The reason he had been dragging the fight out without reaping the gue Spider¡¯s life was none other than that. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ is very curious about when you will reveal your evil, serpentine mind.] ¡®It looks like they¡¯ve taken the bait too. Then, shall I put an end to this?¡¯ When Chang-Sun sensed the presence on the outer ridge of the boss area, his eyes shone coldly. He tightened his grip on [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], infusing profound magic into the de. Ding! [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] shook ferociously and let out a howl. The technique Chang-Sun used was known as the ¡®Sword¡¯s Cry¡¯ or the ¡®Sword Howl¡¯. It was magic that could only be performed by those who could control mana as if it were an extension of their bodies. Boom! Tread¨D! Chang-Sun stomped the ground with his right foot as if he intended to st it apart, using the ¡®Zhen Jiao¡¯ technique known only to martial arts masters. His de moved swiftly, powered by the force of his stomp, as well as the potent torque that resulted from twisting his torso. Using the principle of rotational force, he swiftly cleaved the gue Spider in two, striking diagonally from left to right. [Critical hit!] [You have sessfully reproduced the true form of the attack, achieving the exquisite principle of ''Ascension''.] [The critical hit has depleted the remaining HP of the ¡®Decaying gue Spider¡¯.] [Eliminated the ¡®Decaying gue Spider¡¯!] ... [Level up!] [Level up!] [Achieved Level 20.] ... [The fifth and final sector of the Dungeon Quest: ¡®Pioneer¡¯ has been sessfully conquered.] [The Dungeon Quest has beenpleted.] [Compiling the final ranking.] [Dungeon Ranking] Maximum Points: 100,000 Points First ce: Lee Chang-Sun (97,450 Points) Second ce: Jeon Choong-Jae (2,000 Points) Third ce: Park Hae-Seong (550 Points) [Different rewards will be given out based on performance.] [Different rewards will be given out based on rank.] A scarlet line of blood formed across the gue Spider¡¯s body, before a fountain of blood began to spurt uncontrobly from it. Thud¡­! As the gue Spider fell apart, bisected neatly into two halves, the ground rumbled powerfully. At the same time, a continuous stream of messages filled Chang-Sun¡¯s vision. Finally, he had seeded in conquering the Dungeon¡­ and practically through solo y, receiving almost no help, no less! [The Celestials in Dungeon Channel KR-9,721 all let out exmations.] [The news of your sessfulpletion of the ¡®Tutorial¡¯ spreads widely across Heaven.] ... [The has greatly expanded the maximum number of viewers on this channel.] [The has privately awarded bonus merits, as you have unlocked a great achievement.] [??? Karma has been umted!] [??? Karma has been umted!] ... [??? deities have begun showing a deep interest in you.] [?? deities have revealed a strong desire to have you.] [? deities have expressed their determination to have you.] Normally, it meant a great deal if the Celestials showed ¡®interest¡¯ in a person. There were many beings who vanished without making much of an impression on such beings. However, if their ¡®interest¡¯ exceeded a certain level, it would be ¡®desire¡¯. From that moment on, the subject would no longer be considered a simple believer; one could then obtain the qualification of a priest or pontiff. And yet, words such as ¡®determination¡¯ or ¡®greed¡¯ superseded all that. They were expressions of a desire to have the subject no matter what; they were practically a love call from a deity, in an attempt to convince the subject to be their apostle. That was how much Chang-Sun¡¯s achievement of oveing the ¡®Tutorial¡¯ meant. It was truly unbelievable to think a novice had done such a thing. Of course, some Celestials doubted that Chang-Sun was truly a novice. However, the records disyed before them could not lie, which was all the more reason to be thrilled. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ snorts as he watches other Celestials btedly making a fuss.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ urges you to reveal your serpentine mind. ] Still, Chang-Sun had no time to enjoy the messages. He had to begin the next battle. Pah¨D! [The Dungeon is closing.] As the Dungeon began to close, several people pounced on Chang-Sun. It was Choong-Jae and his group. 1. The raw uses ¡®???¡¯, literally meaning ¡®straggler¡¯, which refers to someone who has fallen behind in life, and only spends time bemoaning their failures. 2. The author is referring to specific techniques Taijiquan, moremonly known as tai chi in the West; specifically, he is describing the use of circr, sweeping motions to gather strength for powerful blows. 3. ¡¯Ascension¡¯ is a term used in Korean wuxia to refer to attaining the next level of mastery in martial arts, enabling someone to reach even higher mastery. Chapter 14: Star, Tutorial (7)

Chapter 14: Star, Tutorial (7)

¡®I got him!¡¯ ¡­At least, that was what Jeon Choong-Jae thought. He had not failed to notice Chang-Sun swaying after finishing off the gue Spider. As such, even as the Dungeon started closing, Choong-Jae forced his ves to attack. They whined about not wanting to go, but they could not defy him. All Choong-Jae had to do was blow apart the head of the person who protested the loudest. The ves knew they would die either way, so they had no choice but to run toward Chang-Sun. Choong-Jae believed that, as Chang-Sun was not a fool, he would most likely find himself busy fighting them, or otherwise use up more stamina while trying to capture the ves alive to save them. No matter how things turned out, the fact that Chang-Sun had to use every bit of his strength would not change. However, Chang-Sun grinned. ¡®Is he smiling?¡¯ Choong-Jae thought he was mistaken for a moment. A smile had spread across Chang-Sun¡¯s face. [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ bursts into maniacalughter, saying that she feels as though she is going to see an interesting spectacle!] Just then, the sound of a mechanism engaging entered Choong-Jae''s ears. Click! [The yer ¡®Jeon Choong-Jae¡¯ and his group have fallen into the trap!] ¡°What?¡± ¡°Trap?¡± ¡®Did the system just say ¡®trap¡¯??What does that mean?¡¯ Choong-Jae thought, unable to understand. Were they the ones who had fallen into the trap instead of Chang-Sun? ¡°What are you talking¡­?!¡± he began, trying to demand an exnation from the system about the meaning of the message. However¡­ ¡°Nothing much.¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s voice entered Choong-Jae¡¯s ears first. It wasing from a substantial distance away, but it was somehowpletely clear, as if he were whispering directly to Choong-Jae. ¡°It means you¡¯re fucked.¡± The previous sight of the exhausted Chang-Sun seemed like a mirage. He smiled widely, showing his canines, looking directly at Choong-Jae. Then, gripping [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] tightly, he leaped toward Choong-Jae. Bam! sh¨D! ¡°S-Stop him!¡± Choong-Jae stuttered, finally realizing something had gone wrong. From the looks of it, the situation was unfolding in a way that was entirely beyond his wildest expectations. Before anyone knew it, the Dungeon¡¯s closure stopped as if it had never begun in the first ce. The air also changed abruptly, bing heavy and sticky. As the ufortable sensation descended on him, Choong-Jae felt his heart ache as if someone had begun to grip it tightly. Having spent his whole life in peace, he did not recognize it for what it was¡ªthe air of the battlefield. [A Sudden Quest (Escape the Trap) has been created!] The quest¡¯s title was not ¡®Install the Trap¡¯; it was ¡®Escape the Trap¡¯. It seemed that Chang-Sun had been the one to set the trap. Had the goddess not known that this would happen? Choong-Jae desperately called out for the goddess who had led him here. Soon, he did feel the goddess¡¯ presence, but¡­ [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ has begun watching the Sudden Quest with interest.] Strangely, the goddess seemed to be interested in what was going on. However, it was not Choong-Jae that she was interested in, but rather someone else. She was watching Lee Chang-Sun. [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ has stopped thinking about her subordinate.] As the goddess¡¯ subordinate, Choong-Jae was informed that she no longer took any interest in him. She had no interest or concern remaining for him. Unlike before, she no longer pressured or rushed Choong-Jae. As if she were merely watching a pebble rolling across a road, she thought nothing of him. ¡®No way¡­!¡¯ Choong-Jae finally realized what he was to the goddess: A toy. From the start, the goddess had been interested in Chang-Sun, not Choong-Jae. Choong-Jae had been used to spice the tutorial up; he was simply a pawn on the deities¡¯ chessboard. sh¨D! With a single stroke, Chang-Sun severed the head of the yer who had attacked him first. His attack was so cruel that it made the others wonder how he could kill a human without any hesitation. Still, the attack was indisputably effective. No one else dared to try to stop Chang-Sun after a couple of yers who had sworn their loyalty to Choong-Jae, just as Han Shin-Gu had, were killed instantly by his counterattacks. ¡°Stop him!¡± Choong-Jae yelled. However, no matter how loudly he shouted, no matter how many times he tried to force them to act using the ve mark, the brand had limits. In the end, Chang-Sun quickly broke through the ves¡¯ attack. Besides that, there was a bigger problem¡­ [The cursed yer ¡®Woo Jong-Woon¡¯ has died.] [Due to the ¡®Stigma Brand¡¯, their remaining life force now belongs to you!] [The transaction has been canceled.] [For an unknown reason, their life force now belongs to someone else.] ¡®...What?¡¯?Choong-Jae thought to himself. The problem was that the brand that had rapidly made Choong-Jae stronger no longer worked properly. Had the goddess taken the skill away? No, that was unlikely. Although she had be indifferent toward him, his status as a subordinate remained unchanged. The Sudden Quest was still active as well. Rather, there was something else, something that had forced its way into the brand to receive the iing life force. [There are currently two hosts for the ¡®brand¡¯.] As he tried to figure out the cause, Choong-Jae suddenly noticed Chang-Sun approaching. His eyes were drawn to Chang-Sun¡¯s shoulder, which was covered in blood. He could not see them clearly through the blood, but there seemed to be some strange characters tattooed on Chang-Sun¡¯s shoulder. Choong-Jae did not know what they meant, but they emanated the same demonic energy that coursed through his body. Chang-Sun was the other host! [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ is extremely curious about how Chang-Sun was able to steal her magic!] aash! Choong-Jae managed to stop Chang Sun¡¯s strike with great difficulty. The gap in strength was so great that Chang-Sun¡¯s de had almost reached Choong-Jae''s face. Gritting his teeth, Choong-Jae forced himself to speak. ¡°How¡­ did you¡­?¡± After stopping Chang-Sun¡¯s attack, Choong-Jae¡¯s shaking hands hurt so much that it felt as if they were about to fall off. Still, he endured by using every bit of the strength that he had absorbed so far. One thing was certain: He never wanted to seem weak in front of Chang-Sun. He had been humiliated enough in the past. ¡°Jeon Choong-Jae, Jeon Choong-Jae¡­ The name was on the tip of my tongue. I finally remember now.¡± After watching Jeon Choong-Jae with an emotionless gaze, Chang-Sun¡¯s lips twisted into a sharp smirk. It looked as if he had forcibly dug up a memory that he had buried somewhere deep. ¡°There was this one bastard whoined to me about being fired from the club. It was really pathetic when heined nonstop¡­ Don¡¯t tell me it was you?¡± Choong-Jae¡¯s face contorted, filled with mixed emotions. The painful memories of that day shed vividly before his eyes as if they had happened yesterday. He wanted to protest the fact that Chang-Sun had summed up that day using only the word ¡®pathetic.¡¯ ¡°And after all these years, you¡¯re still pathetic,¡± Chang-Sun said mockingly. It seemed he had no intention of listening to Choong-Jae¡¯s protests. His eyes were as sharp as that of a lion with its prey right in front of it. The ¡®Tyrant¡¯ who could overwhelm his opponents with his gaze alone had appeared once again. Bang! Choong-Jae had to retreat as far as he could, unable to withstand Chang-Sun¡¯s attacks any longer. [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] buried itself deeply into the ground where Choong-Jae had been standing. As if it had been hit by a missile, the ground exploded. Dust and stone fragments flew into the air. Chang-Sun broke through in an instant and began closely pursuing Choong-Jae, who had begun running away. Zoom, zoom¨D! sh, sh! Like a rushing storm, Chang-Sun continuously attacked using [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. It was impossible for an ordinary yer like Choong Jae to deflect Chang-Sun¡¯s de. After all, Chang-Sun had cultivated his sword skills by wandering across countless battlefields. [The skill activation has been canceled!] [The skill activation has been canceled!] Choong-Jae tried to activate the skill he had received from the goddess by any means possible, but [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] stopped it from being activated. The repeated cancetions even began to cause a magic bacsh. With great difficulty, Choong-Jae swallowed the blood that had risen into his throat, but his head was already spinning. He was at his limit¡ªhis left arm had been severed, and blood poured out of the stump. He was certain to die from the excessive bleeding. ¡®No! This can¡¯t happen!¡¯ Choong-Jae iled like a drowning person treading the surface of the water. Thinking to himself that he could not die just like that, he struggled with all he had. However, he had no way left to resist. [Stamina has reached 0!] [Magic has reached 0!] [Warning! You have fallen into the ¡®Near Death¡¯ state. You are advised to take a break after moving to a safe ce.] ... [Warning! You are bleeding excessively. There is a danger of dying from excessive bleeding. You are advised to take a break.] ¡®Dear goddess, please hear my words¡­!¡¯ Choong-Jae desperately called out to the being who had given him power, but he received no answer. sh! At that moment, a strong strike came from below, tearing Choong-Jae¡¯s hand apart. He lost his grip on his sword, which flew into the air. As the de spun in midair, it reflected the sight of the blood-soaked Choong-Jae into his own blurry eyes. The emotion on his face was difficult to discern¡ªit was either despair or frustration. One thing was clear, however: Choong-Jae could see that he looked like a loser. That was what he had called the people who fell after stupidly bing ves to the brand, but he had never expected that he would see their pathetic fates in himself. [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ looks at her pathetic subordinate with an emotionless gaze.] Snik! Chang-Sun buried [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] deep in Choong-Jae¡¯s throat. Like a goldfish, Choong-Jae opened and closed his mouth wordlessly. He wanted to say ¡®No!¡¯, and to ask why Chang-Sun had been able to do what he could not. His question remained unanswered, however, as he was unable to even voice it. sh¨D! Choong-Jae felt as if he had just heard something fall. His head fell, rolling across the ground with his final look of desperation frozen on it. Thud! [Failed toplete the Sudden Quest (Escape the Trap)!] [A penalty will now be given.] [Penalty: Death.] * * * [The cursed yer ¡®Jeon Choong-Jae¡¯ has died.] ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The people who had been watching the fight between Chang-Sun and Chong-Jae all trembled. Choong-Jae had filled them with fear to begin with, and now Chang-Sun had overwhelmed Choong-Jae. They were truly unable to think of Chang-Sun as a human being, and that gave them all the more reason to be afraid. Their fates were entirely in Chang-Sun¡¯s hands. However, even though that was what they all thought, Chang-Sun paid no attention to them. Pzzz¨D! He was concentrating on absorbing the life force from Choong-Jae. [Due to the ¡®Stigma Brand¡¯, the remaining life force now belongs to the host indefinitely!] [The amount of life force present is plentiful.] [It will require a significant amount of time to absorb.] ... [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ advises you to slowly absorb the magic, as it is very different from what you currently have.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says that too much greed is not good, however. He advises you to give up part of it if necessary.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ marvels at your knowledge, for you to have been able to hijack such a high-level brand.] The reason why Chang-Sun had been able to acquire the brand was very simple¡ªhe had just snatched it. By ¡®modifying¡¯ Woo Hye-Bin¡¯s brand, Chang-Sun had promoted her to the rank of host, the same level as Choong-Jae. As such, Hye-Bin could intercept and take the life force generated whenever someone with the brand died. In addition to Hye-Bin¡¯s brand, Chang-Sun had engraved an additional rune that activated automatically, known as a ¡®Transference Rune¡¯. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯pliments you for the excellent idea of using a host as a conduit for life force.] The Transference Rune transmitted all the life forceHye-Bin absorbed to Chang-Sun. Of course, there were some losses during the transmission, but there was such a vast amount of life force that the losses seemed negligible inparison. Choong-Jae had been extracting a massive amount of life force from his victims. ¡®Although the quality is pretty poor, I feel as if I¡¯ve eaten a hundred-year-old elixir,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. As J?rmungandr had advised him, mana that contained so many impurities was not good to absorb inrge quantities. It carried the risk of side-effects, such as Demonization Syndrome or an uncontrolled outbreak of mana. However, Chang-Sun did not care. It was necessary for him to increase the raw quantity of his mana. In any event, he had a way of purifying the tainted mana¡ªhe had the Eight Trigrams Brazier, which he would be able to light soon. [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ is observing you with interest, due to your having snatched the brand¡¯s energy.] [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ congrattes you, saying that their expectations of you were proven correct and that the ¡®Tutorial¡¯ was very interesting.] ¡®They were indeed testing me.¡¯ Chang-Sun red at the message sent by the deity who had pretended to be ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ to Choong-Jae and the civilians. From the start, he had thought it was strange for a deity to show interest in Choong-Jae, who did not have any talent. However, it seemed that an unknown deity had shoved Choong-Jae around to spice the Tutorial up. ¡®Who is this deity?¡¯ Chang-Sun was sure that the deity was a great devil, but he could not guess their name. Considering the way they were wily and liked to devise plots, several names crossed his mind. Strangely, however, Chang-Sun had a strong feeling that it was none of those deities. [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ ponders which gift to bestow on you for providing such entertainment.] [The Celestial has decided what gift to bestow on you. Opening the surprise gift in five seconds.] [5¡­] [4¡­] When he saw the countdown, Chang-Sun looked up resolutely. He was not done absorbing the magic, but he had to stop the process no matter what. He said, ¡°I¡¯m going to decline this unnecessary gift. I have zero intention of joining the evil camp.¡± The surprise gift from the unknown great devil was the lives of the branded ves. Chapter 15: Star, Tutorial (8)

Chapter 15: Star, Tutorial (8)

[The countdown has stopped.] [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ tilts their head, unable to understand your decision.] [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ says they are just helping you by giving you this award, seeing as you need to increase the amount of raw mana you have.] [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ advises you that human life force is a useful material to boost your total mana.] ¡®This deity is up to their tricks again,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in annoyance. Humans were indeed disposable tools for deities. However, great devils, who could be considered part of the Absolute Evil faction, had even more of a tendency to treat humans as objects. The unknown deity had probably been nning this from the start. The deity had likely thought of offering Chang-Sun arge quantity of mana as a bonus reward if he sessfully finished the Tutorial. Thus, they had made some changes in the Tutorial using Jeon Choong-Jae. What if Chang-Sun had been unable to finish the Tutorial, however? ¡®The deity would probably have yawned, saying that it was boring. Then they would have killed everyone, including Choong-Jae.¡¯ Either way, Choong-Jae¡¯s end had been decided from the very start. In any event, Chang-Sun had finished the Tutorial so perfectly that the deity loved him now. That was why they were telling Chang-Sun to kill all the ves and take their life force as a reward. However, Chang-Sun had refused the deity¡¯s generous offer. From the deity¡¯s perspective, they really could not understand why Chang-Sun was rejecting the reward. ¡®Maybe the deity thought we were cut from the same cloth.¡¯ Since Chang-Sun wanted to be stronger at a rapid pace, in truth, he was intrigued by the deity¡¯s bonus reward. However, he had never crossed the ¡®line.¡¯ Even after he had ended up in Arcadia, and after he had be ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯, he had never once crossed it. It was both a restriction and a promise he had made to himself¡ªto never lose his humanity, no matter how rough things became. That was why Chang-Sun had helped Second Lieutenant Park Hae-Seong and Woo Hye-Bin. Even now, he had no intention of going back on his promise. He did not want to be powerful using such a method. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to get stronger this way. If you really want to give me a reward, please give me something else.¡± [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ says that no matter how hard they think, there is no better gift than this for you right now.] ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not interested. Besides¡­¡± Chang-Sun replied, remaining calm as he continued, ¡°I can¡¯t trust a being who continues to obscure their name.¡± [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ tilts their head, unable to understand what Chang-Sun is saying.] [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ chuckles lightly, btedly noticing that their divine name was previously masked.] [The Celestial ¡®### ### ###¡¯ reveals their hidden divine name!] [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ looks at you with a sinister smile.] ¡®Mephistopheles!¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, his eyes widening in shock for a moment. [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ asks you if you know who he is.] ¡®Crap, I slipped,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, biting his tongue. However, he was bound to feel that way, because Mephistopheles was one of the most powerful great devils. Even Tiamat, Pabilsag¡¯s mother, had to act politely around Mephistopheles because his divine ss was so high. Truthfully, he was considered an oddity even in the vast Absolute Evil faction. He liked being alone, so he rarely made an appearance in other worlds. Additionally, there were many people who doubted that Mephistopheles was the deity¡¯s real name. No one could recall who had first spoken of his name, so they could not even verify whether it was his true name. For those reasons, Mephistopheles was often described using one word¡ª¡¯Exception¡¯. That was how hard it was to describe him. As far as Chang-Sun knew, Mephistopheles had little interest in the Saha World. He wondered ¡®So why would he keep an eye on me?¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s achievements were great enough to intrigue many deities, but he had a hard time imagining that they were sufficient to fascinate ¡®the¡¯ Mephistopheles, who was famous for spending all his time in his own little world. The events that had unfolded left him baffled. Meanwhile, the civilians held their breath and silently watched Chang-Sun, including Kim Hyeong-Won and Yang Gwang-Jin. They were not stupid; they were aware that it was a devil with a strange name who had fooled them, not ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl.¡¯ Thus, they could not help but realize Chang-Sun was negotiating with the devil over their lives. Depending on the person, their brands were either on their shoulders or their backs. The brands had begun to heat up, as if they would explode at any moment. The pain was so great that some people almost groaned. However, other people quickly stepped up and covered those people¡¯s mouths. As a suffocating tension filled the air¡­ ¡°No, I was just surprised because¡­ you had ¡®Great Devil¡¯ in your divine name,¡± Chang-Sun said as calmly as possible, making up an excuse. He assumed that there was almost no one on Earth who knew Mephistopheles, so he concluded that it would be better for him to pretend not to know the deity. [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ says he will not pry any further, even though he feels as though that was not the only reason for your surprise.] [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ urges you to tell him what you want.] ¡®How should I answer this?¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. It was very dangerous to be associated with Mephistopheles, but for that exact reason, he would also be a great help to Chang-Sun in terms of leveling up. He pondered the question for a moment, but in the end, his problem was solved in an unexpected way. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ fiercely warns ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ not to covet what is hers!] ¡®I couldn¡¯t see her messages for a while, so I thought she was gone. And yet she suddenly appeared just to talk back to Mephistopheles?¡¯ Chang-Sun chuckled dryly. Pabilsag was the epitome of the saying ¡®Fools rush in where angels fear to tread¡¯. Even her mother remained vignt against Mephistopheles, and yet that was insufficient for Pabilsag to fear him. * * * ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± Han Shin-Gu swore endlessly as he ran through the forest. He was out of breath, but he could not afford the luxury of taking a break. All he could think about was the fact that he had to escape as quickly as possible. ¡®The Dungeon will be closing soon. No matter how crazy Lee Chang-Sun is, he won¡¯t try to kill me outside¡­ So I only have to hang on until then! This kid seems to be close to Chang-Sun, so it should work out.¡¯ Looking at the unconscious Hye-Bin on his right shoulder, Shin-Gu gritted his teeth. There was a reason why he was still holding onto Hye-Bin even though he was frantically running away from Chang-Sun¡ªshe would be his ¡®life insurance¡¯ if things went south. Choong-Jae had ordered Shin-Gu to capture Hye-Bin in order to use her as a hostage. However, he had literally lost his head before he could stage a hostage situation. After seeing that, Shin-Gu had decided to stay with her until the Dungeon closedpletely. It was possible that Hye-Bin would try to resist after she regained consciousness, but Shin-Gu was not too worried about that. Hye-Bin was a middle school student who could do nothing but cry. So, what could she do? Suddenly, Shin-Gu heard the unconscious Hye-Bin quietly murmuring, ¡°I thought he had more ns, but he has nothing. He¡¯s just a wuss.¡± ¡®Did she already regain consciousness? Do I have to knock her out again?¡¯ Shin-Gu thought as he turned to look at the girl. sh¨D! That was thest thought that went through Shin-Gu¡¯s mind. For a moment, he thought that the world had turned upside down, but it turned out that his head was rolling across the ground. [The cursed yer ¡®Han Shin-Gu¡¯ has died.] [Due to the ¡®Stigma Brand,¡¯ the remaining life force now belongs to the host indefinitely!] After performing a skillful and elegant backflip, Hye-Binnded beside Shin-Gu¡¯s corpse. She remained calm even though she had just killed a person in cold blood. Over the previous three days, her personality had be far colder, beginning to resemble Chang-Sun¡¯s after she escaped several life-threatening situations. Above all, Shin-Gu was the person who had made Choong-Jae abandon her and her friends. Still, she had swallowed her anger and pretended to be overpowered, thinking that Shin-Gu could have more cards up his sleeve. However, it seemed that Shin-Gu¡¯s cards had long since disappeared. Thus, Hye-Bin had killed him with a single strike, wanting to help Chang-Sun. In truth, she felt that Shin-Gu had gotten off too easily. As Chang-Sun had killed Choong-Jae on her behalf, she had gotten her revenge, but¡­ ¡®Why do I feel so empty?¡¯ Hye-Bin felt only that her heart was empty. Perhaps it was because she could never see her friends again. Only a dull ache remained as she recalled that fact. However, she did not cry. ¡®No, I shouldn¡¯t be like this now.¡¯ Instead, she bit her lip and held herself together. ¡®I haven¡¯t finished returning Chang-Sun¡¯s favor, so I want to help him. Whatever it takes.¡¯ Those were the only thoughts that filled Hye-Bin¡¯s mind. ¡®First, time to head back to where Chang-Sun is. I have to help him wrap things up.¡¯ [The Skill ¡®Gale Dash¡¯ has been activated!] Hye-Bin began to run back to where Chang-Sun had been. Since all the quests had concluded, the Dungeon would soon close. Before that happened, she nned to ask Chang-Sun for his phone number or address. If there was one silver lining about the whole situation, it was that her family was well off. In fact, they were quite wealthy. Thus, Hye-Bin nned to ask her parents to reward him. Of course, she thought that would be insufficient to repay Chang-Sun¡¯s kindness¡­ but she still wanted to do at least that much, for her own peace of mind. [The process of closing the Dungeon has been resumed.] [Everyone, please brace for impact.] [10¡­] [9¡­] By the time Hye-Bin arrived, Chang-Sun was already cleaning up the area. However, the other survivors were a great distance away, as if they had run away from him. Chang-Sun was practically alone. ¡°Miste¡­!¡± Hye-Bin began to call out to Chang-Sun, but something suddenly flew in her direction. Hye-Bin reflexively caught the object, and saw that it was a dagger made from a monster¡¯s corbone. Chang-Sun had used it to modify the brand on her shoulder, but why was he suddenly giving it to her? She also noticed that there was an address on the dagger¡¯s de. Wondering whether it was Chang-Sun¡¯s home address, she looked at him expectantly, but the answer she received surprised her. ¡°If you go to that address with the dagger, they can remove your brand without leaving a scar. Seeing as you¡¯re a student who has to resume your daily life, it would be best to leave no scars. I¡¯m not that good,¡± Chang-Sun said with a shrug. ¡°¡­!¡± Hye-Bin¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She had never thought about that factor. Although he feigned indifference, it seemed that the intimidating-looking Chang-Sun had a surprisingly meticulous side. That only made Hye-Bin want to ask him several questions. However, Chang-Sun calmly bid her farewell, saying, ¡°Take care. Let¡¯s meet again if we can.¡± [2¡­] [1.] [The Dungeon is nowpletely closed.] [Great work, everyone.] Before Hye-Bin could say a word of protest, the whole world around her copsed. A bright light filled her gaze. Whoosh! * * * When she opened her eyes again, Hye-Bin saw a big crowd surrounding the Dungeon survivors, including herself. ¡°Survivors! There are survivors!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an Outbreak!¡± ¡°Does this mean they properly finished the Dungeon¡¯s quests¡­? How could they when they only had one yer?¡± ¡°Contact headquarters! Quick! This will be headline news!¡± ¡°Miss? Do you hear me?¡± Several soldiers, police officers, yers, and reporters all spoke loudly in the background. Multiple reporters in particr shoved microphones in Hye-Bin¡¯s face. When she looked around, she could see cameras pointing in her direction¡ªthey were filming the survivors. The area had erupted into amotion, as if no one present had expected such a thing to happen. All Hye-Bin could see was chaos. Only after seeing her parents breaking through the crowd did her thoughts snap back to reality. ¡®I¡­ survived.¡¯? Without realizing it, Hye-Bin copsed, her limbs turning into jelly. As she had no energy remaining, she had no tears to shed. ¡®Wait, what about Mister¡­?¡¯ Hye-Bin btedly remembered Chang-Sun, and redoubled her efforts to look around the area. Although she was able to see Second Lieutenant Park Hae-Seong and Kim Hyeong-Won, she could not find Chang-Sun. It was as if someone had erased only Chang-Sun from this world. She felt as if she had been dreaming the entire time. Chang-Sun almost seemed to be a mirage, someone who existed only in illusions. Chapter 16: Star, Home (1)

Chapter 16: Star, Home (1)

[The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says that, although it is good to live fiercely, it is also fine to rx and enjoy the sky all night.] [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ awaits your answer.] ¡®I never thought just having one moon in the sky would be so unfamiliar to me,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he quietly observed the night sky. Afterpleting all the quests and returning to Earth, Chang-Sun had begun aimlessly walking around in less crowded ces. Since it had been a long time, he wanted to breathe Earth¡¯s air as much as possible. Of course, the air was not as fresh as he thought. Unlike Arcadia¡¯s air, which was full of mana, the air of the city he was standing in was full of fine dust and smoke, without a trace of mana. Despite that, he still felt good. Chang-Sun thought ¡®Gramps. I used apletely different way than the ones you thought of, but I returned home.¡¯ Only one being gave him a reason to live in Arcadia, where he had no family or friends. He thought of ¡®Gramps¡¯ for a moment, but soon, a bitter smile spread across his face. No matter how much Chang-Sun missed that being, he would nevere back. ¡®Gramps¡¯ had died long ago. Besides, Chang-Sun had returned to earth, so he would have to adjust to his life on Earth again. In the distance, the light of dawn dyed the gentlypping waters of the Hangang River red. The sight evoked old memories in Chang-Sun. * * * [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ disys strong hostility against the Celestials who show interest in you!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ smiles, flicking his tongue.] [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ does not even pretend to listen. He awaits your answer.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ practically hits the ceiling, telling other Celestials to listen to her!] [In total, nine Celestials have expressed their determination to make you their apostle.] Pabilsag had been busy sending messages to Chang-Sun even after he left the Dungeon. She had disappeared for a while to sulk, but after the number of deities coveting Chang-Sun increased, she no doubt felt that she had made a mistake. It seemed almost as if she had been ying her own little ¡®push-and-pull¡¯ game with Chang-Sun, thinking that if she ¡®pushed¡¯ hard, Chang-Sun would chase after her and kneel. And yet¡­ Since when did the world always work in a person¡¯s favor? Now, not only was Pabilsag running amok, she was also picking fights with J?rmungandr and Mephistopheles to attract Chang-Sun¡¯s attention. She was like a child crying and rolling on the floor, wanting to have a treasure she had her eyes on. However, the situation did not look too bad. In truth, J?rmungandr, one of the most rational deities, seemed to consider Pabilsag¡¯s rampage cute. Meanwhile, Mephistopheles continued to ignore Pabilsag, not even looking in her direction. Their reactions only fueled Pabilsag¡¯s fury, so she continued to cause trouble. ¡®Nine deities¡­ I hooked quite a few deities. I guess it¡¯s because I handled the Tutorial pretty well.¡¯ Ever since the Dungeons and Gates had opened up on Earth, had there ever been a time when so many deities became interested in a single person? Of course not. Chang-Sun could say that with a hundred percent certainty. [Scenario Quest (Choose a Guardian) has been created.] [Choose a Guardian] Type: Scenario. Exnation: Every yer in the world must begin their long journey as a hero. As such, they must choose a Guardian who will bless them on their journey. In total, nine Celestials have revealed their desire to be your Guardian. Review their proposals in detail and choose a Guardian with whom you will spend the rest of your life. ¡¤ ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ confidently states that, as you are proficient in hunting and handling daggers, she will be the best Guardian for you. *The Celestial has promised you the seat of ¡®First Arrow.¡¯ ¡¤ ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ suggests that he will be the best Guardian for you, one whose ck heart seeks destructive power. *The Celestial has promised you the seat of ¡®Prophet of Wisdom.¡¯ ¡¤ ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ silently awaits your answer. *The Celestial has promised you the seat of ¡®Final Observer.¡¯ ... Time limit: Five minutes. Benefit: You will be able to receive a Celestial¡¯s blessing. Warning: Celestials who have been rejected may act hostile toward you. First Arrow, Prophet of Wisdom, Final Observer¡­ The Celestials had used different words, but they all meant the same thing¡ª¡¯apostle¡¯. They were proposing to appoint Chang-Sun as their first apostle, who would serve them right by their side. An apostle waspletely different from a mere believer or a priest: A believer was an ordinary follower of a Celestial. Although a priest was at a higher level than a believer, the only thing they could do was deliver the words of a Celestial. An apostle, on the other hand, could manifest a Celestial¡¯s body and soul in order to execute that Celestial¡¯s will. Apostles were truly in a different league to begin with. Chang-Sun had just barely unlocked some notable achievements and had just gotten his first ss, and yet nine Celestials were promising him such an important seat. That was simply how impressed they were with him. ¡®No matter how well I did in clearing the Tutorial, I thought it would already be a big sess if I attracted two to three deities¡¯ attention, but I see I got nine.¡¯ However, it was too soon for Chang-Sun to celebrate. There were many deities who would not be particrly helpful to him. As such, he paid little attention to their messages, except those of Pabilsag, J?rmungandr, and Mephistopheles. The other deities were no doubt prominent in their own right and had generously offered Chang-Sun an apostle seat of their own¡­ but what could they do? The other three were much better known than most deities. ¡®No, there is one more deity who can bepared to these three.¡¯ Aside from the three deities, Chang-Sun had not looked at the other six deities¡¯ messages in detail, but he did not miss a message from a deity who otherwise remained unusually quiet. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ feels very friendly toward you.] Minerva¡ªthe brand¡¯s real owner, whom Mephistopheles had impersonated, had finally appeared! Strangely, however, she did not vent her anger against Mephistopheles. She usually pursued evil beings to the very depths of hell in order to kill them. Perhaps, however, it was more urate to say that she was ignoring him. She seemed to be cautious around Mephistopheles because of his divine ss. Thus, instead of dealing with him, she devoted all her attention to Chang-Sun. ¡®How I overcame the brand¡¯s temptation and saved other people must have caught her eye. She always cries out for justice.¡¯? To be honest, Chang-Sun had meant for that to happen. He had intended to reject Mephistopheles¡¯ offer of control over the brands to begin with, but he had also expected that Minerva would be interested in him if he did, considering her personality. Fortunately for him, his prediction had turned out to be true. ¡®The aforementioned three are all evil-aligned deities. Thanks to Minerva, the imbnced scale is now finally bnced. My Alignment won¡¯t change too much in the future.¡¯ [Scales of Good and Evil] Good: 40% | Evil: 60% Chang-Sun had no intention of tilting the scale too far to one side. If he yed an active role in one faction, he would surely get a lot of support, but that also meant he would make many enemies in the other faction. ¡®I made enough enemies in the past. This time, I¡¯m going to walk a fine line,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he finally came to a conclusion. [Four minutes have passed.] [Nine Celestials keep their eyes and ears open to see which Celestial will be chosen to be your Guardian.] [If you do not have a Guardian, you willg behind other yers of your level, as you will be unable to receive blessings. You are strongly rmended to make a choice as soon as possible.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ awaits your answer.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ awaits your decision.] [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ awaits your response.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ awaits your choice.] ... Of course, Chang-Sun had no intention to choose one of them. [Five minutes have now psed.] [You have not chosen a Guardian!] ... [Your current status is ¡®No Guardian.¡¯] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ lets out a very long sigh once again.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent'' observes you with his sharp gaze, wondering about the reason for your choice.] [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ is waiting for your response.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ advises you that it would be good to think about this matter for a long time, although she adds that it is a shame that you have not chosen anyone.] ... [??? Celestials who are interested in you retain their false hopes.] [?? Celestials who desire you have be angry, fed up with your endless greed.] Each deity¡¯s reaction was different, whether they were the deities who had offered Chang-Sun an apostle seat, or the ones who had just been watching him through the Dungeon Channel. Some became angry; others gave up, including Pabilsag. They were undoubtedly dumbstruck, as Chang-Sun had refused no less than nine offers to be an apostle. However, Chang-Sun did not give them any exnation, allowing the deities to leave if they wanted to. In fact, nobody left. [Achievement Unlocked!] ¡°The Deities¡¯ Man Who Rejected Many Deities¡¯ Wooing.¡± Reward: All stats +5. Fame +20. [A rumor about you is now spreading throughout Heaven.] [?? Deities are watching you to determine whether or not the rumor is true.] [??? Deities are calling the to ess your records.] [Fame increased. 100,000 Karma has been umted.] [Fame increased.] ... In the future, Chang-Sun would continue to attract the attention of many deities. ¡®The more Celestials continue to covet me, the more they willpete. When that happens, they¡¯ll try to give me various gifts to win my favor, which is good news for me. As they try, they¡¯ll fight more among themselves. They¡¯ll drift apart in no time.¡¯ Creating discord among Celestials, and acquiring as many abilities and relics as possible, were Chang-Sun¡¯s primary goals. ¡®Of course, before doing any of that¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, his footstepsing to a halt. When he looked up, he found himself in front of a tall apartmentplex built out of gray concrete. ¡®...I¡¯ll have to meet my family.¡¯ Chang-Sun somehow felt that it would be more difficult to meet his family than it had been to finish the Tutorial. * * * The World yer Council for Freedom, or WPCFF for short, was an international organization affiliated with the UN Safety Management Bureau. It was often referred to simply as ¡®The Council.¡¯ When Dungeons and Gates had suddenly appeared a few decades prior, they hadpletely changed all of human society. The Council had been established to better manage them. It was a powerful organization; its status and jurisdiction superseded that of any nation from the time of its founding. Naturally, however, that only applied to the ¡®bigwigs¡¯ who ruled the Council. Meanwhile, field agents were like ants, to be stomped on at any time. Cha Ye-Eun was one such agent. She was a ss 3 agent, a manager-level operative who had some power. However, she simply thought of it as a mere fancy title. She viewed herself as ¡®a punching bag; her superiors punched her from one side, and her subordinates punched her from the other. At present, her thoughts remained the same. ¡°What is this?¡± Ye-Eun asked, frowning in annoyance. She had been busy writing a report on the ¡®Jamsil Gate¡¯ incident, but her junior partner Jin Seok-Tae had suddenly dropped a pile of newspapers on her desk. Seok-Tae replied, ¡°What do you think? They¡¯re the work of muckraking journalists who are busy lighting a fire under our asses.¡± Every article was hell-bent on criticizing the Council. Naturally, Ye-Eun was extremely annoyed as she read them; more than that, she thought it was unfair. As a field supervisor, she had worked to death over the past fifteen days. She had evacuated the residents who lived within a five-kilometer radius of Jamsil Saenae Station, where the Gate had opened. In preparation for a monster wave, a phenomenon that could ur right after a Dungeon Break, she had cordoned off the area with military and police. The Council executives had tried to back out, saying they did not want to get entangled in such a big incident. With great difficulty, Ye-Eun had managed to grab the executives by their cors to stop them from running away. She had even finished the paperwork needed to receive backup from nearby countries for possible contingencies. And yet, after going through all that struggle, the only response she and the Council received was criticism. ¡®Sons of bitches,¡¯?Ye-Eun thought, gritting her teeth. What had they been saying? It was that she had been making a fuss over nothing, right? That was precisely why the phrase ¡®muckraking journalists¡¯ existed. ¡°So why are you giving me this?¡± Ye-Eun asked, not bothering to hide her annoyance. She still had to sort out the incident, so she was swamped with work; and yet, her so-called partner was still showing her such trash. Naturally, she was frustrated. What kept her especially busy was organizing the data about the ¡®Tyrant¡¯; out of all the information rted to the Jamsil Gate, that was ssified as ¡®Top Secret¡¯. ¡°Look at the newspaper at the bottom of the pile,¡± Seok-Tae said, gesturing to Ye-Eun with his chin. Ye-Eun red at Seok-Tae as if she would kill him if he made a fuss over nothing. Then, she pulled out the newspaper from the bottom of the pile. When she read the headline, sheughed dryly. Chapter 17: Star, Home (2)

Chapter 17: Star, Home (2)

The news article¡¯s subject was very simple. The Closure of Jamsil Gate, which had left the world in an uproar, had been due to a novice named ¡®L¡¯ rather than the Council. ¡°¡­Ha!¡± Cha Ye-Eun eximed, massaging her aching temple with her index finger. She silently put a cigarette in her mouth and lit it up. Phew¨D! After letting out a puff of cigarette smoke, she felt a lot better. She hoped her worries would dissipate just as the smoke had. ¡°Smoking indoors is prohibited, you know?¡± Jin Seok-Tae remarked. ¡°Read the room before I p your mouth,¡± Ye-Eun snapped without looking at Seok-Tae. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Seok-Tae said, shutting his mouth when he realized that his superior would actually bite his head off if he kept messing with her. After a long pause, Ye-Eun asked, ¡°Do you have any idea who leaked this story?¡± ¡°It seems that one of the survivors is close to some reporters,¡± Seok-Tae answered. ¡°I told you to stop them from making contact with the outside for a while,¡± Ye-Eun said. ¡°You know it¡¯s not as easy as it sounds,¡± Seok-Tae replied. ¡°This is driving me nuts,¡± Ye-Eunined, her face contorting into a frown. The article had made several conjectures about unsolved questions regarding the Jamsil Gate. However, the conjectures presented by the author were mostly true. Such an article did Ye-Eun no favors, as she was still investigating the incident in secret. ¡°The press thankfully considers this to be a tabloid article, so they aren¡¯t paying much attention. That¡¯s understandable. Who would believe that a novice appeared out of nowhere, closed a two-star Dungeon alone, and disappeared without a trace?¡± Seok-Tae remarked. With a serious expression, Ye-Eun nodded. Seok-Tae was right. In fact, she had been very shocked when she first heard the story from the survivors. She had briefly thought they had experienced a mass hallucination. At that moment, however, a man named Park Hae-Seong had stepped up and testified after revealing his military rank of second lieutenant. When Ye-Eun heard his testimony in detail, goosebumps had spread all across her body. In the end, a confidential document with the codename ¡®Tyrant¡¯ had been created based on the survivors¡¯ interviews. That very document was the one Ye-Eun was busypiling. ¡°The news will spread in no time, though, won¡¯t it?¡± Ye-Eun groaned, covering her eyes with a hand. ¡°There are so many rats,¡± Seok-Tae said bitterly with a nod. It would take a while for the public to find out the truth, but therge ns were another story. They had many connections inside the Council. ¡°I have to find and contact this person before they do,¡± Ye-Eun said, looking at a photograph on her desk. It depicted a frowning man with a headset on his head. The ¡®Tyrant¡¯, Lee Chang-Sun¡ªhe was a famous professional gamer who had be a despondent alcoholic after his team was made to disband. However, several days in the Jamsil Break¡¯s Unpredictable Gate had turned him into a totally different man. There were many unanswered questions about him. How could he have changed so much the moment he Awakened? How could he have acted so bravely in front of monsters even though he was a civilian? And¡­ How could he have finished the Tutorial? To be honest, Ye-Eun was seriously considering the possibility that Chang-Sun was a demon. If not, she had to contact him before therge ns could. ¡®The problem is that I can''t find where on Earth he disappeared to,¡¯?Ye-Eun thought, staring at the ceiling. She had searched the area surrounding where the survivors had appeared all night, but not a single hair on Chang-Sun¡¯s head had turned up. She hadbed through all the footage from the CCTVs in the area, but she had gotten nothing. It had gotten to a point where she wondered whether Chang-Sun had literally evaporated. ¡°You¡¯re right. Isn¡¯t he like a ghost? Should we change the code name to ¡®Ghost,¡¯ not ¡®Tyrant¡¯?¡± Seok-Tae remarked. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Ye-Eun said with a snort. Tsss! The cigarette had already burned down to its filter, so Ye-Eun dropped it into her cup, having no ns to finish drinking her coffee. She looked at her monitor, intending to get back to work. At that moment¡­ Bang! An investigator flung open Ye-Eun¡¯s office door and burst inside, yelling, ¡°I found him!¡± Ye-Eun and Seok-Tae both looked at the investigator simultaneously. They did not need to ask who had been found. After all, there was only one person they were looking for. Where had Lee Chang-Sun been all this time? Was he somewhere rted to his identity? A list of Chang-Sun¡¯s possible locations shed through Ye-Eun¡¯s mind¡ªa ck market, a n¡¯s headquarters, or a Dungeon. That had to be why she was feeling tense. ¡°So where is he?¡± Ye-Eun asked as she put on her jacket. ¡°He is at home!¡± the investigator reported. ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± Ye-Eun froze upon hearing the investigator¡¯s unexpected answer, thinking she had misheard it. ¡°He is at¡­ home,¡± the investigator timidly repeated. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The investigator¡¯s answer was still the same, leaving Ye-Eun and Seok-Tae so baffled that they stood silently in ce for a long time. * * * Beep! ¡°¡­I¡¯m home,¡± Chang-Sun called out after opening the automatic lock on the door, before cautiously opening it and heading inside. When he first returned to Earth, he had been worried that he would be unable to go back home, as he could not remember his address or his apartment unit¡¯s number. However, his body had begun to move automatically, bringing him onto a blue bus headed for Jamsil. His hand had even keyed in the passcode of the automatic lock on its own. The inside of his home did not feel as foreign as he had thought it would. ¡°Did you have a good day?¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s mother gently asked. She seemed to have been cooking. Until she came out to greet Chang-Sun, he had heard her chopping something on a cutting board. Off to one side, a pot of doenjang-jjigae was boiling on the stove. ¡®How should I answer her?¡¯?Chang-Sun pondered the simple question for a while. Would it be appropriate to run toward his mother and say he missed her? Or would it be better to answer as calmly as possible? After thinking it through, Chang-Sun answered simply, ¡°¡­Yes, I had a good day.¡± ¡°Did you eat?¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s mother asked with a smile. ¡°Not yet,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll cook you breakfast in no time, so please rest for a moment,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s mother said. Chang-Sun had finally met his mother for the first time in hundreds of years. She looked older than Chang-Sun remembered, but she was still beautiful. She had even worked as an actress when she was young. When Chang-Sun¡¯s school held open sses for parents, Chang-Sun¡¯s friends had used to envy Chang-Sun for having a beautiful mother. The young Chang-Sun had used that as a pretext to act pompously in those days. However, it seemed that even his mother was not immune to time, and her face was more wrinkled than before. Her worry for her son had produced those wrinkles. Chang-Sun was unused to seeing wrinkles on his mother¡¯s face, but he could clearly tell how relieved she was. He thought bitterly ¡®Of course she would feel that way¡­¡¯ For several years, Chang-Sun had been her wayward son. On top of that, Chang-Sun had to have been sleeping outside for several days. The neighbors had been making noise due to the opening of the Jamsil Gate. Thus, Chang-Sun¡¯s mother must have been worried sick about him. Nevertheless, Chang-Sun¡¯s mother did not ask him anything. She did not even scold him. As if nothing had happened, she just asked whether Chang-Sun was hungry. That was how much she trusted her youngest son. Chang-Sun could only nod silently in response. ¡°¡­I¡¯m home,¡± he eventually said quietly. Chang-Sun was merely repeating the words he had said before, but unbeknownst to anyone, it carried apletely different meaning the second time around. * * * ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Perhaps because Chang-Sun had met his gentle mother first, it took him a while to realize how cold the rest of his family was toward him. The entire family, including Chang-Sun, had begun eating breakfast. Although Chang-Sun had been missing for several days, no one asked him about where he had been or what he had been doing. They all quietly emptied their rice bowls and the apanying banchan. ¡®Yeah, this is why I tried to stay away from home,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he awkwardly shoved a spoonful of rice into his mouth. His father¡¯s family ran a big business, big enough to be called semi-chaebol. His father was the youngest son, who had gone to a medical school and inherited arge hospital without any issues. On the other hand, his mother came from a famous family of schrs. Several well-known legal professionals and diplomats came from that side of the family. Chang-Sun¡¯s family was a typical upper-ss family, just like the ones often seen in TV dramas. Due to his family background, Chang-Sun had been treated like a freak for choosing a different path. His brother had gone to medical school, just like their father. Meanwhile, his sister had studied music abroad in the Nethends, and had even won a few awards in musicpetitions. However, Chang-Sun was very different from both his brother and sister. He had been unusually obsessed with games because of his strong desire to win, and tried to forge his own path in life. ¡®I remembered my family too fondly¡­ Right, this is why I had no lingering feelings for them.¡¯ At this point in his past, he had bepletely dejected after being half-forced to retire. Afterward, his family had begun to look at him disapprovingly. ¡®Still, one of their family members has just returned home after several days, looking worse for wear. How could no one worry about me?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in disbelief. He suddenly wondered whether it was worth going through so much just to return to such a cold family. However, the next thought that came to mind was that his old self had truly been trash, the primary source of discord within his family. ¡°I will be going,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s brother said as he put down his spoon. ¡°I will be going too,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s sister said after drinking some water. After emptying their rice bowls to a certain extent, they took their jackets and stood up. However, they did not look in Chang-Sun¡¯s direction even once. ¡°Are you going to bete again today?¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s mother asked worriedly. ¡°There is a surgery scheduled in the evening, so I think I will be a littlete,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s brother said with a shrug. ¡°I will be traveling out of Seoul to give a lecture, so I cannot say for sure. Just have dinner without me,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s sister added. ¡°Is that so?¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s mother said as she saw the two out to the front door. When they climbed into the elevator, she sighed lightly. As all her children had be adults, it was very difficult to have dinner together. ¡®I¡¯m a total stranger here,¡¯?Chang-Sun could not help but think bitterly. He could clearly sense his mother¡¯s anxiety. To him, he felt as if his family had be total strangers. Thud! Chang-Sun¡¯s father had been eating slowly, but he abruptly dropped his spoon onto the table. For the first time, he looked at Chang-Sun and said angrily, ¡°You said nothing until the end of the meal. You could have at least apologized. We have all been distraught for the past few days because of you.¡± ¡°H-Honey,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s mother began, trying to stop his father. ¡°You stop right there. He is always like this because you keep coddling him,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s father interrupted his nervous mother, making her sit down. His wrinkled face, which Chang-Sun could see past his sses, was full of anger. Chang-Sun felt as if he had been hit with a blunt weapon in the back of the head. Only after he had heard his father¡¯s words did he realize that he had made a mistake. The entire time, he had been waiting for his family to say they were worried about him. He had never thought of giving them an exnation first. Chang-Sun had kept some distance from his family just because he felt awkward. However, it had made his father¡ªno, his family¡ªangry. ¡°Do you know that your mother fainted when that Jamsil Gate thing opened up? Someone from the Council even came here saying you might have gotten entangled in the Gate. It was a big mess!¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s father shouted angrily at him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We were worried because no matter how many times we called, you never answered. We thought you might have been in an emergency room, so your brother called every hospital in Seoul. Your sister did not even get to go on her business trip abroad because she was helping your mother search various ces to find you,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s father continued to yell, but Chang-Sun could say nothing in response. He continued, ¡°Yes, you finally returned home after several days, looking like a beggar. And yet, you just began eating without giving us any exnation? How could you even think about eating right now? Are you even human? An animal would be more decent than you!¡± Thump! His father sprang out of his seat, yelling, ¡°If you are going to keep living this way, I will just get you a house, so go live alone! Stop making your mother and siblings worry!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Chang-Sun, say something. Your father worried a lot about you. And honey, you should stop too. He¡¯s just sorry, that¡¯s all,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s mother said, trying to mediate the conflict. However, Chang-Sun remained frozen, unable to say anything. Seemingly unwilling to listen to his youngest son¡¯s bted excuses, Chang-Sun¡¯s father picked up his briefcase and stormed out of the house. Chang-Sun could hear his mother hurriedly following his father to the front door. ¡°¡­¡± Chang-Sun covered his face with one hand, feeling as if his limbs had turned to jelly. He finally realized how much he had hurt his family in his past¡­ The price of his selfishness was too great. His rtionship with his family was like a tangled knot,plicated almost beyondprehension. Chang-Sun was unsure as to how he could even begin untangling it. 1. A traditional Korean dish; this is a stew made with soybean paste. 2. In Korean schools, there are events in which teachers let parents observe sses. Parents do not do much during these sses; they simply watch to see how their children are doing in school. 3. Korean side dishes; a staple of traditional Korean meals, usually served as an assortment of small food items. 4. ¡¯Chaebol¡¯ is a Korean term that usually refers to arge industrial conglomerate owned by a family. Chapter 18: Star, Home (3)

Chapter 18: Star, Home (3)

¡°You know how he is. Your father just says things he does not mean when he gets angry. Don¡¯t mind him too much. Go to your room and get some rest,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s mother said soothingly. Chang-Sun was still frozen in ce, but he forced himself to walk away due to his mother¡¯s continuous urging. However, he said quietly, ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Huh? What did you say, sweetie?¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s mother asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I¡¯ll be careful from now on,¡± Chang-Sun repeated more loudly as he turned away. For a long time, Chang-Sun¡¯s mother stood beside the table and looked at his seat. ¡®Mom¡¯... It had been three years since her youngest sonst called her that. She felt that she would be unable to forget about this day for quite a while. * * * Just as Chang-Sun was about to enter his room, a dog came up to him, panting and wagging its tail. The dog¡¯s name was Jjong, and he had belonged to the family ever since Chang-Sun was eight. ¡°Right, so you were here too,¡± Chang-Sun said with a chuckle. Jjong was already fifteen years old, and was nearing the end of his life. Despite that, he looked healthy as he forced his way into Chang-Sun¡¯s room. It seemed Jjong was still willing to wee the family¡¯s pathetic youngest son back home. Chang-Sun picked up Jjong and lightly stroked the dog¡¯s head. Enjoying Chang-Sun¡¯s gentle strokes, Jjong yawned widely, and soon fell asleep in Chang-Sun¡¯s arms. ¡®Oh yeah. He began sleeping a lot more when he got older,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, smiling bitterly. Afterying Jjong down on a nket in the corner of the room, he looked around. The messy state of his room caught his attention. ¡®Did I really live in such a messy room? A pigpen would be cleaner than this. Well, I was a total mess at this point in my past.¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s room was too messy for him to use, so he decided to clean it before anything else. First, he let some fresh air in by opening the window. Next, he fixed the mountain of soju bottles on the floor, organizing them neatly so he could take them outter. When he could finally see the floor of his room, he began sweeping it with a broom. When Chang-Sun¡¯s mother heard noises from Chang-Sun¡¯s room, she could not help but wonder. Soon, Chang-Sun emerged to throw out the soju bottles, and his mother¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock. Although Chang-Sun could sense that she was watching him, he pretended not to notice it. After spending a while cleaning the room, Chang-Sun was finally able to lie down on his bed. It was not perfect, but at least he had enough space to lie down. His mattress was very soft. Even though Chang-Sun could feel his body loosening up, his mind remained sharp. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ wonders what your next move is. She attempts to convince you that her hunting skills will be helpful.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says that it is important to rest from time to time.] ¡®They¡¯re really taking an interest in such trivial stuff?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, tilting his head in confusion. It was umon for Celestials to take interest in a person¡¯s boring daily life; they usually focused on Dungeons, where various events constantly urred. ¡®Well, it¡¯s a bit annoying because it feels as if they¡¯re meddling in everything I do.¡¯ Paying no attention to the messages, Chang-Sun began to think about other matters. He could not solve his family issues immediately, as they had been present for quite some time. Thus, he had to start by getting to know his family once again. Although they behaved awkwardly around him, he now knew that they had been very worried about him. In order to do that, he had to start by doing everything he could at the moment. ¡®I have to show them I¡¯ve changed,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, clenching his fists. He had to make them believe that he had be a proper adult who could take care of himself, not an alcoholic who acted like a parasite. However, Chang-Sun only knew how to fight, so he would have to focus on working as a yer. If he kept doing his job, his family would start to think differently of him little by little. Recalling the result of the first Dungeon Closure, Chang-Sun began to think about his ns step by step. ¡®I got a pretty good result from my first Tutorial. It¡¯s a little early, but I think it should be okay to proceed to phase two.¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s gaze turned sharp when the conversation he had with Thanatos in the Underworld crossed his mind. ¡®Heoju¡­ Thanatos said that guy is also in the Saha World, right?¡¯ ¡°Which deities do I need to capture first in the Saha World?¡± ¡°Naturally, the rulers of your world.¡±? ¡°So who are they?¡± ¡°You must be very familiar with one of them.¡± ¡°The ¡®Cmity Tiger.¡¯¡± When Thanatos first mentioned his name, Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes had widened¡ªhe knew very well who Heoju was. He was one of the beings who had forced Chang-Sun to go through the Divine Trial. To be more urate, however, he was just their subordinate¡ªno, their stooge. However, Chang-Sun had not forgotten about him, because he could still vividly recall Heojuughing in front of him. ¡®He¡¯ll be the perfect target to signal the start of my revenge¡­¡¯ Chang-Sun thought with a smile. ¡®But it won¡¯t be easy to capture him. That sly tiger is ferocious, but he¡¯s also quick-witted and has many subordinates.¡¯ Despite his smile, there was a dangerous fire in his eyes. ¡®I have to make a lot of preparations in order to hunt such a deity.¡¯ A hunt¡ªthat was how Chang-Sun thought of his revenge. ¡®I need to find a tiger¡¯s den in order to kill a tiger, right?¡¯ Chang-Sun turned on his smartphone to check a website he had bookmarked on his way home. What first caught Chang-Sun¡¯s eye was the website¡¯s banner, which contained the n¡¯s catchphrase. ¡®This n¡¯s Guardian is Heoju.¡¯ Ever since the Gates had opened up on Earth, numerous Celestials had begun to watch Earth. Apart from simply watching humans, Celestials also chose them and granted them blessings. Moved by the Celestials¡¯ miracles, many groups of believers sprang up all over the world. That was the start of the ns. Among those ns, the White Tiger n was the one blessed by Heoju. ¡®He sucks at naming stuff. I can¡¯t believe he named his subordinates that way, just because he¡¯s a white tiger. Tsk!¡¯ The White Tiger n had a silly name, but it was not to be taken lightly. ¡®Number one n in Korea, huh¡­ It¡¯s certainly arge one.¡¯ In order to capture Heoju, he had to wage a war against the White Tiger n. However, he had to proceed with his n step by step, as he stillcked the power to do so. As he scrolled nkly through the website, a pop-up screen in the lower right corner brought Chang-Sun back to reality. ¡®The White Tiger n is going to start hiring new yers in a month.¡¯ Chang-Sun nned to apply for that very job posting. By starting from the bottom, he would cut off Heoju¡¯s limbs one by one. ¡®So I¡¯ll have to finish preparing within a month, using any means necessary.¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone coldly beneath the warm sunlight. * * * ¡°Where are you going?¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s mother asked, sounding a little worried. ¡°I¡¯m going to go jogging in Hangang Park. I¡¯ll be back before dinner, so don¡¯t worry,¡± Chang-Sun said to ease his mother¡¯s worries. Despite his promise, however, he did not head to Hangang Park. Instead, he got into a taxi, then headed toward a mountain located in a suburban area in Hanam. He needed a ce where he would not be noticed by other people. The taxi driver looked at Chang-Sun strangely, as he was traveling a great distance in in clothes to get to a quiet location. However, he did not ask Chang-Sun any questions. Chang-Sun was also not in the mood to talk, and simply kept his earphones in during the entire ride. When he arrived at the destination, Chang-Sun sprang forth toward the foot of the mountain after confirming that the taxi had traveled a good distance away. Pah! He traveled a good distance up the mountain, to the point that the path had long since disappeared. After reaching a ce where hikers would not dare to approach, Chang-Sun stopped moving and cleaned up the nearby surroundings with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. He did so because the thing he was about to attempt required that he not be disturbed. During the entire process, he could note into contact with any people, or even any wild animals. [Concealment Rune has been installed.] [Concealment Rune has been installed.] Chang-Sun carved runes on the nearby rocks, securing the area around him so no one would be able to approach. Then, he called out, ¡°Open inventory.¡± His inventory promptly opened. [Revealing the inventory list!] [me Goat¡¯s Rib Spear ¡Á13] [Fire Smander¡¯s Skull Shield ¡Á21] ... The inventory list was practically endless, because Chang-Sun had received many byproducts from killing numerous monsters. However, he skillfully used filters to sort the items by various categories, only looking at the items he wanted to see. [Bloody Mamba¡¯s Poisonous Fang ¡Á1] [me Tiger¡¯s me Toxin w ¡Á9] [Ice Kite¡¯s Ice Toxin Beak ¡Á1] [Underground Scorpion¡¯s Stinger ¡Á2] [gue Spider¡¯s Poison Sac ¡Á1] The items Chang-Sun was looking for were all the boss monster venom nds that he had acquired in the ¡®Forest of Firewielders¡¯ Dungeon. Each one of them would be ¡®kindling¡¯ to ignite the Eight Trigrams Brazier. Chang-Sun nned to begin the process of attaining the [Impervious Body]. In order to capture Heoju, his first target, he had to obtain that ability. ¡®I already have the ember, so¡­ I''ll just consume these.¡¯ Feeling fire elemental energy slowly coursing through his veins, Chang-Sun first pulled out the [Bloody Mamba¡¯s Poisonous Fang.] The ck fang was thicker than an average man¡¯s arm; it looked especially threatening in his hand. ¡°Yes, there is no better kindling to start that fire than deadly toxins that can ruin the body. As Purification Fire is made from the pure fire energy in a person¡¯s body, it is the most effective way to cleanse evil and kill demons.¡± ¡°If the Purification Fire finds foreign substances that try to ruin the body of the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯s owner, it is bound to re up. The stronger the foreign substances are, the stronger the Purification Fire will burn. That way, the fire should be hot enough¡­ to ignite the Eight Trigrams Brazier.¡± ¡°When the Brazier begins to burn, it will not only cleanse the foreign substances, but also any waste and impure energies within your body¡­ There can be no better way to purify your entire body.¡± That was what the First Elder had said about the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯s fire. Burning all the waste in Chang-Sun¡¯s body did not simply refer to cleaning his body. Rather, it meant that his twelve closed meridians would open, strengthening his blood vessels. In other words, he would open up a highway¡ªno, an air travel route to efficiently circte his magic. That way, the first condition to achieve the [Impervious Body] would be fulfilled. ¡°Of course, your body will be ruined even before the Purification Fire ignites if you just randomly swallow deadly toxins. However, swallowing milder toxins will just ruin your body without even igniting the Purification Fire.¡± ¡°Then what should I do?¡± ¡°Go through the right process. Choose the right spot wisely.¡± ¡°Process? Spot? How am I supposed to do that?¡± ¡°That is¡­!¡± ¡®First¡­ My heart,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought calmly. After pointing the tip of the [Bloody Mamba¡¯s Poisonous Fang] at himself, he pierced his left chest swiftly with the fang. Stab! Chang-Sun had urately driven the fang between his ribs, piercing his heart with its poisonous tip. Although he felt an immense amount of pain rushing through his body, he did not even flinch, due to his incredible fighting spirit. Hiss, hiss, hiss! His heart began to beat in a strange rhythm. [The ¡®Bloody Mamba¡¯s Poisonous Fang¡¯ has pierced your heart!] [Deadly toxin quickly spreads throughout your body.] [The Effect ¡®Lesser Toxin Resistance¡¯ has been activated.] [The skill is ineffective.] [The skill is ineffective.] ... [You have entered the ¡®Poisoned¡¯ state.] ... [Caution! Remove the ¡®Bloody Mamba¡¯s Poisonous Fang¡¯ at once and try to detoxify yourself.] The heart was an organ that was connected to all the blood vessels in the body, supplying blood to other organs. As Chang-Sun had pierced that very organ with the fang, it was only natural for its poison to spread quickly. Badump! Badump! Chang-Sun¡¯s blood circted rapidly through his body. Due to the heavy pressure from his frantically beating heart, every vein in his body swelled up like a balloon that seemed about to pop. His face turned pale in no time, showing his blue veins. His breathing became so shallow and rough that it almost seemed as if he would faint. He was so dizzy that he felt as if he would pass out at any minute. Even though he did not care about the horrible pain, he was afraid that he would faint if he did nothing. Of course, he would really die if he lost consciousness. As he did not n on meeting Thanatos yet, he tried everything he could to stay conscious as he drove the fang even further into his heart. Suddenly, however, he was stopped by something. Click. He could swear he had actually heard a sound. The fang in his hand melted away as if it had never existed. His heart swiftly absorbed the fang,pletely integrating its poison. [The ¡®Bloody Mamba¡¯s Poisonous Fang¡¯ has beenpletely absorbed.] [A Hidden Piece has been found.] [Serpent Toxin Factor has been acquired. The ability to create a little bit of ¡®Bloody Mamba¡¯s Toxin¡¯ has been obtained.] [50,000 Karma has been umted.] . [You have entered the ¡®Critical¡¯ state.] Chang-Sun moved aside the messages that showed up before his eyes. At the moment, he had no time to read through the messages. He rummaged through his inventory and grabbed the [me Tiger¡¯s me Toxin ws]. There was one problem, however. He had to pierce the area surrounding his liver, which was located in his lower right abdomen, with the nine ws. Although it did not sound easy, he searched for a ce to stab without a single hint of hesitation. When he found a suitable one, he thrust the w into it. Stab! [A ¡®me Tiger¡¯s me Toxin w¡¯ has begun to prate your liver and bowels!] There were eight more ws that he had to pierce himself with before their toxin made him faint. 1. ¡¯Heoju¡¯ normally refers to a kind of evil spirit in Korean shamanism. Sometimes, it is said that evil spirits that wander the world possess a person who is about to be a shaman, pretending to be the god they serve; the soon-to-be shaman¡¯s body is considered empty before their god epts them, making them vulnerable to possession. However, this ¡®Heoju¡¯ likely just refers to a character in the novel. 2. This is an actual Korean idiom. The author used it as a pun, since Heoju¡¯s other name is the ¡®Troubled Tiger.¡¯ 3. There is a park located beside Hangang River. If you enjoy Korean variety shows, you may have seen people eating ramen in this park. 4. A city in Korea. Chapter 19: Star, Home (4)

Chapter 19: Star, Home (4)

[The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is shocked, and checks to see if she has any items that can help you.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ lets out an exmation of surprise as he sees the hidden piece you have found. He now looks at you curiously because he thinks you are nning to do something more.] Pabilsag began to panic as Chang-Sun, whom she wanted as her apostle, was in danger. In contrast, J?rmungandr watched Chang-Sun¡¯s every movement with interest. If Pabilsag was like an emotional child, J?rmungandr was more like a curious schr. Their reactions werepletely different from each other. [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ awaits your response.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ cheers for you.] Maintaining his previous nonchnce, Mephistopheles continued to wait for Chang-Sun to request a reward other than the brands. Meanwhile, Minerva watched Chang-Sun like a loving mother. Other than those deities, many Celestials were also watching him. Although every Celestial had a different reaction, they all wondered the same thing: What was Chang-Sun doing, and what would he aplish through it? [The ¡®Underground Scorpion¡¯s Stinger¡¯ has prated your spleen!] [You have entered the ¡®Brink of Death¡¯ state.] By stabbing his heart, liver, kidney, and spleen, Chang-Sun had already gained four hidden pieces among the five. He had managed to hold himself together with great difficulty, but he felt as if he would die at any second when he stabbed his spleen. The system had not been exaggerating when it said he was on the brink of death. His skin had rotted away, his bone structure had copsed, and his muscles had melted away. As he could no longer feel his hands or see clearly, he had wasted a lot of time searching for the right spots. However, he was almost at the end. As he no longer had teeth to grit, he clenched his gums tightly and put the [gue Spider¡¯s Poison Sac], the final nd, in his mouth. He instantly felt as if he had swallowed a fireball, as the sac melted his tongue and burned his esophagus. The burning smell emanating from his mouth made Chang-Sun retch¡­ but he forced himself to swallow it. Gulp. The sound felt as loud as a thunderp in Chang-Sun¡¯s ears. [The ¡®gue Spider¡¯s Poison Sac¡¯ has been absorbed into your lungs!] [A Hidden Piece has been found.] ... [Your five major organs are all filled with deadly toxins.] [Five different deadly toxins are shing with each other inside your body.] [The toxins have made your body¡¯s condition significantly worse!] Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! The five deadly toxins that had begun circting inside Chang-Sun¡¯s body shed with each other, creating extremelyplex chemical reactions. Some of them became deadlier as theybined, while others were neutralized when they met each other. Boom. Boom. Boom. Chang-Sun felt as if several fireworks were exploding inside his body each time such a reaction happened. So many things were happening in his body that he had a difficult time regaining hisposure. His body had practically be a stage on which to disyplex reactions, each of which was ravaging him at a freakish pace. However¡­ ¡®No, not now,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he grabbed his thigh. ¡­he endured and endured. Consuming all of the toxins did not mean they would automatically ignite the Purification Fire. There would no doubt be a proper opportunity to trigger an explosion. ¡®A little more. Just a little more¡­¡¯ Of course, the toxins were still ruining Chang-Sun¡¯s body to the extent that he could no longer sit up straight. If someone were to so much as touch him, he would meet Thanatos instantly. [Lesser Toxin Resistance is ineffective.] [Lesser Toxin Resistance is ineffective.] ... [Warning! Attempt to detoxify yourself as soon as possible. If you do not receive any treatment, you might die.] [Warning! Attempt to detoxify yourself as soon as possible. If you remain under the effects of toxin, you may sustain a permanent injury.] ¡®Not yet¡­!¡¯ [Warning! All of your organs have stopped¡­!] ¡®Now!¡¯ The moment the five deadly toxins, which had been violently shing with each other, came into bnce, Chang-Sun took a deep breath. His esophagus had almost stopped working, so he was able to inhale very little air. However, that was enough, as what Chang-Sun truly needed was the very faint trace of mana in the air. [The Purification Fire¡¯s dormant ember has absorbed mana.] [The Purification Fire has been ignited.] [The Purification Fire is ring up.] [A Hidden Piece has been found.] Shoosh! Right beside Chang-Sun¡¯s destroyed heart, the Purification Fire ignited in the corner of an unassuming capiry. Like a burning field of reeds, it quickly spread, enveloping his entire body. However, instead of burning Chang-Sun up, the fire embraced him, glowing with a radiant bluish-golden hue. Anyone who saw Chang-Sun engulfed in the fire would undoubtedly assume that he would soon be burnt to ash. However, his body was quickly recovering instead¡­ No, the word ¡®recovering¡¯ was insufficient to describe what was happening. His body was regenerating rapidly. [The Purification Fire¡¯s ember is growing stronger.] [Congrattions! You have sessfully lit the ¡®Eight Trigrams Brazier,¡¯ and the forgotten sacred fire of legend has begun to ze.] [The ¡®Heat of the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯ is now in effect.] [The heat is restoring your body.] [The heat is regenerating your body.] ... [The heat is eliminating all toxins.] [The heat is eradicating all impure energies.] ... The toxins and waste that had gushed out of Chang-Sun¡¯s melted muscles disappeared, engulfed by heat. His rotted skin crumbled away, reced by new skin. His weakened bones were reced, bing as solid as the dragon bones of legend. His muscles also became significantly tougher, as if his body had been covered in armor ting. However, the most outstanding change was the transformation of his magic organ. [All of your acupoints have opened.] [All of your principal meridians have opened.] [All of your extraordinary meridians have opened.] ... [Your magic organ has been recreated, and your magic circuit has been remade.] [You have gained the fire attribute.] [You have gained the poison attribute.] His magic organ, which was responsible for generating mana, had copsed during the process. However, after being restored, it became significantly sturdier andrger. A great deal of mana rushed in to fill its remaining capacity; it was so pure and dense that it was iparable to the mana he had previously. Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! The Eight Trigrams Brazier, which had red up almost as if it would burn Chang-Sun away with its fire, slowly calmed down. Its heat sank into his magic circuit, being integrated into Chang-Sun¡¯s own magic. [Achievement Unlocked!] ¡°A Phoenix that Rises from Ashes.¡± Reward: All stats +15. Complete body purification. Trait: ¡®Ten Toxin Immunity¡¯. Skill ¡®Blood Toxin¡¯. [Ten Toxin Immunity] The highest grade of all toxin resistance-type Traits. Signifies that a person has gained powerful toxin resistance by oveing several deadly poisons. Upon gaining resistance to a toxin, one may recreate it. ¡¤ Type: Trait. ¡¤ Effect: Powerful toxin resistance. Blood toxin creation. ¡®I got it!¡¯?Chang-Sun silently eximed. When he stood up again, he yelled in delight, feeling his mana circting energetically through his body. He could feel that every cell of his body had gotten stronger than before. Of course, it was impossible for a human to obtain the [Impervious Body] in a single attempt; after all, it was said that only ¡®Scorpio¡¯ Antares had achieved it. [Ten Toxin Immunity] was merely the first step to attaining the [Impervious Body.] Although he did not have immunity against all kinds of toxins, most toxins that were used by yers would be ineffective. Even if they sessfully poisoned him, the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯s heat would burn the toxin awaypletely. ¡°Open system window.¡± [Lee Chang-Sun] Divine Name: Divine Twilight (Unusable) Title: Natural Enemy of Serpents Faction: Underworld Guardian: ¨D ss: Rune Master Level: 20 Strength: 51 (+50) Agility: 48.4 (+45) Health: 45 (+45) Mana: 30.9 (+45) Intelligence: 47 (+45) Willpower: 45.1 (+45) Acquired Skills: Intermediate Dagger Proficiency Lv.7 Lesser Rune Creation Lv.2 Lesser Rune Engraving Lv.1 Viper Eyes Lv.2 Lesser Trap Instation Lv.6 Blood Toxin Lv.1 (New!) Acquired Effects: Heat of the Eight Trigrams Brazier Lv.1 (New!) Ten Toxin Immunity Lv.1 (New!) Acquired Authorities: Soul Exploitation Lv.1 Execution Sword Lv.1 Special Note: You have sessfully acquired a new Trait. As your body has gone through an abrupt change, please inspect your physical condition again. Additional Stat: 75 After checking all his stats, Chang-Sun nodded in satisfaction, very pleased by the current state of his body. Apart from his mana, his basic stats were all over 40, signifying that his body had changed immensely after being purified. ¡®I¡¯m sad that I couldn¡¯t get the Monkey King¡¯s [Fiery Eyes of Truth] due to my?weak?[Heat of the Eight Trigrams Brazier]... I can solve this problem if I make it burn hotter from now on.¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a grin. In truth, he was actually quite satisfied with the fact that he had obtained the [Heat of the Eight Trigrams Brazier.] As long as he had that, he would recover far more quickly than other people, so it would be very useful inbat. Besides, Chang-Sun did not only n to use the [Heat of the Eight Trigrams Brazier] as a method to heal himself, but also as a weapon after strengthening its heat. Thus, he simply thought of it as proceeding step by step. ¡®Wait¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he noticed a skill in the system window that he had not intended to acquire. ¡®Blood Toxin? What is this?¡¯ The description of [Ten Toxin Immunity], which he had read from the system window, crossed his mind. ¡®I should be able to recreate any toxins I¡¯ve gained resistance to in my body.¡¯ The [Ten Toxin Immunity] he knew was an effect that maximized the efficiency of toxin resistance. Aside from the ability to cleanse his body, he had never heard of it having other abilities. [Blood Toxin] The ability to create and mix any toxins you have gained resistance to in your blood. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Active. ¡¤ Effect: Secrete poison. ¡°¡­!¡± The effects of the skill [Blood Toxin] were simple. Chang-Sun would be able to recreate any toxins he gained resistance to through [Ten Toxin Immunity]. As he already used his blood to draw runes, the ability to infuse toxins into runes¡­ meant Chang-Sun could use his skills in many new ways. ¡®I can simply smear toxins onto my sword, but I can also use this skill with [Lesser Trap Instation.] I¡¯ll even be able to strengthen my runes.¡¯ Many methods other than those three came to his mind. The new skill would truly be useful in the future. ¡®Then¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, drawing [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and holding it high. ¡®I need to do some experiments.¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ sees that you have fully recovered, so she sighs in relief.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ feels his intellectual curiosity rising as he watches you level up.] * * * It was around four in the afternoon by the time Chang-Sun finished his work and descended the mountain. ¡®Since I got what I wanted, [Ten Toxin Immunity], should I get a weapon next?¡¯ Chang-Sun had sessfully transformed his body just as he wanted to; thus, he now needed a weapon that would enable him to use his body to the fullest extent. Although he had unexpectedly received a valuable weapon called [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] from Pabilsag, he actually needed more than one weapon. ¡®Longsword, scimitar, spear, whip, shield, bow, arrows¡­ I need so many weapons. I have to get a shield and a whip first, though.¡¯ Ever since Chang-Sun had be ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯¡ªno, ever since he had ended up in Arcadia¡ªhe had begun using more than one kind of weapon. More urately, he had not had the luxury of choice. When he first arrived in Arcadia, he had found himself on a chaotic battlefield, forced to fight for his life without any basicbat knowledge. Naturally, it had been impossible for him to be picky about weapons on such a battlefield. He had needed to grab anything he could get his hands on and swing it in order to survive. Once, he had picked up a tower shield from a dead soldier¡¯s body to protect himself as much as possible, while pushing away his enemies with a three-meter-longnce that he had taken from an unconscious cavalry soldier. His daily routine had included falling over after trying to swing a bastard sword, a weapon that was hard to use with just one hand. A dagger rolling across the ground had saved him, as he had used it to stab the throat of a soldier who was trying to pin him down. Those experiences had granted him basic knowledge of all kinds of weapons. After he caught the attention of an old soldier who had survived on the battlefield longer than anyone else through a stroke of luck, he had been able to increase hisbat power significantly. Even after he transcended and gained the divine name of ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯, he had not really changed, continuing to fight with anything he had on hand. The fighting style ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ used was to choose a weapon that rendered his enemy¡¯s advantages ineffective, allowing him to corner opponents with overwhelming strength. However, there was one problem. ¡®It¡¯s hard to find a weapon that fits my standards¡­¡¯ In truth, Chang-Sun did not particrly care about the quality of his weapons. He thought of them as tools, mere extensions of his hands. No matter how valuable the relics he wielded happened to be, he could throw them away if he needed to. Despite all that, he needed a high-quality weapon because he was a fighting deity and a fiend. He fought so fiercely that he broke most weapons in a matter of days. In his hands, a well-crafted sword forged by a talented cksmith would lose its edge in a mere few days. On top of that, he had strengthened his body by cleansing it with the Heat of the Eight Trigrams Brazier. As he was finishing the Tutorial, his body had not been in optimal condition, preventing him from fighting properly; however, the purification process would enable him to move more ferociously and strike with greater force. Considering his fighting style, it would be a significant problem if Chang-Sun¡¯s weapons broke inbat. Even a lion could not fight to its full potential if it lost its ws and fangs. He did not particrly desire relic weapons, but he needed at least a ¡®sacred weapon¡¯ to fight with. The Celestials who participated in the Divine Trial had taken the signature weapon of ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯, the [Omni-Weapon Chest], so it would take a while for Chang-Sun to retrieve it. Thus, he needed to create a weapon he could use until that moment came. However, the kind of weapon he needed was a custom-made item that he could use as if it were an extension of his limbs, not an artifact with fancy skill effects¡­ There was one silver lining, at least. A craftsman who could create such sacred weapons existed on Earth. Even better, that craftsman lived in Seoul. Chang-Sun called for a taxi and headed to the Tailored Shoe Alley that was located in Seongdong-gu Seongsu-dong. 1. The name here is metaphorical. It doesn¡¯t literally mean ten toxins, but rather many toxins. The reason for the name will be revealedter. 2. This refers to a ce that actually exists in Korea. The alley is currently referred to as ¡®???????¡¯, and is filled with shops that sell custom-made shoes. 3. A region in Korea. Previously, -gu, -dong, -si, and -do were used in addresses, but this is an old system that has since been changed. Chapter 20: Star, Home (5)

Chapter 20: Star, Home (5)

At 4:32 a.m., a two-seater sports car entered arge apartmentplex located near Jamsilsaenae Station. The apartmentplex was near Hangang River, so reporters often came by to take a photo of it whenever they had to write about real estate issues. Screech! The driver seat window of the sports car rolled down to reveal Cha Ye-Eun sitting in it. She lowered her sunsses slightly and looked up, asking, ¡°So is this the ce?¡± She had driven all the way over to the apartments after hearing that Lee Chang-Sun, codenamed ¡®Tyrant¡¯, was there. Although she expected to hear an answer from the passenger¡¯s seat, no reply came; she turned around to see what her partner was doing. Disregarding Ye-Eun¡¯s death stare, Jin Seok-Tae was busy inspecting the inside of Ye-Eun¡¯s car. He suddenly came to a halt and looked at Ye-Eun with a look of amazement, making her subconsciously flinch. Ye-Eun had no idea why Seok-Tae was looking at her with such sparkling eyes. ¡°Ye-Eun sunbae-nim!¡± Seok-Tae eximed excitedly. ¡°What?¡± Ye-Eun replied, tilting her head in confusion. ¡°I respect you so much,¡± Seok-Tae said, fixing his gaze on Ye-Eun. ¡°What on earth are you talking about right now?¡± Ye-Eun replied. She leaned backward, unsettled by Seok-Tae¡¯s strange behavior. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a brand new model? I heard there are less than a hundred of these in Korea. How did you get this? No, how¡­¡± Seok-Tae trailed off, unsure whether it would be appropriate to ask how Ye-Eun had bought such an expensive sports car with her petty sry. Seok-Tae had heard that if the buyer added even a few options to such a car, the price would easily surpass 200 million won. However, as there were so few of them in Korea, the buyer would have to wait for a long time even if they wanted to buy the specific model. ¡°I do a lot of outsourcing work,¡± Ye-Eun casually answered. Seok-Tae wondered how Ye-Eun knew he had been about to ask that. He was rendered speechless, because Ye-Eun had confidently told him that she worked as an independent yer even though it was illegal for an agent of an international organization to do so. She acted as if she would not stop Seok-Tae from reporting her to their superiors. ¡®If I really did that¡­ She¡¯d put a bullet in my head, right?¡¯?Seok-Tae thought, nodding silently. As he knew how talented a yer Ye-Eun was, he had no intention of picking a fight with her. As such, he thought it was for the best that he respected Ye-Eun as his senior partner. ¡°He lives in Apartment 241, Unit 2902. The CCTV from the apartment¡¯s elevator caught him entering his home this morning, but he went out again. Still, he didn¡¯t have any baggage on him, so he¡¯ll eventuallye back if we wait for him,¡± Seok-Tae eventually exined. ¡°1, 2, 3¡­ 29th floor? Isn¡¯t that the highest floor?¡± Ye-Eun asked. ¡°You can see the entire Hangang River from there,¡± Seok-Tae remarked. ¡°So Chang-Sun himself earned a lot of money, but his family was also rich? Wow, I envy him,¡± Ye-Eun said, shaking her head. Thunk! As she got out of her car, Ye-Eun adjusted her sunsses. She sighed quietly, thinking ¡®I have to recruit him before those hyenas notice he exists, but what if Chang-Sun¡¯s really a demon?¡¯ There could be nothing more heartbreaking than arresting someone in front of their family; Ye-Eun desperately hoped such an unfortunate event would not happen. * * * There were few factory districts in Seoul; one of them was in Seongsu-dong. Many shoe factories and car repair shops had done business in the district for a very long time. The local economy had shrunk over time, but it had improved when Gates opened on Earth and people began to find Dungeons inside them. That was because most of the local industries had begun refining Dungeon materials to keep up with the times. Factories mass-produced weapons for yers, while workshops created custom-made weapons for clients. They were good options, but Chang-Sun was looking for somece else¡ªa forge. The forges were located in a narrow alley that was so hot and stuffy, no passers-by loitered in it. It was the gloomiest part of the district, and even the signage was extremely shabby. ¡®Wasn¡¯t it somewhere around here?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Although the signs had different names, the buildings all looked the same, as if they had been copied and pasted in an image program. However, the exteriors did not matter to Chang-Sun; rather, he navigated by smelling the different mana scents emanating from the industrial forges. The forge he was looking for would have a very specific scent. Chang-Sun recalled the conversation he had had with Thanatos. ¡°I heard Divine Twilight¡¯s Trait was [King of Weapons].¡±? ¡°So?¡± ¡°Not many fighting deities or warring deities have acquired that Trait, so I remembered it right away. Anyway, you¡¯ll need various weapons after you regress, so won¡¯t you need a cksmith who can supply you with weapons?¡± ¡°Is there such a person among humans?¡± ¡°There is one.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Ou Yezi.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡®I was really surprised when Thanatos told me Ou Yezi was in Seoul,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, shaking his head. Ou Yezi was famous even in Heaven. That was because Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith made whatever he wanted to create, in contrast to Taotie the Devil cksmith, who was famous for its seal¡ªthe same one engraved on [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Taotie received requests from Celestials to make relics. Due to Ou Yezi¡¯s personality, all the relics he created had peculiar and bizarre properties, so they were all tricky to use. However, the Celestials still wanted to have his relics because they were worth the risk. Naturally, the Celestials assumed that Ou Yezi was a cksmith deity who had transcended mortality by mastering an ability. Chang-Sun had also thought so, but Thanatos had told Chang-Sun that Ou Yezi was a human. ¡°I heard Ou Yezi had disappeared after he made a relic for ¡®Capricorn,¡¯ but was he really a human? But then¡­!¡± ¡°...Then Ou Yezi would be too old to work for you.¡± ¡°Am I wrong?¡± ¡°The name Ou Yezi doesn¡¯t belong to one person. Ou Yezi¡¯s heirs have also inherited the name Ou Yezi.¡± Thanatos had smiled very coldly as he had exined why Ou Yezi was on Earth. ¡°After ¡®Capricorn¡¯ received the relic she had ordered, she killed Ou Yezi immediately, not knowing he had a surviving heir.¡± Chang-Sun thought to himself that Zodiacs certainly had many enemies, including him. The First Elder, who had taught Chang-Sun about [Heat of the Eight Trigrams Brazier], had also lost his family because of the Zodiacs. ¡®The problem is that many of Ou Yezi¡¯s secret smithing methods disappeared after the incident, so his heirs experienced a decline over time,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought bitterly. Of course, Ou Yezi¡¯s heirs were still Ou Yezi, so their weapons were still great, and considered to be among the best. They would not be good enough to be considered relics, but they could be called sacred weapons. ¡®I found it.¡¯ Chang-Sun had been thinking about many things, but he had not stopped searching. When he arrived at his destination, he came to a stop. Among the shabby forges, the Choi-Lee Forge was the shabbiest and the smallest of them all. Chang-Sun briefly wondered if he could even call it a forge. The sign was so old that he would have passed by the shop if he had not watched the surroundings closely. Although he was skeptical for a moment as to whether the cksmith from the forge would be able to create a proper weapon, Chang-Sun¡¯s keen nose caught a faint mana scent from the Choi-Lee Forge. ¡®I can smell Divine Fire¡­ They¡¯re using a proper furnace.¡¯ In order to create a high-quality weapon, the cksmith¡¯s talent mattered the most, but it was also important to use the right kind of fire. It looked as if the current Ou Yezi had managed to save the original furnace. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ opens her eyes wide as she smells high-quality iron.] As Pabilsag had the most interest in weapons among the four deities who continued to watch Chang-Sun, she had already noticed the Choi-Lee Forge¡¯s potential. Fortunately, the deities would not discover Ou Yezi¡¯s identity, even though Chang-Sun had revealed his forge. He did not particrly care if they noticed the cksmith was Ou Yezi, because they would just think of the cksmith as his copycat. ¡®But what¡¯s wrong with Ou Yezi¡¯s forge?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, tilting his head in confusion. Something was strange. Ou Yezi should have been able to create high-quality sacred weapons with ess to a proper furnace. They would not necessarily be enough to catch Celestials¡¯ attention, but yers would undoubtedly have noticed them. ¡®There are no traces of past visitors,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he tried to open the door to the forge in order to see what was going on. nk! ¡®It¡¯s locked.¡¯ Chang-Sun btedly noticed that the iron door was locked tightly, with a solid chain and a padlock. ¡®Did he go out for a moment because he had business to take care of?¡¯ However, the chain and the padlock were rusty, which meant that no one had touched them for a long time. ¡®But I¡¯m sure the furnace inside the room is lit¡­¡¯ A cksmith had to constantly watch over a furnace to keep the fire alive, so Ou Yezi could never leave the forge unattended for a long time. ¡®What¡¯s going on? I should try waiting here for a while.¡¯ * * * ¡°Choi-Lee Forge? Uhm¡­ I have heard about it¡­ What was that ce?¡± a middle-aged man said, searching his memories. ¡°What¡¯s up with you? You know Choi! He runs that ce!¡± another man who appeared to be his friend eximed, pping the man¡¯s back. ¡°Ah, that ce? I don¡¯t think he runs it anymore, so it¡¯s more urate to say he ran it,¡± the first man said. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s already been five years since he closed his forge. Man, I wonder how he¡¯s doing nowadays, but I hope he doesn¡¯t skip his meals. You know, he¡¯s a good man. He often bought drinks for me,¡± the second man said. No one had visited the Choi-Lee Forge even after Chang-Sun spent three hours waiting in front of it. Thus, he had begun to ask around, hoping to get Ou Yezi¡¯s phone number. However, most people did not know Choi-Lee Forge even existed, and some people who did know just said that the ce had been closed for a long time. ¡®No, Ou Yezi can¡¯t leave his furnace unattended for a long time. Three days would be the maximum.¡¯ It was very tricky to manage a furnace that contained Divine Fire. Their owners usually preferred to keep the fire alive, because it was more difficult to light them again. The furnace was still zing, so the forge was not actually closed¡­ Chang-Sun had gotten nowhere, as no one who knew about the Choi-Lee Forge had Ou Yezi¡¯s phone number. It seemed that Ou Yezi had neither a phone or close friends. In the end, that could mean only one thing. ¡®He wanted to cut himself off from the world,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he took [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] out of his Inventory. ¡®I have no other choice.¡¯ Chang-Sun decided to smash through the iron door and barge in. Although he was unable to detect any human presence, he would be able to meet Ou Yezi if he waited inside. His decision showed zero consideration for Ou Yezi, but he could not afford to be considerate. His revenge n could not go astray. [The Skill ¡®Blood Toxin¡¯ has been activated!] [Acidic Toxin has been created.] Cutting his left hand deeply with [Tiamat¡¯s snaggletooth], Chang-Sun thoroughly coated the de in his blood. As he was trying to force open a lock, he used an acidic toxin that was suitable for corroding metals. Clink! Clink! After smashing the lock and the chain twice, Chang-Sun was able to cut them both at the same time. His eyes shone for a moment. If they had been an ordinary chain and lock, he should have been able to cut them like paper with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], but he had needed to use a lot of force to break them. That meant the chain was very tough. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ enjoys the smell of good iron.] As Chang-Sun forced open the creaking iron door that had not been greased for a long time, the first thing he noticed was the smell of musty iron filling the room. It was so horrible that ordinary people would have frowned, but just like Pabilsag, Chang-Sun thought the smell was as fragrant as if he had returned home. ¡®There are a lot of them.¡¯ All kinds of weapons were hanging on every wall: Swords, knives, spears, shields, hammers, axes, bows¡­ Each and every one was high-quality. They all had sharp edges, but it seemed as if they had not been managed for a long time, judging from theyer of dust covering them. Chang-Sun picked up a bow that was closest to him¡ªa small gakgung. [Murcigo¡¯s Horn Bow] A bow made from a goat monster that has climbed out of the Samcheon Hell. Despite its size, the bow is heavy and firm, making it tricky to use. There is also a limit on the types of arrows that can be used. Unable to inspect the details of the weapon. ¡¤ Type: Bow. ¡¤ Damage: ??? ¡¤ Effect: ??? ¡®Murcigo? I¡¯m sure he had a hard time obtaining the material, but he really made a fine bow out of it, considering its properties,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he ran his hands along the gakgung. He could not help but admire it; it had no imperfections, from its bnce to the way Ou Yezi had trimmed the belly of the bow. ¡®It¡¯s better than the lowest-rank deities¡¯ relics.¡¯ Of course, relics would undoubtedly be powerful and effective with a deity¡¯s blessings empowering them, but if Chang-Sun were topare them as weapons alone, they would be equally good. When he finished admiring it, Chang-Sun strung the bow and drew it back. He also tried swinging other weapons, which only made him desire Ou Yezi¡¯s weapons even more. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ loves this ce, and she feels as if she is in paradise.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ pants in excitement as she inspects the high-quality weapons.] Leaving Pabilsag to scream like an otaku, Chang-Sun went deeper into the forge. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ An old sword that was lying in a corner caught his attention. Its narrow de resembled a lengthened dagger; it was too long to be considered one, but too short to be considered a longsword. Unlike the other weapons, the sword was not on the wall, and it had lost its edge. Judging from its bluish shade, it appeared to have been made from bronze, not iron. However, it looked more like a fire poker that was used to rearrange firewood in a furnace. Despite that, Chang-Sun felt instinctively drawn to the sword. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ criticizes you for paying attention to a strange weapon when there are other good weapons all around this ce.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ urges you to throw that strange-looking sword away and inspect other weapons.] Chang-Sun picked up the fire poker-like sword. It was light, but its bnce waspletely wrong. Despite that, he trembled in excitement the entire time he looked at the sword. ¡®This is¡­! I think I know what this is¡­!¡¯ Just then¡­ ¡°Who are you?¡± A man whose long hair covered his eyes emerged from a corner. He seemed to be in his early thirties. Chang-Sun saw tattoos all over his neck and forearms, and six piercings on one of his ears. The man was so far from a typical cksmith that no one would expect him to be one; rather he looked as if he would make a great tattooist. Despite all that, Chang-Sun was not surprised by the man¡¯s looks; rather, he was shocked by something else. ¡®Is he blind?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The forge was very dark, but the man was wearing dark sunsses, holding a seeing-eye dog¡¯s leash in one hand. Woof! Woof! Neither the man nor the dog hid how wary they were of Chang-Sun, the trespasser. 1. Land near Hangang River is very expensive, so newspapers often use apartments in that area as a yardstick to exin how expensive real estate in Korea has be. 2. A traditional Korean bow. These areposite reflex bows primarily made from water buffalo horns, which are half the size of an ordinary bow. 3. The word means ¡®bat¡¯ in Spanish, but in this novel, it seems to refer to a goat monster. 4. It¡¯s unclear whether this hell actually exists in Korean mythology, but it exists in a version of a folktale about the character Princess Bari (????). She was abandoned as a baby because her parents wanted a son. However, her parents fell sick, so they asked her to enter hell because there were herbs that could save them. She went to that hell in order to obtain the materials she needed to save her parents. Chapter 21: Star, Home (6)

Chapter 21: Star, Home (6)

¡°So, do you want me to make you a weapon?¡± the tattooed man asked. ¡°That is right,¡± Chang-Sun said with a nod. Sitting beside a small table, the manughed lightly when he heard Chang-Sun¡¯s request, a wry smirk on his face. ¡°You¡¯re interesting,¡± the man said sarcastically. ¡°Why would you make such a request to me even after seeing me?¡± [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ says the blind man is correct, nodding vigorously.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ suggests that perhaps these high-quality weapons were not made by the blind man.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ urges her to keep quiet because she is being so noisy.] Forging items out of iron was undoubtedly not easy work. Sitting in front of a hot furnace was extremely tiring, and the smith would always have to be careful to not burn themselves when handling molten iron directly from a furnace. On top of that, hammering iron required a great deal of strength and stamina, as well as considerable skill. Was a blind man capable of doing all that work? No, it was impossible, just as Pabilsag had said; he would be unable to use the necessary tools. ¡°If you¡¯re here to mock me, you¡¯ve already done that enough, so go home. We closed down a long time ago. Let¡¯s go, Wilson,¡± the man said as he stood up. The seeing-eye dog quickly approached, offering his own leash to the man. Seeing-eye dogs were mostmonly Golden Retrievers, but Wilson was a Doberman. Regardless, Chang-Sun crossed his arms and snorted, saying, ¡°You say your shop is closed, but I can see your furnace is still lit.¡± He did not fail to notice the man flinching. As the man had been rude, Chang-Sun no longer felt the need to be polite. He continued casually, ¡°Besides, the callus on your right hand looks new. Why don¡¯t you hide those kinds of things first before iming your forge is closed?¡± The man swiftly shot a look of annoyance toward Chang-Sun. Although he was wearing thick sunsses, Chang-Sun could still feel the man¡¯s re. The man angrily snapped, ¡°What do you know¡­?!¡± ¡°It looks as if you¡¯re having financial difficulties, but you can¡¯t starve your buddy who serves as your eyes,¡± Chang-Sun said, cutting him off. The man was at a loss for words. If Chang-Sun had just said ¡®financial difficulties,¡¯ he would have yelled at Chang-Sun to get out. However, when Chang-Sun mentioned his seeing-eye dog, he couldn¡¯t say anything. He too knew Wilson was thinner than most dogs. ¡°Ten million won for each request youplete, and I¡¯ll give you an additional 50 million won if you finish all my requests. I don¡¯t care about the quality, but I¡¯ll give you a handsome bonus if the quality is good,¡± Chang-Sun offered. The man was speechless for a moment upon hearing Chang-Sun¡¯s unexpected offer. However, he stood by his pride, asking skeptically, ¡°¡­How can I trust you?¡± Still, Chang-Sun knew the man was almost convinced, and soon dealt him the final blow. ¡°Give me your bank ount number.¡± The man continued to look suspicious of Chang-Sun until¡­ ¡¸Lee Chang-Sun has deposited 10,000,000 won into your W Bank ount.¡¹ The man¡¯s smartphone read the message to him, filling him with mixed emotions. He was unsure whether he was supposed to be happy or not. ¡°This is a deposit, not advance payment. I¡¯m giving this to you as a down payment for my requests, but you can tell me if this isn¡¯t enough,¡± Chang-Sun said bluntly. If somebody kept refusing his order, all he had to do was pay more; that was the beauty of capitalism. Although Chang-Sun was out of a job, he had earned a lot during his professional gamer years, so he had nevercked money. That was why his parents had been unable to do anything to stop him from drinking. He would remain unaffected even if his parents stopped giving him an allowance. Besides, his inventory was full of byproducts he had gotten from his first Dungeon Tutorial. Those byproducts alone would cost more than one hundred million won. The word ¡®flex¡¯ existed for just such a moment. In the end¡­ ¡°¡­me more,¡± the man said, so quietly that Chang-Sun could not hear him. ¡°What?¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°¡­Give me an extra five million. I need to pay overdue rent,¡± the man repeated, only slightly more audibly than before. Chang-Sun chuckled as he pulled up his smartphone again. Ding! A pleasant notification tone soon filled the room. * * * ¡°Chang-Sun, what you¡¯re asking me to make is¡­!¡± the man eximed. However, Chang-Sun interrupted, saying, ¡°CEO.¡± ¡°What?¡± the man asked in surprise. ¡°Call me CEO, not Chang-Sun. I¡¯m your only client, and you¡¯re only going to fulfill my requests with my money. I spent too much to be called a customer, so I¡¯m Gab and you¡¯re Eul,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°¡­So CEO wants a five-meter-long whip, a long spear that can be assembled, five axes and hatchets, four of every type of sword, and a shield¡­ Did I get everything right?¡± the man, Choi Bu-Yong, asked in bafflement, emphasizing ¡®CEO¡¯. Although Bu-Yong addressed Chang-Sun with the requisite term, his tone was far from polite. He had taken Chang-Sun¡¯s requests because he needed to solve his financial difficulties¡­ but it turned out that each and every one was ridiculous. After taking out hundreds of Bloody Mamba and ck Mamba carcasses, Chang-Sun had asked Bu-Yong to use their tendons to make him a very long whip. He had added an extra request to cover the whip with mamba scales, as he wanted it to be unbreakable. However, that was not the end of his first request. He nned to carry it around every day, so he needed a function to transform the whip into a bracelet. Chang-Sun¡¯s request for ¡®a long spear that can be assembled¡¯ stumped Bu-Yongpletely, making him wonder what that could mean. It turned out that Chang-Sun wanted two short spears of different sizes with joints on the ends of their handles, so he could connect the two and use them as one long spearter. Once again, however, that was not the end of the request. Chang-Sun also needed the spear to have a switch that would let him use different des depending on how much mana he infused into it. In other words, it was no ordinary spear that Chang-Sun wanted. He was looking for a spear that could turn into a variety of weapons¡ªa hoko yari, a dagger-axe, a trident, a ive, and so on. When Bu-Yong had shouted angrily about how he was supposed to make all of those weapons, Chang-Sun had calmly replied that it was more than possible, and even offered to give him blueprints. At that point, Bu-Yong had every reason to believe Chang-Sun was making fun of his blindness¡­ In addition to the aforementioned requests, Chang-Sun had asked Bu-Yong to manufacture a long rapier from a Wyvern¡¯s spine, a shield made from twentyyers of a ck Bear¡¯s tanned belly hide, and several dozen more axes and hatchets. The more Bu-Yong heard Chang-Sun speak, the crazier he believed his client to be. Each of Chang-Sun¡¯s request was for a strange, brilliant weapon. ¡°No, I¡¯m nning to request a bow, arrows, and armorter,¡± Chang-Sun said casually, exining his future ns. Bu-Yong could not take it anymore. He gritted his teeth and replied, ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Chang-Sun asked, tilting his head. ¡°You¡¯re making too many difficult requests. You seem to be a yer, but I¡¯ve never made this kind of stuff, and I don¡¯t even have materials¡­!¡± Bu-Yong protested. ¡¸Lee Chang-Sun has deposited 100,000,000 won into your W Bank ount.¡¹ ¡°This is for material costs, but tell me if you need more. Ah, don¡¯t say you can¡¯t make it, since you¡¯ll have to pay 300 million won as a penalty,¡± Chang-Sun said nonchntly. ¡°Fuck!¡± Bu-Yong cursed, looking as if he would cry. When he first met Chang-Sun, he had looked like the most pitiful figure in the world, but now he was just dispirited and depressed. Chang-Sun had done that in thirty minutes. ¡°¡­Crazy bastard,¡± Bu-Yong grumbled. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ nods in agreement.] Of course, Chang-Sun simply shrugged indifferently, remarking, ¡°I hear that a lot.¡± In the end, Bu-Yong gave up and sighed for a long time. He had no other excuse to use, considering how much Chang-Sun was offering. However, he shook his head in disbelief as he asked, ¡°¡­Why do you so firmly believe I can make all these? Aren¡¯t we strangers to each other?¡± It was understandable that Bu-Yong felt that way, but Chang-Sun just smiled silently as he thought ¡®Strangers? Well, he¡¯s right. He¡¯s also a little-known cksmith who has a critical disadvantage.¡¯ In truth, Chang-Sun knew Bu-Yong was not the Ou Yezi Thanatos had talked about, because he had heard from Bu-Yong¡¯s neighbors that Choi-Lee Forge¡¯s owner was an old man. Chang-Sun assumed the Ou Yezi Thanatos had mentioned was the father or the teacher of the blind man sitting in front of him. It looked as if a mysterious ¡®ident¡¯ had either killed or injured Ou Yezi, so the new Ou Yezi, Bu-Yong, had inherited the forge. Judging from the various circumstances involved, the ¡®ident¡¯ must have been the cause of Bu-Yong¡¯s blindness. ¡®Maybe they ran into ¡®Capricorn¡¯ again, the star who almost killed Ou Yezi,¡¯ Chang-Sun assumed. That meant all the sacred weapons in the forge had not been made by Bu-Yong, just as Pabilsag said. Although the furnace was still active and he had calluses on his hands, even Chang-Sun could not be certain about his ability. Despite all that, Chang-Sun still wanted Bu-Yong to take his requests, even if that meant having to force Bu-Yong to fulfill them by shoving money at him Did he have any reason for that? No, it was just his intuition¡ªthe intuition that had enabled ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ to be a fiend. His divine ss had been revoked, but his intuition was something that could not be taken away, and it had been telling him ever since he met Bu-Yong that everything would be fine. However, that was not the only reason. Chang-Sun actually liked every part of the forge¡­ from the smell of Divine Fire in the furnace to Bu-Yong¡¯s determination. ¡°Does the manufacturer need to question the client¡¯s decisions? You make products and I pay for them. I would call that a pretty good deal,¡± Chang-Sun said as he tapped on the table. Even though Bu-Yong was still unhappy, he soon began to feel a fire rising inside him. After all, Chang-Sun was technically correct; a professional cksmith did not need a reason to make a product. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take the requests, but it¡¯ll be too difficult to manufacture all of them. First of all, your requests are too hard. It¡¯ll take forever to find a way to create them. Secondly, your deadline is too short. Oh, yeah, and I haven¡¯t pounded iron for a long time, so I should get the hang of smithing again. Above all, though¡­¡± Bu-Yong sighed, pausing for a moment as he tried to find the right words. ¡°I have one critical problem.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have my hammer,¡± Bu-Yong replied. ¡°Your hammer?¡± Chang-Sun repeated, sounding perplexed. Thinking Chang-Sun had assumed his answer to be an excuse, Bu-Yong quickly added, ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose a sugar¡ªno, a tycoon like you, so while I could lie to you, I can''t lie to myself like this and lose my pride. I may look like this right now, but I¡¯m still a cksmith.¡± ¡°Exin it in detail,¡± Chang-Sun replied. He knew that Bu-Yong had been about to call him ¡®sugar daddy,¡¯ but he did not bother to point that out. ¡°Do you see my family¡¯s furnace?¡± Bu-Yong asked as he stroked Wilson¡¯s head. Chang-Sun nodded. Bu-Yong¡¯s furnace, the Divine Fire Furnace, was the reason he had found the forge. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you why in detail, but my family¡¯s furnace is more special than the furnaces used in other forges, so it requires a special hammer when we handle metals from it,¡± Bu-Yong began to exin. However, he suddenly wondered why he was exining his story in detail to Chang-Sun. After going through unfortunate incidents that most ordinary people would never experience twice in their lives, Bu-Yong had only been left with fury. Thus, he would usually have stood by his pride and told Chang-Sun to not mind his business. Strangely, however, he did not feel the urge to do so with Chang-Sun. Instead, he felt that he wanted to ask for Chang-Sun¡¯s help and rely on him instead. Even he did not know why he wanted to do so, though. Was it because of Chang-Sun¡¯s strange tendency to randomly throw money away? No, it was for a different reason¡­ ¡°Did it get stolen?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right,¡± Bu Yong said, nodding with great difficulty. Chang-Sun could see Bu-Yong¡¯s knitted eyebrows over his sunsses as he asked, ¡°Who stole it?¡± ¡°He was my senior brother and my father¡¯s former disciple. When my father passed away¡­ He stole my father¡¯s hammer and ran away.¡± Bu-Yong replied. Chang-Sun nodded with a heavy heart. Such things happened in Arcadia too. After the passing of a great teacher, the disciples often fought over their teacher¡¯s legacy. ¡®I guess he had poor judgment,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he looked at the bronze sword that had been used as a fire poker for the Divine Fire Furnace. The hammer that had been used by Ou Yezi for generations would undoubtedly be powerful, but it would not be more powerful than that sword. ¡°The problem is that I won¡¯t be able to properly use our family¡¯s furnace without the hammer. Although I¡¯ve been trying to create something of simr quality, I keep failing¡­¡± Bu-Yong trailed off. However, Chang-Sun inferred the hidden meaning behind Bu-Yong¡¯s silence. He asked, ¡°Which n persuaded your senior brother?¡± ¡°¡­The Highoff n.¡± ¡°The Highoff n?¡± Chang-Sun repeated, tilting his head in confusion as he had never heard of them. Bu-Yong was very surprised to see Chang-Sun¡¯s reaction. He replied, ¡°You don¡¯t know? They¡¯re one of the Ten ns¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it for you,¡± Chang-Sun said, seemingly not caring about the identity of the Highoff n. The Highoff n was one of the most powerful ns in Korea, so if an ordinary person had said that, Bu Yong would just have thought they were just bluffing. However, he was inexplicably confident that Chang-Sun would be able to pull it off. He did not have a logical reason; he just felt¡­ incredibly certain. People did say words had power, and it seemed as if Chang-Sun¡¯s words actually had power. ¡®Yes, this is it. He somehow always manages to persuade me¡­!¡¯ Bu-Yong thought, feeling like a believer who had met his savior. ¡°It¡¯s still danger¡­¡± he timidly began. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Chang-Sun said, interrupting him. He said firmly, ¡°I just have to erase all the evidence so no one finds out.¡± 1. When Koreans sign a contract, the more powerful party is called Gab, and vice versa. This idiom is also usedmonly to imply ¡®I¡¯m more powerful than you.¡¯ Chapter 22: Star, Home (7)

Chapter 22: Star, Home (7)

¡°Come in.¡± So Yu-Ha allowed Cha Ye-Eun and Jin Seok-Tae to enter her home after introducing herself as Chang-Sun¡¯s mother. ¡®She¡¯s beautiful,¡¯?Ye-Eun thought in silent admiration. That was Ye-Eun¡¯s first impression of Yu-Ha, owing to the older woman¡¯s elegant beauty. In truth, she had heard that Chang-Sun was more famous for his looks than his talent in his years as a professional gamer; it was said that he had inherited his looks from his mother, who had once been an actress. During her investigation of Chang-Sun¡¯s family, Ye-Eun had seen many photos of Yu-Ha, but now she only felt that they had not done the woman justice. However, one thing continued to bother Ye-Eun. Whenever she revealed her identity as a Council agent, people usually became incredibly shocked, wondering if they had done something wrong; in contrast, Yu-Ha looked calm. Despite the woman¡¯s air ofposure, however, Ye-Eun knew Yu-Ha only looked calm after seeing her faintly trembling fingers. Regardless, Yu-Ha spoke as if she had expected Ye-Eun and Seok-Tae¡¯s visit. ¡®Did somebody else from the Councile here?¡¯?Ye-Eun thought, feeling that something was wrong. When she entered Chang-Sun¡¯s home, she discovered the reason for that uneasy feeling. She could not spare a moment to admire the beautiful open view of the Hangang River from the living room. ¡°You guys are such slowpokes. I would expect nothing less from the Council¡¯s agents. This is why civil servants are always criticized. Haha!¡± ¡°Still, you¡¯re earlier than I thought. Long time no see, Agent Ye-Eun.¡± Ye-Eun knew the two people sitting on the living room sofa. As a Council agent, she was often forced to cross paths with them. She clenched her teeth as she thought ¡®What the¡­? When did they¡­?¡¯ They were executives from the top five ns in Korea. Seo Jeong-Gwon, also known as ¡®Smilodon¡¯¡ªthe leader of the White Tiger n¡¯s Attack Team 2. Woo Yeong-Geun, also known as ¡®ck Shamshir¡¯¡ªthe Personnel Director of the Sword of Ohsung n. Ye-Eun¡¯s expression turned grim, as she had not expected to run into the two. Although she had known that secrets pertaining to Chang-Sun would be leaked to major ns, she had not expected them to find out in less than a day after the Dungeon Closure took ce. ¡®I was toocent,¡¯?Ye-Eun thought, admitting her mistake. Seeing as even the Council had ssified information about Chang-Sun as top secret, the major ns would have thought no less of him. In fact, they had even more reasons to react quickly, as they were privatepanies. ¡®What should we do, Ye-Eun?¡¯?Seok-Tae silently screamed in Ye-Eun¡¯s direction, feelingpletely baffled. Seeing how things had turned out, Ye-Eun felt that she had to take the bull by the horns. There was one silver lining, at least; as Chang-Sun was not home, the n representatives had not met him, which meant she still had a chance. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you two would get here before me,¡± Ye-Eun said calmly. . ¡°I thought someone might snatch him away if I didn¡¯te first. You know, I think ns are crazy nowadays when I look at rookies¡¯ signing bonuses. On top of that, a team leader and a director from a major n are both here to recruit this rookie¡­ How is this even possible?¡± Jeong-Kwon from the White Tiger n answered first, sounding annoyed. ¡°Ohsung has been keeping an eye on the Jamsil Gate incident. Well, I could carry him on my shoulders if he is indeed a super rookie,¡± Yeong-Geun from the Sword of Ohsung n answered next, sounding more polite. Perhaps because they belonged to the two major ns that had the most intense rivalry in Korea, Jeong-Gwon and Yeong-Geun werepletely different, from attitude and behavior right down to tone of voice. Jeong-Gwon appeared wild and unrestrained, like a lion set loose in the street. Hisrge mane of hair and robust physique gave him a threatening aura. The White Tiger n was known to have the strongest attack teams in Korea, and the n¡¯s Attack Team 1 was under the n leader¡¯s direct supervision; thus, it was no exaggeration to say that Jeong-Gwon, the Attack Team 2 leader, was the ¡®pride¡¯ of the White Tiger n. Yeong-Geun, in contrast to Jeong-Gwon, carried himself like an elegant gentleman. The Sword of Ohsung n had started as a subsidiary of the Ohsung group, which had led the Korean economy for a long time, and they had sessfully be a major n in a mere five years. As the Personnel Director of such a n, Yeong-Geun was a very powerful man. In fact, the surname ¡®Woo¡¯ was the surname of the Ohsung group¡¯s president. In short, Jeong-Gwon and Yeong-Geun were not the sort who would normally go door-to-door to recruit rookies. Why would such people show up when it had been less than a day since the incident? It could mean only one thing. ¡®Both ns are too eager to recruit Chang-Sun. He¡¯s a super rookie, but is he worth all this?¡¯?Ye-Eun thought, her gaze turning sharp. ¡®Chang-Sun must have some other secrets that we haven¡¯t noticed.¡¯ Ye-Eun did not know what those secrets were; however, she instinctively felt that whatever they were, they would make Chang-Sun¡¯s value inestimable. The White Tiger n and the Sword of Ohsung n clearly intended to try to recruit Chang-Sun no matter what. Apart from the practical benefits, it had be a matter of the two ns¡¯ pride. Nevertheless, Chang-Sun was one person, which meant one n would be unable to have him. What would happen afterward? ¡®They¡¯ll interfere to make sure the other n can¡¯t have Chang-Sun either,¡¯?Ye-Eun thought. She knew that the pompous Jeong-Gwon and the sophisticated Yeong-Geun both became the same sort of monster within a Dungeon. If they failed to recruit Chang-Sun, they would turn into monsters again. Fortunately, Ye-Eun was a ss 3 agent, which meant her rank was on par with the other two. As she was just as talented a yer as they were, she had no reason to feel inferior to them. Thus, Ye-Eun, Jeong-Gwon, and Yeong-Geun entered a fierce staring contest. ¡°It is not much, but help yourselves,¡± Yu-Ha said, sounding tired as she set a te of fruits down in front of the representatives. ¡°All four of you said you were here to recruit my Chang-Sun, yes?¡± ¡°As you may already know, the White Tiger n is¡­¡± Jeong-Gwon quickly began first. ¡°The Sword of Ohsung is more than willing to provide systematic education for Mr. Chang-Sun, so he can be the best yer in Korea¡­!¡± Yeong-Geun interrupted. ¡°The Council¡­!¡± Ye-Eun tried her best to say something good about the Council. ¡°I understand what the three organizations are offering, but it is my youngest son¡¯s decision, not mine. So, I do not think I should be the one to hear about it. However, I would like to ask about something else regarding my son, even though I may not be a good enough mother,¡± Yu-Ha said. She spoke so calmly and elegantly that everyone in the living room was able to hear her small, quiet voice. More surprising was the fact that she had interrupted three of the best professional yers in Korea and managed to gain control of the conversation. ¡°You mentioned that my son was in the Jamsil Dungeon over the past fifteen days¡­ Can I hear more about that?¡± Yu-Ha cautiously asked. At that moment, Ye-Eun realized that Yu-Ha and the rest of Chang-Sun¡¯s family had previously had no idea where Chang-Sun had been. It seemed the representatives had made a big mistake. * * * Before leaving the Choi-Lee Forge, Chang-Sun asked for a full ount of what had happened from Bu-Yong. ¡°There¡¯s only one reason why the Highoff n recruited Senior Brother¡ªno, that bastard Jin Dae-Hwan,¡± Choi Bu-Yong exined. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Chang-Sun replied, crossing his arms. ¡°They¡¯re trying to open a tomb,¡± Bu-Yong said, crumpling the paper cup in his hand. ¡°A tomb?¡± Chang-Sun repeated, biting the end of his paper cup. ¡°I don¡¯t know what tomb it is, but everyone knows that the Highoff n has been desperately trying to clear a certain Tomb Dungeon for a long time,¡± Bu-Yong replied. Trying to hold in his fury as much as possible, he continued, ¡°Dae-Hwan was hired to open the final room inside the tomb. From what I¡¯ve heard, it seems the room is sealed with a lock. I think it requires a Hidden Piece, but it looks as if the n couldn¡¯t find it¡­ That¡¯s why they scouted him.¡± Chang-Sun finally understood the situation. Because of the sheer number of mechanisms inside Tomb Dungeons, they were the trickiest ones to clear. Such mechanisms were installed to stop tomb raiders, as a ¡®tomb¡¯ was intended to make sure the deceased could rest in peace. If one of the Ten ns was trying toplete a Dungeon, it had to be veryrge. Thus, an ordinary key would be insufficient to open up the final room of such a Dungeon. That had to be why they were trying to create a special key by recruiting a specialist. ¡®What Dungeon is it¡­? Such a Dungeon must have fine burial goods in it,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he told Bu-Yong to just wait for him to return. After that, Chang-Sun headed to the Dungeon Bu-Yong had told him about. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ likes your righteousness, nodding in satisfaction.] [A bonus reward has been granted.] [Acquired the Skill ¡®Unbending Spirit¡¯!] [Unbending Spirit] The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ has given this gift to you, one who can no longer tolerate injustice and seeks to rectify it. It specializes in protecting you from mental debuffs. ¡°One with an unbending spirit will never yield under any circumstances.¡± ¡¤ Type: Blessing. Protection. ¡¤ Effect: Immunity to mental debuffs. Maintain an iron will. Chang-Sun unexpectedly received a gift from Minerva. He thought with a shrug ¡®She must have misunderstood.¡¯ Minerva had been acting friendly ever since Chang-Sun had saved people from Mephistopheles, considering him to be a person who hated evil and championed good. On top of that, Chang-Sun was about to help Bu-Yong which problems, which was likely why she had given him a bonus reward¡­ Chang-Sun had no reason to clear up the misunderstanding, so he simply opted to let her keep believing that. Besides, the [Unbending Spirit] blessing she had given him was not bad. It was actually quite powerful. Chang-Sun¡¯s only weakness at the moment was that he was vulnerable to curses that could affect his mind. Although his willpower was so strong that he had even acquired his own divine ss once, he had lost his powers, which meant he would be weak if he came across a powerful figure. However, [Unbending Spirit] would help to resolve most of his concerns. Unless he went up against an apostle, nobody would be able to break through [Unbending Spirit]. ¡®Still, it would have been better if she gave me [Insightful Eye] or [Goddess Sword],¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, clicking his tongue in disappointment. Those were the Authorities that had enabled Minerva to be a warring deity. ¡®Well, the first time¡¯s always the hardest. It gets easier the second time, so I just have to proceed step by step.¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is happy because she feels as if she is about to see an interesting fight.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ is looking forward to seeing how creatively you are going to handle this new battle.] With Pabilsag and J?rmungandr showing their support, Chang-Sun arrived at Bonghwasan Mountain, located in Jungnang-gu. The mountain was very small, making it more like a hill. The citizens who lived nearby usually used it as a walking path, but Chang-Sun could not see any people, perhaps because it waste in the evening. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ 8:40 P.M. I¡¯mte,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought bitterly. He had initially nned to head home as early as possible, but it seemed that would no longer be an option. After leaving a message to avoid making his mother worry, Chang-Sun shoved his phone into his back pocket. ¡®First, I have to hide my identity,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he pulled out a unique mask from his inventory. Although the wooden Hahoe mask was nearly pitch-ck, it had a faint brown hue. The mask had been randomly hanging on the Choi-Lee Forge¡¯s wall, and he had simply taken it. [Smiling Hahoe Mask] A Hahoe mask carved from rosewood, which has be very sturdy through special processing. The mask is smiling, but it somehow looks sad. ¡¤ Type: Mask. Defensive equipment. ¡¤ Defense: 50~70 ¡¤ Effect: Prevent Recognition. Clear Vision. Its Defense was quite low, considering that an Ou Yezi had made it, but its abilities were quite good. [Prevent Recognition] blurred other people¡¯s senses, which would give Chang-Sun an advantage in ambushing them. Meanwhile, [Clear Vision] would allow him to see in the dark. Those abilities alone would be very useful in the uing battles. Click¨D [Equipped the ¡®Smiling Hahoe Mask¡¯!] After covering his face with a mask that bore a sad smile and drawing [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] with one hand, Chang-Sun began to move. Pah¨D! Chang-Sun climbed the mountain as quickly as lightning. It was not difficult to locate the Dungeon, as there was only one crowded area on the mountain. No one other than the Highoff n would be on the mountain sote at night. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± a Highoff n yer yelled. Just like the Highoff n¡¯s yers, Chang-Sun did not bother to hide. Rather than risking getting caught while trying to sneak around with great difficulty, it would be easier to finish his opponents off on the spot. [Equipped the ¡®Ice Kite Feather Daggers¡¯!] As he ran, Chang-Sun took out four feathers, holding them between his fingers. At first nce, they just looked like ordinary feathers; however, they were full of Ice Toxin. The feathers had been reinforced with bone fragments to make them sturdier, so Chang-Sun could use them directly inbat. [The Skill ¡®Blood Toxin¡¯ has been activated!] [The daggers have been smeared with Ice Toxin.] [The Ice Toxin in the ¡®Ice Kite Feather Daggers¡¯ has been strengthened.] That was not all, however. When Chang-Sun smeared the feathers with his blood, they stiffened as if they had been frozen. ¡®I didn¡¯t know I was going to use these inbat so soon.¡¯ Swoosh¨D! Chang-Sun threw one of the feathers in his left hand. Stab¨D! ¡°Argh!¡± The moment a yer noticed Chang-Sun, he was hit in the forehead by one of the feathers and fell backward, letting out a scream. ¡°Ch-Chae-Yoon? It¡¯s an ambush!¡± ¡°Enemy! Get the intruder!¡± ¡°Where are you?! Show yourself!¡± After moving their unconscious colleague to a safe ce, the Highoff n¡¯s yers ran in Chang-Sun¡¯s direction. Exactly as they demanded, Chang-Sun appeared from the shadows. Stab, stab, stab¨D! Chang-Sun threw the feathers through the air, urately aiming for the yers¡¯ throats and the centers of their foreheads. ¡°Argh! W-What is this?!¡± ¡°I-Ice?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t melting! What the¡­?!¡± The yers werepletely baffled by the message ¡®Poisoned with Ice Toxin¡¯ that repeatedly popped up before their eyes. They desperately tried to detoxify themselves by drinking antidotes, but the only message they received was ¡®The antidote is ineffective.¡¯ They were forced to suffer horribly, as Chang-Sun''s attacks caused their bodies and mana flow to freeze on the spot. Chang-Sun broke through the crowd of yers and swiftly reached the Dungeon¡¯s entrance. ¡°Stop hiiiiim!¡± one of the yers desperately yelled. The Highoff n had never expected someone to barge into a Dungeon that was under their management, so they had not assigned many yers near the entrance. Booom! Rumble¨D! In the end, they were forced to allow Chang-Sun to enter, as their pathetic defenses were instantly ovee. 1. This is an actual mountain in Korea. 2. These are masks used in a traditional Korean ritual dance, originating from the Hahoe Folk Vige. Chapter 23: Star, Home (8)

Chapter 23: Star, Home (8)

Before Chang-Sun forced his way into the Bonghwasan Mountain, he had done some digging about the Highoff n and reached a conclusion. ¡®They¡¯re a bunch of trash,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, describing the n in one sentence. He had just searched for information about them on the inte, but it was easy to see how infamous the Highoff n was. Reporters raised questions several times a year about how the Highoff n¡¯s yers were involved in all kinds of violent crimes. Several of them had gone missing while trying to investigate the Highoff n. Visiting illegal entertainment venues; drug and human trafficking; kidnapping; contract killings¡­ Several yers from the Highoff n had actually been arrested for such crimes. They were also often hired as muscle to fight in Dungeon-rted conflicts. Despite all that, the n was not ssified as a criminal organization. The n members were not only good at evading thew, but also at presenting a clean public image. The Highoff n often hosted charity events and conducted fundraising events. . As such, yers naturally tried to avoid getting involved with them. ¡®In that case¡­ It¡¯ll be fine if I take them all out,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he shed through the knee of a yer leaping at him. Chang-Sun¡¯s actions could also be considered crimes, but he had spent hundreds of years in awless world. There was no way he would care about thews on Earth. He only maintained his own sense of justice. Underneath the Hahoe mask, his eyes shone brightly. * * * [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ greatly enjoys your bravery.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ watches the current situation with great interest, surprised by your recklessness.] Boooom! Boom! Rrrrumble¨D! ¡°Argh!¡± a yer groaned. ¡°This is unbelievable¡­!¡± another yer frantically yelled as he crawled across the floor. If there was one mistake the Highoff n had made, it was that they had not focused on defending the exterior of the Dungeon. However, that was understandable. Korea was one of the safest countries in the world. ns had long since been industrialized, and people considered Dungeons and Gates to be their property. That also applied to the Bonghwasan Gate, so the Highoff n did not need to worry much even if they put minimal security around the Gate. Who would have thought someone would dare to trespass on their property? Even the most audacious demon would never do so. Chang-Sun¡¯s n had been based on that belief. Most yers would have gone home at night, leaving only minimal security. The guards would also just be killing time, creating a perfect opportunity for him to ambush them. That was why the Highoff n was helpless against his attack. [You have entered the Dungeon ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb.¡¯] Chang-Sun entered the Dungeon, breathing in its stuffy, musty air. He found himself inside a stone chamber with no lighting in from outside. The only thing he could see was arge open space with a uniform brick floor that extended into a long, narrow hallway. There were torches mounted on the walls at regr intervals, but their light was so dim that they left most of the room in shadow. However, Chang-Sun had no trouble examining the tomb in detail. [You are now able to see using the ability of the ¡®Smiling Hahoe Mask.¡¯] ¡®He lent me this for a reason,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he looked up, smiling in satisfaction. Thankfully, no one had decided to pursue him. They were no doubt trying to purge the Ice Toxin that was eating their bodies away. However, Chang-Sun was certain that no one would survive. ¡®It isn¡¯t just ordinary Ice Toxin, because my Blood Toxin ability made it much stronger.¡¯ It was possible that some would be lucky enough to survive, but they would never be able to use their magic circuits again. Some would likely believe Chang-Sun had been too cruel; however, he cared little for that. These were the people who had blinded Choi Bu-Yong, after all. It was only natural that if people earned a grudge from someone, it woulde back to bite them. Chang-Sun nned to enter the final room while the Highoff n¡¯s guards were left in chaos. ¡®Bu-Yong said they just brought a furnace and set up a workshop in front of the boss monster¡¯s room to create keys constantly.¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he recalled the conversation. It wasmon to install an independent workshop inside a Dungeon if it was too difficult to finish after a few days. Such workshops would be primarily used to repair the yers¡¯ gear and manufacture consumable supplies. With that, they would be able to create new items whenever they needed to, which would free yers from the trouble of requesting supplies from outside. That kind of workshop was referred to as a ¡®portable workshop¡¯. One such workshop had been installed in ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb,¡¯ and Bu-Yong¡¯s former ¡®Senior Brother¡¯, Jin Dae-Hwan, worked as its Chief Craftsman. Thus, Chang-Sun nned to head directly toward it. Although he had subdued all the yers outside, the n members were no fools, and they would soon find out what had happened. His n was to retrieve the hammer and escape before reinforcements from the Highoff n arrived. ¡®I want to take the burial goods inside the boss monster¡¯s room¡­ but I guess that¡¯ll be difficult,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, clicking his tongue. From what he had heard, the Highoff n had already wasted two years in front of the boss monster¡¯s room. The room would not open up just because he had arrived. Regardless, he still intended to try opening it if he had spare time. There would be no better way to infuriate the enemy than taking away the most important reward from the Dungeon they had finished with so much difficulty. [Commencing the Dungeon Quest!] [Quest Theme: Tomb Raiding.] [Defeat the guardians who are protecting ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb,¡¯ and escape after stealing the treasure from the final room where the tomb¡¯s owner rests in peace.] [The tomb is divided into three sectors. Many mechanisms are installed in each sector to protect the owner¡¯s peace against tomb raiders, so be wary.] [Toplete the quest, every participant has been granted ess to the , , and .] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ looks forward to your performance.] Chang-Sun prepared to spring forward, but suddenly came to a halt. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ asks what is wrong, tilting her head in confusion.] Chang-Sun¡¯s gaze fell on a small door, not the hallway. It was located in the most obscure corner of the stone chamber, so he would have missed it if he had not observed closely. He called out toward the door, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe out?¡± ¡­ However, no one answered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going toe out?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ asks why you are doing that even though no one is there.] ¡°I have no other choice. If you¡¯re not going toe out. I¡¯ll just have to give my Recording Rights to the next Administrator I meet,¡± Chang-Sun said before turning away indifferently. The tightly closed door suddenly opened with a creaking sound. ¡°My, my! You are one impatient yer, aren¡¯t you? You should try rxing a little, you know,¡± Herald the Administrator, the rabbit man in a fancy tuxedo, said as he appeared from the other side. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ exims in surprise when she sees ¡®that guy¡¯ appear.] Adjusting his monocle, Herald stared at empty air as if he were looking at somebody absent. He said, ¡°My, my¡­ This is unbelievable. It seems everybody else already knew I was here.¡± [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ asks angrily what Herald is talking about.] ¡°It is true,¡± Herald said with a gentle smile. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ looks at other Celestials¡¯ channels.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ shakes his head in apparent disbelief that such an idiotic Celestial exists.] [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ stares at the Administrator ¡®Herald¡¯.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ bitterly smiles andforts ¡®A Good Season to Hunt,¡¯ saying that it is not impossible to make such a mistake.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ gapes, saying this cannot be possible.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯pliments the Administrator ¡®Herald¡¯ for being able to hide well enough to fool a Celestial.] ¡°I have not tried to hide particrly well,¡± Herald answered politely. ¡°Quit dilly-dallying,¡± Chang-Sun interrupted, stopping theedic banter between Herald and Pabilsag. He looked directly at Herald and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been following me to write a , am I right?¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s question made Herald¡¯s red eyes widen over his monocle. He asked, ¡°Are you also aware of the ?¡± ¡°The Tutorial is already over,¡± Chang-Sun said with a shrug. ¡°It did seem as if you had more knowledge than an ordinary novice¡ªno, more than most rankers. I will have to write that in the too,¡± Herald said, confirming Chang-Sun¡¯s spection. He had briefly thought about denying it, but based on Chang-Sun¡¯s level of knowledge, he thought it would be useless to hide such a thing from Chang-Sun. The , put simply, was a written evaluation made by the about any subject Celestials paid a lot of attention to. It was a document thatprehensively exined the subject¡¯s most notable characteristics, personality, and talents, as well as spection about their future and which Celestials would be a good match for them. It was usually written right after a Tutorial, for subjects that had so much potential that going through one Tutorial was insufficient to fully understand them. Administrators were usually responsible for writing a ; thus, they normally had to do the legwork of observing a subject after the Tutorial. On top of that, Chang-Sun was the most famous rookie in Heaven at present. There were many Celestials looking forward to the , which meant Herald had to record everything. He was already busy managing several Dungeons, but the had begun pressuring him to create a good . Thus, Herald had started to shadow Chang-Sun immediately after hearing that the rookie had entered a Dungeon, but had gotten caught almost immediately. ¡®What should I do? He doesn''t look like a person who¡¯ll just let this go. Hmm!¡¯?Herald thought, adjusting his monocle. He had not expected Chang-Sun to be well aware of his value and how important the was. If Chang-Sun prevented Herald from writing a proper or gave the Recording Rights to other administrators, Herald would have gone on a wild goose¡­ no, a wild rabbit chase. He had worked hard in the Tutorial and already written half of the , so he would be incredibly depressed if all his efforts went to waste. In the end, he had to bite the bullet and agree to Chang-Sun¡¯s offer. ¡°You can keep the Recording Rights,¡± Chang-Sun suddenly offered. Herald raised an eyebrow in response, wondering ¡®This must not be it, right?¡¯ ¡°But I want to ask you a favor in return,¡± Chang-Sun continued. ¡®There we go,¡¯ Herald thought as he nodded to indicate he was open to granting a favor. ¡®I should just give him something with no strings attached.¡¯? Besides, he could write most gifts off as a ¡®business expense¡¯. ¡°What favor do you want to ask me?¡± Herald casually asked. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you somethingter,¡± Chang-Sun replied nonchntly. ¡°¡­?¡± Herald frowned quietly, getting a bad feeling from the situation. ¡°I won¡¯t ask you anything too difficult, and I¡¯ll tell you before I get out of this Dungeon,¡± Chang-Sun slyly added. Although Herald very much wanted to know what was going on inside Chang-Sun¡¯s head, he could not nitpick, as he had far too much to lose if he did so. He just hoped that Chang-Sun was nning to ask a not-so-unusual favor. ¡°Phew¡­ I have no other choice, so fine. However, just as you said, please tell me about your favor as soon as possible before you get out of the Dungeon. I also want you to understand that I cannot grant you a favor that is out of my authority,¡± Herald said, massaging his temples. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. So, I guess we have a deal,¡± Chang-Sun said. As soon as Chang-Sun finished¡­ Clink¨D! ¡­Herald heard the sound of invisible chains being wrapped around his heart¡ªno, a part of his soul. [The yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ and the Administrator ¡®Herald¡¯ have signed a Mana Pledge!] ¡®He even knows about the [Mana Pledge]?¡¯?Herald thought in surprise. He was so dumbfounded that he no longer felt curious anymore. Instead, he was simply dispirited, as Chang-Sun had skillfully managed to use the system of vows often used by high-level beings, including Administrators. A vow made through a [Mana Pledge] was effectively unbreakable; if one party in the contract broke their vow, their Mana Blessing would be removed immediately, making thempletely unable to use magic. At this point, it would be more appropriate to call Chang-Sun a veteran, not a novice. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ is happy to see a snake who acts more slyly than him.] Pah¨D! However, Chang-Sun had already begun moving, seemingly indifferent to Herald¡¯s question. * * * ¨DA Report written by Herald, ss 4 Officer of Management Team 71. ? yer Lee Chang-Sun is a very unique individual. Those unfamiliar with Chang-Sun would never guess that he was a novice just from looking at how he fights. His fighting skill made many Celestials watch him with great interest, including ¡®A Good Season to Hunt.¡¯ ¡­Additionally, he is also showing his exceptional fighting skill in the current Dungeon¡­ Herald was very busy because he had many things to do, including writing the and going after Chang-Sun. He had no time to focus on one agenda. ¡®What¡¯s up with his speed?!¡¯?he thought, grabbing his fluffy ears. If things had gone ording to n, he would have been able to rx and watch Chang-Sun trying out various methods to escape the Dungeon¡¯s traps. However, Chang-Sun was finishing the sectors too quickly; he was practically running forward without pause. ¡­I cannot even begin to fathom his potential, after seeing him pass through the first and second sectors in less than an hour. It was as if he memorized all the locations and the order of the hidden mechanisms¡­ ¡­When a giant iron ball drops, he destroys it with one strike. He does not even look as he deflects arrows from a trap. Aside from hisbat ability, he is also great at controlling his magic¡­ ¡­As far as I remember, Dungeon KR-921 has not been cleared for four years, but I feel that this yer will be able to clear it. No, I know this yer will. My intuition, which I have developed over my long years as an Administrator, tells me so. As he has been leveling up at an indescribably fast rate, I think he is worth paying close attention to, in order to see how strong he will get. He has everything¡ªexceptional talents, keen senses, unique characteristics. I assume thepetition among Celestials to make him their priest¡ªno, their apostle¡ªwill only be fiercer.? Some may even consider recing their current apostles. Perhaps great stars such as the Zodiacs or Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions will pay attention¡­ This exceptional yer Lee Chang-Sun reminds me of someone in the past¡­ Herald had been writing busily with his pen, but he suddenly stopped, wondering whether or not to write the thought that had just crossed his mind. However, he soon came to a decision. Although some would no doubt frown after looking at the he felt that he did not need to change what he had decided to write. No, I dare say that he is more talented than ¡®that someone¡¯. Divine Twilight. The star who shone brilliantly as he mocked countless Celestials, before eventually fading away. 1. ¡¯Illegal entertainment¡¯ is amon Korean euphemism to refer to brothels; visiting one alone is already considered a massive scandal, enough to prevent celebrities from appearing on TV for years if they get caught. 2. Bes is a j?tunn (mythical beings otherwise known as frost giants) from Norse mythology. She is mostmonly known as the mother of Odin and his two brothers, Vili and V¨¦. 3. The raw was ¡®? ?? ?¡­ ??, ?? ??? ?? ???? ????¡¯. This is a pun thates from the Korean idiom ¡®? ?? ? ?? ????¡¯, which means ¡®A dog chasing a chicken looks up at the roof¡¯ (because the chicken has flown up to the roof). It means the person¡¯s effort has gone to waste. Since Herald is a rabbit-headed man, the author used ¡®rabbit¡¯ instead of ¡®dog¡¯. Chapter 24: Star, Home (9)

Chapter 24: Star, Home (9)

¡°I believe the current key is¡­ also a failure,¡± a man timidly reported to his superior. ¡°Ah, fuck! What the hell is wrong with you people?! Why can¡¯t you do your jobs properly?!¡± the superior yelled furiously. Thud! When the superior mmed his desk angrily, the subordinate who had reported to him began tiptoeing around him, hiding his neck like a turtle. Considering how much his superior liked drinking, the subordinate would normally offer up a bottle of wine he had saved for just such a moment. However, in the current situation, his superior would likely just smash him over the head with the wine bottle, shouting ¡®Are you kidding me?!¡¯. Such was the extent of his anger. Thus, the subordinate had to save his breath and remain as quiet as a mouse. ¡°If this continues, I¡¯m going to receive a reprimand again! Aaaaaah!¡± Lee Jae-Seong, the Section Chief of the Highoff n¡¯s Attack Department and the other man¡¯s superior, pounded his chest several times furiously. His anger was understandable, as it had already been a year since he had taken charge of ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb¡¯. He had talked a big game, saying he was different from his predecessors who had failed to aplish anything. Despite that, he had also failed to show any results. In that case, he would have nothing to say in protest if he were taken as a ¡®sacrifice,¡¯ branded an ipetent like his predecessors. The deadline given to him by the Highoff n¡¯s higher-ups was less than a month away. As he had been working for the Highoff n for a long time, he knew that the higher-ups would do more than just reprimand him. Thus, Jae-Seong only became more nervous as time passed. ¡°I have no other choice. Bring that bastard Jin Dae-Hwan here right now!¡± Jae-Seong yelled, ordering his subordinate to drag the cause of the whole mess over. He thought to himself that he had to do something about Dae-Hwan. Worried about getting caught in the crossfire, the subordinate ran out of the room without questioning Jae-Seong¡¯s order. Shortly after, he came back, dragging a blood-covered man in with one hand. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! Please d-don¡¯t kill me!¡± The man, Dae-Hwan, earnestly begged for his life, crying and sniveling. The forty-year-old man was once the previous Ou Yezi¡¯s disciple, and the one who had stolen Ou Yezi¡¯s hammer. Ignoring his desperation, the subordinate brought Dae-Hwan in front of Jae-Seong. ¡°I heard you failed this time too, am I right?¡± Jae-Seong asked, crossing his arms. ¡°Ah, Section Chief! Please don¡¯t kill me! If you give me additional ¡®Blood¡¯, I¡¯ll somehow¡­!¡± Dae-Hwan quickly pleaded. ¡°Haven¡¯t I already given you everything you needed until now? When you asked for more manpower, I hired more people for you. When you asked for sacrifices, I supplied them without question¡­ I even got you some Celestial Fire because you said something about needing special fire. Despite all that, you failed again and again,¡± Jae-Seong snapped, scowling at Dae-Hwan. Dae-Hwan could no longer say anything, so he merely kissed the ground and trembled, unable to meet Jae-Seong¡¯s gaze. ¡°So tell me, do I have a reason to spare you when my life is also on the line?¡± Jae-Seong asked, gritting his teeth. ¡°It w-was because the Celestial Fire you gave me was f-from a low-quality furnace, not from the Divine Fire Furnace¡­!¡± Dae-Hwan eximed, pathetically making excuses. ¡°Is it my fault then?¡± Jae-Seong retorted with a smirk. ¡°Gasp! I just needed more time and ¡®Blood¡¯. One more chance. Please give me one more chance! Then I¡¯ll definitely create a sessful key, by any means necessary¡­!¡± Dae-Hwan begged and begged in front of Jae-Seong, who looked as if he would blow Dae-Hwan¡¯s head apart on the spot. For a long time, Jae-Seong stared silently at Dae-Hwan, who just repeated that he could make the key like a parrot. Dae-Hwan¡¯s pathetic begging only worsened Jae-Seong¡¯s anger. He shut his eyes tightly as he thought ¡®I never should have trusted this wuss.¡¯ At first, he had been incredibly satisfied with Dae-Hwan¡¯s extraordinary smithing skill. Jae-Seong had felt that Dae-Hwan was thest key to open the ¡®treasure chest¡¯ the Highoff n had been unable to open for a long time despite their best efforts¡ªthe final room of ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb.¡¯ The final room, where the tomb¡¯s owner and many burial goods were, was known to contain a secret, invaluable treasure. As a low-ranking member of the n, Jae-Seong did not know what kind of treasure it was. However, one thing was certain. If he sessfully opened the final room, he would be promoted instantly, as the n leader had an interest in the Dungeon. That was why he had boasted so loudly to the others. And yet, that very same boasting had turned into a noose around Jae-Seong¡¯s neck. ¡°Do you¡­ only need ¡®Blood¡¯?¡± Jae-Seong asked after sighing for a long time. The problem was that he had no other choice, even if he wanted to use a different method. Because hecked time, his only choice was to support Dae-Hwan until the end. Dae-Hwan must have read the air, as he mmed his head against the floor and eximed, ¡°Yes, yes! I¡¯ve undergone several rounds of trial and error, but I did nearly manage to reproduce the shape of the ¡®key¡¯. In fact, I even unlocked two locks out of three. The reason why I failed on the third one was that I ran out of ¡®Blood¡¯ sooner than I thought, and lost the power source¡­ so we only have to fuel it.¡± When Jae-Seong heard Dae-Hwan¡¯s exnation, it almost sounded as if everything would be alright. However, he soon felt his anger rising again, because that was how he had fallen for Dae-Hwan¡¯s excuses every time. However, he calmed himself down with great difficulty, trying to convince himself to give Dae-Hwan onest chance. Besides, Dae-Hwan¡¯sst chance was also his ownst chance, so he could only give Dae-Hwan everything he wanted. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll trust you for now,¡± Jae-Seong said, clicking his tongue. ¡°Th-Thank you!¡± Dae-Hwan eximed, sniffling. ¡°Still. Keep in mind that if you also fail this time¡­ I¡¯ll never go down alone. I won¡¯t only kill you. I¡¯ll also find every member of your family and shred them to pieces,¡± Jae-Seong said, smiling ominously. For a moment, Dae-Hwan¡¯s face turned pale, but he quickly mmed his head against the floor with such force that Jae-Seong briefly wondered whether his skull had cracked. Dae-Hwan cried joyfully, ¡°Of course, of course! No questions about it.¡± ¡°By the way, why aren''t the packages here yet?¡± Jae-Seong asked his subordinate with a frown, suddenly realizing that the ingredients needed to supply ¡®Blood¡¯ had not arrived yet. ¡°I will return after looking into it,¡± the subordinate replied. He bowed deeply, and was just about to leave the room when¡­ Ding! [The ranking system has been updated with additional information.] [Dungeon Ranking] First ce: Jeong Yoo-Jin (150,000 Points) Second ce: Go Seung-Won (145,495 Points) Third ce: Lee Jae-Seong (109,500 Points) ¡­ Fifty-Seventh ce: Lee Chang-Sun (New!) ¡°What is this?¡± Jae-Seong wondered, frowning at the message that appeared before him. * * * As he approached thest sector, Chang-Sun sensed that something was off. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ thinks the air is too foul now.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ warns you that she can detect evil all throughout the vicinity.] ¡®Blood?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he smelled the stench of blood. However, the smell was of human blood, not monster blood. It was incredibly strong, as if dozens of people had died at once. ¡®Something is going on,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. His intuition told him that was about to see the most insidious side of the Highoff n, which was known to be connected with the criminal underworld, and especially the ck market. Moving forward stealthily, he hid in one of the room¡¯s innermost corners, focusing on his sense of hearing. ¡°Come on,e on. Why aren¡¯t you moving?¡± ¡°They¡¯re real slowpokes.¡± ¡°Section Chief will be pissed again. Should I blow some people¡¯s heads off? That might make them move quicker.¡± ¡°Quit it. He said we need every man right now, so if we did that, he would blow our heads off, saying we could meet the quota that way.¡± ¡°Fuck! This is so frustrating!¡± a man cursed loudly, his voice echoing through the room. Every word they spoke was horrible, but they did not care. It seemed that they had not even considered the possibility that there would be an intruder in the Dungeon other than them. Squinting, Chang-Sun observed the situation. Four yers were corralling fifteen civilians into a corner. Most of the civilians appeared to be homeless; among them, others were wearing hospital clothes, as if they had been kidnapped from hospitals. The whole situation looked suspicious even at first nce. The civilians wept and begged the yers for mercy, but the yers simply beat them every time they made noise. Some of the civilians¡¯ arms had been cut off, and the wounds bled profusely. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ expresses her anger at witnessing the horrible sight before her!] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ implores you to bring justice.] In contrast to her usual calm behavior, Minerva, who sought absolute good, was absolutely furious. ¡®Weren¡¯t they making a key for the boss monster¡¯s room? Are they offering sacrifices or something?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered, sensing a hint of familiarity in what was going on. The fact that humans were the mostmon and effective sacrifices avable was true both on Arcadia and Earth. Just as Minerva did, the deities who sought absolute good abhorred the idea, but humans were simply seen as a good energy source for ordinary Celestials. [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ awaits your response.] Mephistopheles, who was still waiting for Chang-Sun¡¯s answer, was a typical example of just such a deity. ¡®There are four of them,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, counting the number of enemies present. After deciding to attack all of them at once, he drew a diagram of how to ambush them in his mind. He nned to temporarily spare one person, because he needed to find out how many more people remained in the Dungeon. Chang-Sun held the [Ice Kite Feather Daggers] between his fingers, cutting the ends of his fingertips to coat them with blood. [The Skill ¡®Blood Toxin¡¯ has been activated!] [The daggers have been smeared with Ice Toxin.] As Ice Toxin had proven to be very useful, Chang-Sun covered the daggers with as much Ice Toxin as possible. After checking that the feathers were solid enough, he sprang forth and swiftly sent them flying. Pah¨D! ¡°Who¡­ Argh!¡± The man closest to Chang-Sun sensed something was wrong and turned around. However, one of Chang-Sun¡¯s feathers struck him in the forehead at that instant. Crack¨D! Crash! The man¡¯s head was instantly covered with ice that spread swiftly across his body. He fell backward, his frozen body shattering into pieces. ¡°Ambush¡­!¡± one of the yers yelled. Btedly noticing Chang-Sun, the yers drew their swords, but Chang-Sun sliced through one of their throats with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] before they could react. ash! The shocked yer¡¯s head flew through the air. [Equipped the ¡®me Goat¡¯s Rib Spear¡¯!] Without looking back, one of the other yers tried to run away, but Chang-Sun threw a bone spear at his back. Swoooosh¨D! Stab! The bone spear pierced through the yer¡¯s armor instantly, going through his entire body and protruding from his chest. It stopped his body from hitting the floor, leaving the corpse propped up at a strange angle. ¡°A-Ahhh! Get-get away from me!¡± the only surviving yer cried fearfully. The four yers had be one in an instant. Trying to defeat Chang-Sun somehow, thest yer swung his knife through the air. However, Chang-Sun was faster, slicing through his midsection with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Gush¨D! Bleeding profusely, the yer rolled across the floor, his torsopletely separated from his lower body. In mere moments, Chang-Sun sliced off the yer¡¯s arms with the sharp de of [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and stabbed him in the heart. Snik! ¡°Agh¡­! Ech¡­¡± the yer groaned, trembling as bloody foam spewed from his mouth. The sheer amount of blood he had lost made him feel as if Death itself were gripping his throat, as anemia rapidly set in. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ kill¡­ me¡­!¡± he begged tearfully. Although he was staring death in the face, he still seemed to have an instinctive desire to live. Despite how little he cared about the lives of others, he still cared deeply about his own. Like a snake watching its prey, Chang-Sun skillfully used [Viper Eyes] as he asked, ¡°Do you want to live?¡± ¡°I do¡­!¡± the yer desperately answered. ¡°Then tell me everything you know about what¡¯s happening inside, how many people are inside, and how strong they are,¡± Chang-Sun said, looking the yer in the eye. ¡°A-Ahhh!¡± the yer screamed, trembling as he was unable to avoid eye contact with Chang-Sun. That was simply how intimidating Chang-Sun was. His ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ years were partly responsible for that, but it was mainly due to the strong stench of death that had permeated him during his stay in the Underworld. Most people would lose consciousness simply from looking into his eyes; the man had to reveal everything he knew in the end, as if he had been hypnotized. ¡®There are thirty people inside, but I guess I only have to be careful of a man named Jae-Seong,¡¯?Chang-Sun concluded afterparing his current status with the information he had just heard. It seemed he would have to use some tricks in order to fight against all of them at once. ¡°I¡­told you, so you have to¡­ save¡­!¡± the yer tried to say, grasping at straws. However¡­ ¡°Oh, that?¡± Chang-Sun answered with a smirk, thinking that the yer was trying too hard for a person who would die anyway from severe blood loss if he just left the man lying there. [Equipped the ¡®me Tiger¡¯s Fang Dagger¡¯!] ¡°I just asked whether you wanted to live, but I don¡¯t think I said anything about sparing you, did I?¡± Chang-Sun continued, tilting his head. sh! Chang-Sun mercilessly severed the yer¡¯s head, watching it roll across the floor. The expression on the yer¡¯s face appeared as if he had been about to say ¡®Liar!¡¯ [Level Up!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ enjoys your great wordy.] [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ nods lightly as he smells the grim stench of death.] When Chang-Sun stood up again, the fifteen civilians moved far away from him, staying on guard against him. They reacted that way because they did not know how the man who had suddenly appeared would react, but Chang-Sun did not even look in their direction at all. [The Authority ¡®Soul Exploitation¡¯ has been activated!] All the bodies outside the Dungeon had been incinerated in the Purgatory Brazier. Just like them, the corpses inside the tomb quickly turned to ashes and were absorbed into Chang-Sun¡¯s body. Pzzzzz¨D! The shadow of Death writhed ominously as it crept across the tomb¡¯s interior. Chapter 25: Star, Home (10)

Chapter 25: Star, Home (10)

Rumbleee¨D! Three of the Highoff n¡¯s yers were patrolling a hallway in the tomb when they suddenly heard the sound of rumbling. ¡°Hmm?¡± one of them eximed. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I think I felt the ground shaking and even heard someone screaming. Didn''t you hear it?¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Are you seeing things because you¡¯ve been stuck in a cave for too long?¡± ¡°Could that be it?¡± ¡°Where the hell is that Lee Chang-Sun guy?¡± Section Chief Lee Jae-Seong had assigned them a simple mission to aplish on their patrol. A man named ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ had appeared in the Dungeon Ranking out of the blue, so they had to find him. This Chang-Sun was quite unique. When his name first appeared in the ranking, he had already been in fifty-seventh ce, and that number only continued to climb. He was already in twenty-first ce on the Dungeon Ranking. Considering the fact that only a few hours had passed after he first entered the Dungeon, Chang-Sun was climbing the ranks at a ridiculous speed, meaning he was disabling several of the Dungeon¡¯s traps in a very short time¡­ It seemed that Chang-Sun would end up in front of the boss monster¡¯s room in no time if Jae-Seong did nothing. Thus, he instructed his subordinates to quickly eliminate Chang-Sun, as he was unsure what the other man had seen in this ce. In order to silence him for good, Jae-Seong was nning to use Chang-Sun as a supplementary ingredient for ¡®Blood.¡¯ His subordinates had epted the order without question; they felt no guilt, as they had already taken care of several reporters before. One yer in the patrol group started up a conversation, saying, ¡°By the way, it¡¯s a bit funny.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°The intruder¡¯s name is Lee Chang-Sun.¡± ¡°Ah, Tyrant?¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard a lot of rumors about how he became an alcoholic after his retirement and did crazy stuff while he was drunk.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s just an attention seeker, wanting to be noticed.¡± ¡°From what I heard, he got entangled in the Jamsil Gate¡­¡± ¡°Why do you know so much about him?¡± ¡°Hehe. I was Tyrant¡¯s fan because I liked his nasty temper.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one consistent fuckup.¡± The patrol group chatted incessantly while they searched for Chang-Sun. They believed that no matter how talented the intruder was, he would never be able to fight against all of them, the elite yers of the Highoff n. They also knew the Dungeon better than anyone else due to their frequent patrols, and another group was following them not so far behind. Surely, the other group would aid them immediately if something happened. That was why they failed to realize that they had not heard anything from the other group for a long time, even though the other group should have reported their status at regr intervals. In truth, the yer who had written off the screaming he heard as a coincidence had not misheard it at all. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± one yer eximed in surprise as he suddenly stopped and tilted his head in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have met up with the Group 6 guys right about now?¡± Each patrol group was supposed to patrol an assigned route at a set time, so some patrol groups were bound to run into each other. That meant they should have already run into Group 6, but the other group was absent. Something was off. His teammate yawned loudly and casually answered, ¡°One of them might have gone to the toilet. You know their leader is Sir Poopsalot.¡± ¡°No, something is weird.¡± ¡°Ha! You¡¯re being paranoid again, man. The only thing we found thest time you did this was an elk¡­ Huh?¡± The second yer stopped in the middle of criticizing the first yer, suddenly looking down as a stone about the size of a human fist came rolling toward him. ¡®Where did thise from? Is someone ying a prank on me?¡¯ he wondered before looking away. The first yer abruptly yelled, ¡°Hey! Move!¡± ¡°Wha¡­?!¡± His teammate blinked, beginning to ask what the first yer was talking about. However, he was cut short as a strange symbol inscribed on the stone began to shine, then abruptly exploded¡ªscattering stone fragments and smoke, along with pieces of his head, all over the ce. The two surviving yers simultaneously realized that they had been ambushed, and quickly tried to draw their weapons. However, they were no longer able to move; when the stone exploded, the smoke it released had entered their lungs and paralyzed them. Pzzz¨D [You are poisoned!] [You are poisoned!] [You have sustained a fatal injury.] Those were thest messages thest two yers ever saw. They copsed on the floor, foaming at the mouth as their insides melted from the deadly toxin. Their muscles continued to spasm, but their movements soon ceased as Chang-Sun severed their heads. ¡°There are eighteen people left now, right?¡± Chang-Sun quietly muttered, pulling [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] out of a corpse. The Purgatory Brazier zed, quickly incinerating the three corpses. He had been steadily reducing the number of enemies present the same way he dealt with that group, ambushing them using simr round stones. Each stone was simr to a grenade; in order to make them, he had used ¡®Skill Unification¡¯ tobine the effects of his [Blood Toxin] with an Explosion Rune. ¡®I never thought runes and [Blood Toxin] would be such a good match. Thisbination is going toe in handy from now on, considering how I can also use it in [Trap Instation],¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, smiling faintly. Each stone would detonate on impact due to the Explosion Rune carved on it, causing the [Blood Toxin] on it to spread through the air along with the smoke and fragments. Chang-Sun had chosen Biotoxin for the current situation in order to ensure that the toxin would spread very quickly through the targets¡¯ respiratory systems. Some yers with great Toxin Resistance could withstand it for a while, but they would still be paralyzed and unable to do much in response. There were thirteen people left by the time Chang-Sun got close to the final room where the boss monster resided. Chang-Sun moved quietly once again, following the guidance of [Viper Eyes]. His movements were like that of a prowling beast, carefully hunting its prey. * * * Not even an hour passed before Jae-Seong noticed that something was off. [The Dungeon Ranking has been updated!] [Dungeon Ranking] First ce: Jeong Yoo-Jin (150,000 Points) Second ce: Go Seung-Won (145,495 Points) Third ce: Lee Jae-Seong (109,500 Points) ¡­ Eleventh ce: Lee Chang-Sun (Update!) Fifty-seventh ce, forty-second ce, twenty-first ce, and eleventh ce¡ªthose were the ranks the person named ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ had achieved in just a few hours. At first, Jae-Seong had simply thought that a reckless, stupid yer had entered the Dungeon. Although there were some guards outside, some fairly talented yers snuck in from time to time. Those yers were not much of a problem because they often got stuck on theplicated Dungeon Quests, so Jae-Seong¡¯s subordinates normally just waited until they got tired and took them out. However¡­ Things were different today. Jae-Seong wondered whether something had gone wrong. Was the ranking system broken? If the system was fine, how could a person increase their rank so quickly? He had an even bigger problem, which was that he distinctly remembered ordering his subordinates to capture the mysterious intruder. He was already having a headache because of Jin Dae-Hwan; he did not want to care about anything else, let alone a strange, irritating fly. ¡®Why¡­ aren¡¯t theying back?¡¯?Jae-Seong thought, shaking his leg. The Dungeon Ranking was updating constantly, but his subordinates had not returned even after a long time. If they were having trouble fighting the intruder on their own, they should have reported it to him, but he had not even heard any reports. It was as if they had disappearedpletely from this world, leaving only him behind. ¡°Hey! Is anybody outside?¡± Jae-Seong shouted from within his tent. Normally, shouting like that would bring some subordinates running, but no one appeared. The only response he received was silent. ¡°You bastards! Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± Jae-Seong cursed angrily. Soon, however, his anxietypelled him to stand up. He nned to go outside and call for his subordinates. ¡®If they¡¯re just getting on my nerves for no reason, I¡¯ll just use everyst one of them to make more ¡®Blood¡¯.¡¯ However, it was still quiet outside. Ding! [The Dungeon Ranking has been updated!] [Dungeon Ranking] ¡­ Eighth ce: Lee Chang-Sun (Update!) The Dungeon Ranking just happened to update again at that moment. Jae-Seong could not help but feel nervous when he saw the new information. Trying to fight back his anxiety, he aggressively flung open the tent¡¯s entrance and headed outside. Several of his subordinates should have been outside, but the whole area was empty. Despite that, the zing fire and tools strewn across the floor indicated that several people had recently been present. Ding! [The Dungeon Ranking has been updated!] [Dungeon Ranking] ¡­ Sixth ce: Lee Chang-Sun (Update!) When he saw the Dungeon Ranking, Jae-Seong felt as if invisible hands were grabbing his throat and choking him. He yelled angrily, ¡°Fuck! These bastards must be cking off. Where the hell did they disappear to?!¡± ¡®I have to get rid of this weird anxiety.¡¯?That was the only thought that filled Jae-Seong¡¯s mind. However¡­ Ding! [The Dungeon Ranking has been updated!] [Dungeon Ranking] ¡­ Fourth ce: Lee Chang-Sun (Update!) As if it were mocking him, the notification bell continued to ring. Ding. Ding. The message rm that had always brought joy to Jae-Seong was only serving to unsettle him today. He felt dizzy, as if he were being strangled. ¡°Fuuck! Where did they go?!¡± Jae-Seong cursed as he nervously moved around, aimlessly searching the nearby area. He went through the other tents where his subordinates stayed, the whole camp, and the guard posts¡­ Surrounded by the horrible silence, he could barely breathe. He felt as if he would go mad unless he found someone else, but the area was deserted. It felt like a ghost town, where all the inhabitants had simply evaporated. Ding! [The Dungeon Ranking has been updated!] [Dungeon Ranking] ¡­ Third ce: Lee Chang-Sun (Update!) Fourth ce: Lee Jae-Seong (109,500 Points) When Jae-Seong saw the name ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ rise above his name in the Dungeon Ranking, he btedly realized what emotion had been dominating his body and mind¡ªit was fear. Fear brought by the ghost named Lee Chang-Sun. Fear that he was trapped in this silent ce alone, when all his subordinates had disappeared. [Your mind has been contaminated!] [Your mind has been contaminated!] ¡­ [You have fallen into the ¡®Feared¡¯ state.] ¡°Ahhhhh! Lee Chang-Sun! Where are you?! I know you¡¯re out there! Come out! Come on! Come out!¡± Jae-Seong ranted as if he had gone half-mad, swinging his sword like a lunatic after clumsily drawing it. He thought¡ªno, he was certain that Chang-Sun was hiding and watching him from somewhere. It made no sense otherwise. Ding! [Dungeon Ranking] ¡­ Second ce: Lee Chang-Sun (Update!) Amid all the chaos, Chang-Sun had continued to climb the Dungeon Ranking. Jae-Seong finally realized how Chang-Sun had improved his ranking so quickly. From the achievements yers unlocked whilepleting Quests to the number of monsters and other enemies they killed, every action in a Dungeon was converted to points. In short, Jae-Seong¡¯s subordinates had been killed extremely quickly. Judging from Chang-Sun¡¯s rank¡­ it was safe to assume that everybody else was already dead. Jae-Seong could never have imagined that they would bepletely wiped out, and he was incapable of logically understanding what was going on. It would at least take a renowned yer to annihte Jae-Seong¡¯s team, but he had no idea who the enemy was, as he had never heard of Chang-Sun before. He at least needed some clue in order toe up with a way to defeat his enemy, but he had none, leaving him incredibly frustrated. A shiver ran down his spine. Rather than anxiety, he was now overwhelmed with terror, making him feel as if he had fallen into the depths of the ocean to drown. ¡®Am I going to end up like my subordinates?¡¯ Jae-Seong thought. It terrified him, as he had always dreamed of glory, not a mere dog¡¯s death. ¡°Save¡­ m¡­!¡± a man choked out, barely within earshot. Jae-Seong heard the voice of Deputy Section Chief Son, who normally always catered to his every need. Thinking he would be able to find some clues about his enemy, he ran in the direction where Deputy Chief Son¡¯s voice hade from. Just as expected, Deputy Chief Sony copsed on the floor, but Jae-Seong was not sure whether he could still call the other man a human. Deputy Chief Son was moreparable to a burnt lump of meat, or a heap of trash soaked in blood; every one of his limbs was severed, and the only part of his body that remained intact was his mouth. He would no doubt die if Jae-Seong left him behind. ¡°Hey! Wake up, Deputy Chief Son!¡± Jae-Seong yelled as he ran toward Deputy Chief Son, grasping at the final straws of hope he had left. ¡°Save¡­ me¡­!¡± Deputy Chief Son simply repeated as if he could not hear a single word, instead of giving Jae-Seong an answer. ¡°Ghost¡­ isi¡­!¡± Straining to hear more details, Jae-Seong flipped over Deputy Chief Son, who was lying face down. Then, he found something unexpected. From Deputy Chief Son¡¯s chest to his lower abdomen, his body was covered in strange symbols that Jae-Seong had never seen in his life. The first emotion that struck Jae-Seong when he saw the symbols was terror, and he was right to be afraid. The symbols that covered Deputy Chief Son¡¯s body were runes, and they began to shine brightly. The deputy chief had been turned into a booby trap, a living dummy engraved all over with Explosion Runes. Boom, boom, boom! The corpse trap was extremely powerful, and the massive st covered Jae-Seongpletely with broken bone fragments, scraps of meat, and pieces of brain. Everyst shred was covered with Acidic Toxin and Corpse Toxin, melting Jae-Seong''s flesh. The room filled with white smoke that carried the vile stench of rot. Tsssss! ¡°Arrrggghhh!¡± Jae-Seong screamed loudly. [You have sustained horrific burns.] [You have been poisoned with Corpse Toxin!] [You have been poisoned with Acidic Toxin!] ¡­ [Warning! Your HP is quickly decreasing. Attempt to detoxify yourself as soon as possible.] [You have fallen into the ¡®Brink of Death¡¯ state.] Jae-Seong had bent over to move Deputy Chief Son¡¯s body. That meant his whole face and upper body had been exposed directly to the explosion, and his face was already starting to meltpletely. Rolling across the floor, Jae-Seong screamed at the top of his lungs and tried to stop the poison from spreading by circting his magic. He tried to pull out a bottle of detoxifying potion from his inventory, but he could not see, so his hand just hovered in the air. [Death is approaching!] Swoosh¨D! Chang-Sun approached stealthily, running toward Jae-Seong. Jae-Seong was an expert yer in the Level 30 range, meaning he was at least ten levels above Chang-Sun. On top of that, Jae-Seong had many subordinates, which had meant he was supposed to be unkible. However, the entire process had not been difficult for Chang-Sun, who enjoyed hunting. It was now time to finish his hunt. sh! Chapter 26: Star, The Golden Key (1)

Chapter 26: Star, The Golden Key (1)

[The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ encourages you to quickly take care of your enemies!] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ watches you trying to implement justice.] ¡°Fuuckk!¡± Lee Jae-Seong screamed at the top of his lungs, roughly swinging his ymore, a big sword that was usually wielded with two hands, in the air. aasssh! Chang-Sun nearly severed his head with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], but Jae-Seong deflected his attack, making his eyes momentarily shine with interest. ¡®He can even block that?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in surprise, but that was not the only surprise Jae-Seong ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Jae-Seong shouted, gritting his teeth. Whoosh, whoosh! Rumble, rumble, rumble¨D! As Jae-Seong swung his ymore through the air at random, Chang-Sun could hear the shes creating powerful air currents that swept the floor clear before crashing into the walls. It was the very definition of a ¡®rampage¡¯. Chang-Sun felt as if he were watching a bull that was agitated from seeing a waving red cloth. sh, sh, sh! Avoiding whatever he could avoid and deflecting whatever he could deflect, Chang-Sun slowly stepped back. Jae-Seong was too overwhelmingly powerful for him to make a frontal attack. ¡®Is he following my movements instinctively even though he can¡¯t see me? I guess he does know how to fight,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Despite his overall disadvantage, he was not overwhelmed with confusion and rationally evaluated Jae-Seong. Jae-Seong was strong. Although Chang-Sun had heard that Jae-Seong was in the Level 30 range, hisbat instinct was far superior to ordinary Level 30s, which indicated that he had a lot of experience doing his job. Even considering that Jae-Seong had been soaked with Chang-Sun¡¯s Blood Toxin, it would be difficult for Chang-Sun to win in one-on-onebat against him. ¡®Maybe he has a skill that can amplify his Strength in times of crisis,¡¯?Chang-Sun spected. Whatever the truth was, Jae-Seong was more talented than Chang-Sun had thought. The Highoff n likely valued Jae-Seong for his talent. His presence made Chang-Sun certain that something special was in the dungeon; otherwise, the n would not have assigned such a talented individual to it. ¡®It¡¯s also strange for the n to take this risk of continuously using human sacrifices in such a safe country,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, recalling how he had hidden the sacrifices that he had rescued and relocated to a safe ce, telling them to wait until he finished the dungeon. It was a temporary measure to protect the sacrifices, as he was unsure when the Highoff n¡¯s reinforcements would arrive from outside. In reality, human trafficking and kidnapping always left a long trail, more than people usually expected. No matter how powerful the politicians backing the Highoff n were, it did not change the fact that such things were very dangerous. Despite all the risks, the Highoff n continued to do so, which meant there was something they desperately wanted. Of course, recruiting Ou Yezi¡¯s disciple already meant the Highoff n was pursuing a big secret, making Chang-Sun even more intrigued. When he had entered the dungeon, his original goal was to create a connection with Ou Yezi¡¯s heir, but he now had even more of a desire to discover and steal the Highoff n¡¯s ¡®secret¡¯. ¡®Then, I should kill him more quickly. The Highoff n must have noticed that a problem had urred in the dungeon by now,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, analyzing the situation. From what he had heard, the personnel in the dungeon frequentlymunicated with the Highoff n¡¯s head office to monitor its status, so the n must have sent reinforcements by now. ¡®In that case¡­!¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a smile. [Distributed 30 additional points to Strength. 51¡ú81] [Distributed 30 additional points to Agility. 49¡ú79] If Chang-Suncked strengthpared to his enemy, all he had to do was add more strength. That likewise applied if hecked agility. If he could close the gap in both stats at the same time, it would not only level the ying field against his enemy, but also create a synergistic effect that would allow him to defeat his enemy with overwhelming power. Booom! ¡°W-What the¡­?!¡± Jae-Seong was clearly baffled, taking a few steps backward. When he struck Chang-Sun, he felt as if he had smashed his ymore into a sturdy wall, making the de shake violently enough to nearly tear apart the skin of his palms. Had the air around Chang-Sun changed? He had suddenly be stronger, almost as if he had turned into an entirely different person. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ enjoys watching Chang Sun¡¯s overwhelming attacks against his enemy.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ watches the fight with excitement, saying Chang-Sun is indeed the slyest person around.] Chang-Sun sprang forth again, kicking off the ground with such force that he crushed the brick floor, sending stone fragments flying into the air. Even Jae-Seong¡¯s rampage had only left scratches on those very same bricks. Boom! Boom! Boom! Every time Chang-Sun struck Jae-Seong with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], he was knocked back. He was sure that Chang-Sun was using a sword, but the sound of explosions kept ringing in his ears, as if Chang-Sun were shooting cannonballs. [Reached the maximum level of the Skill ¡®Intermediate Dagger Proficiency.¡¯ A higher-level skill has been created.] [The Skill ¡®Advanced Dagger Proficiency¡¯ has been created!] Seeming almost as if it would shatter at any second, Jae-Seong¡¯s ymore shook intensely as cracks spread across its de. It did not take long for Jae-Seong¡¯s hands to be ragged and bloody. At that moment¡­ Shatter! ¡­Jae-Seong¡¯s ymore snapped in half, unable to withstand Chang-Sun¡¯s attacks any longer. As pieces of shattered metal flew through the air, an expression of shock spread acrossJae-Seong¡¯s face as he screamed. ¡°It¡­ It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ Arrrggh!¡± sh, sh, sh¨D! Chang-Sun quickly cut off Jae-Seong¡¯s right hand and left arm, while leaving severalrge and small cuts all over the man¡¯s legs and body. Next, he attacked from below, breaking Jae-Seong¡¯s jaw with the t of his de. ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± Jae-Seong tried to say he could not believe what was happening, but he could not get the words out, as broken teeth flew into the air from his smashed jaw. He fell backward, spewing bloody foam from his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re odd,¡± Chang-Sun remarked with a smirk when he looked at Jae-Seong. ¡°You should already have known that you could also be butchered when you did the same to others.¡± He turned [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] horizontally. sh! That was the end of it. Jae-Seong¡¯s head flew into the air amid the horrible sound of tearing flesh. His face had already melted from the toxins, so even people who knew Jae-Seong would not recognize him. [The Authority ¡®Soul Exploitation¡¯ has been activated!] [You have lit the fire in the Purgatory Brazier, sessfully acquiring the ashes of the yer ¡®Lee Jae-Seong¡¯.] [6% of your stamina has been regained.] Tssss¨D! Engulfed in the Purgatory Brazier¡¯s fire, Jae-Seong¡¯s body instantly turned into ashes that were all absorbed into Chang-Sun through his shadow. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ is deeply moved by your righteousness.] ¡®It¡¯s funny every time I see ¡®righteousness¡¯ or ¡®justice¡¯ in the messages,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in amusement, as he had once been called a fiend and put on Divine Trial. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ gives you a new bonus reward!] [Acquired the Skill ¡®Composed Spirit¡¯!] [Composed Spirit] The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ has given this bonus reward for executing perfect justice against evil enemies. It specializes in protecting you from mental debuffs. ¡°One with aposed spirit has wisdom and courage that will never waver in the face of chaos.¡± ¡¤ Type: Blessing. Protection. ¡¤ Effect: Immunity to mental debuffs. Maintain courage. ¡®She¡¯s also giving me [Composed Spirit]?¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. He could understand why Minerva had given him [Unbending Spirit], but he had not expected her to also give him [Composed Spirit]. They had simr effects, but they worked based onpletely different mechanisms. [Unbending Spirit] made a person able to judge things dispassionately based on absolute truth, or ¡®Logos¡¯. [Composed Spirit] made a person able to break the cycle of agony in a world full of temptation and pleasure. In other words, [Unbending Spirit] sought truth in the external world and was based on philosophical absolutism; [Composed Spirit] sought to cultivate the internal world and was based on philosophical rtivism. If the two skills joined together, they wouldplement each other perfectly, forming a union between an individual¡¯s external and internal worlds. Some truth seekers referred to such a moment as ¡®Nirvana¡¯. ¡®I¡¯m going to be a monk if this continues,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought,ughing wryly without realizing it. He had an idea of how Minerva thought of him¡ªa righteous, silent monk who sought truth. She could not have misunderstood the situation more, considering how atrocious Chang-Sun¡¯s true thoughts were. ¡®From what I heard, she was a wise and clever warring deity, and very scary. Despite the rumors, though, she just seems ;ole a simpleton,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he sensed the birth of a new sugar deity after Pabilsag. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ bes nervous when she sees the two bonus rewards sent by ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl.¡¯] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ rummages through her treasure warehouse, searching for something that can be given to you as a new bonus reward.] ¡®Well, she can¡¯t win against this sugar deity yet,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought smugly. Paaah¨D! Lost in his thoughts, Chang-Sun inadvertently reached the final room of the dungeon soon after passing by Jae-Seong¡¯s tent. * * * [The Dungeon Ranking has been updated!] [Dungeon Ranking] First ce: Lee Chang-Sun (Update!) Second ce: Jeong Yoo-Jin (150,000 Points) ¡­ Chang-Sun found himself in front of a giant stone gate, roughly five meters tall. [You have arrived at the boss monster¡¯s room!] [The boss monster¡¯s room is currently locked tightly. There is a key somewhere inside the dungeon, so find and unlock the gate¡¯s lock.] From the sight of the ckened spots and de scars left across the surface of the stone gate, Chang-Sun could tell how much effort the Highoff n had put in to try to force the gate open so far. However, there was not a single crack, or a sign that the gate had been previously moved; that meant they had to have failed. It was not difficult for Chang-Sun to find the portable workshop, as it was right in front of the stone gate. He saw a cloud of white smoke billowing out of the chimney, but he could not detect anybody inside. ¡®He bolted. Well, I did create havoc, so he must have noticed it and run away,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought without worrying too much about it. After all, there was only one route from Jae-Seong¡¯s tent to the portable workshop, meaning Jin Dae-Hwan could never run away even if he had wings. Crrasshh! Feeling no need to observe any longer, Chang-Sun quickly destroyed the portable workshop by roughly swinging [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. His strikes knocked the furnace inside over, sending molten metal spilling across the floor and setting the pieces of the workshop aze. ¡®The Saint Fire Furnace? I can see why they kept failing to make the key,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a snort as he looked at the fire. They could not have used the Divine Fire Furnace, but if they had obtained the Eon Fire Furnace¡ªno, even the Purification Fire Furnace would have been sufficient to allow the n to make the key sessfully. Chang-Sun could not believe that they had used the Saint Fire Furnace. Saint Fire was certainly a good Celestial Fire, as it had the ability to purify things and restore broken items. However, that was it; the Saint Fire was not a powerful fire to begin with. Without considering its properties, the n had shoved in human souls as kindling, trying to forcibly strengthen the fire¡­ However, instead of bing stronger, it had only be weaker, due to the repulsion between twopletely opposing properties. ¡°It looks like there¡¯s nothing else to dig up,¡± Chang-Sun muttered with a sigh. He had been nning on asking Dae-Hwan several questions, hoping to hear any secrets about Ou Yezi¡­ However, he could tell that Dae-Hwan had nothing, considering the man¡¯s abysmal judgment of the situation. [Equipped the ¡®me Goat¡¯s Rib Spear¡¯!] After pulling out a bone spear from his inventory, Chang-Sun threw it sideways without even looking. Swoosh, stab! ¡°Argh!¡± Dae-Hwan, who had been hiding inside a room behind the wall Chang-Sun prated with the bone spear, fell t on his face. He left nost words, dying instantly. However, his corpse was holding tightly onto an unusually ancient-looking hammer. Chang-Sun instantly identified it as Ou Yezi¡¯s hammer, the item he had been looking for. [???¡¯s hammer] An unidentified hammer. It seems to be made out of a meteorite. Due to its age, it seems ??? has made the hammer ???. Type: Hammer. Effect: Unknown. *You are unable to use this because you are not the owner. ¡®Meteorite, huh?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he felt the hammer¡¯s grip. Meteorites were star fragments, making them invaluable as a material. The item could be none other than the relic used by Ou Yezi. After throwing the hammer into his inventory, Chang-Sun stood in front of the stone gate, his other interest. Tap. Tap. As Chang-Sun lightly tapped on the gate, he felt how thick it was, making him realize that he could not smash through it with his current power. It would make little difference even if he carved several Explosive Runes on the gate. ¡®I think Bu-Yong could make the key somehow,¡¯?he thought with a nod. With the Divine Fire Furnace and Ou Yezi¡¯s hammer, it was more than possible. However, the Highoff n would never leave Choi Bu-Yong alone. ¡®I don¡¯t have to use a more difficult method when I have an easier method,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He took a step backward from the iron gate, ncing backward. ¡°Herald, you¡¯re there, right?¡± Chang-Sun called out. Herald soon appeared through a diagonal slit in midair. The rabbit-headed man with red eyes seemed baffled, btedly realizing what ¡®favor¡¯ Chang-Sun was going to ask of him. Regardless, a deal was a deal. As they had even formed a [Mana Pledge], he could lose his Administrator status if he rejected Chang-Sun¡¯s request. ¡°Open it now,¡± Chang-Sun said, gesturing at the stone gate with his chin. 1. Meteorites are rocks from space in real life, but in this novel, the author seems to be referring to the mythological connotations of meteorites instead. Chapter 27: Star, The Golden Key (2)

Chapter 27: Star, The Golden Key (2)

¡°The rules state that Administrators cannot interfere with Dungeon Quests¡­¡± Herald muttered, trying to weasel out of the request. Crossing his arms, Chang-Sun just snorted, saying, ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Those rules can change depending on the situation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it if you don¡¯t want to, but you¡¯ll also have to stop writing the about me,¡± Chang-Sun said with a shrug. Herald briefly had a long face, because he had already finished the he intended to submit to his superiors. However, if Chang-Sun took away the Reporting Rights, the would also be taken away, meaning all of Herald¡¯s efforts would go down the drain. ¡®¡­I¡¯m definitely going to be reprimanded, so I hope I can get away with just?a sry cut,¡¯?Herald thought bitterly. ? Just as Chang-Sun had said, an Administrator could interfere with Dungeon Quests in a contingency, but they had to face consequences for their interference. ¡°Alright, fine. I will grant your favor,¡± Herald said, adjusting his monocle. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ughs her head off, saying the Administrator¡¯s bewildered expression looks funny.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ exims in awe at your resourcefulness.] Pretending not to have noticed Pabilsag and J?rmungandr¡¯s amused looks, Herald lightly flicked his fingers. [The closed stone gate has been opened with the Administrator¡¯s power!] Beyond the stone gate, there was a hallway lined with arches, at the end of whichy a giant stone chamber. The room had a tall altar at the center, which meant Chang-Sun would have to climb its twelve steps in order to get to the top. Atop the altar was a gold coffin with bronze braziers on either side of it, where the tomb¡¯s owner appeared to be resting. Without hesitation, Chang-Sun entered the stone chamber. Its walls and domed ceiling were lined with holy icons that began shining brightly as he entered. Whoosh! [You have entered the boss monster¡¯s room!] [Several curses have begun to affect you. From now on, the Dungeon¡¯s owner will try to seize your body. You must climb up to the altar and destroy the gold coffin while resisting until the end.] [If you fail to resist, you may lose your body, so be careful.] Unfortunately, it seemed the ¡®holy icons¡¯ were actually unholy ones. The eyes of the figures lining the walls all turned red, emanating a force that tried to infiltrate Chang-Sun¡¯s mind. Badump! Badump! Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes also turned red as a sinister voice echoed inside his head, making him stop walking. ¡ºHow dare such a lowly being as you try to interrupt Our eternal sleep?! Give me your flesh¡­!¡» The voice gave Chang-Sun three orders, throwing his mind into turmoil. Obey! Worship! Stand in awe! The air in the chamber weighed heavily on Chang-Sun¡¯s shoulders, making his knees creak beneath the pressure. [Hypnosis has begun.] [Brainwashing has begun.] The boss monster room¡¯s quest was very simple¡ªChang-Sun had to protect his mind from the tomb¡¯s owner, whose spirit was all that remained after death. Despite how straightforward it seemed to be, the objective was anything but simple or easy, as the tomb¡¯s owner had a very high divine ss before their death. No ordinary yer would be able to resist such an attack, even if only the owner¡¯s spirit remained. ¡®It¡¯s not going to be easy, is it? Even he won¡¯t be able to defeat this easily,¡¯?Herald thought as he wrote thest section of the . It was true that Chang-Sun was something special, considering how he had perfectly cleared the Tutorial and wiped out every other yer in this Dungeon. Chang-Sun¡¯sbat instincts, which Herald could only consider an innate talent, even made Herald exim in awe from time to time. However, that only applied to Chang-Sun¡¯s physical prowess. His mental strength could very well be different. Many physically strong people were also mentally strong, but there was no guarantee of that, as they were different kinds of strength. If Chang-Sun were mentally strong, he would likely have be a wizard or a cleric early on; however, from what Herald had seen, he always preferred to use his body inbat. Those who preferred to fight using their bodies often trusted their physical prowess so much that they were often negligent in cultivating their mental strength. Herald thought Chang-Sun could be one of those people; the Chang-Sun he had seen so far was incredibly arrogant, the farthest thing from humble. ¡®Wait.¡¯ Herald btedly realized what he had written in the first chapter of the . Chang-Sun¡¯s ss was Rune Master. That was the wizard-type secret ss that leveled up at a slower pace than any other wizard ss, and had incredibly difficult skills! Without great persistence and a stable foundation of mental strength, someone could never be sessful as a Rune Master. Despite all the disadvantages, however, Chang-Sun was leveling up at a ridiculous speed as a Rune Master, even without any Guardian! Since Chang-Sun rarely used runes directly and only treated them as supplementary tools inbat, Herald had overlooked the fact that Chang-Sun was a Rune Master. ¡°This is unbelievable¡­!¡± Herald eximed, feeling as if he wanted to scream¡­ Booommm! Rumbleee¨D! ¡­just as a loud explosion shook the stone chamber. Herald saw a cloud of white mist being repelled forcefully after trying to possess Chang-Sun. The shockwave created by the explosion was so powerful that it caused the unholy icons to crack, destroying all the curse-inflicting red eyes at once. ¡ºRi-Ridiculous¡­!¡» The cloud of mist gathered at one point, forming the outline of a human head. The spirit left by the tomb owner, Bes, screamed; Chang-Sun was supposed to be the ¡®vessel¡¯ they had long been waiting for¡­! All the other people who had disrespectfully intruded on the tomb had failed to satisfy Bes, leaving them immensely displeased. They approved of the person who had opened the gate¡­ but they had been violently pushed back even before they could break through Chang-Sun¡¯s mental barriers. ¡°Do I have to thank ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯?¡± Chang-Sun remarked with a grin. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ gently smiles.] [The Skill ¡®Unbending Spirit¡¯ has been activated, protecting your mind from outside intrusions.] [The Skill ¡®Composed Spirit¡¯ has been activated, strengthening your mental barriers.] Lightly fixing his hair with one hand, Chang-Sun smiled coldly at Bes¡¯s spirit. The [Unbending Spirit] and [Composed Spirit] skills that Minerva had given him as bonus rewards were more useful than Chang-Sun initially thought. Bes¡¯s spirit was quite powerful for such a Dungeon¡¯s owner, and Chang-Sun could have ended up in trouble if he let his guard down. However, Bes¡¯s spirit seemed to have a different opinion from Chang-Sun. ¡ºDon¡¯t be ridiculous! We¡­! We weren¡¯t forced back because of skills granted by a mere ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯...!¡» ¡°You talk too much,¡± Chang-Sun retorted as he gripped [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] tightly, thinking Bes¡¯s spirit would just keep thering unnecessarily if he didn¡¯t silence her. [The Skill ¡®Viper Eyes¡¯ reveals the enemy¡¯s weakness!] Pah¨D! Chang-Sun quickly rushed forward to the gold coffin atop the altar. To be exact, he was aiming for the blue jewel on the tip of the coffin. [Viper Eyes] had marked the jewel red, which meant it was Bes¡¯s spirit¡¯s core. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ watches you with a piercing gaze.] ¡ºN-No!¡» Bes¡¯s spirit swiftly leaped at Chang-Sun, but they had few abilities other than mental debuffs, due tocking a body. Eventually, Chang-Sun broke through the defense put up by Bes¡¯s spirit and smashed the jewel with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Crack! Kieeehh¨D! ¡ºN-No! Noooooooo!¡» Bes¡¯s spirit began to writhe in midair. They tried to resist, but a vortex appeared amid the horrific wailing of ghosts, quickly swallowing their spirit. Craack¨D! At the same time, cracks spread all across the gold coffin, and it quickly crumbled into pieces. Chang-Sun had expected to see a corpse or a mummy, but there was nothing there, only a small wooden box lying amid the cloud of orange dust dispersing through the air. ¡®This is the treasure box the Highoff n tried to get. What¡¯s in this box, that¡¯s so important the n even risked offering human sacrifices?¡¯ Chang-Sun thought as he opened the wooden box without hesitation. However¡­ ¡®A key¡­?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, squinting at the object inside¡ªa key that seemed to be made from the same golden material as the coffin.. The key had a straight shaft with three prongs on one end, and arge red jewel on the other. [Peter¡¯s Key] A key that can be used to open something. Its use is indiscernible at present. ¡¤ Type: Misceneous. ¡¤ Effect: Unknown. ¡®Peter¡¯s Key? Not Bes¡¯s?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, tilting his head in confusion because the key¡¯s owner was different from the tomb¡¯s owner. Perhaps the tomb¡¯s owner had acquired it in life, and it had been buried with her. ¡®It looks as if I need to fulfill a special condition to figure out its use,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, pulling out [Peter¡¯s Key] and examining it closely. He had seen many sacred objects and relics, but he was unsure how to use the key. On top of that, he had never even heard of any such sacred object as [Peter¡¯s Key], leaving him baffled. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary misceneous item,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Although he was unable to discover its true power, he was sure it was no ordinary key, judging from the craftsmanship that had gone into making it and the quality of the materials used. In the end, he threw [Peter¡¯s Key] in his inventory, nning to torture Highoff n members to discover its use. Just then¡­ [The Dungeon Quest has beenpleted.] [Compiling the final ranking.] [Dungeon Ranking] First ce: Lee Chang-Sun (175,550 Points) ... [Different rewards will be given out based on performance.] [Different rewards will be given out based on ranking.] ... While Chang-Sun was reading the messages that appeared before his eyes¡­ [New yers have entered the Dungeon!] ¡®Backup has arrived,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He knew that the ¡®new yers¡¯ were the Highoff n¡¯s reinforcements. They had no doubt hurried to send backup after finding out that their forces inside the Dungeon were unreachable. Chang-Sun was sure that they must have been taken aback when they saw the disaster outside. ¡®They¡¯re toote, though,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought with a smirk. [The Dungeon is closing.] [5¡­] [4¡­] A Dungeon and its Gate would close after thepletion of a Dungeon Quest, having served their purpose. That phenomenon was known as Closure. Rummblee¨D! When he saw the crumbling ceiling, Chang-Sun thought of the annoyance the Highoff n would no doubt feel. If a Dungeon underwent Closure, any evidence left within it would disappear. Chang-Sun assumed that the Highoff n¡¯s reinforcements would be freaking out due to the messages they no doubt received right after entering the Dungeon. [1¡­] [0.] [The Dungeon is nowpletely closed.] [Great work, everyone.] Paaah! A ray of ck light swallowed the Dungeon. * * * It took a long time for Chang-Sun to return to the Choi-Lee Forge. While waiting for him, Choi Bu-Yong had been nervously back and forth within the forge. He had just sat down in his chair for a moment when his dog, Wilson, heard a stranger¡¯s footsteps and began barking; however, Bu-Yong could tell the ¡®stranger¡¯ was actually Chang-Sun. ¡°Hey, you¡­!¡± Bu-Yong called out with a frown, even though he was secretly relieved. However, he was interrupted mid-sentence. ¡°Catch,¡± Chang-Sun said as he threw something in Bu-Yong¡¯s direction. Bu-Yong hurriedly reached out and barely managed to catch it. Despite the difficulty, however, he moved so quickly it was as if he could see normally. He realized that the object Chang-Sun had thrown at him was made of metal, and was about to yell ¡®What the hell is wrong with you¡¯, but he soon realized what he was holding and began to tremble. Everything about the metal object was familiar¡ªits texture, its material, and so on. ¡°This is¡­!¡± Bu-Yong eximed, standing up from his chair. ¡°You can start making stuff now that I¡¯ve brought you the hammer, right?¡± Chang-Sun asked with a grin. Bu-Yong opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, his mind full of questions. How on earth had Chang-Sun obtained the hammer? How had Chang-Sun defeated the Highoff n¡¯s yers when the Dungeon was under the n¡¯s direct management? What had happened to his senior brother? However, Bu-Yong swallowed all those questions back down. He nodded, seemingly steadying his resolve before saying, ¡°Okay, but just as I told you, a one-month deadline isn¡¯t enough. I haven¡¯t used a hammer for a long time, so I have to get the hang of it and readjust my furnace.¡± Chang-Sun felt as if Bu-Yong¡¯s way of speaking had somehow changed a lot. The current Bu-Yong would be aptly described by words such as ¡®vigorous¡¯ and ¡®energetic¡¯. He no longer seemed like a walking corpse; it was as if he had risen from the dead. If he had not lost his eyes, they would surely be sparkling like the stars in the sky. As he watched Bu-Yong, Chang-Sun smiled faintly before saying, ¡°The weapons I need right now are a whip, a long spear, and a shield. I¡¯m not in a hurry to get the rest of them, so you can give me those weapons whenever you finish making them.¡± ¡°Give me the order of priority,¡± Bu-Yong said as he sat back down. ¡°As I said, I need a whip first. You can decide the rest on your own,¡± Chang-Sun replied with a shrug. ¡°The shield will take at least half a year due to the materials needed. I¡¯ll make the whip first and the long spear after,¡± Bu-Yong said, crossing his arms. ¡°Will it be difficult to get materials for the shield?¡± Chang-Sun asked, leaning against the table. ¡°Yes, but I have some connections, so it should take only fifteen days,¡± Bu-Yong replied with a nod. ¡°A week,¡± Chang-Sun said concisely. ¡°What? Making a whip alone will take more than two weeks¡­!¡± Bu-Yong protested, ¡®looking¡¯ at Chang-Sun. ¡°From getting the hang of using your hammer again to making the whip and the long spear¡­ Finish everything in one month. Since I¡¯m giving you a short deadline, I¡¯ll pay you triple,¡± Chang-Sun said, looking back at Bu-Yong. ¡°¡­Fuck,¡± Bu-Yong cursed. He frowned again as Chang-Sun continued to throw money in his face. The fact that he lived in the world of capitalism saddened him. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes, so I¡¯ll return in a month. Oh yeah¡­ This is also for sale, right? I¡¯ll take it,¡± Chang-Sun said, before standing up and bidding Bu-Yong goodbye. Bu-Yong quickly snapped back to reality the moment he sensed Chang-Sun taking the fire poker that had been left lying beside the Divine Fire Furnace. Chang-Sun could take everything else, but Bu-Yong could not let him take the fire poker. It was a very old bronze sword, but his father had called it the family heirloom. Bu-Yong could not give the sword away; he stood up, shouting, ¡°Hey, that¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡¸Lee Chang-Sun has deposited 100,000,000 won into your W Bank ount.¡¹ Bu-Yong¡¯s smartphone read him a message. ¡°That¡¯s for the sword, and we can call it even with the hammer. Shouldn¡¯t that be enough? You were just using it as a fire poker in the first ce, so it doesn¡¯t matter, right?¡± Chang-Sun replied as he left the forge. Bu-Yong stood silently for a long time, unable toprehend just how much money Chang-Sun had thrown away in his forge. ¡°¡­Fuck.¡± Chapter 28: Star, The Golden Key (3)

Chapter 28: Star, The Golden Key (3)

After Chang-Sun left, Choi Bu-Yong copsed into his chair again. Plop! It was as if a storm had swept the forge; Bu-Yong could not pull himself together for a long time even after Chang-Sun left. He muttered in confusion, ¡°What the hell is with that guy¡­¡± Still, he was sure about one thing. The connection that had just been formed brought a new change to his life, which was previously filled with depression, uncertainty, frustration, and despair. He was unsure whether the change was a chance to start a new life or a happy episode that did not mean much, but he was sure that a new phase of his life had begun. Woof! Pant, pant, pant. As if he had read his owner¡¯s thoughts, Wilson let out a light and pleasant bark. With a faint smile, Bu-Yong stroked the dog¡¯s head and said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not sure what happened, but now that things have turned out this way, let¡¯s do this right.¡± The blueprints for Chang-Sun¡¯s requested weapons were already being drawn inside Bu-Yong¡¯s mind. When he held the hammer in his hand, it felt like new. The new Ou Yezi was about to be born. * * * The Highoff n¡¯s Attack Department Head, Go Seung-Won, felt as if he had gotten into a real pickle. He asked, ¡°Have you found the guy who closed the Dungeon?¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t found¡­¡± his subordinate timidly reported. ¡°Why can¡¯t you do your jobs properly?!¡± Seung-Won yelled at the top of his lungs. For the first time after a long time, he had gotten off work early, hoping to spend quality time with his family at home. However, he had suddenly received an emergency call telling him to return to the n headquarters, and the news that met him there was like a bolt from the blue. The n had tried to close ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb¡¯ over the past five years, but failed. However, it had suddenly undergone Closure. On top of that, all the people who were in the Dungeon at the time had gone missing, including Lee Jae-Seong. In other words, [Peter¡¯s Key], which the n had tried so hard to obtain, had been stolen! ¡°Find him by any means necessary! By any means! Kill the guy or make a new key! Get [Peter¡¯s Key], one way or another!¡± Seung-Won screamed. While Seung-Won yelled, his subordinates had to hide their necks like turtles and tiptoe around him. They felt as if he would cut off their heads if they said the man in a Hahoe mask who seemed to be the primary suspect had escaped the Bonghwasan Mountain region. However, Seung-Won¡¯s anger was understandable; he would be fired even before his subordinates if he did nothing. He pulled his hair in frustration, thinking, ¡®They¡¯ll never let this go! Shit, shit!¡¯ If only the Highoff n had been involved with the incident, he could have just taken full responsibility by resigning. Despite everything, Seung-Won was a founding member of the Highoff n, so many executives of the n adored him. The problem was that even though the Highoff n legally owned the Bonghwasan Gate, it had a ¡®real owner¡¯. The gate was truly owned by the White Tiger n, one of the greatest ns in Korea. Those who were ignorant would say all of the Ten ns were the same, but most people knew of the true power gap between the Highoff n and the White Tiger n. Even if there were dozens of forces on par with the Highoff n, they would never be able to win against the White Tiger n; that n was considered among the best not only in Korea, but also in the whole world. Their ¡®Council of Elders¡¯ was like a congregation of great devils that the Council could not easily interfere with. That was why the Highoff n had been working as the White Tiger n¡¯s hound for a long time. Due to the White Tiger n¡¯s protection, the Highoff n had been able to evade thew despite all the crimes theymitted. That was the role they had taken in managing ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb.¡¯ In order to obtain [Peter¡¯s Key], they had needed to offer human sacrifices, which meant the White Tiger n needed to hide their connection to the Dungeon. That was why it had been ced under the Highoff n¡¯s management. In truth, Department Head Seung-Won did not know what [Peter¡¯s Key] was for. He did not even know whether the key was really rted to Saint Peter the way most people would assume, or somehow rted to Bes the ancient giant, who was presumed to be the tomb¡¯s owner. That was because the White Tiger n had not shared any information with him. On top of that, Jae-Seong, who had been managing the Dungeon the entire time, never learned that the White Tiger n had contracted the Highoff n. That was how confidential the connection between the White Tiger n and the Highoff n was. And yet, that same?¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb¡¯ had just been closed? Seung-Won was certain that if the White Tiger n found out about it, they would not only kill Seung-Won, but also any executives who were close to him, which meant the Highoff n would bepletely finished in the end. ¡®If that bastard Seo Jeong-Gwon finds out about this, he¡¯ll also kill my family¡­! I can¡¯t let that happen, so I have to find him somehow,¡¯?Seung-Won thought nervously. However, he soon came to the conclusion that nothing would be resolved if he just sat around and waited for his subordinates¡¯ reports. There was one silver lining, however; the rest of the night was long. The White Tiger n would only hear about it the next morning when everybody went to work, which meant Seung-Won had to sort things out before then. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go to Bonghwasan Mountain right now. Get my car ready! Come on!¡± Seung-Won yelled. * * * Unfortunately, Seung-Won did not realize that the White Tiger n was not as sloppy as he expected. The White Tiger n had never believed in their hound, as a hound could always run away or bite its owner¡¯s neck if things went wrong. Thus, they had kept a tight ¡®leash¡¯ in reserve without the hound¡¯s knowledge. The incident in ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb¡¯ had already been reported to them by the spies they nted in the Highoff n in advance. Jeong-Gwon frowned when he heard the report from a subordinate. He was the person in charge of a secret n that was only known to very few people in the White Tiger n, named ¡®Project Peter¡¯. ¡°What?¡± Jeong-Gwon eximed angrily. Ziinnngg¨D! Living up to his title as the leader of Attack Team 2, the White Tiger n¡¯s pride and joy, the air around Jeong-Gwon froze almost instantly whenever he got angry. The subordinate who had quietly whispered his report to Jeong-Gwon turned pale. Just then¡­ Rip! ¡­The sound of tearing paper filled the room, making Jeong-Gwon¡¯s killing intent dissipate as if it had never been there in the first ce. That was when Jeong-Gwon finally came to his senses, looking in the direction where the sound hade from. Woo Yeong-Geun of the Sword of Ohsung n shot Jeong-Gwon a harsh re. Standing behind him was So Yu-Ha, Chang-Sun¡¯s mother; her face was pale. Jeong-Gwon saw Cha Ye-Eun soothing Yu-Ha, telling her that everything was alright. ¡°What is the matter with you, Team Leader Seo? How could you use [Tiger Kill] when there is a civilian present?!¡± Yeong-Geun snapped angrily. It was understandable, because a yer¡ªno, a high ranker¡¯s energy could be lethal to civilians. Clicking his tongue, Jeong-Gwon realized that he had be too sensitive due to the incident at ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb¡¯, causing him to make an absurd mistake. However, he was too proud to deliver an apology, and he quietly stood up from his seat. Yeong-Geun¡¯s gaze turned sharp, as if he were silently asking what Jeong-Gwon was thinking. Although Jeong-Gwon strongly wanted to punch Yeong-Geun in the face, not liking his shamelessness, he did nothing in the end. Yeong-Geun was also a talented yer, which meant Jeong-Gwon would risk losing an arm by going up against him. Instead of apologizing, Jeong-Gwon turned to his subordinates who were on standby and shouted in irritation, ¡°It¡¯s toote, and it seems this Lee Chang-Sun guy won¡¯t return today. Let¡¯s go back.¡± In truth, his intent was to find out what had happened in ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb¡¯; however, they made up an excuse, as they just happened to have a valid reason to leave Chang-Sun¡¯s home. They had been waiting for Chang-Sun there for over five hours, which meant they had followed their superiors¡¯ orders well enough. Yeong-Geun wanted to strike the back of Jeong-Gwon¡¯s head, but he could not start a fight in Chang-Sun¡¯s home. Thus, he took his hand off the hilt of his sword and turned to Chang-Sun¡¯s mother, asking, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Although Yu-Ha looked quite surprised, she maintained herposure. She stood up straight and replied with a solemn look, ¡°Yes, I am fine. I have heard that the Awakened lived in a different world¡­ but only now do I realize how true that is. My youngest son is a lot like him, right?¡± While Jeong-Gwon, Yeong-Geun, and Ye-Eun waited for Chang-Sun, Yu-Ha had heard what had happened to her youngest son over the past few days. She had been heartbroken to find out that Chang-Sun had entered the world of yers, which she knew to be hellish. However, she had soon asked in detail whether Chang-Sun could adapt to the world of yers after regaining herposure. There was a saying that every mother in the world was great; Ye-Eun had understood that on some level due to the fact that her parents doted on her, but even she was surprised to see just how much that applied to Chang-Sun¡¯s mother. ¡°Although he may look cold on the exterior, he is a tenderhearted boy. I really hope he will not get hurt anymore¡­ but that would be difficult,¡± Yu-Ha said with a light sigh. Yeong-Geun and Ye-Eun could tell that Yu-Ha was subtly rejecting their offers, implying that she could not encourage her youngest son to go to dangerous ces as his mother. In the end, the two and Jin Seok-Tae had to leave Chang-Sun¡¯s home in a hurry, as if they had been kicked out. * * * ¡°¡­Team Leader Seo made things moreplicated,¡± Yeong-Geun said tiredly as he massaged the bridge of his nose in the elevator. He had personally gone to Chang-Sun''s home because his lovely niece had insisted on recruiting Chang-Sun using any means necessary¡­ However, he felt as if he had gotten on the wrong side of Chang-Sun by inadvertently visiting at the same time as Jeong-Gwon. ¡°I cannot just go back without even meeting him¡­ What is your n, Agents Cha and Jin?¡± Yeong-Geun asked politely. Despite the pleasantries, it would be hard to say that the ns and the Council were on good terms. However, the Sword of Ohsung n had a decent rtionship with the Council. The Ohsung Group, their n¡¯s parentpany, made it their main contribution to society to be thergest charitable donor for the Korean branch of the Council. Apart from that, Yeong-Geun also lived up to his reputation as the ¡®finest gentleman¡¯ in the family of the Ohsung Group¡¯s president, and had been very kind to Ye-Eun and Seok-Tae. ¡°If you are nning to stay, I can ask my secretary to bring coffee for the two of you, too,¡± Yeong-Geun offered gently. ¡°Then I would like a hot cup of caramel mhiato¡­ Argh!¡± Seok-Tae began to reply brightly, but he had to stop speaking when Ye-Eun elbowed him in the waist. He was Level 41, but Ye-Eun was Level 62 and a high ranker. That meant even an elbowing from Ye-Eun could potentially break some of Seok-Tae¡¯s ribs. Even though Seok-Tae had been hit by such a deadly weapon, Ye-Eun did not even give her junior partner a nce before calmly shaking her head. She said, ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. We have another schedule, so we¡¯ll have to meet Mr. Lee Chang-Sun another time. I appreciate your gesture, though.¡± ¡°Huh? Senior Partner, we¡¯re going to get off work after¡­ Gah!¡± Seok-Tae yelped. He had to stop babbling because Ye-Eun had stomped powerfully on his foot. Yeong-Geun merely nodded quietly with a faint smile. However, his expression was like an imprable mask, leaving Ye-Eun unable to tell what was going on in his mind. He bowed and said, ¡°I see you are too busy, so I will see you next time.¡± ¡°Yes, take care. Seok-Tae, follow me,¡± Ye-Eun said, ring at Seok-Tae. Ding. As soon as the elevator arrived on the first floor and its doors opened, Ye-Eun dragged Seok-Tae by the nape and left the lobby. Seok-Tae wanted to ask why Ye-Eun was doing that, but he said nothing when he saw Ye-Eun¡¯s stiff expression, realizing that something must have happened. Ziiinnng! Just as Seok-Tae thought that, he realized that his phone had been ringing fiercely in his back pocket, and he had not noticed it until then. When he checked the message on it, his expression also froze. ¡®Human sacrifice¡¯ and ¡®sacrificial offering¡¯ were the two phrases that the Council hated more than anything in the world; the message continuously repeated those very same phrases. When the two agents saw it, they realized Lee Chang-Sun was no longer their priority. * * * While he headed back home in a taxi, Chang-Sun stroked the fire poker¡ªno, the old bronze sword. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ grumbles, asking why he brought the old sword.] It had to have been handled roughly for a long time, as there were many ckened spots and scratches along the de. ¡®There¡¯s no way any sword that could be used as the Divine Fire Furnace¡¯s fire poker would be ordinary.¡¯ From the moment he first picked up the sword, Chang-Sun had already realized its true power. It wasparable to [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]¡ªno, it could even be more powerful. The sacred weapon in his hand was the legendary [Yuchang Sword]. Chapter 29: Star, the Golden Key (4)

Chapter 29: Star, the Golden Key (4)

[Yuchang Sword] One of the Nine Fine Swords that were forged by the first Ou Yezi, the Divine cksmith. It can be used as a dagger due to its short length. Its first owner was known to be an assassin. ¡¤ Type: Dagger. Sacred artifact. ¡¤ Damage: Unmeasurable. ¡¤ Effect: Unknown. *Requirements have not been met. Unable to use the artifact¡¯s ability. *Requirements have not been met. Unable to inspect the details of the sacred artifact. ¡®[Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and [Yuchang Sword], huh? These two weapons alone are already better than most weapons used by yers,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he observed the sword with great interest. It would be rare to find a Celestial who had weapons forged by both Taotie the Devil cksmith and Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith. Anyone who decided to sell one of the ¡®Nine Fine Swords,¡¯ the swords that represented Ou Yezi, could name any price they wanted. In fact, many Celestials had waged a bloody war against each other using their apostles as proxies when the [Zhan Lu Sword], another of the Nine Fine Swords, had been found in Arcadia. ¡®By the end of that war, didn¡¯t two empires and six kingdoms end up falling?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he spun the sword. As he had only been an ordinary wandering mercenary, he had been unable to participate in that war, but he knew what kind of aftermath it had left. That one war had been more lethal than a gue. Despite that, it had ended abruptly because the [Zhan Lu Sword] was lost in the midst of the war, making it even worse. The incident had allowed Chang-Sun to estimate just how valuable the Nine Fine Swords were. ¡®I would never have thought of such a fine sword being used as a fire poker,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, shaking his head. However, another thought soon urred to him. ¡®Maybe they used the sword this way on purpose.¡¯ Among the Nine Fine Swords, the [Yuchang Sword] was the one that had been used most often to spill blood. The sword symbolized assassins who had killed numerous kings and heroes. It contained very powerful grudges, which meant it was called a cursed demon sword; its appearance had not been known, unlike the other Fine swords. However, it seemed almost as if the first Ou Yezi, the creator of the sword, had secretly spread the story on purpose. ¡®To think some people say that the first Ou Yezi was called the Divine cksmith because he didn¡¯t like bloodshed,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a grin. Although he was unsure whether it was the first Ou Yezi or one of his heirs, the Ou Yezi who had sessfully retrieved the [Yuchang Sword] had to have erased all the patterns on the de that could be used to identify it, then used it to tend the Divine Fire Brazier. That Ou Yezi had no doubt chosen the second best option due to being unable to destroy it. As time passed, the fact that their fire poker was in fact the [Yuchang Sword] had been forgotten even among the Ou Yezis. However, the sword¡¯s destiny had changed when it caught Chang-Sun¡¯s eye. Chang-Sun had once be so proficient in handling various kinds of weapons that he had even acquired a special trait, [King of Weapons]. During his ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ years, his only hobby had been collecting new weapons, so he naturally recognized the value of the [Yuchang Sword]. No matter how dull its edge had be, a fine sword would always remain a fine sword. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ grumbles about you grinning over strange things.] The childish Pabilsag, who only liked to hunt, continued toin as she had no eye for weapons. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ watches you in satisfaction.] Minerva appeared to have noticed something, but Chang-Sun was certain that she did not know the sword was the [Yuchang Sword], no matter how great a warring deity she was. ¡®If I can, it would be fun to collect all the Nine Fine Swords of Ou Yezi,¡¯ he thought. Although he was half-joking, he still felt as if it would be possible. His intuition told him that the connection he had formed with Ou Yezi¡¯s heir was strong. Squeak! The taxi just happened to arrive in front of Chang-Sun¡¯s apartment at that moment. He paid with his card, then got out of the vehicle. The sun was already setting, but Chang-Sun could not go home yet. Expressionless, he turned to look at the garden. There was no one there, only big trees and beautiful flowers; however, Chang-Sun stared at it with a sharp gaze, as if there were someone waiting there. ¡°Do you want something from me?¡± Chang-Sun called out clearly. ¡­ The trees just danced along the wind, and no one answered. [Equipped the ¡®me Tiger¡¯s Fang Chisel¡¯!] [Initiating attack.] Chang-Sun suddenly threw the icepick-like weapon he had made out of a boss monster¡¯s fang toward the garden. At first, there seemed to be no sign that somebody was present, but the air suddenly distorted as if a ghost had appeared. asssh! ¡°I was hiding, but how can you just attack first and ask questions second¡­?!¡± Woo Yeong-Geun, who had been using the Skill ¡®Concealment¡¯ to figure out Chang-Sun¡¯s ability, began to exim, but he had to stop when he saw Chang-Sun running toward him with a big ck dagger in his hand. Little did Yeong-Geun know that Chang-Sun was using [Viper Eyes]. Swooosh¨D! As the situation forced his hand, Yeong-Geun had to draw his [ck Pearl Scimitar]. It was his favorite weapon, and had enabled him to be one of the best swordsmen alive in Korea, ¡®ck Shamshir¡¯. aang! The heavy and rhythmic sound of swords shing against each other echoed through the apartmentplex. Paaah¨D! Seemingly having no intention of stopping, Chang-Sun continued to unleash quick sword strikes against Yeong-Geun. ng! sh! ng! Chang-Sun and Yeong-Geun exchanged several attacks in an instant. Whenever their swords shed with each other, Yeong-Geun felt Chang-Sun¡¯s sheer power through his fiercely shaking de, and his eyes widened in shock. ¡®How can a rookie¡¯s power¡­?!¡¯?Yeong-Geun thought, clenching his teeth. His level was overwhelmingly higher than Chang-Sun¡¯s, but Yeong-Geun was unsure whether he could overwhelm the man himself. That was how powerful Chang-Sun¡¯s sword attacks were, and they could even shake the [ck Pearl Scimitar]. On top of that, his strikes were quick and decisive. Yeong-Geun could not find any specific pattern in Chang-Sun¡¯s attacks, which meant his swordsmanship was not deep and systematic. It was a fighting style born of actualbat, used by mercenaries who earned their living by fighting. However, Yeong-Geun was certain that even a full cohort of mercenaries would be unable to win against Chang-Sun. No, it would be an insult to Chang-Sun to even imply that. Although Chang-Sun¡¯s swordsmanship was certainlymon and unsophisticated, Yeong-Geun did not see any unnecessary moves in his attacks. He finally realized that Chang-Sun¡¯s sword strikes had only one purpose¡ªto kill his enemy. He felt that only a person who had maximized the efficiency of his skills by honing them in countless battles would fight that way. Thus, Yeong-Geun had difficulty thinking of Chang-Sun as a rookie; normally, only first generation yers who had gone through countless hardships disyed such movements. As he had not used his sword for a long time, he was unsure whether he could subdue a fighter on Chang-Sun¡¯s level without leaving a scar on him. ¡®I provoked him to test his ability, but it seems I¡¯ll only make a fool of myself if I continue. I guess¡­ I have to get a little serious,¡¯ Yeong-Geun thought, feeling his heart pound for the first time in a very long time. Even though he knew that as a respected figure in society, it was inappropriate to behave that way against a rookie, he could not hold back any longer. ¡®I¡¯m going to be severely scolded by my niece, Yeong-Geun thought as he repeatedly apologized in his mind to his adorable niece, who had pestered him to recruit Chang-Sun by any means necessary. Shiinng¨D! Yeong-Geun flipped his [ck Pearl Scimitar] over, revealing his hidden weapon. He had decided to give the battle his all. [The scimitar calls forth ten thousand curved des!] Ziiinnnggg! Yeong-Geun¡¯s sword trembled fiercely as a powerful aura that could split the very air formed on its de. He thought to himself, ¡®I should be able to have a good fight with this rookie if I use this.¡¯ However¡­ aanngg! ¡­after a single sh between Yeong-Geun and Chang-Sun¡¯s des, Yeong-Geun instantly changed his mind, as a shiver ran down his spine and brought him back to his senses. ¡®Why have I been acting like such an idiot¡­?!¡¯ he thought, biting the inside of his cheek. He was here to recruit a rookie, not fight recklessly as he had once done in his youth. On top of that, he was in an apartmentplex where many people lived, and a fight between yers could cause a lot of damage to it. Hearing the sharp sounds of shing metal, several people from various units had already opened the windows and begun watching the two fight. Yeong-Geun could see that some had even tried to call the police. Yeong-Geun stepped back, making distance from Chang-Sun. Just as the sharp-eyed Chang-Sun was about to leap forward, he stuck the [ck Pearl Scimitar] in the asphalt below and held his hands up in surrender. Chang-Sun could no longer attack, and thus lowered his sword¡ªno, Yeong-Geun could not be sure whether to call it a dagger or a longsword. However, he remained tense, his gaze sharp. Yeong-Geun could tell that he could resume attacking at any moment if he needed to. ¡®Is he really a rookie? Damn, he seems more ferocious than most fighting dogs,¡¯ Yeong-Geun thought, slightly shaking his head. However, he had heard that Chang-Sun had gone through the Tutorial, which made Yeong-Geun think that it was quite believable for Chang-Sun to react that way. After all, the Tutorial given by capricious Celestials was like a natural disaster to most humans. Still, that was insufficient to answer his question as to where Chang-Sun had developed the sword skills of a truebatant. ¡°I apologize for unintentionally provoking you. I was just trying to test your ability¡­ but I suppose I got too excited and caused a big misunderstanding,¡± Yeong-Geun said. He apologized politely and even bowed, despite the fact that Chang-Sun was much younger than him. Knowing that Yeong-Geun was sincere, Chang-Sun loosened up, throwing [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] back into his inventory. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked, his tone full of hostility. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ yells about how you should teach the man who dared to attack you a lesson.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is looking forward to your fight.] Chang-Sun¡¯s rude tone got on Yeong-Geun¡¯s nerves, but he could not reveal his annoyance, as he had started the fight first. Yeong-Geun quickly pulled out a card holder from the inner pocket of his suit, then handed Chang-Sun his business card. After he read Yeong-Geun¡¯s business card, Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone with interest. He did not personally know Yeong-Geun, the Sword of Ohsung n¡¯s personnel director; however, he had heard about the n, which was the main rival of his target, the White Tiger n. ¡®The deity they serve is the ¡®Nameless Giant,¡¯ right?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he flipped over Yeong-Geun¡¯s business card. The deity¡¯s real name was Ueopwang, a wealth deity who was known to protect people¡¯s assets. However, the deity the n served was not particrly rted to the Zodiacs, whom Chang-Sun was trying to capture, which neabt Chang-Sun had not been paying much attention to them. Why would theye to him? ¡°I actually visited you today to recruit you to our n, Mr. Lee Chang-Sun,¡± Yeong-Geun said as he studied Chang-Sun¡¯s face. Once again, Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone with interest. ¡°I¡¯m not too happy about being abruptly provoked¡­ By the way, though, how did you find out about me¡­?¡± Chang-Sun replied, speaking more calmly because he felt that he no longer had to maintain his aggression. After all, he could not sense any hostility from Yeong-Geun, who seemed to be from a solid background. Of course, he did not let his guard down. Yeong-Geun smiled enigmatically and replied, ¡°It seems you do not know how famous you are. Well, I suppose it has not been long since the Jamsil Gate closed¡­ Apart from our n, I think many ns around the globe must be interested in you, Mr. Lee Chang-Sun.¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes sparkled. He had been on guard because he thought his involvement with the incident at the Bonghwasan Gate might have been discovered. It seemed he had been mistaken, however. He had known he would be famous after finishing the Tutorial in the Jamsil Gate, but the ns had reacted much faster than he expected. He had not expected their intelligence capabilities to be so good. ¡®I guess he isn¡¯t going to look down on me just because I¡¯m a yer,¡¯ he thought as he looked back at Yeong-Geun. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ angrily asks whether you are really going to let an enemy who provoked you go.] ¡°Although I would really like to talk with you about many things¡­ I made a big mistake today, so I will contact you again after you have calmed down enough. Of course, you are more than wee to call me first using the number on my business card,¡± Yeong-Geun said with a bow, bidding Chang-Sun farewell. Even though he sounded polite, it was clear that Yeong-Geun strongly believed that Chang-Sun would end up calling his number, showing how proud he was of his n. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is hopping mad, yelling that a person who is to be her apostle should never lose!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ criticizes her, telling her to do it herself if she wants the fight to continue.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ loses her temper, yelling at ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ that she might fight against him instead.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ smirks at ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯, urging her toe at him.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ runs amok, yelling that she will kill him and use his body to make a snake stew.] Ignoring Pabilsag and J?rmungandr¡¯s silly bickering, Chang-Sun idly yed with Yeong-Geun¡¯s business card after the man himself left. He had no ns to join the Sword of Ohsung n, but there seemed to be no harm in knowing there was another option. Yeong-Geun had provoked him, but he looked like a decent man. ¡®Anyway¡­ he¡¯s somewhat familiar,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, tilting his head in confusion because something was bothering him. Yeong-Geun did not look like a stranger to Chang-Sun, although he had no idea where he had met the man. After momentarily wondering if he had met Yeong-Geun before he went to Arcadia, he suddenly came back to reality as he realized something. ¡®Wait, if such a person came here¡­ Did he also enter my home? Shit!¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He moved quickly, as he had not been nning on telling his family about the fact that he had be a yer yet. ¡®They¡¯ll just worry about me a lot¡­!¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, clenching his teeth. ¡°Did you enjoy your jog, dear?¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s mother, So Yu-Ha, called out from the kitchen when Chang-Sun entered his home, as if she knew who had arrived just by his footsteps. ¡°Mom, just now¡­!¡± Chang-Sun quickly began. ¡°You have not eaten yet, have you? Wash your hands first ande sit here,¡± Yu-Ha gently said. Chang-Sun carefully walked toward the kitchen, thinking of how to exin the whole story. However, he btedly realized that his mother was much tougher than he had thought when he saw her cooking as usual. She did not look as if she had been shaken up one bit, meaning she trusted her youngest son more than anyone in the world. ¡°Do you want to talk to me about something?¡± Yu-Ha asked, looking in Chang-Sun¡¯s direction when she senses Chang-Sun watching her. ¡°Mom,¡± Chang-Sun began, looking at the floor. ¡°Yes, honey?¡± Yu-Ha said as she scooped rice into a bowl. ¡°I have something to tell you,¡± Chang-Sun said, only then his mother¡¯s eyes. That was when Chang-Sun made up his mind to tell his mother a little about himself, in order to ensure she would not worry too much about him. Still, he could not tell her all the details just yet. However¡­ He would tell her everything someday. * * * A month soon passed, and afterward the White Tiger n began to recruit new yers. It was finally time for Chang-Sun to make his move. 1. Ueopwang is a god who actually exists in Korean mythology, also known as Ueopwangsin (???) or Ueopsin (??). Chapter 30: Star, The Test (1)

Chapter 30: Star, The Test (1)

It happened long ago¡­ ¡°Whoa! You¡¯re young, but you already have the face of a killer,¡± an old man eximed. ¡°What¡¯s up with you, geezer? Get lost if you don¡¯t want to get killed,¡± Chang-Sun snapped, scowling at the old man. When he was involuntarily taken to Arcadia through a gate, Chang-Sun had not known anything, not even theirnguage. The only thing he could do was to pick up a spear from a pool of blood and swing it. Two years of fighting through that hell had made him hostile and belligerent by default. Respecting one¡¯s elders was a luxury on a battlefield, a ce where anyone could die the next day. A battlefield was a ce where people had to scream at the top of their lungs to be heard, and had to kill others by any means necessary in order to survive. Thus, Chang-Sun was displeased about being stopped abruptly in the midst of such a hell by an old man making such an ¡®evaluation¡¯ about him. ¡°Hahaha.¡± The old manughed gently. In truth, despite his gentle appearance, the old man had met all kinds of trash after spending fifty years on various battlefields. He excelled in no less than forcing such trash to be brand-new people. ¡°I see you also have no manners, child,¡± he remarked, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯re still talking? If you¡¯re just going to keep saying useless crap, get out of my way!¡± Chang-Sun snapped, shoving the man. ¡°I have no other choice, because you look as if you need a good beating. Let¡¯s talk after I¡¯m done beating you,¡± the old man said, smiling quietly. Smack! * * * Chirp! Chirp, chirp! ¡°¡­Why did I have that dream?¡± Chang-Sun thought, massaging his temples after waking up. Warm morning sunlight shone through the gap between his curtains, but he did not even notice it because he was preupied with his dream. That nostalgic memory was from Chang-Sun¡¯s early days in Arcadia, which he could barely remember. The old man, whom Chang-Sun had called ¡®Gramps¡¯ or ¡®Grandpa¡¯ until the end, had always been Chang-Sun¡¯s pir of strength in Arcadia, where Chang-Sun was a mere stranger. Gramps had been Chang-Sun¡¯s first proper martial arts teacher, a father figure who had prevented him from going down the wrong path in life, a colleague who had his back, and a friend whom he couldugh with. ¡®He had a really nasty personality,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, chuckling quietly. And¡­ Gramps was one of the reasons Chang-Sun had be ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯. As Gramps hady dying unjustly, he had passed his Guardian onto Chang-Sun. In that time, theplicated had broken out, a conflict that involved numerous apostles, deities, and stars. The events that had happened at the time were why Chang-Sun was even here today, and why he was about to do the things he nned to do. Perhaps everything that happened so far had stimted Chang-Sun¡¯s subconsciousness and made him dream about Gramps. Even after his regression, he was still having a hard time adjusting to the fact that there were parts about himself that he could not control, such as his subconsciousness and his dreams. The fact that he could not do so vaguely unsettled him. However, the dream was a little different. It only made him miss Gramps a great deal, giving him all the more reason to pull himself together. <3 p.m.: A job interview at the White Tiger n.> Ziinnng! Chang-Sun¡¯s smartphone vibrated as it showed him his schedule for the day. It was finally time to start his hunt. * * * ¡°Where are you going?¡± So Yu-Ha asked with a smile. It had been a month since Chang-Sun¡¯s regression. In all that time, he had woken up at regr times and never drank. Although he was still on awkward terms with his other family members, Yu-Ha looked at her youngest son very warmly. Perhaps it was partly because Chang-Sun had even started exercising regrly. ¡°I¡¯m going to the interview I told you about before,¡± Chang-Sun said as he put on his sneakers. ¡°Ah, right. Today was the day. But¡­ Are you going to the interview dressed like that?¡± Yu-Ha asked, looking at Chang-Sun in confusion after heading over to see him out. Chang-Sun had said that he was going to an interview, but he was wearing a ck hoodie and jeans as he carried a heavy gym bag on one shoulder. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s nning to be an ordinary security guard,¡± Lee Yu-Seon, Chang-Sun¡¯s sister who was eating breakfast, remarked with a smirk after ncing at Chang-Sun. ¡°Yu-Seon! How can you talk to your brother like that?!¡± Yu-Ha eximed, gaping. ¡°No one who¡¯s doing a job interview for an office job dresses like that,¡± Yu-Seon replied with a shrug. ¡°Still¡­!¡± Yu-Ha tried to protest. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out,¡± Chang-Sun said as he left quickly, sensing a long mother-and-daughter talk in the near future. However, Yu-Ha quickly followed him out, rushing to catch him before he entered the elevator. She slipped some money into Chang-Sun¡¯s hands. ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me allowance¡­¡± Chang-Sun trailed off. ¡°I¡¯m just giving this to you because I¡¯m proud of my youngest son. Eat something delicious and hang out with your friends after you¡¯re done with your job interview, okay?¡± Yu-Ha replied, tightly gripping Chang-Sun¡¯s hands. ¡°I will,¡± Chang-Sun said with a nod. ¡°Alright, have a fun day today. I love you,¡± Yu-Ha said, waving lightly to Chang-Sun. After bowing to his mother, Chang-Sun pressed the first floor button and replied, ¡°Yes, I will.¡± When the elevator door closed, he leaned against one of its walls. As he looked down at two 50,000 won bills, he thought, ¡®Love, huh¡­¡¯ Yu-Ha constantly cheered on her youngest son who had be a totally different person, saying she loved him and that she was forever on Chang-Sun¡¯s side. That was why Chang-Sun thought his regression was the best choice he had made over the past centuries, even though his siblings and father seemed to think that a leopard could never change his spots. He could not help but think there was a reason that he had seen Gramps in his dream. ¡®So,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, his eyes shining coldly for a moment. ¡®I should do well.¡¯ Ding! The elevator door opened. ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡± An apartment resident who happened to have been waiting for the elevator on the first floor turned pale when he met Chang-Sun¡¯s gaze, but Chang-Sun nonchntly passed by him. ¡°What¡¯s up with you? Wake up, Chan¡¯s dad!¡± a woman urgently called out to the other resident from behind Chang-Sun. Aftering to his senses, the resident looked back. However, Chang-Sun had already gotten into the taxi he had called, saying, ¡°Please take me to Seongsu Station.¡± * * * Chang-Sun did not head directly to Gangnam, where the White Tiger n¡¯s headquarters were. Instead, he nned to visit Choi Bu-Yong first, because he had finally received a message that Bu-Yong had finally finished making the items he had been eagerly waiting for. The taxi headed toward the Yeongdong Bridge on the Olympic Boulevard Expressway. As he watched the Hangang River through the window, Chang-Sun used his smartphone to check for important news on web portals the way he did every morning. He had never skipped a day of checking the news after he had regressed; it had gradually be a habit, because he could gain a lot of useful information bybining small pieces of information from the news. Such as¡­ After Chang-Sun finished ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb,¡¯ the press had been left in an uproar, much more fiercely than Chang-Sun had expected. The victims, whom Chang-Sun had brought out in advance, had managed to arrive at a nearby police station and ask for help without getting caught by the Highoff n¡¯s yers. As the press had already been abuzz with activity due to the recent Jamsil Gate incident, the addition of the Bonghwasan incident only added fuel to the fire. Before daybreak, the Council had already issued an emergency order and attacked the Highoff n¡¯s head office. ording to the news article, arge and intense battle had broken out, making the office copse; the people who lived nearby had needed to temporarily evacuate. However, there was another piece of news that caught Chang-Sun¡¯s eye. He scrolled down, thinking, ¡®The real problem is this part.¡¯ At first nce, the White Tiger n seemed to be actively cooperating with the Council along with the other ns because they were angry with the Highoff n, who had caused a social scandal. However, the whole situation sounded suspicious to Chang-Sun. ¡®They¡¯re acting too quickly, as if they had been waiting for this moment,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he leaned against the window. The White Tiger n had struck the Highoff n very quickly and harshly. As soon as the Council struck the Highoff n, the White Tiger n had immediately sent its Attack Teams, practically starting a full-scale war against the Highoff n. The White Tiger n¡¯s Attack Teams were already among the best in the world, but the n had also sent ¡®Smilodon¡¯, Attack Team 2 Leader Seo Jeong-Gwon; an eyewitness had reported that the Highoff n leader¡¯s head had been smashed in. Unlike the other ns who had half-heartedly helped the Council, trying to minimize the damage they would sustain, the White Tiger n did not appear to care about their potential losses; that meant the press and the public had begun speaking highly of them. ¡®It¡¯s nonsense,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, snorting as he read the news article. Chang-Sun knew more about Heoju, the ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯, than anyone else in the world. Despite his cruel and vicious personality, Heoju was a quick-witted opportunist who tried to avoid ever suffering a loss. Considering how each n took after its Guardian¡¯s personality, there was a high chance that the White Tiger n¡¯s ¡®righteous¡¯ side was a facade. In that case, why would the n react so dramatically? ¡®It only makes sense if the White Tiger n was secretly working with the Highoff n the entire time. They have to bury the skeletons in their closet somehow,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, tilting his head. However, Chang-Sun felt more as if the White Tiger n had been ¡®punishing¡¯ the Highoff n, not merely burying the truth. ¡®Is this also rted to them?¡¯?he thought, pulling out the ne he was wearing. On the end of the chain was the golden key he had taken out of ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb.¡¯ He had been trying to solve the mystery of the key for a month, but to no avail. Regardless, he was curious as to how the White Tiger n¡¯s executives would react if he showed the key to them. While he was lost in thought, the taxi had already reached the end of the Yeongdong Bridge. Chang-Sun scrolled down and checked other news articles. <¡°The Jamsil Gate was cleared by one person.¡± Who on earth is the mysterious man ¡®L¡¯, who has been mentioned again recently?> * * * ¡°¡­You¡¯re really here,¡± Bu-Yong said with a sigh. ¡°You look tired,¡± Chang-Sun said as he looked at Bu-Yong¡¯s face, which looked far more tanned¡ªno, tired¡ªthan before. When Chang-Sun spoke, Bu-Yong frowned deeply, as if he would scowl and shoot him a re if only he had eyes. Woof! Woof! Seemingly reading his owner¡¯s thoughts, Wilson, the seeing-eye dog, barked at Chang-Sun from beside Bu-Yong. Unlike Bu-Yong, Wilson had gained weight. ¡°Who do you think made me like this¡­?!¡± Bu-Yong hissed through gritted teeth. In truth, every one of Chang-Sun¡¯s requests and deadlines was ridiculous. Each and every request had unique characteristics, and it was difficult to get the necessary materials on the market. If not for the suppliers Bu-Yong¡¯s parents had told him about, he could not have even begun to make the weapons. ¡°Ha! Why am I wasting my breath?¡± Bu-Yong muttered, shaking his head. ¡°Where are they?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Here,¡± Bu-Yong replied, putting down the container he had been carrying on his back ever since Chang-Sun arrived. Thud! The container looked like an ordinary drawing tube, but it somehow let out a heavy metallic sound when Bu-Yong put it down. His blindness should have made it difficult for him to set the object down, but he handled it well, which indicated he was also a yer who knew how to use magic. Chang-Sun smiled faintly upon hearing the clear metallic tone that resembled a temple bell echoing throughout the forge. That sound meant the items within were sacred weapons. A very good weapon sounded different from an ordinary weapon. ¡°What about the properties I asked for?¡± Chang-Sun asked as he grabbed the container. ¡°You have eyes, don¡¯t you?¡± Bu-Yong retorted in annoyance, even though he knew Chang-Sun had only asked because he wanted an assessment from the items¡¯ creator. However, his tone was full of confidence. Chang-Sun opened the drawing tube up. It had three things inside: Two batons the size of human arms, and one twisted brown bracelet. ¡®This is¡­!¡¯?Chang-Sun quickly pulled out the two batons and lightly felt them. From the bnce to the material¡¯s sticity, everything was perfect. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ widens her eyes.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ lightly exims in awe of the weapons¡¯ quality.] Chang-Sun felt as if he were holding the old weapon he had used long ago. The batons were definitely new, but they felt incrediblyfortable in his hands, as if he had used them for a long time. After toying with the two batons for a while, Chang-Sunbined them using the joints on their ends and turned the weapon sideways. Click! When the two joints connected to each other, des emerged from either end of the newly-formed pole. ~ [Nameless Double Baton Spear] A long spear forged by Ou Yezi¡¯s heir for amission. The spear is usually used in the form of two batons or short spears, but they can bebined in times of need and used as a long spear. Apart from that function, other devices are installed in the spear, which means it will likely take the owner a long time to master it. ¡¤ Type: Long spear. Infantry weapon. ¡¤ Damage: 150~200 ¡¤ Effect: Piercing des. Stacking Damage. Blessing Amplification. *This artifact will belong to you indefinitely. If you give the spear to somebody else, the weapon¡¯s Effects may disappear. **The creator has not named the spear, so please give it a suitable name. Walking around casually, Chang-Sun thrust forward with the spear several times. Whenever he did so, the des spun fiercely with explosive noises. Boom! Boom! Booooom! [You have demonstrated outstanding spearmanship and achieved the exquisite principles of ¡®Thrusting¡¯, ¡®Cutting¡¯, ¡®Striking¡¯, and ¡®Binding¡¯.] [The Skill ¡®Lesser Spearmanship¡¯ has been created.] ¡­¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ widens her eyes after seeing your brilliant spearmanship.] ¡°It¡¯s really nice,¡± Chang-Sun said with augh after finishing his spearmanship demonstration. He felt that it was the loudestugh he had ever let out since his regression. That was how much he liked the spear¡ªno, he did not merely ¡®like¡¯ it. If he had not had [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] or the [Yuchang Sword], he would have used the spear as his primary weapon without a second thought. From top to bottom, the spear looked exactly like the blueprint Chang-Sun had handed to Bu-Yong. That fact alone was already incredible; it was never easy to satisfy Chang-Sun, who had previously earned a divine ss. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is surprised that a blind man can make such a high-quality weapon.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ is surprised that you have discovered such a talented craftsman.] ~ ¡°Are you a spearm¡­?!¡± Bu-Yong quickly asked. ¡°CEO,¡± Chang-Sun interrupted. ¡°¡­Is CEO a spearman?¡± Bu-Yong quickly changed his question because he wanted an answer badly, although he was baffled by Chang-Sun¡¯s stubbornness about strange things. Having spent a long time handling metals, Bu-Yong had realized how talented Chang-Sun was just by the sound. Chang-Sun was not just an exceptional yer, but also a talented martial artist. Bu-Yong felt that Chang-Sun was just as skilled as the Nine Swordsmen or the Six Pugilists, but he had known Chang-Sun to be a swordsman, not a spearman. ¡®The air around him changed the moment he grabbed the spear, though...¡¯?Bu-Yong thought. His confusion was understandable, because Chang-Sun had begun to look like a totally different person. ¡°I was,¡± Chang-Sun answered curtly, shrugging as if he had no intention to give Bu-Yong a full exnation. The fact that Gramps had been his first proper spearmanship teacher was his secret and his alone. 1. About $100 in US terms. 2. The raw used ¡®?? ??¡¯. Koreans often call people by their children¡¯s name. In English, it would be something like ¡®Hello, Oliver¡¯s mom!¡¯ 3. An area in Seoul 4. Like ¡®Ascension¡¯, these refer to specific Korean martial arts terms. The first three are fairly self-exnatory, while ¡®binding¡¯ or ¡®detainment¡¯ refers to making an opponent unable to disengage frombat by locking down their weapon. Chapter 31: Star, The Test (2)

Chapter 31: Star, The Test (2)

Choi Bu-Yong exined, ¡°As you can see, the spear is still missing a few things. I¡¯m still creating the other five des and devices.¡± The spear Chang-Sun had requested needed to be capable of changing into various forms; he had to be able to use his magic to transform the de into a hoko yari, a dagger-axe, a ive, and more, depending on what he needed. If an ipetent cksmith created the spear, it would just lookplicated and be sloppily put together, but Bu-Yong did not need to worry about any such thing. The blueprints drawn by Chang-Sun had been perfect, and Bu-Yong was confident in his talent. Besides, he had felt certain he was worthy of inheriting his father¡¯s name when he saw the result. The only thing hecked at the moment was time. ¡°So it¡¯s iplete,¡± Chang-Sun said as he skillfully spun the spear. ¡°Right, so I need more time,¡± Choi Bu-Yong replied with a nod. ¡°How much time do you need?¡± Chang-Sun asked. He readily agreed to give Bu-Yong more time, because he was more than satisfied with the current spear. The fact that it could not immediately be used in actualbat was disappointing, but he did not need it immediately. ¡°Half a year,¡± Bu-Yong said, holding up six fingers. ¡°What?¡± Chang-Sun asked with a frown when he heard the response, because he had previously given Bu-Yong a six-month deadline for the shield. ¡°I¡¯m saying that because there are some parts of the spear I want to improve in my own way. How does that sound¡­?¡± Bu-Yong quickly added, as if he were making excuses. Judging from how he trailed off, it seemed he was cautious around Chang-Sun. This time, Chang-Sun was the one to be surprised; he had not even considered editing the blueprints, thinking the designs were already perfect. However, they could potentially be better with Ou Yezi¡¯s touch, so Bu-Yong¡¯s offer naturally intrigued Chang-Sun. ¡®Maybe I can achieve [Spear Ocean] faster,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he looked at Bu-Yong. No matter how proficient he was in handling various weapons, it was possible that he was being too greedy by asking for another weapon, considering how he already had weapons like [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and the [Yuchang Sword], which he had not yet unlocked the hidden abilities for. Nevertheless, Chang-Sun had a good reason. Just as several conditions needed to be met to achieve the [Impervious Body], Chang-Sun had to fulfill several hidden conditions in order to achieve the [King of Weapons] trait. He had to unlock titles that could only be gained by mastering each weapon, such as [Saber Mountain], [Sword Forest], [Spear Ocean], [Fist Wind], [Poison Cloud], and [Whip Fire]. That was why he needed a special spear; he could not carry too many spears at once. ¡°I was actually shocked when I first inspected the blueprints using my skills. They looked like designs for mere toys at first nce, but the closer I looked, the more realistic and practical they appeared to be, making me feel more motivated as a cksmith. I want to make this even more perfect because I feel as if I can produce a masterpiece for the first time,¡± Bu-Yong said brightly. Chang-Sun could feel Bu-Yong¡¯s passion at that moment, burning as hotly as the Divine Fire Furnace. ¡°You can take the spear you¡¯re holding right now, since it¡¯ll be quite practical inbat, but bring it back to me every month or two. If I finish upgrading the spear three times, I guarantee it¡¯ll be much better than you could have expected,¡± Bu-Yong said, clenching his fists. As Bu-Yong was suggesting that course of action directly, Chang-Sun could hardly refuse. He nodded, making Bu-Yong smile. Judging from the man¡¯s expression, Chang-Sun was convinced Bu-Yong had not been lying when he said he had been motivated as a cksmith. Click, swish! After skillfully retracting the des built into the spear, Chang-Sun separated it once again into two batons and put them back in the drawing tube. It was finally time to check out the other weapon, which looked like a twisted bracelet. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ urges you to quickly check out the weapon.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ flicks his tongue.] The bracelet was the whip Chang-Sun had previously asked for. Just like the long spear that could be assembled, Chang-Sun had asked for it to look like an ordinary object when not in use. Wondering how well it would satisfy himpared to the previous weapon, Chang-Sun tightly gripped the bracelet. * * * A taxi arrived at the White Tiger n¡¯s head office, which was located in Teheran-ro. ¡°It¡¯s 22,000 won,¡± the taxi driver recited in a monotone. With the rattling drawing tube on his shoulder, Chang-Sun got out of the taxi, muttering to himself, ¡°¡­There are too many people.¡± [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ nods in agreement with you.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ tilts her head in confusion because she is unsure why you are here.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ advises you to leave this ce, as it is a bad-tempered monster deity¡¯s home base.] Just as Chang-Sun had said, the vacant lot in front of the building was packed full of people. All of them looked different; some were covered with expensive-looking pieces of equipment, while others dressed inly, only holding swords or spears. There was also one person sitting in the lotus position, meditating. They were all yers who had applied for the White Tiger n¡¯s job posting. ¡®Well, bing a yer was one of the few chances people had to begin turning their lives around even before I left,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a shrug. Considering that, joining the White Tiger n would mean someone had already begun to change their life for the better. ¡®Most people don¡¯t know it¡¯s a starting point, though,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Unlike other ns that operated more like closed religious groups, the White Tiger n was more like a group of mercenaries, allowing yers with Guardians other than Heoju to join their ranks. From Chang-Sun¡¯s perspective, most of the gathered yers were mere small fry. If they ended up in Arcadia, they would be eaten by monsters, unable tost more than a few days. Only a few of them had caught his eye; a mere three or four seemed to have useful or promising talent, leading him to assume that they would be the ones who were ultimately hired. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ awaits your answer.] ¡®Will there be strong people in the n?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Woo Yeong-Geun, whom he had met a month prior, came to mind. The White Tiger n was a bigger n than the Sword of Ohsung n, which meant it had to have stronger people. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is mad because you keep ignoring her!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ angrily asks whether you are nning to reject her offer and be another deity¡¯s apostle.] In the meantime, Pabilsag had lost her temper after btedly realizing Chang-Sun¡¯s ns. She had been wooing Chang-Sun in order to make him her apostle for the past month, but Chang-Sun had not budged. Thus, she naturally felt that it was unfair to see him visiting another deity. The other deities¡¯ reactions were no different. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ asks why you are trying to befriend a low-ranking monster deity.] [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ awaits your answer.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ says she will cheer you on until the end, even though she is saddened by your choice.] Unlike the short-tempered Pabilsag who was throwing a tantrum, J?rmungandr assumed Chang-Sun was plotting something, as he had been unable to figure out what Chang-Sun was up to the entire time. Mephistopheles still seemed to be indifferent to Chang-Sun¡¯s intentions, on the other hand. Minerva quietly cheered for Chang-Sun as if they shared blood. At this point, Chang-Sun was amazed by the fact that such different deities were all watching him. ¡®Anyway, where¡¯s the Daedong Building?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he looked around. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is depressed because you are not listening to her.] Still ignoring Pabilsag, Chang-Sun was about to search for the interview venue when a woman carefully approached him and asked, ¡°Are you¡­ Are you Mr. Lee Chang-Sun?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Surprised, Chang-Sun looked in her direction. He saw an unfamiliar woman in her early twenties with a short hairstyle that suited her well. ¡°You seem to be Lee Chang-Sun¡­ You¡¯re him, right?¡± the woman asked as she cautiously observed Chang-Sun. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Lee Chang-Sun, but who are you¡­?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Wow! Woah! I never thought I would meet the T-Tyrant here! I¡¯m so d to meet you, as a fan of yours!¡± the woman shrieked, sounding like any fan who had met their idol on the street. Chang-Sun smiled bitterly. If there was one thing he had been unable to get used to in the past month, it was the fact that quite a few people recognized him when he walked through the streets. It had been a long time since he was a professional gamer; he remembered very little of those years, partly because he had tried to forget the terrible end his career hade to. However, to the people on Earth, his retirement had been a mere year or two prior, which meant that the people who recognized him were very d to meet him. ¡®That was why I wore a hoodie, but maybe I was toocent,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he pulled down his hood. He hated interacting with strangers who pushed their unwanted sense of nostalgia on him. Perhaps Chang-Sun¡¯s reluctance showed on his face, as his fan noticed that something was wrong and calmed herself down. She covered her mouth, mumbling carefully, ¡°Did I make a mistake¡­?¡± ¡°The first test is about to begin! Move to the appropriate sector in ordance with your interview number, which we have distributed online in advance!¡± a White Tiger n staffer called out. ¡°I see the test is about to start. I wish you luck in your interview,¡± Chang-Sun quickly said. ¡°Pardon? Ah, yeah! I hope you also get hired, Mr. Chang-Sun!¡± the fan replied, holding her hands together. ¡°Thank you,¡± Chang-Sun replied, nodding slightly in the fan¡¯s direction before walking away. His interview number was 1,031, which meant he had to go to Sector C. * * * ¡°What¡¯s up with that prick? I can tell from his white face that he¡¯s never fought in his life, but why does he look so confident?¡± a man remarked with a look of disdain. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t insult my oppa! He may look that way, but he has many emotional scars¡­!¡± his female twin replied, fervently defending Chang-Sun. ¡°Oppa? Opppaaa? You always call me ¡®you¡¯ or ¡®hey¡¯ even though I¡¯m actually your older brother!¡± her brother replied. The leader of Team ¡®Adios¡¯, Kim Hyeong-Jun, frowned as he watched his twin team members. Shin Eun-Seo, the female twin, had never shown any interest in him even though they had gone on several raids, had drinks, and eaten together; and yet, she had suddenly begun to disy an interest in another man. ¡°If you want me to call you oppa, then be handsome like him! You look like a piece of dried squid that somebody chewed and spat out,¡± Eun-Seo retorted before looking away. ¡°What? Dried squid? Are you kidding me?¡± her brother eximed, standing up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯m serious! What about it?!¡± Eun-Seo shot back, ring at her twin. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk. You look as if you¡¯re holding a stuffed bun in each cheek,¡± the male twin retorted, poking Eun-Seo¡¯s forehead with a finger. ¡°Hey! I told you not to talk about my cheeks!¡± Eun-Seo protested, pping her brother¡¯s hand away. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t hear you,¡± her brother said, sticking his tongue out. ¡°Ugh! I¡¯m going to kill him¡­!¡± Eun-Seo grumbled, standing up from her seat as well. ¡°Woah, woah! Why don¡¯t you two both stop fighting? By the way, do you know that man who showed up just now?¡± Hyeong-Jun asked Eun-Seo after trying to calm the pair down as gently as possible, wanting to find out the man¡¯s identity. ¡°Ah, are you talking about my oppa?¡± Eun-Seo replied with a smile after sitting back down. ¡°Your¡­ oppa?¡± Hyeong-Jun asked gently, although he was gritting his teeth. ¡°Do you not know him? The Tyrant from STband?¡± Eun-Seo asked in surprise. ¡°Ah! He was a professional gamer, right?¡± Hyeong-Jun asked, btedly realizing who Chang-Sun was. Unlike most ordinary men, Hyeong-Jun was uninterested in games, but he knew who Chang-Sun was. Although he was unsure how good a professional gamer Chang-Sun had been, Chang-Sun had shot manymercials due to his looks, as he was more handsome than most actors; thus, he had garnered many female fans around the world. However, Chang-Sun had created many scandals due to his self-righteous personality and nasty tongue. Thus, it was no surprise that he looked somewhat familiar to Hyeong-Jun, who wondered why such a person had shown up. ¡°I was really worried about him because I heard he became really dejected after his team was disbanded and he was forced to retire,¡± Eun-Seo said as she leaned back in her chair. ¡°Hey! Worry about our parents like¡­! Arrrrgh!¡± Shin Geum-Gyu, the male twin, began to tease Eun-Seo, but she stomped down hard on his foot. Eun-Seo continued, ¡°Anyway, I never thought I would run into him like this! He¡¯s clearly been preparing to be a yer. He¡¯s definitely my Tyrant! He never gives up!¡± ¡°Ah, she became a lunatic again. Hyeong-Jun, don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s always a sucker for handsome men. She¡¯s one crazy fan. Aren¡¯t you, Crazy? Arrrgh! Stop stepping on my foot!¡± Geum-Gyu yelled. Although Hyeong-Jun smiled at the bickering Shin siblings, he was seething with anger. ¡®His name¡¯s Lee Chang-Sun, right? How dare someone who spent his life just ying games in his room just apply for the White Tiger n like this? I¡¯ll teach him a lesson so he can know his ce,¡¯ he thought, quietly clicking his tongue. If Hyeong-Jun demonstrated that he was overwhelmingly stronger than Chang-Sun in the yer tryouts, Eun-Seo would surely look at him in a different light. He clenched his fists at the thought of it. Just then, Hyeong-Jun coincidentally saw Chang-Sun approaching a magic testing device, which could ssify people based on the amount and output of their magic. ¡®It hasn¡¯t been long since he retired as a professional gamer. Then, there should be no need to¡­!¡¯ Hyeong-Jun thought, but he was suddenly interrupted. Right as Chang-Sun put his hand on the machine and released his magic¡­ Booooom! ¡­the device immediately exploded with a loud bang, filling the room with clouds of smoke and an acrid smell. ¡°...!¡± ¡°...!¡± ¡°...!¡± Everyone present, from the supervisor and the applicants who were taking the test all the way down to Hyeong-Jun, received the shock of their life. 1. a region in Seoul. 2. The term literally means ¡®older brother¡¯, but Koreans often call attractive men ¡®Oppa¡¯ as a term of endearment regardless of age. Chapter 32: Star, The Test (3)

Chapter 32: Star, The Test (3)

Boom! Rumbbbleee¨D! ¡°Huh, is that sound from Sector C again?¡± ¡°What the¡­?! What kind of monster is he?¡± ¡°Where did hee from?¡± ¡°We still have to wait for our turn, so do you want to go and watch?¡± Several people busily talked among themselves. During the yer auditions, the White Tiger n¡¯s Daedong Building was usually quiet, as the people inside were all nervous. However, it seemed the current auditions were different due to a suspicious(?) applicant who had appeared in Sector C. The ¡®Tyrant¡¯ Lee Chang-Sun, a former world-ss professional gamer, had caused a sensation. After the magic testing device used for the first test exploded, the exam staff had hurriedly brought another machine, thinking the previous one might have malfunctioned. However, they btedly realized the magnitude of the situation, as the recement magic testing device also exploded. The devices they used during the test were for novice yers whose levels were under 30. They would easily malfunction if they were infused with magic beyond their capacity. That meant Chang-Sun was an intermediate-rank yer who was above Level 30¡ªno, the exam staff expected that he had to be at least Level 40, as the device had exploded. They were unsure why such a talented yer had applied via the new employee recruitment process, not the one for experienced employees. Regardless, they brought a more advanced testing device that could disy both the yer¡¯s level and magic ss, thinking there had to be a reason for the explosions. However, when the new device showed Chang-Sun¡¯s test results, they were left gaping. As it turned out, all their expectations were wrong. ¡°W-What? 25¡­?¡± ¡°Did you see his grade¡­?!¡± ¡°Shit, shit! We can¡¯t handle this on our own! The Section Chief¡­ No, call the Department Head right now! Come on!¡± The exam staff fell into chaos, because they had previously expected Chang-Sun to be a yer in the Level 40 range, or even a ranker in the Level 50 range who had hidden his level. And yet, a novice yer who had not even reached Level 30 had pulled off something unbelievable. On top of that, his Magic Grade, which referred to his magic¡¯s purity and efficiency, was not just SSS-Grade. It had three pluses in the end. Even the ¡®Duke-ss¡¯ or ¡®King-ss¡¯ high rankers only had SSS-Grade at most. That was not all, however. There was still a possibility that the device had failed to urately measure Chang-Sun¡¯s Magic Grade due to the device¡¯s limits. Chang-Sun¡¯s magic ss could be EX-Grade or R-Grade, which were known as ¡®exceptions¡¯. Naturally, the testing site was in an uproar, which meant the staff in Sector C had to stop the test in order to urately figure out what had happened. After hearing the news, several White Tiger n¡¯s executives had arrived in Sector C to observe Chang-Sun. Sector C became Chang-Sun¡¯s personal testing site, and the other applicants in Sector C were sent to other sectors. The second and third test results were no different from the first test: The power and speed testing devices both gave Chang-Sun a perfect score. The device they used for the third test, which was about testing the yer¡¯s reflexes, overloaded in a burst of white smoke. Just then, he even passed the fourth test easily. Sector C was soon surrounded by a group of spectators, as the rumors about Chang-Sun spread through the entire Daedong Building. ¡°Isn¡¯t he the Tyrant?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m sure of it, because a person who¡¯s that handsome is rare.¡± ¡°I heard he became an alcoholic¡­ What on earth happened to him?¡± ¡°Man, you¡¯re naive. How can you believe that, you idiot? Maybe someone spread that rumor to hide the fact that he was getting trained by an expensive private coach.¡± ¡°Shit! He¡¯s handsome, a great gamer, rich, and his ss is¡­! I envy him so much.¡± ¡°You skipped one thing.¡± ¡°What did I skip?¡± ¡°He¡¯s popr among women.¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s one gifted bastard.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a bastard who¡¯s gifted with everything.¡± After some time passed, the spectators began having increasingly ridiculous conversations. Perhaps they would have been jealous if Chang-Sun had only been a moderately better yer; however, the gap between Chang-Sun and them was simply too wide, rendering them unable to even think about being jealous. Instead, they med their misfortune of happening to take the test on the same day as a person with overwhelming talent. ¡°Damn! Why did I apply for the same job posting as him¡­?! I¡¯ll only look worse than him.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m fucked. This is already my fifth time applying for the White Tiger n. My parents will kick me out of the house if I don¡¯t get hired this time, too¡­¡± Some people had already given up on the test and begun filming Chang-Sun¡¯s test with their smartphones. Others had begun calling broadcasting stations and newspaperpanies, tipping them off. Perhaps the whole world would be stirred up the next morning, as many news articles and broadcasts reported the return of a fallen genius. Considering how the Highoff n scandal had provoked outrage around the world, people would be d to read news articles about the birth of a new hero. However, the applicants did not realize just how great Korea¡¯s information technology was. Information spread even faster in Korea than they thought. <¡®Tyrant¡¯ Lee Chang-Sun¡¯s sensational return!> While checking multiple web portals, an applicant saw the name ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ in the real-time search rankings and yelled, ¡°News articles about him are already up!¡± * * * ¡°Huh? Why is it so noisy around here?¡± The ¡®Smilodon¡¯, Attack Team Two Leader Seo Jeong-Gwon muttered with a frown as he observed the noisy scene outside. He had stayed up all night to chase down the Highoff n¡¯s remnants, then had to go directly to the office in order to report to his superiors without a moment¡¯s rest. The long night left him on edge; if he could do as he pleased, he would barge into the Daedong Building and teach the rowdy crowd a lesson. However, he could not do that; if he did, people would brand him a demon, condemning him instead of the Highoff n. ¡°A super rookie has shown up at the interview, so Executive Director Oh and Director Kim are watching the rookie¡¯s test,¡± Jeong-Gwon¡¯s subordinate reported with a bow. The moment Jeong-Gwon heard the names of Executive Director Oh and Director Kim, his eyes shot open and he became fully alert. The two were the very people he had been waiting for, being part of his faction and equally prominent figures in the White Tiger n. ¡°Why are those two taking interest in the test?¡± Jeong-Gwon asked, tilting his head. ¡°Do you remember Lee Chang-Sun?¡± his subordinate asked. ¡°Lee Chang-Sun? Lee Chang-Sun¡­ I think I¡¯ve heard that name from somewhere¡­¡± Jeong-Gwon muttered, stroking his chin. ¡°He is the rookie you waited for with ck Shamshir and Iron Witch a month ago,¡± his subordinate exined. ¡°Ah, the guy from the Jamsil Gate?¡± Jeong-Gwon replied with a nod. ¡®ck Shamshir¡¯ was Woo Yeong-Geun from the Sword of Ohsung n, and ¡®Iron Witch¡¯ was Cha Ye-Eun from the Council. As it was rare for the three, who were on bad terms, to sit in the same room, Jeong-Gwon remembered the moment vividly. ¡°We were going to recruit him, but we couldn¡¯t do much because the Highoff n bastards happened to cause trouble, right? Well, what about him?¡± Jeong-Gwon asked, scratching his head. ¡°He has applied for the current yer audition,¡± his subordinate calmly said. Jeong-Gwon was dumbfounded at first, but he soon broke intoughter. ¡°What? Hahahaha!¡± The Jamsil Gate had contained the Tutorial that attracted many Celestials¡¯ attention, and in that Tutorial, Chang-Sun had gotten a perfect score. Among the ns¡¯ executives, the fact that Chang-Sun was the mysterious ¡®L¡¯ of urban legends was no longer a secret. That meant considering Chang-Sun a mere ¡®rookie¡¯ could only be a gross underestimation. Jeong-Gwon was unsure who had actually attempted to recruit Chang-Sun, but he was certain that many ns had tried to headhunt him. From what he had heard after he returned from Chang-Sun¡¯s home, the White Tiger n¡¯s Guardian ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ had taken an interest in Chang-Sun. Jeong-Gwon¡¯s superiors had sent him to recruit Chang-Sun for that reason. However, the White Tiger n had needed to stop their attempts to recruit him, because the incident from the Bonghwasan Gate had been exposed to the public. They had been too busy pursuing the vanquished Highoff n¡¯s yers in order to destroy any evidence. The White Tiger n had thought recruiting Chang-Sun was a lost cause, and yet Chang-Sun had voluntarily applied for the n¡¯s job posting. The absurdity of the situation made Jeong-Gwonugh incessantly, clearly imagining the Personnel Department¡¯s ordinarily cocky members panicking. He remarked, ¡°They must have freaked out.¡± They were no doubt busy sorting things out, as a man who would be treated like royalty in any n had shown up. ¡°What are the test results?¡± Jeong-Gwon asked, crossing his arms. ¡°They¡¯re all perfect scores. And his Magic Grade is SSS with three pluses,¡± his subordinate cautiously said. ¡°What?¡± Jeong-Gwon eximed, hisughter suddenly ceasing. He had never once seen a yer with an SSS+++ Magic Grade. Continuing his report, his subordinate said, ¡°So they are nning to test his Magic Grade again after he finishes all the other tests.¡± With the gaze of a tiger observing its prey, Jeong-Gwon stroked his chin and smiled intimidatingly as he asked, ¡°But how did no one know that Chang-Sun had applied for the White Tiger n?¡± ¡°Executive Director Oh already turned the Personnel Department upside down regarding that matter. It seems someone omitted the report,¡± his subordinate said with a shrug. ¡°I guess that''s why they¡¯rete today,¡± Jeong-Gwon muttered with a nod, finally understanding why he had been neglected for over an hour. It seemed that one of the Personnel Department Section Chiefs had omitted the report due to ipetence or jealousy; Jeong-Gwon felt that the person responsible would no doubt go through hell. ¡°I have no other choice,¡± Jeong-Gwon said, suddenly standing up as if he had decided on something. His surprised subordinate asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to see this Lee Chang-Sun guy with my own eyes,¡± Jeong-Gwon replied with a grin. ¡°But Executive Director Oh and Director Kim wille here soon¡­!¡± his subordinate protested, trying to stop him. ¡°No, they¡¯re only going to be avable in thete afternoon to hear my report, judging from how things are turning out,¡± Jeong-Gwon said, firmly shaking his head. ¡°Ah¡­¡± his subordinate muttered, stepping aside. ¡°And¡­¡± Jeong-Gwon began, his eyes shining brightly as his subordinate watched him in confusion. Jeong-Gwon continued with a grin, ¡°I have to snatch him away before anyone else does, don¡¯t I?¡± * * * [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ pompously says that you are definitely her diamond after seeing how many people are paying attention to you.] Pabilsag, who had been worrying anxiously about Chang-Sun making Heoju his Guardian, was puffed up with pride as if she were Chang-Sun himself. ¡®Is she just simple-minded or an attention seeker?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought,ughing dryly as he observed Pabilsag while preparing for thest test. Arge, open space surrounded by fences had been prepared in Sector C, where Chang-Sun was waiting alone. Behind the fences, many spectators stood watching. On the far side of the sector, designated seats had been prepared for several threatening-looking men. ¡®They¡¯re Heoju¡¯s ws and fangs,¡¯?Chang-Sun realized. Each one of the men was as ferocious as a beast. With Heoju as their Guardian, they worked voluntarily as his loyal servants, meaning they were the people Chang-Sun had to fight and kill. ¡®It¡¯s not going to be easy.¡¯ That was the first thought that crossed Chang-Sun¡¯s mind; Heoju¡¯s servants looked more ferocious than he had expected. Although he had fought in wars against numerous apostles and priests in Arcadia, Heoju¡¯s servants looked even stronger than those foes. However, Chang-Sun was unsure whether that was because yers on Earth were generally strong, or because the yers of the White Tiger n were simply talented. It seemed Chang-Sun would need a lot of time to hunt down every yer in the White Tiger n, but¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ observes you with interest.] ¡­Chang-Sun did not fail to notice the air above the heads of Heoju¡¯s servants being distorted, taking the shape of a tiger. Heoju was watching Chang-Sun through his priests¡¯ eyes; he was intrigued by the super rookie who had voluntarilye to him. ¡®Then I''ll have to fulfill his expectations,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought with a faint smile. As he had been nning to monopolize Heoju¡¯s attention to begin with, he had to show off all he had. Thump! Chang-Sun finally put down the drawing tube he had never opened previously, making a loud sound. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ assumes you are plotting something.] After reading J?rmungandr¡¯s message, Chang-Sun turned and informed a staffer, ¡°I¡¯ll take the test right away.¡± Wiping away the sweat dripping down his cheeks with a handkerchief, the staffer nodded. As a low-level employee, he felt incredibly tense; the n¡¯s executives, whom he had previously been watching from afar, were looking in his direction. Apart from the n Leader ¡®Sword Sky Tiger¡¯, Executive Director Oh and Director Kim were the most influential people in the White Tiger n. The staffer trembled as he stuttered, ¡°Y-You¡¯re going to hunt a monster for thest test. You can choose any monster you want, such as a Red Orc or a Twin Head Ogre. Then, I¡¯ll summon it here and you¡¯ll have to fight it one-on-one.¡± Two yers in the Level 20 range were needed to hunt a Red Orc, and a Twin Head Ogre could only be killed by four to five yers in the Level 30 range. They were normally found as boss monsters in Dungeons. No one could kill such monsters one on one; thus, the purpose of the final test was to demonstrate yers¡¯ ability and talent to the fullest extent. If the applicants seemed to be in mortal danger, the Attack Team Members on standby would be dispatched immediately, which meant there was nothing to worry about. Of course, Chang-Sun had no intention of finishing the test in an ordinary manner. He wanted to put on a more brilliant and astonishing disy than anyone else. ¡°Are those the only monsters you have?¡± Chang-Sun asked, as if the monsters the staffer had mentioned were insufficient. The staffer immediately looked at his superior who was right beside him, silently asking whether to grant Chang-Sun¡¯s request. Regardless of Chang-Sun¡¯s SSS+++ Magic Grade, a Level 25 yer could not possibly fight against monsters stronger than the previously mentioned ones, especially not one-on-one. However, his superior nodded, seemingly telling him to do as Chang-Sun wanted. They had no other choice, because too many people were watching. In the end, the staffer turned pale and answered haltingly, ¡°The strongest monster we can summon right now¡­ is a Drake¡­¡± ¡°Then I choose to summon a Drake.¡± Chang-Sun answered firmly, leaving the spectators surprised. Even though Drakes were low-rank dragon-type monsters with minimal intelligence, a dragon-type monster was still a dragon. Even the experienced yers in the Level 40 range had to study the geographical features of any territory where Drakes lived before trying to hunt them one on one; why was Chang-Sun requesting such a monster? The Drake could break away and run toward a crowded ce, causing a disaster. That fact alone made Chang-Sune across as incredibly arrogant, but his confidence was undeniable. Thinking things would somehow work out, as the n¡¯s executives were in the testing area, the staffer summoned the monster Chang-Sun wanted. Paaah¨D! The magic circle on the floor turned blue. Thud¡­! A five-meter-tall Drake fell from the sky, making the ground shake fiercely. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing a Drake with my own eyes.¡± ¡°How on earth is he nning to catch that?¡± The spectators spoke energetically among themselves. The Drake seemed to have been summoned in the middle of its meal. Its mouth was smeared with blood and flesh, distinctly revealing its violent temper. Gradually realizing the situation it was in as it heard the noiseing from its surroundings, the Drake roared up toward the ceiling. Roooaaar! The monster then began charging toward Chang-Sun. Thump, thump, thump¨D! [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ wants to test your ability!] ¡®Come,?Heoju,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he looked at the Drake. His eyes shone coldly as he grabbed the drawing tube on the floor. Chapter 33: Star, The Test (4)

Chapter 33: Star, The Test (4)

Chang-Sun merely stood still until the Drake was practically right in front of his face. If not for his sharp gaze, the onlookers would have taken his response for a panic attack. ¡°W-Will he be okay if he does nothing?¡± ¡°That looks too dangerous.¡± The spectators were left surprised and perplex. Even the executives were shocked, wondering what to do. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ doubts you for not moving at all.] The Drake¡¯s jaws opened wide, revealing its sharp fangs. It seemed as if it would tear apart Chang-Sun at any moment. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is certain that you are going to die.] ¡®Now!¡¯?Chang-Sun yelled in his mind. Whirl¨D! He swiftly twisted the drawing tube open, and the spectators saw something flying into the air. Stab, stab¨D! Squuuiirrrt! Two rays of light, moving so quickly they were invisible to the naked eye, dug into the Drake¡¯s eyes when it was merely two meters away from Chang-Sun. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± At first, the spectators¡¯ eyes widened in surprise, as they were unable to understand the situation. The gigantic Drake suddenly came to a halt, losing its bnce and falling over sideways with both eyes erupting into fountains of blood. Only then did the spectators realize what had happened. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°W-What was that?¡± ¡°When did he¡­?!¡± They all shouted in astonishment. Roooarrr! With a short spear in each eye, the Drake roared in pain. Its eyes werepletely destroyed, leaving it blind. None of the spectators had seen what Chang-Sun did, leaving them shocked. They were not the only ones to be surprised, however; even the n executives, who were watching from the far end, were taken aback. ¡°Team Leader Park! Was that¡­?¡± one of the executives¡¯ subordinates quickly asked. ¡°You¡¯re right. He¡¯s really fast and has good aim for a yer at that level. I think he would be good with a bow too,¡± Attack Team 1 Leader Park Sang-Ho remarked, bursting intoughter. The White Tiger n¡¯s Attack Teams were under the n Leader¡¯s direct supervision, which meant the Attack Team Leaders were all treated as executives. Sang-Ho was a founding member of the White Tiger n, who assisted the n Leader ¡®Sword Sky Tiger¡¯ and Executive Director Oh. Naturally, that meant he was influential in the n, and yet a person of his stature wasughing. Heughed for the simple fact that he too would have failed to follow Chang-Sun¡¯s movements if he had not strengthened his vision with magic. ¡°It looks like¡­¡± Sang-Ho began after calming down with great difficulty. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°...I need to have him,¡± Sang-Ho dered, grinning in satisfaction. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Upon hearing that statement, the other executives started to think quickly. Meanwhile¡­ Whoosh, whoosh¨D! Chang-Sun moved with great agility, avoiding the Drake as it went on a rampage. When the Drake turned, revealing its weak spot, Chang-Sun infused his magic into the bracelet on his right hand. Click! With a sound that resembled a lock opening, the bracelet unraveled strand by strand, elongating into several thin and tough leather cords that touched the floor. ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°He has another weapon in addition to the spears¡­?¡± The spectators¡¯ eyes widened again when Chang-Sun revealed his new weapon. [Nameless Nine-Tail Whip] A whip forged by Ou Yezi¡¯s heir for amission. The item normally appears to be a bracelet, but it can transform into a whip when infused with the owner¡¯s magic. Nine small whips were woven into one to make this whip, which means it will likely be difficult to master. ¡¤ Type: Whip. Infantry weapon. ¡¤ Damage: 100~??? ¡¤ Effect: Multi-Hit. Stacking Damage. Curse Strengthening. *The artifact will belong to you indefinitely. If you give the spear to somebody else, the weapon¡¯s Effects might disappear. **The creator has not named the whip, so please give it a suitable name. When Chang-Sun first received the whip from Choi Bu-Yong, he had been more surprised than when he received the two short spears. ¡®I never thought theplete method to forge soft steel would have been passed down to Bu-Yong.¡¯ In truth, the whip Chang-Sun had requested was strange; the difficulty of making it depended on the cksmith. If an ipetent cksmith were to weave nine whips into one, it could simply end up too thick to be useful in realbat. However, Bu-Yong had sessfully made the whip¡¯s frame using a unique method that had been passed down to Ou Yezi¡¯s heirs for generations. After that, he had managed to use the entirety of the me Tiger¡¯s skin provided by Chang-Sun when making the weapon, creating the perfect infantry weapon. Naturally, Chang-Sun was veryfortable with the whip as if he had been using one for a very long time, just as with the two short spears. Whoosh! Chang-Sun swung his whip powerfully toward the Drake¡¯s head. When it heard the weapon¡¯s sharp crack, the Drake tried to pull its head back; however, before it could get out of the way, Chang-Sun separated the whip into two strands that coiled around the two ends of the short spears in the Drake¡¯s eyes. Chang-Sun yanked hard, sending the spears flying through the air along with the Drake¡¯s ruined eyeballs. Roooaar! The pain the Drake felt from having its eyes pulled out was much greater than what it had felt upon their destruction. As it howled and writhed, Chang-Sun jumped into the air, snatching the two spears andbining them into one. ck! When the two joints interlocked with each other, the de in the spear¡¯s rear end retracted, and the one in its front end lengthened. From an ordinary long spear, it had instantly turned into a ive. Pointing the spear downward, Chang-Sun drove it into the Drake¡¯s nape. Stab! Squirt! The spear embedded itself into a part of the Drake¡¯s neck that was not covered in scales with such force that half of the de disappeared into the monster¡¯s body. Roaaaarr! Trying to shake Chang-Sun off its nape somehow, the Drake writhed violently and spun its tail fiercely like a cow trying to force a fly off its back. However, Chang-Sun had already finished preparing his next attack, pulling out his spear and retreating far away from the Drake. Swoosh, swoosh! sh, sh, sh¨D! Stab! Swiftly avoiding the Drake¡¯s attacks, Chang-Sun continued to unleash perfect attack after perfect attack, only striking the monster¡¯s joints that remained unprotected by its scales. Roar! Roaaar! Several woundsrge and small appeared on the Drake¡¯s body, causingrge pools of its blood to gather on the floor. The spectators could hear Chang-Sun¡¯s footsteps sshing through the blood as he ran swiftly across the floor. ¡°Un-Unbelievable!¡± ¡°What are those weapons?¡± ¡°How can a Level 25 yer be that fast¡­¡± ¡°Every hit effect from his attacks is gold! Wait, doesn¡¯t that mean all of his attacks are critical hits? Is he really a human?¡± ¡°M-Monster¡­!¡± The spectators gaped. The sound of Chang-Sun¡¯s steps was like the footfalls of the Grim Reaper, both to the Drake and the audience watching the one-sided massacre. As the Drake¡¯s body was increasingly covered with cuts, it became slower and slower. [The Skill ¡®Blood Toxin¡¯ has been activated!] [Paralytic toxin spreads throughout the Drake¡¯s body.] [The Drake has fallen into the ¡®Paralyzed¡¯ state.] [Deadly toxin spreads throughout the Drake¡¯s body.] [The Drake has fallen into the ¡®Poisoned¡¯ state.] ¡­ [The Drake has fallen into the ¡®Brink of Death¡¯ state due to excessive bleeding!] As Chang-Sun continuously attacked the Drake with his blood toxin, the monster¡¯s wounds only worsened, causing more and more damage to it. Thump! In the end, one of the Drake¡¯s hind legs gave out, and it hit the ground with such a violent tremor that even Chang-Sun felt the aftershocks for some time. It was no longer the same violent Drake from before, as its entire body was covered with bruises and cuts. Pant! Pant¡­! Wheeze¨D! The Drake¡¯s breathing was shallow and ragged, but it howled intively with itsst reserves of strength, seemingly unwilling to die just like that. However, Chang-Sun climbed onto the Drake¡¯s head, almost seeming to be mocking it as he shoved his long spear into one of the eye sockets he had previously stabbed with a short spear. Shank! Chang-Sun drove his long spear so deep into the Drake¡¯s head that he directly prated its brain, piercing through what little remained of its eye. Crrrr¡­ With its dying breath, the Drake¡¯s head fell to the floor with a powerful thud. [Sessfully killed the Drake!] [Level up!] [Level up!] [The level of the Skill ¡®Lesser Spearmanship¡¯ has increased!] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ speaks high praise of your hunting skill, which has been leveling up day by day!] [As a bonus reward, your Strength has increased by 5 points.] Perhaps because Chang-Sun had killed a monster that was at a much higher level than himself, sessfully driving it into a corner as he hunted, he leveled up two times in a row. After withdrawing his long spear, Chang-Sun turned to look in the executives¡¯ direction,pletely covered the Drake¡¯s blood. Despite his hideous appearance, his eyes shone ferociously. Some of the more old-fashioned executives frowned; to them, Chang-Sun appeared to be arrogantly showing off his ability. However, the more aggressive executives¡¯ eyes shone just as brightly as Chang-Sun¡¯s own. ¡°I definitely want that rookie! Bring him here, Cheong-Su!¡± Team Leader Sang-Ho shouted as he sprang up from his seat. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Cheong-Su replied with a bow. Considering hisbat instinct and his Magic ss, Chang-Sun was a valuable asset that Sang-Ho could use inbat right away¡ªno, more than that, Chang-Sun was a genius. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ greatly admires the fight that took ce just now!] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ strongly expresses his desire to have a new ¡®fang¡¯.] Above all, even Sang-Ho¡¯s Guardian was satisfied with Chang-Sun. That meant he had to snatch the man away before the other team leaders did, especially before the Attack Team 2 Leader, who had recently be the biggest rival of Attack Team 1. Right after Sang-Ho sent his assistant, his right-hand man¡­ Swoosh¨D! ¡°No way¡­!¡± Sang-Ho muttered, frowning as he saw someone¡¯s shadow flying over his head. He realized he was toote, as the shadow fell directly onto Chang-Sun. Boooom! ¡°Whoa, you can even block this, huh?¡± Seo Jeong-Gwon, the Attack Team 2 Leader, remarked. He smiled broadly, revealing his canines and seemingly enjoying the situation a great deal. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ smiles viciously!] Chang-Sun red at Jeong-Gwon, whose presence made him think of one word¡ªferocity. That was the most suitable word to describe Jeong-Gwon, who had revealed his strong desire to fight and kill Chang-Sun¡­ and on top of that, the man also reeked of Heoju¡¯s disgusting stench. ¡°You can even take my [Tiger Disaster] on top of my [Tiger Kill]? You truly are something, even more than I expected,¡± Jeong-Gwon remarked with a grin. ¡°I like you, so join my team. I¡¯ll train you real nicely and teach you what a real ¡®tiger¡¯ is.¡± It looked as if Jeong-Gwon would not stop attacking Chang-Sun until he provided a proper answer¡ªno, Jeong-Gwon would continue attacking Chang-Sun to figure out the fullest extent of his abilities. Chang-Sun pondered whether or not to fight back, because both options had advantages and disadvantages. He looked calmly at Jeong-Gwon as he thought, ¡®If I fight back, my value will increase and attract more of Heoju¡¯s attention. Still, I should pull out all the stops in the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯, not here...¡¯ Although he had intentionally avoided leveling up, Chang-Sun had not spent the past month remaining idle; instead, he had been improving his basic skills and cultivating numerous abilities, in order to gain as much as he could from the new yer training he would receive after he was done with the audition. The ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯ was one of the many Dungeons the White Tiger n kept open. It was wide and divided into sectors with various difficulties, which meant it had been used as a training institute for some time. However, it held a great secret that was unknown to most people; even the White Tiger n, and the dungeon¡¯s original Heoju, were not aware of it. ¡®I can level up the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier] in there,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Even as he continued thinking, however, Jeong-Gwon¡¯s endless barrage of attacks made him wonder whether it was finally time to counterattack. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop there?¡± a voice called out, as an even more ferocious man than Jeong-Gwonnded in between the two. Leaving four scratches on the floor that resembled the trail of a beast¡¯s ws, Jeong-Gwon quickly retreated far away from Chang-Sun, turning to look at the man. He asked with a frown, ¡°Do you want to die, Team Leader Park?¡± ¡°I see the ignorant Team Leader 2 is still rude to his senior,¡± Team Leader Sang-Ho replied, smiling coldly as he emitted a [Tiger Kill] aura that was just as strong as Jeong-Gwon¡¯s own. Even though he looked like a normal middle-aged man, his pointed gaze remained incredibly sharp. ¡°Ha! Just as you always say, I¡¯m too ignorant to know what manners are,¡± Jeong-Gwon replied with a smirk. ¡°Why are you saying that with pride? Anyway, step away from him,¡± Sang-Ho said, waving a hand. ¡°I¡¯m taking one of mine away, so what¡¯s the problem?¡± Jeong-Gwon asked with a grin. ¡°His personnel appointment hasn¡¯t been decided yet, has it?¡± Sang-Ho replied, tilting his head. Pzz, pzzzz! Rummmbblee¨D! The sh of two [Tiger Kill] auras created a raging storm of energy inside Sector 3. ¡°Wh-What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Are the Attack Team Leaders fighting right now?¡± ¡°They¡¯re doing that to recruit just one talented guy, right? Man, it¡¯s so cool!¡± As Jeong-Gwon and Team Leader Sang-Ho frequently appeared in the media, the spectators watched the fight with great interest. Worried that strange rumors would spread, several ordinary White Tiger n employees tried to control the spectators, but it was not easy, as the fight was getting worse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to join this fight too,¡± a young man said as he stepped forward. ¡°Whoa! I really didn¡¯t want to meddle in the two team leaders¡¯ fight¡­ Well, what can I do, since I want him too?¡± another man remarked as he stepped up, dragging his slippers across the floor as he scratched his head. The young man was Attack Team 3 Leader Kang Seong-Woo, also known as ¡®Homotherium¡¯. The man who was scratching his head was Attack Team Leader 4 Yoo Hyeon-Jin, also known as ¡®Dinofelis¡¯. All four ¡®pirs¡¯ of the Attack Department had stepped up. Unlike Jeong-Gwon, the Attack Team 3 and 4 Leaders were polite to Team Leader Sang-Ho, who was more experienced than them; despite that, they each revealed their desire to never lose, revealing their [Tiger Kill] auras in turn. Swoosh, swish, whoosh! Four [Tiger Kill] aurasbined and created a fierce whirlpool, sweeping away everything on the floor of Sector C. ¡°You bastards must think team leaders are all the same because the higher-ups coddle you guys, huh?¡± Team Leader Sang-Ho angrily snapped as he rummaged around in his inventory, raising an eyebrow; the fact that his juniors were challenging him hurt his pride. All the other team leaders opened their inventories. The four team leaders emanated so much energy, it was as if an all-out battle would break out at any second. The sh of four [Tiger Kill] auras made the atmosphere around the team leaders intensify constantly; thus, Chang-Sun furtively stepped back, watching the growing conflict with great interest. ¡®I hope a bloodbath takes ce,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, his eyes shining. Chapter 34: Star, The Test (5)

Chapter 34: Star, The Test (5)

However, the bloodbath sadly(?) did not take ce. Just as the violent aura of [Tiger Kill] was about to sweep over the applicants and the employees outside Sector C, a powerful wave¡ªno, a storm¡ªtore the [Tiger Kill] apart as if it were cutting silk with a single stroke. asssh! Cough! ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Ergh!¡± ¡°Cough¡­ Is this?¡± ¡°Executive¡­ Executive Director!¡± Trembling, the four team leaders started to cough blood as if someone had hit them forcefully in the backs of their heads. The Team 3 Leader, who was known to be the weakest among the four, even copsed on the floor, his face turning white. Tap. Tap. No one dared to move or speak at that moment. All those present silently held their breath, including the four team leaders, the employees, and the spectators. The only sound that filled the air was that of quiet footsteps, approaching the four team leaders. They belonged to a man who appeared to be in his sixties, around 160 centimeters tall. Despite his short stature, however, his presence was sufficient to overwhelm the crowd; it was as if his small body contained a veritable giant. ¡®He¡¯s the White Tiger n¡¯s second-inmand,¡¯?Chang-Sun realized. Executive Director Oh Shi-Hwan had built the current White Tiger n on behalf of ¡®Sword Sky Tiger¡¯, who was known to be a martial arts maniac; Shi-Hwan was also his right-hand man. Chang-Sun had to be extremely wary of him while trying to destroy the White Tiger n. ¡®I did hear he was a high ranker, and I can see why. How should I hunt him?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, mentally simting battles against Executive Director Oh in order to figure out how to deal with him. Chang-Sun ran the ¡®simtion¡¯ multiple times, but the result was always the same. He lost every single time, unable to exchange more than ten attacks. Even though he could not be certain of the oue in a head-to-head battle against Team Leaders Jeong-Gwon or Sang-Ho, Chang-Sun was confident that he would be able to exchange more than a hundred attacks with them if he used various methods. However, it seemed that every tactic he had would be useless against Executive Director Oh. Chang-Sun could not tell for sure whether he could approach Shi-Hwan, let alone hurt him. It was extremely difficult to find his weakness. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ widens her eyes, saying you could have a good fight against this man.] ¡°I was wondering why the testing site was so rowdy¡­ Tsk! You¡¯re all behaving so pathetically. How can you fight like children to recruit one person? Did you not think about the n¡¯s image?!¡± Executive Director Oh yelled at the top of his lungs. His voice was far louder than his size suggested; his yells sounded like rumbling thunder. Rrrrumble! The applicants all began struggling to breathe amid the suffocating atmosphere, breaking out into a cold sweat. Naturally, considering how much even those on the edges of Executive Director Oh¡¯s overwhelming pressure were suffering, it was far worse for the team leaders right in front of him; they all seemed about to copse. ¡°How can you cause trouble instead of calming down your juniors despite being the oldest among the team leaders, Sang-Ho?!¡± Executive Director Oh eximed, massaging his temples. Team Leader Sang-Ho¡¯s face turned pale. Although he badly wanted to defend himself, he had just entered a fight with his juniors, so he could say little in response. Meanwhile, Jeong-Gwon¡¯s face lit up; he assumed Executive Director Oh would put Chang-Sun in his team, as they belonged to the same faction. Although he hid his true feelings, he thought smugly, ¡®Hahahaha! I¡¯ll get to see that annoying Team Leader Park¡¯s face crumpling up!¡¯ ¡°All of you, get lost! I don¡¯t want to even see you anymore!¡± Executive Director Oh severely scolded the four team leaders, making them retreat with their tails tucked between their legs. However, they continued to furtively study each other¡¯s faces, unable to let go of their lingering feelings about Chang-Sun. ¡°Ah, and¡­¡± Executive Director Oh added, raising a finger. Wondering what he was trying to say, the four team leaders nervously looked back at him. However, Executive Director Oh remained expressionless as he continued, ¡°About that rookie who¡¯s the cause of all this mess¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°If I let one team take the rookie, the Attack Teams might end up on bad terms with each other, so I have no choice. I¡¯ll take him!¡± Executive Director Oh unterally dered, then looked away and lightly cleared his throat as if he were suddenly feeling awkward. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The four team leaders gaped, thinking simultaneously, ¡®He got us!¡¯ * * * After all themotion in the testing site had settled down, Chang-Sun followed Executive Director Oh to his office on his request. ¡°Sit in any chair you want. I¡¯ll give you tea,¡± Executive Director Oh said, gesturing at Chang-Sun to sit. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ observes you with eyes filled with desire.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ feels agitated and yells at ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ to get out.] Despite being told by Executive Director Oh to rx, Chang-Sun could not do so. In fact, he was more on edge than he had ever been at the testing site, because Heoju never stopped observing him. Pabilsag repeatedly yelled at Heoju to get lost, but unlike the times she had shouted at J?rmungandr or Mephistopheles, she somehow seemed tock energy; perhaps it was because Chang-Sun had willingly entered Heoju¡¯s territory. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ anxiously observes you.] While J?rmungandr suspected that Chang-Sun was plotting something, Mephistopheles and Minerva left Chang-Sun alone, seeming as if they would not stop him even if he decided to choose Heoju as his Guardian. However, Pabilsag remained on edge. ¡°I¡¯ve already heard a lot about you. Okay, so your Magic ss is SSS+++, which is ridiculously high, and you also passed the Tutorial with a sky-high score, right? My Guardian is also very interested in you,.¡± Executive Director Oh said, giving Chang-Sun a cup of tea as he sat down across the sofa. Clink! When Chang-Sun picked up the cup, he was met with the pungent scent of rooibos tea. Although Executive Director Oh spoke casually, Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone with interest as he listened. ¡®He can directly listen to what the deity is saying? He must have a high rank, like a bishop or a cardinal,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Many yers could listen to a deity¡¯s words through the system messages, but only those who were close to a deity had the ability to directly listen to their words. They were known as ¡®oracles¡¯. Having that ability meant Executive Director Oh was favored by Heoju. Considering the fact that he was the White Tiger n¡¯s second-inmand, it was a given. However, what truly mattered at the moment was that Heoju had directly mentioned Chang-Sun to his people. ¡®I hooked him real good. I got off to a great start,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he quietly sipped his tea. For the time being, he had achieved all the goals he had previously nned on. ¡°So I¡¯ll cut to the chase. Do you want anything?¡± Executive Director Oh asked, intertwining his fingers. The offer to grant Chang-Sun anything he wanted was like a nk check, which made him wonder what the best answer would be. Would it be better to look shrewd or arrogant? If he went with looking humble, he would leave a good impression, but Executive Director Oh could end up suspecting him of plotting something strange. Then¡­ ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really care about money,¡± Chang-Sun said, putting down his teacup. He thought, ¡®I¡¯ll just be straightforward, then.¡¯ Executive Director Oh smiled faintly and replied, ¡°That¡¯s noble, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone who doesn¡¯t like money. Even when they seemed not to, they often turned out to be plotting something behind my back.¡± ¡°Well, I already have too much money to use in my entire lifetime, and my family is also well off,¡± Chang-Sun said casually. Executive Director Oh did not answer, which made Chang-Sun suspect the director had already done his research beforehand. ¡°I just want to do whatever I want,¡± Chang-Sun said with a smile. ¡°Why does that sound as if you¡¯ll resign right away if you don¡¯t get to do whatever you want?¡± Executive Director Oh asked, crossing his legs. Seeminglycking any sense of sadness or lingering attachment, Chang-Sun replied with a shrug, ¡°Many other ns will want me. Really, I only applied to the White Tiger n because it¡¯s the biggest in Korea.¡± To be honest, what Chang-Sun had just said made sense from an outsider¡¯s perspective. Even the major ns of other countries wouldpete with each other to recruit a yer who was as talented as Chang-Sun. Executive Director Oh¡¯s smile widened. Even though some people would call Chang-Sun arrogant, he loved young, hot-blooded individuals more than anyone else, as someone who had worked tirelessly in the field to build the current White Tiger n. His favorite phrase was ¡®A beast needs sharp fangs and ws.¡¯ From what he was seeing, Chang-Sun looked like the very embodiment of that phrase. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll grant your requests if they¡¯re not too excessive, so what do you want to do?¡± Executive Director Oh asked, leaning back in his seat. ¡°I want to join the Future Strategy Department,¡± Chang-Sun calmly answered. Seemingly not having expected Chang-Sun¡¯s answer, Executive Director Oh¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He asked, ¡°Do you know what the department does?¡± ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Chang-Sun replied with a nod. ¡°I thought you would join the Attack Team Department for sure¡­ This is a surprise,¡± Executive Director Oh remarked, stroking his chin. The White Tiger n¡¯s Attack Team Department, which was made up of four Attack Teams, was under the n Leader¡¯s direct supervision. That made it the face and main star of the n; consequently, its members could gain many privileges from working in the field. However, the Future Strategy Department was different. It was akin to the n¡¯s spine and brain, the power source of the giant beast named the White Tiger n; thus, unlike the Attack Teams, they were not exposed to the public. Instead, they oversaw and inspected the White Tiger n¡¯s general affairs. From time to time, they themselves worked in the field, but only off the record. They were a group of advisors, sometimes known as ¡®shadows.¡¯ yers who wanted to be famous usually applied for the Attack Department, not the Future Strategy Department. Thus, Chang-Sun¡¯s answer left Executive Director Oh quite shocked. ¡®I¡¯ll be able to climb the corporatedder much faster that way, because I¡¯ll be able to observe the n¡¯s power dynamics and structure in detail,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. . By attaining as many achievements as possible in the Future Strategy Department, Chang-Sun intended to be the Future Strategy Department Head in the shortest period of time and climb the corporatedder in the White Tiger n. The moment Chang-Sun stood beside Sword Sky Tiger as the n¡¯s second inmand after beating Executive Director Oh and gaining Heoju¡¯s special favor, he would then start attacking the n. He would tear apart the White Tiger n and make Heoju plummet to rock bottom. After that, he would break Heoju¡¯s limbs and shove him into the Underworld¡¯s abyss so Heoju could never return to Heaven. ¡°I don¡¯t really like to follow people¡¯s orders like a tool, so I want a position in which I can move independently and make my own judgments,¡± Chang-Sun said, trying to sound as ambitious as possible while hiding his sinister ns. As he was not lying, he spoke without hesitation. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, the Future Strategy Department doesn¡¯t have a hierarchy aside from the Department Head.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Depending on the project, teams can temporarily be formed, but they really are temporary. As there¡¯s no hierarchy, however, there¡¯s more pressure to produce results. A yer who¡¯s been working for ten years can be fired right away if they make a mistake,¡± Executive Director Oh said with a nod. ¡°The world I lived in was simr,¡± Chang-Sun remarked, his eyes shining. ¡°You always have something to say, don¡¯t you?¡± Executive Director Oh said with a grin. ¡°Above all, I¡¯ve heard the Future Strategy Department is under your direct supervision, Executive Director Oh,¡± Chang-Sun said as he set down his teacup. ¡°Are you already trying to tter me?¡± Executive Director Oh asked, adjusting his posture. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to make a connection with the true power in the White Tiger n,¡± Chang-Sun replied with a shrug. ¡°It sounds as if you¡¯ll have zero interest in me if I lose power in the n,¡± Executive Director Oh said, tilting his head. Chang-Sun merely smiled without speaking. Executive Director Oh chuckled and said, ¡°Well, you seem to have enough motivation to join the department. Fine, I¡¯ll assign you to the Future Strategy Department as you wish.¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as he finally got what he wanted. ¡°Still, it won¡¯t be easy for me to just assign you to the department, even though it¡¯s under my supervision. To even be considered a candidate, a yer needs to have a solid background and to have been working in the n for a minimum of five years,¡± Executive Director Oh added, tapping on the sofa. Chang-Sun understood the underlying meaning behind Executive Director Oh¡¯s words; ¡®not easy¡¯ did not mean impossible. He asked without hesitation, ¡°What do I need to do?¡± Executive Director Oh burst intoughter and replied, ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re a fast learner. What you need to do is very simple. You just need to distinguish yourself enough to make people unable to raise any objections when I say I trust you. Well, they might still talk behind your back, though.¡± Chang-Sun said, ¡°I heard new recruits would be trained in the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯ on probation, regardless of the departments they¡¯ll be assigned to. Would achieving a new record in the dungeon be enough?¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re going to achieve a whole new record in the dungeon ranking, not just the first ce among the employees who joined the n at the same time as you?¡± Executive Director Oh asked in disbelief. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll achieve a new record in the dungeon ranking,¡± Chang-Sun confirmed. ¡°No one should raise any objections then, huh¡­¡± Executive Director Oh said hesitantly, in contrast to his previous confident tone; that implied he wanted something else. What did he want, however? In such scenarios, people usually wanted to get rid of their old problems¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll also clear the dungeon,¡± Chang-Sun confidently added, instantly realizing what Executive Director Oh wanted. He did not fail to notice Executive Director Oh¡¯s eyes shining as he said those words. ¡®There¡¯s something in the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, making ns to investigate the dungeon further. There could be something inside that he could use against Executive Director Oh. ¡°To be honest, the dungeon has remained open for too long, so it¡¯s time for the n to pick a different dungeon to use as a training site,¡± Executive Director Oh remarked. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just close the dungeon on my own,¡± Chang-Sun said, hinting that he would make it look as if he had been acting on his own or cleared the dungeon by ident. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be able to speak withplete candor from now on,¡± Executive Director Oh said as he smiled again; it meant he had understood Chang-Sun¡¯s hidden message. ¡°Thank you,¡± Chang-Sun said, smiling along with Executive Director Oh. Unlike the other man¡¯s pleasant smile, his own smile was cold and sly. How could Executive Director Oh possibly know that Chang-Sun had actually wanted that exact response? Chapter 35: Star, The Black Mountain King (1)

Chapter 35: Star, The ck Mountain King (1)

The news article¡¯s five-word title appeared on numerous web portals and was mentioned among various intemunities. For days, Chang-Sun and Chang-Sun-rted topics were on every web portal¡¯s most searched word lists. No. 1: Lee Chang-Sun No. 2: Tyrant No. 3: White Tiger n Sector C video clip No. 4: The return of Lee Chang-Sun ¡­ No. 10: The mysterious man L ¡­ Variousment sections were on the verge of crashing due to the constant flood ofments. ¨DMyBroReturns: ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ has been ranked number one on the most searched word list for four consecutive days! My bro Tyrant has returned! Noooieeee! Turn up the music!!! ¨DGrimReaper: Is he seriously SSS+++? Man, I feel so patriotic right now. Woooo! Bartender! Gimme a bowl of makgeolli! ¨DSecondLifeRanker: Everyone who criticized Chang-Sun on the air for being an alcoholic is quiet now, right? Youtubers are already busy taking down their videos criticizing Chang-Sun lol lol. ?Btw the video of his test is REALLY insane. ?The Tyrant hatermunities say all the videos have been fabricated. ?The fact that the Tyrant haters are idiots isn¡¯t new. ¨DOverthrowGovernment: Does anyone still believe the news articles about the Tyrant? Tsk, tsk.?How can you not know that the government has fabricated those videos to cover up the Jamsil Gate incident? ?Hahahahahaha, conspiracy theorists really exist! ?The major 20 ns have be idiots instantly lol lol lol and his SSS+++ Magic Grade just became a conspiracy. ?Hey, just go home, wash your feet, and sleep instead of posting this kind ofment. ¨DCheonYeongReligion: I¡¯m worried about the Tyrant fans running amok again. They finally calmed down, you know. How are we going to deal with them? ?God. It just crossed my mind and I¡¯m a little bit scared now. The public always needed new heroes, and the press always needed new subjects to put in the spotlight. At that moment, Chang-Sun was the best fit for both criteria. The nickname ¡®Tyrant¡¯ was so famous worldwide that even people who were unfamiliar with online games had heard it. However, that hero had tragically be an alcoholic after getting into a fight with his gaming club and being forced to retire. And yet, such a hero had returned brilliantly with a Magic Grade higher than ¡®SSS¡¯, a grade that itself only appeared once a decade. Of course, overseas mediapanies were busy writing many news articles about Chang-Sun, and Korean media was no different. ¨DDoubleChapterEdora: The White Tiger n¡¯s stock price has skyrocketed over the past three days. ?Let¡¯s buy their stocks on marginnnnn!!! ?Let¡¯s gooooo!!! ?If you guys did that, all of you could end up having a get-together in Hangang River, so just make diversified investments to the best of your ability. ¨DBowlingMan: I heard Lee Chang-Sun was the one who closed the Jamsil Gate. Is it true? Stories about the Jamsil Gate had slowly leaked to the public, resulting in amon hypothesis that Chang-Sun was the urban legend ¡®Mysterious Man L¡¯. It was usible; Chang-Sun lived in Jamsil, and the time period of Chang-Sun¡¯s awakening ovepped with the Jamsil Gate¡¯s opening. The initial ¡®L¡¯ added credibility to the hypothesis. Still, there were people who had dismissed the idea because no official announcement had been made, so public opinion about the Jamsil Gate had been split in two. Suddenly, however, an interview published by a major news outlet sent the world into an uproar once again. The survivor had introduced herself as ¡®Miss Woo (15 years old)¡¯ and exined in detail what had happened in the Jamsil Gate, the story of which had been kept confidential. The dungeon¡¯s difficulty level had been raised significantly after the sudden appearance of an Administrator, which meant Second Lieutenant Park Hae-Seong had needed to use any means necessary to save as many people as possible. However, Jeon Choong-Jae had satisfied his own greed by manipting people, but Chang-Sun had fought against Jeon Choong-Jae to save all those people¡­ Of course, the people involved had only been referred to by their initials or aliases, but some quick-witted inte users soon sessfully figured out who they were. As a result, Second Lieutenant Hae-Seong became a star overnight, and Chang-Sun earned the ridiculous nickname of ¡®Jamsil Hero¡¯ in addition to ¡®Tyrant.¡¯ Due to those incidents, the public¡¯s interest in Chang-Sun grew day by day. Many presspanies put in a great deal of effort to interview Chang-Sun, but their attempts were futile, only causing a great deal of trouble. The White Tiger n had begun protecting Chang-Sun from the press perfectly; his family members, who were already known for avoiding the press, likewise refused to cooperate. Thus, most news articles about Chang-Sun were tabloids. Despite the current situation, people craved news about Chang-Sun, which meant they paid attention to the White Tiger n. News about how Chang-Sun had joined the White Tiger n after epting an excellent remuneration package quickly wore out its wee, and the whole world began focusing on spection as to how the White Tiger n would use Chang-Sun¡¯s talent. * * * ¡°Give him to me!¡± Seo Jeong-Gwon shouted loudly. ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± Executive Director Oh replied, firmly shaking his head. ¡°Damn, why do you keep saying no? He¡¯s truly something, you know?! He needs a mentor like me to make his life much easier!¡± Jeong-Gwon yelled, his voice filling Executive Director Oh¡¯s office like a train¡¯s horn. Massaging his temples, Executive Director Oh watched his unwee guest Jeong-Gwon, who had been pestering him for four days in a row. Although he desperately wanted to kick Jeong-Gwon out of his office, he could not do so; he knew Jeong-Gwon would return right away and throw a tantrum on the office floor. Despite his muscr stature, Jeong-Gwon kept whining like a five-year-old child continuously asking for a lollipop. ¡°There¡¯s no way his life will be easier. You¡¯ll make his currently peaceful life hell,¡± Executive Director Oh remarked, clicking his tongue. ¡°Ah, hyung! Give him to me!¡± Jeong-Gwon screamed, seemingly having lost all his patience. Although he had promised to never call Executive Director Oh ¡®hyung¡¯ while they were working in the n, Jeong-Gwon had just done so. In truth, they were cousins who were as close as brothers, because they had often met each other since they were children. It was also Executive Director Oh who had made Jeong-Gwon a yer, before Jeong-Gwon went down the wrong path due to his violent temper. That was why Jeong-Gwon feltfortable enough around Executive Director Oh to throw such a fit. He was determined to have Chang-Sun on his team. After deciding to recruit Chang-Sun at the testing site, he had been trying to achieve his goal the entire time. Naturally, Executive Director Oh remained firm, replying, ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Arrggghh! Why can¡¯t you just let me have him if your dongsaeng is this desperate to have Chang-Sun on his team?!¡± Jeong-Gwon protested. ¡°We¡¯re working in the n right now, so behave, or else I¡¯m going to strip you of your rank as a team leader,¡± Executive Director Oh replied, ring at Jeong-Gwon. ¡°Shit! Why do you keep saying no?!¡± Jeong-Gwon eximed, stamping his foot. ¡°I told you multiple times, I can¡¯t do anything because more press than I can handle is focusing on us,¡± Executive Director Oh said, lightly massaging his eyes after throwing his sses onto the desk. He continued, ¡°Besides, he already applied for the Future Strategy Department and said he¡¯d resign if things don¡¯t work out his way, so how am I supposed to make him join Attack Team 2?¡± ¡°Still¡­!¡± Jeong-Gwon attempted to protest once more. ¡°Besides, our Guardian strongly wants to make Chang-Sun his priest, so what would happen if he quit the n? Are you going to deal with our Guardian¡¯s anger?¡± Executive Director Oh asked solemnly. As the matter of their Guardian had been brought up, Jeong-Gwon could say nothing in protest, silently expressing his annoyance instead. Executive Director Oh felt a migraineing on; if only his aunt had not asked him to take care of that little rascal as her dying wish¡­ ¡®That rascal¡¯ was already over fifty, but he was still acting like a child, making Executive Director Oh¡¯s life difficult. He would have kicked Jeong-Gwon out of the n if not for the other man¡¯s talent as a yer. ¡®I have no other choice, because he¡¯s still pretty useful¡­ I¡¯ll have to give him a good carrot,¡¯?Executive Director Oh thought, tapping his desk. His life was already difficult enough because the Highoff n¡¯s remnants had gone into hiding; he was left in disbelief that had to deal with such a trivial thing. ¡®[Peter¡¯s Key]¡­! I could only excuse giving this matter less attention if I knew the exact whereabouts of the key. Tsk!¡¯?he thought while trying to piece some facts together. Eventually, he asked with a smile, ¡°Did you think I would just stand by even though you¡¯re that interested in Lee Chang-Sun, though?¡± Just then, Jeong-Gwon¡¯s angrily puffed-up cheeks deted a little. He quietly asked, ¡°¡­Then?¡± ¡°When Chang-Sun finishes his training period and leaves probation, he¡¯ll be one of our own, so I can send him on missions I choose. Who¡¯s going to work together with him the most in those missions?¡± Executive Director Oh replied softly. ¡°Ah!¡± Jeong-Gwon eximed, his expression brightening after he realized what Executive Director Oh meant. ¡®Simpleton,¡¯ Executive Director Oh thought, desperately holding back his desire to say the word out loud. Instead, he snapped, ¡°So stop bugging me and get lost! I have to get some work done!¡± ¡°Hehehehe. Hyung, you know I love you a lot, right?¡± Jeong-Gwon replied with a silly smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to love me! Just get out!¡± Executive Director Oh replied, pointing at the door. Jeong-Gwon giggled as he ran through the door. Afterward, Executive Director Oh thought he could finally rest¡ªat least, until Jeong-Gwon suddenly returned to his office. ¡°Ah, I have one more question,¡± Jeong-Gwon began with the same goofy grin. ¡°What now?!¡± Executive Director Oh asked, massaging his temples. ¡°Where¡¯s Lee Chang-Sun? I tried really hard, but I couldn¡¯t find him,¡± Jeong-Gwon said, hopping around Executive Director Oh¡¯s desk. ¡°Is that any of your business?¡± Executive Director Oh replied with a sigh. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t do this. Let¡¯s share information,¡± Jeong-Gwon said, nudging Executive Director Oh. ¡°I figured you would look for him, so I already locked him up in the ce you hate the most,¡± Executive Director Oh replied; this time, he was the one grinning. ¡°¡­?¡± Jeong-Gwon quietly tilted his head in confusion, unsure what ce Executive Director Oh was referring to. Considering his personality, he had always gone through the n¡¯s head office as if it were his front yard; he could not fathom what Executive Director Oh was talking about. However, it seemed he would get no more information no matter how he asked. * * * Meanwhile, Chang-Sun entered the White Tiger n¡¯s Fierce Tiger Library with the guidance of Executive Director Oh¡¯s subordinate. It was totally different from the library that the n opened to the public; it did not contain any ordinary books, instead containing spellbooks and weapon skill books. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Heoju also a troublemaker in Heaven?¡±Thanatos asked Chang-Sun. ¡°He was,¡± Chang-Sun replied with a nod. ¡°Then what are the followers who have his blessing like?¡±?Thanatos asked gently ¡°They¡¯ll also have¡­ made many enemies,¡± Chang-Sun realized. ¡°They haven¡¯t just made many enemies, but alsopletely destroyed their enemies¡¯ pride. After piging and seizing those foes¡¯ treasures, they gathered and opened a grand exhibition, advertising their trophies as a way of spreading their Guardian¡¯s glory,¡± Thanatos replied, shaking his head. Describing Heoju and his followers as peas in a pod, Thanatos had smiled coldly. The ¡®grand exhibition¡¯ he had mentioned was in the Fierce Tiger Library. The n had gathered and recorded the goods they had seized from the people they fought. The Fierce Tiger Library was a monument tomemorate the n¡¯s victories; among other things was filled with various kinds of books. Naturally, it contained some beginner skill books and spellbooks. Apart from that, it contained ancient books from another world, containing weapon skills that had been passed down for generations, as well as Fortune Books that contained the teachings of various Celestials. It even had several high-level skill books. In addition, even though they were often considered misceneous items, several heroic epics were also stored within. All the books were divided into seven categories, and those categories required different levels of clearance for the n¡¯s employees. As Chang-Sun was just on probation and had not even finished his training, he would normally only be able to ess the Tier 7 Library; however, until a week before the training period, he had been granted special permission by Executive Director Oh to ess up to the Tier 3 Library. ¡°Judging from the fact that you told me about the exhibition, I have something to gain from it, don¡¯t I?¡± Chang-Sun asked Thanatos. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to rmend anything specific because I don¡¯t know what kind of skill tree you¡¯ll end up building¡­ but I can give you a list of useful skills,¡± Thanatos replied, stroking his chin. ¡°I¡¯ll just pick on my own,¡± Chang-Sun said, scratching his head. ¡°There is one skill you¡¯ll definitely be interested in,¡± Thanatos said, lifting a finger. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Chang-Sun asked with great interest. ¡°The movement skills of ¡®Sagittarius¡¯,¡± Thanatos replied with a grin. Chang-Sun had beenpletely dumbstruck when he heard Thanatos¡¯ response. ¡®Sagittarius¡¯ Rukbat was the fastest Zodiac. His six movement skills enabled him to move at the speed of light. They were no ordinary Authorities; rather, they were Divine Authorities, the envy of countless Celestials. [Traceless Steps]. [Sky Soaring]. [Reed Crossing]. [Vaulting Shadow]. [Leaf Treading]. And¡­ ¡®[Avatar¡¯s Descent]¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, recalling Sagittarius¡¯st movement skill. If Sagittarius ever found out that Heoju had one of his movement skills, he would be more than capable of waging war against Heoju and the n under him. However, that had not happened, which meant Sagittarius did not know. Perhaps even Heoju did not know he hadmitted such a ridiculous act. ¡°Where did you hear that information from?¡± Chang-Sun asked with great curiosity. ¡°Who do you think?¡± Thanatos replied, smiling cheekily. ¡°¡­A ,¡± Chang-Sun replied. In any event, there was no way Chang-Sun would ever let one of Sagittarius¡¯ movement skills sit in the Fierce Tiger Library after discovering its location. That was why he had never tried to learn any movement skills, even though he had been steadily pursuing a variety of offensive and weapon-rted skills. ¡®I have to acquire [Avatar¡¯s Descent] from this library, but it won¡¯t be easy,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, taking a quick look through the library. [Avatar¡¯s Descent] was the Authority that had made Rukbat one of the Zodiacs, ¡®Sagittarius¡¯. It was a Divine Authority he had created even before he had be a star by stealing a nce at the , ¡®Deus Ex Machina¡¯. He had witnessed the using their signature Authority, [Sovereign¡¯s Descent], in the ancient past of the universe¡ªa time that looked nothing like the current universe. Whenever Sagittarius used [Avatar¡¯s Descent], he could instantly gain control of a certain region in space and project his divinity within it, enabling him to act as an absolute being within that space. From what Chang-Sun had heard, the rest of the Zodiacs did not like even allowing Sagittarius into their general vicinity. ¡®If I can just get my hands on that Divine Authority¡­ No one will be able to stop me after I transcend and awaken my divinity,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, clenching his fists. Thus, he had to have the Divine Authority. However, there was one problem¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ observes your every movement.] ¡­Heoju himself was watching Chang-Sun. 1. The raw was ¡®??? ????. ??! ?? ? ?? ???!¡¯ This is a very popr meme in Korea. Whenever a Korean feels incredibly proud of someone from Korea, they say they¡¯ve gotten ¡®??¡¯ (literally ¡®high on patriotism¡¯.) They express their happiness by calling out to ¡®??¡¯, an integral part of the Korean traditional pubs, which are called ¡®??¡¯. 2. Hangang River was once known as a famous suicide spot. Chapter 36: Star, The Black Mountain King (2)

Chapter 36: Star, The ck Mountain King (2)

¡°You can use the library for a week, and it is open at all times. Aside from the forbidden Tier 1 and 2 Libraries, you¡¯ll be able to use all the others, but please keep in mind that you are not allowed to take the books outside,¡± Executive Director Oh¡¯s subordinate slowly exined the library regtions, then offered to find the books on Chang-Sun¡¯s behalf if he wanted any specific one. The subordinate appeared to be acting considerate, but because Chang-Sun knew the man was Executive Director Oh¡¯s watchdog, he simply replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡®Executive Director Oh and?Heoju¡­ I¡¯ll definitely have to be careful to avoid their surveince,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he entered the Fierce Tiger Library. The first thing that caught his eye was the sheer size of the library, which waspletely filled with towering bookcases full of books. If the Tier 7 Library alone was thisrge, Chang-Sun could not even begin to imagine the size of the higher-tier ones. It was a testament to just how many ns the White Tiger n had plundered and swallowed up. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, the n copied the One-Horned Tribe¡¯s Skill Archive, so taking a look around the library should be quite interesting,¡± Thanatos said, his eyes sparkling with interest. Recalling what Thanatos had said, Chang-Sun took a deep breath, his eyes widening. [The Skill Unbending Spirit¡¯ has been activated!] [The Skill ¡®Composed Spirit¡¯ has been activated!] The two bonus rewards given by Minerva were not only good for finding inner peace, but also for enhancing a person¡¯s concentration. Focusingpletely on the books he had gathered, Chang-Sun began to read. * * * ¡®Hmm? I have no idea what he''s doing,¡¯?Song Yoo-Jun, Executive Director Oh¡¯s secretary, thought. He tilted his head as he watched Chang-Sun. Yoo-Jun had already heard a lot about Chang-Sun¡ªno, he had been unable to avoid hearing news about Chang-Sun, who was the center of the world¡¯s attention at the moment. Chang-Sun was the first genius with a ridiculous SSS+++ Magic Grade to appear in many decades. Even though he was a novice, he alone had cleared the Jamsil Gate, the Unpredictable Gate; that made him a hero whom the White Tiger n¡¯s executives could not help but pay attention to. Even Yoo-Jun¡¯s girlfriend had asked him to get Chang-Sun¡¯s signature after he told her that he was assigned to temporarily assist Chang-Sun. Yoo-Jun would be lying if he said he was not jealous at all. However, the only impression he had gotten while guiding Chang-Sun over the past several days was that it was hard to know what the man was thinking. Chang-Sun was certainly very handsome; it was to the point that even Yoo-Jun, another man, found it startling. However, Chang-Sun had a cold, mostly expressionless demeanor, making him seem difficult to approach. On top of that, he was so quiet that Yoo-Jun had exchanged less than ten words with him, making it quite difficult to befriend him. Although Yoo-Jun tried to convince himself that it was all because Chang-Sun was too focused on reading¡­ He could not be certain that Chang-Sun was truly reading, as the other man chose books seemingly at random. , , ¡­ Sometimes Chang-Sun read about spearmanship, and other times, he read about swordsmanship; he also studied some movement skill books. He even read books about simple breathing methods and legends about certain deities. Chang-Sun simply walked past bookcases and read any books that caught his attention, but he only skimmed through most of them without taking a closer look. However, when one of them caught his interest, he sat down where he was and spent six hours perusing every detail. After he finished reading that book, he chose another one that looked simr to the book he had just read. However, just as Yoo-Jun thought Chang-Sun was about to concentrate again, Chang-Sun simply stopped and returned it to the bookcase without finishing it, clicking his tongue. ¡®What am I supposed to report to Executive Director Oh?¡¯?Yoo-Jun silently screamed. Executive Director Oh had ordered Yoo-Jun to observe what kinds of books Chang-Sun usually read and whether he did anything suspicious, then to report in detail. The more time passed, the more trouble Yoo-Jun felt he would be in; after all, he needed some actual information in order to write a report. If he had to name one thing that was unusual, it was that Chang-Sun had barely left the library after hearing that it was open at all times. Chang-Sun slept fewer than four hours a day while inside, making Yoo-Jun wonder whether he had literally made the library his new home. ¡®Please let me go home¡­ Shit,¡¯?Song Yoo-Jun thought, feeling displeased. He badly wanted to ask a colleague to substitute for him, but Executive Director Oh would rain hell on him if he did so, leaving him with no other choice. Yoo-Jun could still relieve his fatigue with his magic, but it was torture for him to do nothing but watch Chang-Sun without doing anything else. Considering how he had not even been able to call his girlfriend, she could even end up breaking up with him soon. ¡®Ah, I¡¯m so sad I was?swayed?by such a pretentious guy as this,¡¯?Song Yoo-Jun thought intively. He was sure that Chang-Sun was only staying cooped up in the library to look cool to other people. No one could look cooler than a talented person who continued to train their skills. Yoo-Jun believed he was a mere victim of Chang-Sun¡¯s scheme, and that it would never end until Chang-Sun had to leave the library for the probationary training period. ¡®I¡¯m so depressed, depressed¡­¡¯?Yoo-Jun thought gloomily as he looked at Chang-Sun. * * * Despite what Yoo-Jun thought, Chang-Sun was actually so focused, he felt almost as if steam had beguning out of his head. [You have entered the ¡®Focused¡¯ state.] [You are so absorbed in reading that you will be able to understand and memorize most of the knowledge you learn from now on.] ... [You have entered the ¡®Absorbed¡¯ state.] [The speed at which you learn knowledge has increased.] [You have be better able to read between the lines and understand difficult words.] ... [You have fallen into the ¡®Mad¡¯ state.] ... [Warning! You have learned too much knowledge, overloading your ¡®Resource¡¯. You are about to develop a headache.] [Warning! You have greatly exceeded the amount of knowledge a human can learn. You are rmended to take a break.] ... [Achievement Unlocked!] ¡°Book Fanatic¡ªno, Fast-atic?¡± Effect: Intelligence +10. Willpower +5. Title ¡®Book Fanatic.¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ counts the number of books you have read with a look of disgust.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ wonders what information you have learned.] Sagittarius¡¯ [Avatar¡¯s Descent] was not the only thing Chang-Sun was looking for. He also wanted to find Heoju¡¯s skill tree, the web of karma that embodied his power. ¡®The skills?Heoju?allowed the n to have must be rooted in his myths. Although they can¡¯t possibly hold a candle to his apostles¡¯ Authorities¡­ my hunt will be a whole lot easier if I can at least find some clues as to the n members¡¯ Authorities,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he continued to read. Skills and Authorities did not appear out of thin air; they were created by each deity throughout their life. As such, they were symbols that echoed the original owner¡¯s divinity. Thus, if Chang-Sun could take a peek at Heoju¡¯s skill tree, he would be able to find Heoju¡¯s weakness much more easily. Unlike ordinary Celestials, Chang-Sun had transcended from mortality through nothing but diligent self-cultivation; that meant he was well aware of how various skill trees were formed and how the skills all affected each other. From the start, the Fierce Tiger Library had been built as a disy of Heoju¡¯s glory. Apart from that, however, it was also the White Tiger n¡¯s sanctum, imparting Heoju¡¯s teachings to the n¡¯s members. For that reason, the books in the library had to contain the skills that made up Heoju¡¯s skill tree. Consequently, Chang-Sun¡¯s current n was to find the pieces of Heoju¡¯s skill tree andplete the puzzle named Heoju. ¡®If I finish analyzing his skill tree, then I can not only find the White Tiger n and Heoju¡¯s weakness¡­ but also find the weaknesses of the beings behind?Heoju,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he picked up another book. Of course, each skill would only be a minuscule part of Heoju¡¯s entire skill tree, but Chang-Sun was confident that he would be able to ¡®see¡¯ a bigger picture in those parts. [A bit of knowledge has been acquired.] [Your understanding of ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ has deepened!] [A fragment of knowledge has been acquired.] [Your understanding of ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ has deepened!] ... [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ watches you with interest.] Despite what was happening, the very being whose weaknesses were being exposedughed, feeling proud of Chang-Sun without realizing what his n was. ¡®Idiot,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought derisively. Of course, he did not truly think Heoju was an idiot; an idiot would never be able to reach Heoju¡¯s current level. He needed to catch Heoju¡¯s eye and gain hisplete trust. The more he learned about Heoju, the busier he became withpiling the knowledge he had acquired. [Based on the bits and fragments of knowledge you have acquired, a new skill is about to be formed!] [Skill Combination is in progress. 15¡­ 16%... 35%...] The phrase ¡®new skill¡¯ was the most important thing to Chang-Sun at that moment. It was a sign that Chang-Sun was on the right track, enough for the system to recognize his knowledge as an entirely new skill. The skill Chang-Sun was trying to create was very simple¡ªa nullification skill he could use on Heoju. He was creating a ¡®natural enemy¡¯ type skill that could nullify any skill that had been created and taught by Heoju. As Chang-Sun had been on many battlefields, it was not difficult for him to create such a skill with the right basic materials. Of course, Chang-Sun would still be at a disadvantage in a fight against a high ranker such as Sword Sky Tiger, but he could save the skill as his ace in the hole, eventually using it to turn the tables after he closed the power gap between him and the high rankers. [Skill Combination progress: 39%.] Although Chang-Sun had made substantial progress in Skill Combination, When he proceeded with the Skill Combination to some level, the period of temporary ess to the library granted to him by Executive Director Oh eventually neared its end. ¡®This must mean I can only develop the nullification skill to this extent with the information in the Tier 3 Library. What I have to do from now on is gain ess to the Tier 1 and 2 Libraries and learn the rest of Heoju¡¯s skill tree through the skills I can gain from earning achievements.¡¯ Chang-Sun wished he could have made more progress toward creating the skill, but he did not have any lingering regrets about that objective, as he had done everything he could. ¡®It isn¡¯t here.¡¯ However, Chang-Sun soon realized that, even though he had nearly achieved his second-priority n sessfully, he had failed to achieve his number one priority. * * * ¡®I went through the library three times, but I really can¡¯t find [Avatar¡¯s Descent],¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a sigh upon realizing he had three hours left. ¡®Is it really in the Tier 1 or 2 Library then? Well, despite how poor?Heoju?and his buffoons¡¯ judgment is, I guess they wouldn¡¯t have left such a book in a lower-tier library,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, tilting his head. Perhaps they had stored the skill book in a separate ce after realizing it was extraordinary. After all, Thanatos had only been able to find out that one of Sagittarius¡¯ Divine Authorities had ended up in the White Tiger n¡¯s exhibition. Regardless, it was still disappointing. ¡®Should I take ast look around?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Considering how Heoju and his buffoons had failed to notice that [Avatar¡¯s Descent] was in the library until now, there was also a distinct possibility that the Divine Authority was encrypted with suchplicated passwords that taking a quick nce at the books would not be enough to find it. As such, Chang-Sun thought he could have missed something. There was no telling when he would be able to visit the Fierce Tiger Library again, so he needed to do everything he could. ¡®If it¡¯s written in anguage or symbols that are hard to understand, many people would consider the book a misceneous item written by a pretentious author. In that case¡­ there¡¯s a high chance that the book is stored in the Tier 7 Library,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, stroking his chin. Aftering to that conclusion, Chang-Sun began taking a closer look at several books he had disregarded, thinking it unnecessary to read through them. From old encyclopedias that looked so useless they made him wonder why on earth they were in the library, to shabby antique books that had lost most of their pages, he read everything he could find. Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes ached so much that he felt as if they would pop out of their sockets, their veins bulging; his brain felt as if it were on fire. [The Skill ¡®Unbending Spirit¡¯ has reached the breaking point.] [The Skill ¡®Composed Spirit¡¯ forces you to refocus your wandering concentration, reinforcing your willpower.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯mends you for your remarkable willpower.] Suddenly¡­ ¡®I got it!¡¯?Chang-Sun thought excitedly. ¡­he realized he had found something magnificent. Badump! Badump! With adrenaline coursing through his body, Chang-Sun felt his corrosive fatigue instantly disappear. The possibility of holding a Zodiac¡¯s Divine Authority made his heart pound greatly. Still, he made an effort to regain hisposure, as he could not be certain that the book was truly Sagittarius¡¯ [Avatar¡¯s Descent]. However, he was sure it held an extraordinary secret. <100 Recipes for Monster Meat> At first nce, it was a thick cookbook that was filled with boring exnations. However, when Chang-Sun read it in reverse and in a specific pattern, it becamepletely different. However¡­ ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, tilting his head in confusion. It was not [Avatar¡¯s Descent], the skill Chang-Sun had been looking for. It was the will of a being who had been forgotten by the world for a long time. 1. The hangul for this is literally the English ¡®resource¡¯, ¡®???¡¯. No exnation was given in the raw. 2. The raw was ¡°Book Maniac¡ªno, Light?¡± This is wordy in the original Korean. ¡®Maniac¡¯ (? ¿ñ) has the same hanja as ¡®light¡¯ (?¹â). Chapter 37: Star, The Black Mountain King (3)

Chapter 37: Star, The ck Mountain King (3)

When Chang-Sun read the very first paragraph, his eyes widened as he saw a familiar name¡ªMunseong. ¡®It¡¯s talking about Sword Sky Tiger!¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in surprise. The ¡®Nine Swordsmen¡¯ were known as the greatest swordsmen in the world. One of their number, Munseong, was also Heoju¡¯s apostle and the n leader who had founded the White Tiger n with Executive Director Oh. However, the author referred to Munseong as if he had been a close brother. If word got out, the book would no doubt shake the White Tiger n members up, as Sword Sky Tiger was not just their leader. He was an idol they looked up to and tried to take after. ¡®Did Sword Sky Tiger have a family?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, tilting his head in confusion. It was a well-known fact that Sword Sky Tiger had gained fame and prestige after working as a mercenary, which was a rare case even among yers. After weathering many battles, he had created his own martial arts style and caught Heoju¡¯s attention, to the point that the deity had made Sword Sky Tiger his apostle. However, that well-known fact seemed to be wrong, ording to the book. The encrypted story went on for some time. As the heir of a secret n, Hanyu had been training his swordsmanship for a long time. However, one day, his teacher had brought a boy over, making him Hanyu¡¯s junior brother. As his teacher was in bad health due to old age, Hanyu had raised his junior brother like a real brother, and even sometimes trained Munseong in swordsmanship on his teacher¡¯s behalf. ording to Hanyu, his n had chosen to seclude itself for an unknown reason. However, just as his divine name ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ implied, Heoju was a monster deity who liked war, chaos, and fear. Thus, there was no way he would have liked the n¡¯s decision to seek peace. Of course, he could have chosen another apostle; however, Hanyu¡¯s n upheld Heoju¡¯s doctrines better than any other, making them the best choice to inherit his remaining power. Heoju had had no choice but to grit his teeth, unable to choose another apostle. ¡®The previous apostle must have intentionally sealed Heoju¡¯s power. Yeah, I once heard that?Heoju?had temporarily be weakened and couldn¡¯t affect the Saha World,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, managing to recall information about Heoju with great difficulty. In his time as a fiend, Chang-Sun had heard the news about Heoju; however, he had quickly forgotten it. He had been curious as to why the war maniac had never showed up anywhere for about a hundred years, but it seemed Sword Sky Tiger¡¯s previous n was responsible for Heoju¡¯s disappearance. ¡®The more Heoju¡¯s Faith increases, the more chaos and disasters take ce in the world. Heoju¡¯s previous apostle must have thought he couldn¡¯t stay after seeing too much blood,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Of course, that was just Chang-Sun¡¯s conjecture; however, he believed his hypothesis was close to the truth. ¡®Was that why?Heoju?chose Munseong¡­ no, Sword Sky Tiger, not Hanyu?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he continued to read. Although Sword Sky Tiger had betrayed his previous n, he had not killed Hanyu, seemingly holding lingering attachments to the one who had raised him. Instead, Sword Sky Tiger had severed the tendons in Hanyu¡¯s arms so he could no longer swing a sword. Sword Sky Tiger had subsequently crippled Hanyu¡¯s magic organ and locked him in the n¡¯s underground cave. Afterward, Hanyu had been forced to watch helplessly as his junior brother earned the title of Sword Sky Tiger and attracted countless followers. On top of Hanyu and the n¡¯s old home, Sword Sky Tiger had built arge new headquarters for a new n he created. ¡®A voice?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as the word caught his attention. He realized the next part had to be the important one, and thus tried to find it. However, the will stopped there. ¡®What?¡¯?he thought, raising a brow. He had gone through the book again, but the will stopped there, which could only mean one thing. ¡®The next part of the will is hidden somewhere else,¡¯?Chang-Sun realized. Ding! When he came to that conclusion, a quest window popped up. [A Hidden Piece has been found!] [The Nameless One¡¯s will has be a ¡®seed¡¯ and been absorbed into you.] [As a predetermined reward, the skill that was undergoing Skill Combination has made significant progress.] [Skill Combination Progress: 51%] [The Hidden Piece¡¯s fragments are still hidden everywhere, so find all the fragments andbine them.] ¡°¡­!¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened. He had thought he would be unable to make progress in creating the Heoju Nullification skill, but he had suddenly gained 12 percent of progress, even though all he had done was to find and interpret a Hidden Piece. ¡®The Nameless One is definitely not an ordinary being.¡¯ No mortal could do such a thing. That meant a deity, the ¡®he¡¯ Hanyu had mentioned, must have interfered due to his hatred of Heoju. ¡®I have to find the next?books,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, his eyes shining. Where would it be? Judging from how Hanyu had encrypted his will, he had wanted someone to discover it; however, as he had needed to make sure Sword Sky Tiger¡¯s followers would not find it, he would have had to adjust the difficulty level of the encryption ordingly. ¡®In order to let someone find the next fragments more easily after they finished decrypting the first piece¡­ He must have hidden every fragment in the Tier 7 Library,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. With that conclusion in mind, Chang-Sunbed the entire library. As he had less than two hours, he had to find all the fragments of Hanyu¡¯s will within an hour. However, he was worried about the possibility of Heoju noticing the will. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is certain that you will be his loyal follower.] ¡®He hasn¡¯t noticed yet,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a faint smile. ? Fortunately, Heoju had only been watching Chang-Sun, not the book he was reading. Regardless, he would be never interested in a Tier 7 book, and one ssified as misceneous, no less. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ watches you with an enigmatic gaze.] J?rmungandr, also known as the ¡®Wise Serpent¡¯, seemed to have noticed something; however, he seemed unaware of the precise details. ¡®I got it,¡¯?Chang-Sun suddenly thought. The next part of the will was not far from the first part. It was in an antique book that had lost many pages, but the book¡¯s condition only made the decryption much easier. ¡®Eaten by his child?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, quickly searching memories. Based on the context, ¡®his child¡¯ likely meant Heoju, but Chang-Sun had never heard of Heoju having parents or even a teacher. Simr to Sword Sky Tiger¡¯s biography, the well-known legend of Heoju was that an ordinary monster had be a monster deity after finding enlightenment. That was the moment Chang-Sun became certain of what was going on. His eyes shone with interest as he thought, ¡®It¡¯s a Hidden History.¡¯ A referred to a source of hidden truths that was not recorded in the myths. In most cases, they were created as a result of Celestials intentionally hiding the truth, and thus naturally served as those Celestials¡¯ weaknesses. Chang-Sun had found Heoju¡¯s , which was tantamount to finding his hidden weakness. The next part of the will was mainly about Hanyu beginning to secretly train himself again in the dungeon. Luckily, no one cared about a person who had spent ten years doing nothing, which meant Hanyu had been able to focus on recovering just as ¡®he¡¯ had taught him. One day, when Sword Sky Tiger returned after wandering around the world, Hanyu decided to execute his n. It seemed Hanyu had left an encrypted will right before attempting to assassinate Sword Sky Tiger. The will, which had been divided into six books and spread across numerous bookcases, ended there, and¡­ . Ding! [You have sessfully found all the remaining fragments of the Hidden Piece!] [The Nameless One¡¯s strong will has nted a ¡®seed¡¯ in your heart.] [Unlocked Achievement!] ¡°Sessor of the Fierce Tiger''s Sorrow.¡± Reward: Intelligence +5, Willpower +10, Skill ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s ws¡¯. [ck Mountain King¡¯s First w] In order to hunt his and his family¡¯s mortal enemy, this legacy was left by a certain tiger deity, who disappeared because he had no followers to devote Faith to or people to remember his name. There are a total of five ws. If the skill owner can draw out all the ws properly, they can not only tear apart their enemy, but also the entire world. ¡°There can be nothing scarier in this world than a beast with all its ws bared.¡± ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Active, Counter, Authority. (*Temporarily unusable as an Authority.) ¡¤ Effect: Massive Bleeding. Unrelenting Offensive. Stacking Damage. Skill Synchronicity. Chang-Sun clenched his fists when he saw the Skill Window for the new skill. He thought in satisfaction, ¡®It even has four effects¡­ On top of that, I can automatically use the skill as an Authority if I level up, right?¡¯ The four Effects were very good. [Massive Bleeding] was a higher-rank effect than [Persistent Bleeding], an effect that made the enemy bleed continuously, because using [Massive Bleeding] could instantly leave the enemy on the verge of death. [Unrelenting Offensive] enabled Chang-Sun to use another skill immediately afterward without having to wait for the cooldown time to finish. [Stacking Damage] multiplied the damage of any skills used after it over time. All of them were valuable, but one effect caught Chang-Sun¡¯s attention the most: [Skill Synchronicity]. ¡®I can conceal this skill inside another skill, or increase the attack¡¯s damage bybining it with other skills,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. As a member of the White Tiger n, he would have to use Heoju¡¯s skills a lot. [Skill Synchronicity] meant he would be able to secretlybine the Heoju Nullification skill with Heoju¡¯s own skills. [ck Mountain King¡¯s First w] was actually a counter skill to the White Tiger n members¡¯ various skills, making it a ¡®natural enemy¡¯-type skill against the White Tiger n. Although it had initially seemed difficult to develop such a skill, as Heoju had eyes everywhere in the White Tiger n¡­ that limitation had disappeared. ¡®No, [ck Mountain King¡¯s First w] and the White Tiger n members¡¯ skills might actually be a good match, seeing as they¡¯ve got to be rooted in the same source.¡¯? On top of that, he could automatically use the active skill as an Authority after he acquired the Fourth w! Ordinarily, someone would have to be an apostle to obtain such a skill. ¡®So this is the skill of an ancient deity no one remembers now¡­ No skill could contain stronger resentment than this.¡¯ Of course, [ck Mountain King¡¯s First w] was not perfect; there were many factors limiting its usage in realbat. It would drain too much of Chang-Sun¡¯s mana for him to use it even once, and as he had not mastered it, he would only be able to draw out one w. ¡®I need a way to solve this.¡¯ In any event, Chang-Sun still had to keep increasing his mana as a Rune Master anyway. ¡®I definitely need as many elixirs as possible.¡¯ The higher his mana capacity was, the better it would be. Although there was a chance that the efficiency of his magic could decrease if he ate random things, he did not need to worry about that. As the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier] purified impurities, it would only grow stronger. ¡®That¡¯s why I need to go to the training institute,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he closed the final book he had been reading. Smack! [Skill Combination Progress: 55%] Looking at the skill he was creating, Chang-Sun smiled coldly, as it could also be a counter skill like [ck Mountain King¡¯s First w]. He was very curious as to how the two skills wouldplement each other, and how Heoju and Sword Sky Tiger would react when they saw the skills. ¡®It¡¯s disappointing¡­ but I¡¯ll have to take a rain check on getting [Avatar¡¯s Descent],¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he left the library. 1. This n is in lowercase because the author used the Korean term that refers to a literal n, not a yer n. Chapter 38: Star, The Training (1)

Chapter 38: Star, The Training (1)

¡®ck Shamshir¡¯, the Sword of Ohsung n¡¯s Personnel Director Woo Yeong-Geun, frowned as he read through a pile of newspapers on the table. Every front page was talking about Chang-Sun; although they resembled tabloid articles, they were from prestigious daily newspapers. However, Yeong-Geun had a bigger problem on his hands. ¡¸Are you listening to me, Uncle?!¡¹ The girl on the other end of the line cried out loudly. The little witch had been pestering Yeong-Geun for several days. Although she was usually very gentle and adorable, she threw massive tantrums when she failed to get what she wanted. ¡°Of course I¡¯m listening to you. You want YTS¡¯ limited edition photo cards, right? I hired them as the main models for our new carmercial, so I¡¯ll get them autographed¡­!¡± Yeong-Geun replied. ¡¸I knew it! You aren¡¯t listening to me! I hate you, Uncle!¡¹ Hye-Bin shouted angrily in response. ¡°Hye-Bin? Wait, Hye-Bin!¡± Yeong-Geun hurriedly called out to his niece. Click. However, she had long since hung up. ¡®Ahhh, I¡¯m so depressed¡­¡¯??Yeong-Geun thought with a sigh. As the Ohsung Group President¡¯s third son, he was weed everywhere in the world, and people always caused a scene to catch his eye. However, among his family, he was just a punching bag(?), always getting hit by his youngest niece who had just hit adolescence. Because Yeong-Geun had been so busy with work, he had failed to get married even though he was over forty, which meant he felt especially affectionate toward his niece. Whenever his only older brother saw Yeong-Geun acting like a fool around his niece, he shook his head in disbelief, but Yeong-Geun did not care about that. Even before his niece could walk, he had always spent time with her. Her smile could always make himugh. He had introduced himself as ¡®a fool for his niece¡¯ to other people so often that his niece had yelled at him to stop making a fool of himself because he was embarrassing her. However, his niece had recently changed a great deal after going through the incident that had taken ce a month prior. ¡®That damn Jamsil Gate¡­! If only she hadn¡¯t gotten entangled in the Gate,¡¯ Yeong-Geun thought, clenching his teeth. When Yeong-Geun had first found out that his niece, Woo Hye-Bin, had gotten swept up in the Jamsil Gate, he had been appalled. Not wanting to cause gossip, he had paid special attention to making sure that the press did not find out. Additionally, he had spared no expense looking for a method to dispatch a rescue team to the Gate. In the end, however, there was no other method than waiting for a Dungeon Closure to take ce. He had been forced to simply wait and pray nothing would happen. Thus, he had desperately prayed to his Guardian ¡®Nameless Giant¡¯ again and again to protect his niece. After an excruciatingly long time, the Dungeon had fortunately been cleared. When Yeong-Geun discovered Woo Hye-Bin safe and sound, he had finally heaved a sigh of relief. Soon after, he learned what had happened in the Jamsil Gate. There had been a son of a bitch named Jeon Choong-Jae, whom Yeong-Geun had wished he could drag out of the grave to kill again; however, there had also been a gracious savior named Lee Chang-Sun. Yeong-Geun had wanted to express gratitude for saving Hye-Bin on the Ohsung Group¡¯s behalf, but to his surprise, his niece had stopped him. ¡°M¡­ Mister Chang-Sun disappeared right after finishing the Dungeon Quest. I think he did so because he felt uneasy about revealing his ability to the public. I think it would be better to wait until he decides for himself,¡± Hye-Bin said. Hye-Bin had meant that she did not want to force Chang-Sun to reveal himself to the world if he did not wish to. As she had a valid point, her family had respected her decision; still, Yeong-Geun had expressed his intention to personally visit Chang-Sun to express gratitude and offer to recruit him into the n run by the Ohsung Group. Hye-Bin had not opposed him, perhaps because she was happy that her savior had joined the Ohsung Group. ¡®The problem is that I failed to even have a proper conversation,¡¯ Yeong-Geun thought, clicking his tongue. As their first encounter had been a swordfight, Yeong-Geun had failed to express his gratitude. Thus, he had given Chang-Sun his business card and told him to call anytime. He hadcently thought that Chang-Sun would at least make a phone call, seeing as the Sword of Ohsung n Personnel Director himself hade to recruit him. ¡®That was my mistake. Shit.¡¯ Yeong-Geun sighed in frustration. Over a month had passed by without any sign of that phone call. And yet, Chang-Sun had suddenly appeared at the White Tiger n¡¯s recruitment event, setting the world on fire. Yeong-Geun had been unable to believe that Chang-Sun was an SSS+++ Grade yer! After finding out that Chang-Sun was a ¡®genius¡¯ who could even be ssified as EX-Grade or R-Grade, Yeong-Geun had almost fainted. Of course, his niece had called him several times a day to yell angrily about how much she hated her uncle, saying Chang-Sun had joined the White Tiger n because Yeong-Geun had not tried hard enough. Even his brother, his brother¡¯s wife, and his father, the Ohsung Group President, hadd looked at Yeong-Geun in a simr way. Unfortunately for him, Yeong-Geun could not deny that he had beencent. ¡®Still¡­ I was too busy to do anything! I thought he wanted to keep hiding himself!¡¯ Yeong-Geun thought, stomping his foot. ? When Yeong-Geun had investigated Chang-Sun, he had discovered that Chang-Sun had suffered from a great deal of criticism while working as a professional gamer. As such, he had thought that Chang-Sun still wanted to remain in hiding. That was why he had been waiting for Chang-Sun to regain hisposure in peace¡­ but it seemed he had been mistaken. In that time period, however, he had been busy investigating the Highoff n incident after noticing several suspicious movements, which meant recruiting Chang-Sun had fallen to a lower priority. Regardless, even if he exined the whole story to his niece, she would never be able to understand it. After all, she was just a middle school senior, not even in high school. On top of that, the newspapers were busily reporting that Chang-Sun was going to the White Tiger n¡¯s training institute. Although the White Tiger n¡¯s probationary training was known for its uniqueness, Yeong-Geun was unsure whether Chang-Sun entering it was worth entire headlines. ¡°Phew!¡± Yeong-Geun sighed after a long time. He had no idea how to untangle theplicated situation and recruit Chang-Sun, who had be a big shot. He massaged his aching temples with his index fingers. * * * [You have entered the Dungeon ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯.] Whooosh! As soon as Chang-Sun passed through the Gate, numerous Dungeon Messages showed up one after another. [Commencing the Dungeon Quest!] [Quest Theme: Purification.] [Due to unknown magic, the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯ has been suffering from abnormalities in its ecosystem for a very long time. Find and eliminate the cause to restore the ecosystem.] [The mountain range is divided into eight sectors. As many bizarre-looking creatures that cannot be found in other Dungeons live in the Dungeon, be careful.] [To execute the mission, every participant has been granted ess to the , , and .] ¡®This ck and red mountain range really is vast,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, gaping slightly. The first thought that entered his mind was that there truly were a lot of mountains. In his childhood, he had once climbed Jirisan Mountain with his father, but these mountains were muchrger and taller than Jirisan Mountain. Some of them were so tall that their peaks were obscured by clouds and mist, invisible to the naked eye. Strangely, the forest was so dense that the entire Dungeon¡¯s atmosphere felt thick and stifling. On top of that, the trees were all dyed a vivid scarlet, as if they had been soakedpletely in blood. Even to Chang-Sun, the ce felt more ominous than wondrous. ¡®When I searched for information about this ce online, it said the Dungeon¡¯s difficulty level was brutal, so I wonder what it¡¯s like,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. The Safe Zone was the first ce people arrived in when they entered a Dungeon. The farther people went from it, the more abnormal the mountain¡¯s ecosystem became. The sectors located in the innermost area were especially dangerous, to the point that even the White Tiger n¡¯s key members were reluctant to go. Of course, rankers would be able to eliminate the boss monsters, but the Dungeon could not be cleared just by doing so. Because of its unique ecosystem, the boss monsters respawned at regr intervals, as well as the ordinary monsters. While protecting themselves from the monsters, yers would have to find Hidden Pieces and ¡®purify¡¯ the entire mountain range mountain by mountain. However, purifying the entire mountain range would do more harm than good. That was why the White Tiger n had given up on clearing the Dungeon and decided to use it as a training institute. ¡®But Executive Director Oh wants someone to finish the Dungeon,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. ? What secret was hidden in this Dungeon? He was about to find out. ¡®Then I¡¯ll have to take care of him first,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, ncing at his shadow. Just then, someone spoke in Chang-Sun¡¯s mind using telepathy. ¡ºJust like at the library, you can ignore me, so please focus on the training.¡» The message came from Song Yu-Jun, Executive Director Oh¡¯s secretary and the one who had guided Chang-Sun in the Fierce Tiger Library. He had followed Chang-Sun to the training event. [The Skill ¡®Faint Wind¡¯ is following you!] ¡®I expected him in the library, but I didn¡¯t expect him to follow me into the training area,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, lightly clicking his tongue. It seemed Executive Director Oh still doubted Chang-Sun to some extent. It was understandable, as he no doubt felt the need to test Chang-Sun multiple times to decide whether or not to trust him. He had to see whether Chang-Sun would try to find his weakness in the Dungeon, while also preventing the other White Tiger n factions from making contact with him. As such, Chang-Sun was under Executive Director Oh¡¯s constant surveince. Although Chang-Sun was unsure what methods Yoo-Jun could use, he knew the secretary couldmunicate constantly with Executive Director Oh, who was on the outside. ¡®I¡¯ll have to lose him when I have the chance,¡¯ Chang-Sun decided. The problem was that Chang-Sun could not yet locate Yoo-Jun with his current ability. Of course, there was still a method to do so, but it was not the time to use it yet. Chang-Sun nodded lightly as he walked toward the Safe Zone, where many trainees had already arrived before him. Most of them looked very nervous. Of course, there were some people who seemed rtively rxed. They were no doubt confident in their ability and talent, seeing as they were not overwhelmed by the fact that they were about to be trained by the White Tiger n Members, but even those people became somewhat dispirited when Chang-Sun came close. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± ¡°He¡¯s really Lee Chang-Sun¡­¡± ¡°How will he do this time?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ I don¡¯t want to bepared to him!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how it will go. Unlike the tryouts, he might be bad in realbat.¡± When people saw Chang-Sun, they talked constantly among themselves. No one tried to approach him due to his cold, distant demeanor; besides, it was difficult to talk to him after seeing him in every media outlet over the past week. Not paying much attention to the murmurs, Chang-Sun took a quick look around the Safe Zone. He watched the surroundings with interest, thinking, ¡®So there are¡­ two¡ªno, three useful people?¡¯ All the people Chang-Sun took notice of while at the testing site had been epted as new yers of the White Tiger n. The first person who had caught Chang-Sun¡¯s eye was a man with a long ponytail, carrying a three-meter-long spear. As he was 190 centimeters tall and dressed in a pitch-ck outfit, he stood out from the crowd. His powerful build was so robust he resembled an armored warrior, and he had a cold demeanor; that and his scar-filled face gave him an unapproachable air. The man wore a nametag that read ¡®Baek Gyeo-Ul¡¯ on his left chest. However, his appearance was not what truly caught Chang-Sun¡¯s attention. ¡®He seems to be under another deity¡¯s protection. Who is it?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, squinting. However, he could not tell, because Gyeo-Ul was too far away. In any event, he would have another chanceter. Meanwhile, the second person was a man who lookedpletely different from Baek-Gyeo-Ul. The handsome and cheerful man, who wore a nametag that read ¡®Lim Joo-Han¡¯, had already made many friends. Thest person, despite looking weaker than the other two, seemed to have extraordinary potential¡­ ¡°Wow! Woah! Oppa saw me!¡± the woman eximed excitedly when Chang-Sun inadvertently met her gaze; she had been staring at him for some time. She was the younger twin who had talked to Chang-Sun at the testing site, along with her brother and her acquaintances. Giving the others a light nod, Chang-Sun turned to look at the Safe Zone¡¯s center. An employee who seemed to be the training supervisor stepped up, calling out, ¡°Everyone! Please settle down and pay attention to me!¡± Rumble! As the employee had used his magic and [Tiger Kill] to speak, his voice was loud enough to make the ground tremble. Thus, all the trainees stopped talking and looked at him nervously. The 26th White Tiger n Probationary Training was about to begin. Chapter 39: Star, The Training (2)

Chapter 39: Star, The Training (2)

. ¡°Hey, hey, you saw my oppa looking at me, right? Oh my god! I can die right now without any regrets!¡± the younger twin shrieked. With a look of disgust, Shin Geum-Gyu, one of the members of Team Adios, watched his only twin sister fangirling(?), feeling as if his worries(?) hade true. ¡°You¡¯re one devoted woman, a really devoted woman,¡± Geum-Gyu muttered, clicking his tongue. After Chang-Sun passed the tests with an overwhelmingly perfect score, Eun-Seo had be fervently motivated to join the samepany as Chang-Sun, and eventually seeded in joining the White Tiger n with the highest score in Team Adios apart from Kim Hyeong-Jun, the team leader. Over the past week, she had been over the moon, excitedly thinking about meeting Chang-Sun again in the training institute. Now, she was about to faint because she had actually gotten to meet him. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re drooling. Your oppa sure will love you if he sees you right now, huh?¡± Geum-Gyu remarked sarcastically. ¡°Heup!¡± Eun-Seo quickly wiped her mouth and pulled out a hand mirror from an inner pocket to look at her face. Geum-Gyu shook his head in disbelief. Eventually, he noticed Hyeong-Jun, his leader, looking serious. He asked, ¡°Huh¡­? Hyeong-Jun hyung, is there a problem?¡± ¡°Huh? No, everything is fine.¡± Although he had spent a while staring at Eun-Seo, Hyeong-Jun quickly came back to reality and smiled gently, shaking his head as he replied. His smile was so natural that Geum-Gyu was convinced that he was mistaken. ¡°I think he¡¯s about to tell us the training institute¡¯s instructions, so let¡¯s pay attention to him,¡± he said, making Geum-Gyu hurriedly shift his focus to the training supervisor. Geum-Gyu felt that he had to get his act together on behalf of his crazy sister. Due to the brochure that had been handed to the trainees in advance, it was not difficult to understand the training institute¡¯s instructions; however, many of them were unexpectedly tricky. In summary, the instructions were¡­ 1. The training period willst for 100 days. 2. For the first 30 days, trainees will have time to learn and practice the Three Basic Skills of the White Tiger n¡¯s members. 3. For the same period, the trainees will go through various training exercises to develop skills they can use in the field. 4. For the remaining 70 days, the Safe Zone will be deactivated, and trainees will have to survive by relying on the Three Basic Skills and any other Skills they have learned in advance. 4. There are no rules for the survival phase. Trainees can team up with each other or try to survive on their own. 5. Trainees will gain points for every achievement they unlock in the Dungeon. They will gain different amounts of points depending on the level of the monsters they hunt. 6. Instructors and guards will be stationed all over the Dungeon, monitoring the trainees at all times to grade them. 7. Instructors will not usually interfere, but they will immediately intervene if trainees are in danger. In such cases, instructors will deduct points. Trainees will fail the exercise if their point total reaches zero. 8. Upon failing the training exercise, trainees can no longer join the White Tiger n; it is necessary to keep this in mind. In contrast, a predetermined award will be given to trainees with high marks. 9. The top five trainees will be eligible for being chosen by the Guardian. ¡®Even if it¡¯s not mentioned in the regtions, trainees are free to act and make their own judgment as long as they aren¡¯tmitting crimes.¡¯ Geum-Gyu thought bitterly as he read the rest of the brochure. The first thought that entered his mind was that although the training exercise seemed unrestrained at first nce, it would be very brutal; he sighed lightly. Some people desperately wanted to be yers because they sought a chance to turn their life around, but he had been forced to work as a yer to support his poor family. As he had chosen to work for the White Tiger n, some people would dismiss his concerns as mere whining, but he was already beginning to worry about whether the training exercise would end peacefully. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll first teach you the Three Basic Skills,¡± the supervisor said after he finished exining the instructions. Multiple instructors immediately showed up and handed three scrolls to each trainee. When Geum-Gyu received the scrolls, his eyes shone with excitement; they were skill scrolls. They were artifacts that enabled people to acquire skills just by reading them, much like skill books. Making even one scroll needed many materials and a lot of money, but the White Tiger n was giving them away for free. Badump! Badump! Geum-Gyu tried to calm his wildly beating heart, but his hands still trembled as he opened the scrolls. [Tiger Kill] The basic Skill of ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯. You can attack your opponent by releasing a magical aura outward. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Active. ¡¤ Effect: Intimidation. [Tiger Prowl] You can overpower an enemy merely by walking forward. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Active. ¡¤ Effect: Increase Damage. [Tiger Disaster] You can unleash more powerful attacks with the force of a tiger¡¯s bite. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Active. ¡¤ Effect: Increase Attack. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I got my hands on these¡­!¡¯?Geum-Gyu thought, gaping. Among yers, there was a saying that went, ¡®The White Tiger n members¡¯ power starts with their Three Basic Skills and ends with their Three Basic Skills.¡¯ The saying was not intended to belittle the White Tier n members, however. The Three Basic Skills that were the pride of the White Tiger n¡ª[Tiger Kill], [Tiger Prowl], and [Tiger Disaster]¡ªwere very effective and versatile. All three of them worked like a set of interlocking cogs. Leveling up one of them would also level up the other two; as such, training them further would lead to exponential increases in power for all three. Furthermore, all the other Skills and Authorities that the White Tiger n¡¯s members were known for had grown out of the interlinked system of the Three Basic Skills. From new employees to the four Attack Team Leaders who were considered executives, each and every member of the White Tiger n used the three Skills as their primary ¡®weapons¡¯. It was no wonder that Geum-Gyu¡¯s hands shook as violently as they did when he received the scrolls. ¡®I¡¯m about to formally be a member of the White Tiger n¡­!¡¯ Geum-Gyu thought as he breathed deeply, trying to calm his nerves. The scrolls could not conferplete mastery of the Skills. There was a reason why the system measured Skill levels, and also why the White Tiger n gave all its trainees a month. It was intended to allow the trainees to get used to the Three Basic Skills. Rip! Rip! Paaah¨D! [Acquired the Skill ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯!] [Acquired the Skill ¡®Tiger Prowl¡¯!] [Acquired the Skill ¡®Tiger Disaster¡¯!] The sound of paper tearing filled the air. Skill Effects from the scrolls swirled around Geum-Gyu¡¯s body, making him feel lighter. ¡°Have you all acquired the Skills? Next, Instructor Yu will demonstrate them in practice, so observe him carefully and reflect¡­!¡± the supervisor called out. As the training was about to begin, all the trainees¡¯ eyes sparkled with excitement. However, just as the supervisor was about to continue, someone suddenly raised his hand high in the air. Normally, the supervisor would have ignored it and continued giving instructions; however, he could not do so this time, as that someone was Chang-Sun. The supervisor felt somewhat nervous, as his superiors had given him several instructions about Chang-Sun; however, he was also furious about the fact that a trainee had interrupted him. Thus, he simply decided to deduct Chang-Sun¡¯s points if he said something useless, saying, ¡°Yes, Mr. Lee Chang-Sun. Go ahead.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already mastered all the skills, and I¡¯ve heard that I can exit the Safe Zone before the 30-day training period is over if I show perfect demonstrations of the skills,¡± Chang-Sun said. He sounded extremely calm, but the words he spoke affected the crowd powerfully. ¡°What? He¡¯s learned all of them already?¡± ¡°How on earth did he do that?¡± ¡°Did he receive the scrolls before us?¡± ¡°No way. There are so many people here right now! Why would they use such shallow tricks?¡± ¡°You have a point, but how does that make sense? He just tore up the scrolls and instantly mastered everything, from the movements to the posture? No matter how insane his talent is¡­!¡± The previously quiet Safe Zone was engulfed in an uproar. Worried that another fight like the one that had erupted at the testing site would ur, the trainees anxiously watched Chang-Sun. ¡°Look at my oppa acting so confident! How can he be so feisty? Once a Tyrant, always a Tyrant!¡± Eun-Seo eximed, her instincts as a Chang-Sun stan ring up once again. In the past, Chang-Sun had been famous for his blunt speech and cold, indifferent attitude when he worked as a professional gamer. It had earned him many haters, but his bluntness had also be his trademark, winning poprity around the world. Now, it seemed that trait was alive and well¡ªno, more than that; he was now the epitome of arrogance in other people¡¯s eyes. After all, they did not know that Chang-Sun had spent five hundred years in Arcadia and Heaven. Meanwhile, Hyeong-Jun was already incandescent with jealousy, but he merely smiled coldly. He regained hisposure, thinking confidently, ¡®Wait, I don¡¯t need to get angry, seeing as he¡¯s going to fail anyway.¡¯ In reality, Hyeong-Jun had long since mastered the Three Basic Skills; he was confident that he could perform the perfect demonstrations Chang-Sun had asked about. Unbeknownst to his fellow Team Adios members, his father was an executive in the White Tiger n, which meant his recruitment into the n was predetermined. However, there was just one thing that had not gone ording to n¡ªcing first in the testing phase. ¡®Who could have known he was going to show up at the testing site?¡¯ Hyeong-Jun silently screamed in his mind. Hyeong-Jun had previously heard the details of the audition from his father; thus, he had felt that he was fully prepared, confident he woulde out on top with an overwhelmingly high score. He had thought that if he earned first ce in the test with a brilliant performance, many people, including Eun-Seo, would look up to him. However, those ns had beenpletely destroyed when Chang-Sun appeared. Chang-Sun had stolen Hyeong-Jun¡¯s thunder, leaving him so shocked that he had only managed to scrape his way to fourth ce. That was why Hyeong-Jun had been desperately honing his skill for the past week, waiting for his next opportunity. ¡®I won¡¯t look so pathetic this time,?Hyeong-Jun thought, gritting his teeth. Trainees would partly be graded by the order in which they exited the Safe Zone. Whomever exited the Safe Zone first would gain the highest score; thus, Hyeong-Jun had also been nning to try to exit the Safe Zone in advance. However, Chang-Sun had interrupted his ns once again, leaving him overwhelmed with annoyance. ¡®No, this is for the better,¡¯?Hyeong-Jun thought, trying to reconsider his stance. ¡®Father definitely told me that Chang-Sun didn¡¯t learn the Three Basic Skills ahead of time, and only read misceneous books in the Fierce Tiger Library. Even if he did gain something from there, he shouldn¡¯t have had time to develop it.¡¯ Hyeong-Jun¡¯s cold smile deepened as he thought, ¡®He must think he¡¯s talented enough to use the Skills perfectly after looking at them only once. Idiot. If that were true, anyone could learn the Three Basic Skills.¡¯ He naturally thought that Eun-Seo¡¯s rose-tinted sses woulde off if Chang-Sun embarrassed himself. ¡°Alright. Try it,¡± the supervisor, who had been watching in discontent like Hyeong-Jun, answered sarcastically with a nod. Afterward, the people nearby all stepped back, creating some space for Chang-Sun. ¡°Phew¡­!¡± Chang-Sun carefully controlled his breathing, standing in ce. As he exhaled lightly and inhaled deeply¡­ ¡®Hmm¡­?¡¯?Hyeong-Jun thought as he sensed the air around Chang-Sun changing abruptly. The atmosphere turned heavy, fierce, and sharp, like a tiger¡¯s presence! ¡®No way!¡¯?Hyeong-Jun thought, his eyes widening. Chang-Sun took one step forward. Thud! [The Skill ¡®Tiger Prowl¡¯ has been activated!] [The Skill ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ has been activated!] Rumble¡­! The ground shook fiercely, to such an extent that even the trainees farthest away from Chang-Sun felt the vibrations. At the same time, the air rumbled loudly, creating a whirlwind around Chang-Sun that was so intense it could be seen with the naked eye. Whoosh, swoosh, swish! The whirlpool slowly distorted, taking on a unique shape. A giant tiger stood behind Chang-Sun, revealing its vicious teeth and ws. ¡°Wow¡­!¡± ¡°Un-Unbelievable!¡± ¡°Shit! He didn¡¯t just use them; he even made them take on the Tiger Shape!¡± The phenomenon that was taking ce before their eyes was known as the ¡®Tiger Shape¡¯ or the ¡®Tiger Form¡¯. It required an individual to use [Tiger Prowl] to gather their magic decisively, then use [Tiger Kill] to release it. If the two skills werebined perfectly, the result would manifest as the Tiger Form. Thus, Chang-Sun¡¯s disy shocked all the onlookers to their very bones. The supervisor, the instructors, and the guards were just as dumbfounded as the trainees. ¡®This is ridiculous! How can he¡­?!¡¯ Hyeong-Jun thought, feeling especially bewildered. Although it had been five years since he had learned the Three Basic Skills, he still could not properly create the Tiger Form; it required not only mastery of the three Skills, but also precise control of one¡¯s magic. That was why the n ssified those who could create the Tiger Form as ¡®veterans¡¯, which indicated that they needed no further training and could fully pull their weight. Chang-Sun had just executed that feat as if it were nothing. However, there was a bigger problem. ¡®No way! Is he even going to¡­?¡¯?Hyeong-Jun thought, gaping. If Chang-Sun could freely create the Tiger Form, he could even create the Tiger Teeth and the Tiger ws¡­! At that moment, Chang-Sun took [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] from his waist. [The Skill ¡®Tiger Disaster¡¯ has been activated!] Suddenly, there was a sh. sh! A sharp de of wind created by Chang-Sun¡¯s dagger instantly sliced through the air toward the supervisor. Feeling a shiver running down his spine, the supervisor hurriedly dodged sideways. The wind de that resembled a tiger¡¯s w flew swiftly through the air¡­ and cut through the waist of a monster that happened to be wandering in front of the Safe Zone¡¯s gate. Squirt! Thud¡­! The monster fell in a spray of blood; only its lower body remained, however, as its entire upper body had been torn apart. ¡°How in the world¡­?¡± the supervisor muttered weakly,pletely stupefied. He could not understand how Chang-Sun was able to use the Three Basic Skills perfectly, even though it had not been long since he had learned them. Although the supervisor had not asked for an exnation, Chang-Sun turned to look at him and nonchntly remarked, ¡°I just performed them all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± From the supervisor to the trainees, most of the people in the Safe Zone had the same thought. ¡®H-He¡¯s so full of himself!¡¯ 1. The raw is ¡®?? ??, ?? ???¡¯. Koreans sometimes call a loyal female fan ¡®??¡¯ (literally, a virtuous woman who has never taken a lover aside from her dead husband). The term was used to praise women in the past (until the Joseon Dynasty), but now, it is used sarcastically. Chapter 40: Star, The Training (3)

Chapter 40: Star, The Training (3)

Swish¨D! As Chang-Sun lowered [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], its de smoking from residual friction, he heard a gasp. ¡ºHuh¡­!¡» Song Yoo-Jun eximed in disbelief. He had also learned the Three Basic Skills, to the extent that he could manifest the three derived Skills¡ªthe Tiger Form, Tiger Teeth, and Tiger w¡ªin his sleep. Considering it had taken him a decade to get to that level, he was dumbstruck. In that moment, he realized just how much talent mattered in everything. He finally understood why Executive Director Oh paid so much attention to Chang-Sun, and realized¡­ ¡®Was this why he practically lived in the library¡­?¡¯?Yoo-Jun thought as he recalled how Chang-Sun had immersed himself in books without going home for over a week. ¡®I guess geniuses do train themselves in secret to make their talent flourish,¡¯?Yoo-Jun thought, concluding that he had guessed incorrectly. He began to respect Chang-Sun, who was far younger than him. ¡ºYou¡¯re so great! I respect you a lot.¡» ¡°¡­?¡± Chang-Sun was unsure why Yoo-Jun had suddenly begun acting differently. However, he paid it no heed; after all, Yoo-Jun¡¯s guess was not entirely wrong. It was true that Chang-Sun¡¯s understanding of the Three Basic Skills had deepened while searching for Heoju-rted data in the Fierce Tiger Library for the Skill Unification, enabling him to use them with great proficiency. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ looks contentedly at you, one who has understood his teachings very well!] Heoju seemed to have taken a liking to Chang-Sun as well. ¡®He must have started to want me now,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, vividly imagining what Heoju no doubt looked like. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ promises you that if you continue to disy great aplishments like this, he will bestow an unimaginably high position onto you.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season To Hunt¡¯ is unhappy.] Heoju had begun dangling arge carrot, seemingly to motivate Chang-Sun. Pabilsag looked very discontented as she watched the conversation between Chang-Sun and Heoju. ¡°I think I¡¯ve shown enough to prove myself,¡± Chang-Sun calmly told the supervisor. The dumbfounded supervisor simply stared at Chang-Sun for a moment, before eventuallying to his senses and clearing his throat with a nod. He heard the other instructors unanimously voicing their opinion, stating that they had no objections. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s enough. Mr. Lee Chang-Sun, you may exit the zone,¡± the supervisor said, pointing to the Safe Zone¡¯s exit. Nodding, Chang-Sun thanked the supervisor and exited the Safe Zone. However, even after he began moving, the remaining people in the Safe Zone fixed their gazes on him until he disappearedpletely. * * * [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is very curious about what kinds of achievements you will earn in the dungeon.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ excitedly looks forward to seeing whether you can really clear the dungeon as you proimed.] ¡®Was he watching the conversation I had with Executive Director Oh?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered for a moment. The forest he had just entered was much rougher than the ¡®Forest of Firewielders¡¯, his first dungeon, where he had undergone the Tutorial. There was not a single paved path, and a dense cluster of trees covered the surface of a steep hill. On top of that, the air was so stuffy that it made Chang-Sun¡¯s movements feel sluggish. The air in Dungeons was usually filled with abundant mana, which meant it was good for Chang-Sun to umte it and use it for himself in the future. However, the air in this dungeon waspletely different; its poor quality constantly interfered with his magic circuit. He knew that the dungeon ecosystem had changed due to the negative influence of unknown magic, and it seemed that the first change in the ecosystemy in the air. Being exposed to such an environment alone would likely make ordinary yers extremely irritable without even realizing it, which meant they would be unable to maintain rational thoughts or judgments, or even be more violent. Of course, that did not apply to Chang-Sun at all. [The Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier is purifying the air!] The embers scattered all throughout his body made it impossible for any impurities to remain. [The Skill ¡®Unbending Spirit¡¯ has been activated!] [The Skill ¡®Composed Spirit¡¯ has been activated!] On top of that, Chang-Sun even had Minerva¡¯s bonus rewards, which enabled him to stayposed no matter what. Click¨D! Continuing onward as if nothing were out of the ordinary, Chang-Sun put [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] back on his waist, then took the pair of batons out of his drawing tube andbined them. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ looks forward to seeing what kinds of tricks you will use again, watching you with sparkling eyes.] Grabbing the spear, which he referred to as the ¡®Nameless Spear¡¯ because he felt that just calling it ¡®the spear¡¯ was too half-hearted¡ªeven though ¡®Nameless Spear¡¯ was not much more of a name¡ªChang-Sun sprang forward. Thump! [The Skill ¡®Tiger Prowl¡¯ has been activated!] [¡®Zhen Jiao¡¯ has been applied to the skill using the principle of rotational force.] Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Rummbble¨D! With the Nameless Spear in hand, Chang-Sun approached a quiet forest. He was unable to detect any presence within it at first; however, as he channeled an aura he created using [Tiger Prowl] and amplified with [Tiger Kill] into his spear, the forest changedpletely. The trees in front of him shook wildly, and with a strange sound, a monster that had been hiding furtively in the bushes leaped out toward him. It was a one-legged monster known as a Dokgakgwi, with zing eyes and a revolting stench. Baaang! Apart from its considerable strength, a Dokgakgwi could potentially create a gue, which meant it would take two to three yers in the Level 20 range to kill it. However, Chang-Sun thrust the Nameless Spear forward, creating a loud explosion like the roar of a cannon, killing the Dokgakgwi without leaving a trace. Kikikikiki! Kyakyahkyah! Kyahkyah! Roughly ten Dokgakgwis, which had been hiding nearby, fled in surprise. The ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯ was filled with so many monsters that Chang-Sun practically encountered a new foe with each step he took. Holding onto the bottom of the Nameless Spear¡¯s handle, Chang-Sun swung it, drawing a line in the air. Although his movements looked very simr to the Tiger Teeth technique, which he had demonstrated in the Safe Zone, it was actually somewhat different. [The Skill ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s First w¡¯ has been activated!] The moment he used the skill he had acquired in the Fierce Tiger Library, his aura was amplified several times over. His swing sent forth a gust of biting wind infused with ck energy, as sharp as a treasure sword. Swoosh¨D! The Dokgakgwis leaped into the air in an attempt to flee, but the ck wind soon engulfed them, killing them without leaving a single intact body. Only traces of blood andrge gashes that raked across the ground remained. Rumble! Thud! Crash¡­! Additionally, the trees behind the Dokgakgwis were cut in half, and nearby boulders were reduced to rubble. Everything within a five-meter cone spreading outward from Chang-Sun was leftpletely ruined. ¡®It definitely uses up too much of my mana,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a frown. At first nce, he could tell the skill was very powerful. However, he was disappointed because it had used up half of his mana in an instant, leaving him unpleasantly dizzy. Although he had thought it was worth trying at least once in the field, it seemed he could not put it to good use at the moment unless the situation truly demanded it. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is surprised by the power of the w you unleashed.] ¡®Luckily,?Heoju?didn¡¯t notice¡­ I definitely have to increase my mana somehow,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he moved forward, continuing to use [Tiger Prowl]. There were still many Dokgakgwis left alive. Like a tiger running forward at full speed to catch escaping prey, he moved forward with quick but heavy footsteps. sh, sh, sh! Every time he swung his spear, a Dokgakgwi¡¯s severed headnded on the ground. For any Dokgakgwi that was too far from Chang-Sun, he took off his bracelet and smashed its head with his whip. For those that were too close, he drew [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] with his left hand and sliced through their single leg, leaving them copsed on the floor. If too many attacked him at once, he disassembled the Nameless Spear and shed their chests with both short spears. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ genuinely marvels at your fighting skill!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ wants to study your behavior patterns, because you have been making full use of his bonus reward.] . The way Chang-Sun only struck the Dokgakgwis¡¯ weak points using [Viper Eyes] was a disy of pure artistry. A long spear, two short spears, a whip, a dagger¡­ The proficiency he showed with various weapons would no doubt make any onlookers exim in surprise. One by one, he killed the Dokgakgwis whether they ran away or pounced at him, making his way toward the Dokgakgwi vige. Kieeehh! The vige leader, the ¡®Big Dokgakgwi¡¯, bravely flung itself at Chang-Sun with a shriek. sh¨D! Thud! Chang-Sun needed no more than two strikes to send the Big Dokgakgwi¡¯s head falling to the floor. The Nameless Spear forged by Choi Bu-Yong was so unbelievably exceptional that referring to it as a ¡®treasure¡¯ would be no exaggeration. [You have sessfully cleared out the Dokgakgwi vige!] [As a reward, a ¡®Dokgakgwi¡¯s Leg Joint¡¯ has been obtained.] [As a reward, a ¡®Big Dokgakgwi¡¯s Bat¡¯ has been obtained.] ¡­ Tssssss¨D! A cloud of ck smoke billowed upward from the Dokgakgwi corpses, indicating the activation of [Soul Exploitation]. The Purgatory Brazier burned their souls and delivered the ashes to Chang-Sun. Feeling the fatigue that had umted during his unrelenting approach fading little by little, Chang-Sun inspected a weed growing on the ground. Such weeds weremon in the Dokgakgwi vige, but there was something ominous about their purple leaves. Kwiiiii! When Chang-Sun uprooted the weed, it made a bizarre sound that resembled a ghost wailing in pain. [As a reward, a ¡®Crying Flower¡¯ has been obtained.] ¡®I got it!¡¯?Chang-Sun shouted inwardly when he saw the message he had been waiting for. [Crying Flower] A flower that is known to grow in the Seocheon Flower Garden, a ce located between the Underworld and the Saha World. It often screams for no reason. As it contains deadly poison, it can cause great trouble for anybody who eats it recklessly. ¡¤ Type: Ingredient. Poisonous nt. ¡¤ Effect: Yin energy intoxication. The Crying Flower¡¯s roots extended and pped Chang-Sun¡¯s wrist multiple times as if it were telling him to let it go, but he only tightened his grip even more. First Elder had told Chang-Sun about a secret method to obtain the [Impervious Body]. However, the Chang-Sun called Second Elder taught him another use for the [Impervious Body]. ¡°You want to strengthen the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier]? Why are you asking me, you crazy bastard?¡± Second Elder asked. ¡°Because I heard you knew how, and I have no intention of just using the fire to regenerate my body,¡± Chang-Sun said with a shrug. Chang-Sun exined how he nned to use [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier] in detail to the Second Elder, as it would be his ¡®ace in the hole¡¯ for sending the Zodiacs plummeting from the sky. After he exined his ambitious n, the frowning Second Elder burst intoughter. ¡°What? Hahahaha! I heard you were insane, but I didn¡¯t realize it was true. You¡¯re going to change the properties of Taishang Laojun¡¯s [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier] from life and creation to destruction and chaos? On top of that, you¡¯re going to create ..?! So you¡¯re going to follow ¡®his¡¯ shadow!¡± Second Elder eximed,ughing uncontrobly. ¡°So, are you going to refuse to teach me then?¡± Chang-Sun replied, tilting his head. ¡°Of course not! I¡¯ll definitely help if that¡¯s the case, and I don¡¯t even have a reason not to exin, as this is my specialty,¡± Second Elder said with a pleasant smile. ¡°Tell me the method first,¡± Chang-Sun urged Second Elder. ¡°The method is very simple. You can increase its power by adding another fire instead of firewood,¡± Second Elder exined. ¡°Fire?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Yeah, but normal fire will just get swallowed by the original fire, so you¡¯ll need a vicious and violent fire,¡± Second Elder calmly said. ¡°Do you have any rmendations?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Find the monsters ¡®Liji¡¯?or ¡®Jigwi¡¯,¡± Second Elder answered. ¡°Then?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to ignite the Eon Fire,¡± Second Elder replied with a grin. As Chang-Sun was nning to use the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier] as a weapon, the more destructive the fire in it was, the better. Thus, he quite liked the prospect of igniting the Eon Fire. Such a destructive fire, which normally only appeared amid the world¡¯s destruction, suited Chang-Sun¡¯s future ns better than any other. However, in order to make that happen, he had to find the Jigwi, which was known to be hiding somewhere in the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range. In order to do that, he needed toy some groundwork. First, he needed to stoke the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier], turning its embers into constantly zing fires. The Crying Flowers were an ingredient that could achieve that. He had heard that they mainly grew in the Dokgakgwi vige; sure enough, they turned out to grow all over the vige. Kieeeehhhh! Shoving the screaming Crying Flower into his mouth, Chang-Sun chewed it slowly. Although the sensation of it screaming and squirming inside his mouth was unpleasant, he swallowed it without showing any difort. [You have swallowed a Crying Flower!] [Its deadly poison has spread.] [The Effect ¡®Ten Toxin Immunity¡¯ has been applied, making your body immune to its effects.] [The ¡®Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯ zes, purifying any impurities.] The Crying Flower¡¯s poison did not particrly affect Chang-Sun. The immunity created by [Ten Toxin Immunity] was extremely powerful, and a poison on its level was unable to endure the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier]. [All the toxin has been detoxified.] [Purified mana has been umted in your magic circuit.] [Your Mana has increased by 0.3!] ¡®I¡¯m strengthening the fire and increasing my mana. Things are going really well,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, smiling victoriously He pulled out all the remaining Crying Flowers; they tried to resist by iling their vines, but their attempts were futile. After all, even the Big Dokgakgwi had failed to kill Chang-Sun. He was in the midst of a garden of wonder drugs, and there was no way he would leave them behind. Kieehhhh! [Your Mana has increased by 0.4.] [Your Mana has increased by 0.2.] ¡­ 1. This is a real monster from mythology. Its characteristics differ from country to country, but a Korean Dokgakgwi roams around on rainy days and makes people sick. 2. A flower garden that exists in Korean mythology, known to contain many flowers with magical abilities. Some can be used to resurrect people, while others can be used to destroy the world. Readers may remember Princess Bari from Chapter 20. She traveled to this garden to get the herbs she needed to resurrect her parents. 3. This does not refer to mythological monsters; rather, it des; rather, it describes a state in Buddhism where one does not yet realize all beings are buddhas by nature, and thus does nothing to escape the eternal cycle of reincarnation. 4. A fire ghost (hwagwi) who died from the pain of his unrequited love for Queen Seondeok of Si. Chapter 41: Star, The Training (4)

Chapter 41: Star, The Training (4)

[You have sessfully wiped out the Dokgakgwi vige!] [A ¡®Dokgakgwi¡¯s Skull¡¯ has been acquired as a reward.] [A ¡®Dokgakgwi¡¯s Heart¡¯ has been acquired as a reward.] ... [You have swallowed a ¡®Laughing Flower¡¯!] ... [You have sessfully wiped out the Jeokyeomgwi vige!] ... [You have located a group of ¡®Berserk Flowers¡¯!] ... [You have sessfully wiped out a group of Eoduksini!] ... [Achievement unlocked!] ¡°Butcherer of Mountains and Forests.¡± Reward: Strength +5. Stamina +3. Although it seemed impossible to navigate the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range,¡¯ there was one method to do so, which was to find a river¡¯s source by going against the current. ¡®I''ll have to?find the Gwangcheon?Pond, because the ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯s ecosystem is simr to that of the Seocheon Flower Garden,¡¯?Chang-Sun concluded. The first ce that hade to mind when he first heard about the ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯s characteristics was the Seocheon Flower Garden. The Saha World and the Afterlife. Heaven and the Underworld. Although the realms were like two sides of a coin, there were countless nes bridging the gaps between them. Purgatory, Limbo, the Astral ne¡­ Among those nes, the Seocheon Flower Garden was the one closest to the Underworld. In his time as ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯, Chang-Sun had been able to visit the garden for a very short time. It was surrounded by threekes; the white one came up to his knees, the yellow one came up to his chest, and the red one came up to his neck. In the garden, many strange, sinister flowers grew, ones that could be found nowhere else. Although the flowers had strange names such as the ¡®Crying Flower¡¯, ¡®Laughing Flower¡¯, and ¡®Destruction Flower¡¯, they actually had very special effects. Due to their characteristics, if someone ate them without the permission of the garden¡¯s keeper, the ¡®Flower Overseer¡¯, they would be afflicted with a curse that corresponded to the flower¡¯s name for the rest of their life. The Crying Flower would make its eater cry their eyes out. The Laughing Flower would make themugh until their intestines twisted together. The Berserk Flower would drive thempletely mad with aggression, making them fight until they died. Those characteristics meant it was not so easy to take the garden for granted. That was precisely the way in which the ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯s ecosystem was simr to that of the Seocheon Flower Garden. Of course, the flowers in the Dungeon did not quite have the same effects as the real ones in the Seocheon Flower Garden, but they were still very powerful. As such, the supervisor and the instructors had warned the trainees before the start of the probationary training to not eat wild grass and weeds until they mastered the Three Basic Skills. ¡®Sal Tree was incredibly fastidious and nitpicked about everything,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he continued moving, recalling the Seocheon Flower Garden¡¯s Flower Overseer. who was far more uptight than his appearance suggested.. [You are forging a path along therge red river!] Based on his memory of the Seocheon Garden, Chang-Sun remembered that flowers such as the Crying Flower and the Laughing Flower were watered by the ¡®Gwangcheon Pond¡¯. In other words, the Dungeon¡¯s ecosystem had to have a water source that yed the same role as the Gwangcheon Pond. Thus, he kept traveling upstream from the riverbank he had found beside the Dokgakgwi vige¡¯s Crying Flower Garden. ¡®Rivers are usually wider downstream, but in this Dungeon, it¡¯s the other way around,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. As he traveled along the riverbank, the forest became denser, and the monsters he encountered became tougher and more numerous. Even the nts nearby began looking different. Within the Dungeon, locust tree deitiesy silently in wait for humans to walk into their wide, Venus flytrap-like mouths; meanwhile, soldiers from the Bamboo Leaf Army attacked all those who entered with sharply barbed vines. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ yawns, asking how much longer you have to walk.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ watches your new adventure with interest.] Just as the deities were starting to feel bored, Chang-Sun reached a certain mountain peak with great difficulty. The view of the Dungeon from atop the mountain was wide and clear, revealing many new regions on the other side. ¡®There it is,¡¯?Chang-Sun realized. He saw a valley, surrounded by cliffs even taller than the mountain he had struggled to climb. Completely unlike the nearby mountains that were covered in red trees and grass, it was filled with ck basalt rocks. The ground there was so dry and cracked, it was as if it had been ravaged by countless forest fires that somehow affected only the valley. Piles of monster corpsesy strewn all across it. It was the very ce Chang-Sun had tried so desperately to find. ¡®That is the Jigwi¡¯s nest,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in excitement. ¡°What is that Jigwi monster you told me about?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Well, how should I describe it? Hmm¡­?It¡¯s somewhat unique. It doesn¡¯t have enough of a physical body to be called a beast, but it has too much of one to be called a spirit,¡± Second Elder replied, stroking his chin. ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s not a living being?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Something like that. It¡¯s a cluster of countless spirits, to be exact,¡± Second Elder exined. The Jigwi Second Elder had told Chang-Sun about was a bizarre bird asrge as a mountain. Its body was made up of zing fire, and within it, clusters of hundreds of thousands of spirits formed its bones and muscles. ¡®That¡¯s why its attributes are fire and death. I like it,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in satisfaction; those were the very attributes he was trying to cultivate. ¡°Does it have something like a neidan?¡± Chang-Sun asked, trying to find out more information about the monster. ¡°Why would a cluster of spirits have such a thing? Well, I suppose it has something simr,¡± Second Elder said with a shrug. ¡°What does it have?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°An eye,¡± Second Elder said with a grin. ¡®It has a special right eye,¡¯?Chang-Sun recalled. The Jigwi¡¯s right eye was a jewel made out of hundreds of thousands of spirits¡¯ deep-seated grudges,pressed by intense heat. Such a Jewel Eye could be used to significantly transform the properties of the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier.] ¡°It seems to be away from its nest right now, so shall I set some traps?¡± Chang-Sun muttered to himself as he leaped down to the foot of the mountain, the Nameless Spear in hand. * * * Ten days had passed since Chang-Sun left the Safe Zone. ¡°This is the ce, right?¡± ¡°Use your eyes! Who else could leave such traces? Stop talking nonsense.¡± ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re right.¡± The probationary trainees of the White Tiger n¡¯s 26th training exercise werepletely different from any previous group, seemingly motivated by Chang-Sun¡¯s overwhelmingly high score. First, Kim Hyeong-Jun perfectly demonstrated the Three Basic Skills on the fifth day, followed closely by Baek Gyeo-Ul and Lim Joo-Han on the sixth. Although they failed to demonstrate the Tiger Form the way Chang-Sun had, their achievements still came close. Although the three yers were overshadowed by Chang-Sun, they were still so talented that if they had participated in the previous training exercise, they would have effortlessly earned top ranks. Thus, the instructors had already been monitoring the three. Some people would call the result natural, while others would consider it surprising. The real surprise, however, was that there were simply too many people who had exited the Safe Zone early after mastering the Three Basic Skills. By the tenth day of the exercise, forty percent of the trainees had exited the Safe Zone. Considering how it normally took ten days for even one person to exit the Safe Zone, the performance of the current trainees was remarkable. As a result, the supervisor and the instructors often spoke among themselves, saying the current trainees could be the best in the entire history of the n¡¯s probationary training. In addition to the aforementioned trainees, Yang Shin-Hae, Park Gi-Pyo, and Bae Woo-Gyeong were also considered ¡®talents¡¯¡­ at least, on the surface. ¡°Is it possible that Lee Chang-Sun is lesspetent than he looks?¡± ¡°No way. Every media outlet in the world has been talking about him for so long. The White Tiger n are no fools. They may have given Chang-Sun something special, though. Otherwise, it would be impossible to master the Three Basic Skills in less than a day.¡± ¡°Maybe they did.¡± The three yers had been chasing after Chang-Sun from the moment they exited the Safe Zone, nning to hit him in the back of his head. Although the supervisor and the instructors had strongly cautioned the trainees againstmitting any crimes because instructors would be hiding all over the Dungeon, the three were well aware of the fact that the n representativescked both the skill and the desire to do such a thing. Although the White Tiger n publicly acted righteous and acted like model citizens, at their core, they were what yers referred to as ¡®thrill killers¡¯, a ng term that referred to demonic individuals who would do anything for money and pleasure. The n put profit above all else, caring nothing about anything that was not to their benefit; in the training institute, they were no different. The Dungeon known as the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯ was extremely vast, and its difficulty level varied wildly across its various sectors. No matter how the supervisor and the instructors tried, it would be impossible to monitor all the sectors, making it difficult for them to find out immediately if something happened. That was why several idents,rge and small, happened in the training institute every year. That was precisely what the three yers were banking on. Before the supervisor and instructors could say anything, Chang-Sun had traveled deep into the mountain range, which meant it would not be strange if a ¡®monster¡¯ did ¡®something¡¯ to him. The three expected Chang-Sun to be carrying a great treasure, assuming the White Tiger n would have offered something shockingly valuable to recruit someone of his caliber. Although they had no idea what it was, they were certain that it would be very expensive; thus, they nned to steal it. ¡°Well, even if he doesn¡¯t have any treasure, he earned a lot of money in his professional gamer years, right? On top of that, his family is also rich, so we¡¯ll definitely be able to get something if we go through his stuff,¡± Woo-Gyeong remarked. Shin-Hae and Gi-Pyo snickered, imagining the shining future toe. ¡°But¡­¡± Woo-Gyeong cautiously began. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Should we really make our mission harder by messing with a guy who hasn¡¯t done anything to us?¡± Woo-Gyeong finished, dampening their spirits. Shin-Hae and Gi-Pyo frowned. Their reaction frightened Woo-Gyeong a little; he quickly exined, seemingly making excuses, ¡°Well, you know¡­ We¡¯ll really be fucked if we ruin our mission by stirring up trouble.¡± The three were considered such notorious, demonic criminals that even the Council had put all-points bulletins out on them. Despite that, their previous n, the Highoff n, had helped them join the White Tiger n,pletely fooling the n¡¯s personnel department. The Highoff n had secretly killed three of the people who were originally ted to join the White Tiger n, helping Shin-Hae, Gi-Pyo, and Woo-Gyeong to steal their identities in order to pursue a particr objective. ¡°Participate in the White Tiger n¡¯s probationary training and steal a [Dream Sphere].¡± A [Dream Sphere] was an item produced by the White Tiger n using rare and precious herbs, such as ¡®Crying Flowers¡¯ and ¡®Laughing Flowers¡¯. It would be precisely the sort of secret weapon the Highoff n needed after being driven into a corner by the White Tiger n. Their current situation meant they had to obtain one no matter what. However, it was very difficult to locate such spheres. Even the Highoff n knew only that the facility that harvested and processed the ingredients to make [Dream Spheres] was in an extremely remote area in the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯; it was very difficult to figure out the facility¡¯s location. That meant the three yers had to work in absolute secrecy to locate it. The problem was that they were demonic yers who had zero patience. Otherwise, they would not have ended up as criminals. In their eyes, Chang-Sun looked like a baby elk(?) simply begging to be eaten. Although they were well aware of how much skill Chang-Sun had disyed in the fight against the Drake, they thought that was his limit. In the end, Chang-Sun was still a novice; they concluded that it would be absurd topare him to themselves, as they had years of experience in the field. As such, they had decided to carry out the mission given by the Highoff n after quickly disposing of Chang-Sun, who had gone off alone. . Woo-Gyeong, who was more timid than the other two, cautiously suggested being more careful. However, there was no way the other two would listen to him. Shin-Hae quietly tapped the handle of his kukri, the sharp, curved dagger on his waist. He asked simply, ¡°Do you want to die, or are you going to do it?¡± em¡ª¡°¡­I-I¡¯ll do it,¡± Woo-Gyeong stuttered. Naturally, there was no loyalty in such a group of demonic yers; thus, their first choice in any conflict was to draw their des. Anybody who was overwhelmingly more powerful than the rest of the group would be king, and their word would bew. In their case, Shin-Hae was that very ¡®king¡¯. Seeing Gi-Pyo about to unsling the bow on his shoulder, Woo-Gyeong took back his words with a pale face. As he took his hand off the handle, Shin-Hae clicked his tongue and said, ¡°If you say any other useless crap, the first thing I¡¯ll do is pluck your head off your body and feed it to Dokgakgwis, so you¡¯d better shut up.¡± As Woo-Gyeong nodded with a heavy heart, Shin-Hae spat in annoyance, then resumed moving along Chang-Sun¡¯s trail. ¡°Be good, okay?¡± Gi-Pyo remarked as he pped the petrified Woo-Gyeong¡¯s cheeks a few times, then moved to follow Shin-Hae. Woo-Gyeong clenched his trembling fists. Although he was timid, he could still be considered a demonic yer. His eyes burned brightly with madness as he looked at the twopanions ahead of him. 1. A red-bearded ghost that appears in the Assorted Writings of Yongjae (????). A man tried to dig up someone else¡¯s grave to bury his father. The person (the red-bearded man) who had originally been in the grave appeared in a fortune-teller¡¯s dream, pounding on their chest and saying it was all their fault. The fortune-teller died after that. 2. This is a monster from Korean Mythology. It is said to grow bigger as long as one keeps looking at it, and even bigger the further one looks up. 3. Deities that appear in Korean mythology. They usually fight off ghosts and protect humans, but it seems that the Dungeon¡¯s ecosystem has turned them evil. 4. A mysterious army that appears in the mythological text ¡®Samguk Yusa¡¯. It is said to have suddenly appeared to defend Si (an ancient country in the Korean penins) from attack. Again, the Dungeon seems to have turned them evil. 5. The raw used ¡®???¡¯, which is literally the English word ¡®Murderer¡¯ in hangul. Chapter 42: Star, The Training (5)

Chapter 42: Star, The Training (5)

Chang-Sun did not simply sit idly while waiting for the Jigwi to return. In the meantime, he conducted an investigation, finding out that the Jigwi usually left its nest to hunt for two to seven days at a time. However, Chang-Sun could stay in the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯ for only a hundred days. The problem was that he had a lot of other things to do besides hunting the Jigwi. In order to take care of his long list, he could not waste time. As such, he installed traps all over the nest. Just like the time he had fought the gue Spider, the final boss monster of the ¡®Forest of Firewielders¡¯, it was impossible for Chang-Sun to kill the Jigwi alone with his current ability. Thus, he had to change the nest¡¯s environment to tip the bnce in his favor. [The level of the Skill ¡®Lesser Trap Instation¡¯ has increased.] [The level of the Skill ¡®Lesser Trap Instation¡¯ has increased.] ... [The Skill ¡®Lesser Trap Instation¡¯ has reached its maximum level. A higher-level skill has been created.] [The Skill ¡®Intermediate Trap Instation¡¯ has been created!] [The level of the Skill ¡®Intermediate Trap Instation¡¯ has increased.] ... [Installing a giant trap!] Perhaps because Chang-Sun had decided to installrge and small traps all over the nest, designed to work in tandem like a series of cogwheels, his skill level increased more quickly than he had expected. In truth, he had not started installing the traps solely to kill the Jigwi. ¡®I hope I can increase my level as much as I can, as well as my Magic stat,¡¯ Chang-Sun hoped, as he had recently hit a wall at Level 29. [You are currently in the ¡®No Guardian¡¯ state. If you have no Guardian, you may have trouble leveling up due to theck of blessing and protection.] [The number of deities currently waiting for the Scenario Quest (Choose a Guardian) to start again is 15.] [Please choose a Guardian.] A yer with no Guardian would be limited in their ability to acquire new Skills, and would require more experience points to level up, as theycked a deity¡¯s blessing and protection. Compared to yers who had Guardians, they would require 1.5 times the experience to level up, or perhaps even two or three times more. In order to reach Level 50, the minimum needed to be called a ranker, a yer with no Guardian could sometimes need ten times as much experience as one with a Guardian. In the end, a yer with no Guardian was bound to have their leveling process stagnate for a long time. That was precisely why Chang-Sun had been unable to level up from 29. There was an immense gap in the amount of experience points needed between the Level 20 range and the Level 30 range. ¡®I¡¯ll gain a lot more after passing a difficult trial, though,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought Experience points, which he needed a lot of, were not solely used to level up. They also gradually umted in a yer¡¯s soulyer byyer, creating karma. As that karma filled the yer¡¯s soul, it would begin to improve that soul¡¯s ss. Upon reaching a critical point in that process, the path of ¡®Exuviation¡¯ and ¡®Transcendence¡¯ would open up, enabling the yer to earn a Divine ss. Thus, it was important to build up solid karma from the very beginning; otherwise, a yer would never be able to pursue ¡®Exuviation¡¯ and ¡®Transcendence¡¯ even if they wanted to. Before obtaining the Divine Name ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ Chang-Sun had been so focused on his physical growth that he ended upcking in many aspects. This time around, he had no intention of letting that happen again; as such, he had decided never to choose a Guardian. A Guardian could make leveling up easier for the time being, but in the long term, having one would only sabotage a yer¡¯s chances of cultivating their soul. Besides, there was nothing good about the restrictions imposed by having a Guardian. Even though Chang-Sun had joined the White Tiger n, his intentions remained the same; he had no intention of making Heoju his Guardian. Just as he had done until now, he was nning to leave Heoju hanging. If the opportunity to choose a Guardian came again, he would only use the quest as an opportunity to make that Guardian plummet from Heaven. ¡®Fifteen deities want me, huh? I thought some of them would have given up, but it looks as though there are already more of them.¡¯? During his ¡®Choose a Guardian¡¯ quest, many Celestials had given up on him when he had chosen no one, but it seemed several deities had begun to watch him again afterward. Apart from Pabilsag, J?rmungandr, Mephistopheles, and Minerva, the four deities who continued to watch him with interest, Heoju and several other deities had started to watch him. Some of them could even be called stans(?). ¡®Well, the deities who went away will return soon,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Click! [A ¡®Red-Bearded Hwagwi¡¯ has fallen into your trap!] ¡®I got him,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a smile. It seemed one monster had been roaming around the nest. A Red-Bearded Hwagwi, a Jeokyeomgwi¡¯s evolved form, was a monster that caused droughts wherever it passed, dragging its long, fiery beard along the ground. Kieeeehh! [The ¡®Red-Bearded Hwagwi¡¯ has begun squirming to get out of your trap!] [An ¡®Explosion Rune¡¯ has been activated!] [The ¡®Red-Bearded Hwagwi¡¯ has sustained damage!] [The ¡®Red-Bearded Hwagwi¡¯ has fallen into the ¡®Burning¡¯ state.] [A ¡®Piercing Rune¡¯ has been activated!] [The ¡®Red-Bearded Hwagwi¡¯ has sustained damage!] [The ¡®Red-Bearded Hwagwi¡¯ has fallen into the ¡®Bleeding¡¯ state.] ... [Paralysis Toxin has been activated!] [The ¡®Red-Bearded Hwagwi¡¯ has been poisoned by Acid Toxin!] [The Skill ¡®Blood Toxin¡¯ has leveled up!] The Red-Bearded Hwagwi suffered a simr fate as the Decaying gue Spider. It fell into a pit, where a dense thicket of embedded bone spears pierced its body; subsequently, several runes carved into the pit walls activated consecutively, dealing a great deal of damage. The one thing different about the new trap was that the bone spears were smeared with Chang-Sun¡¯s horrifying [Blood Toxin]. No matter how much the Hwagwi tried to resist, it was blinded, paralyzed, and melted all at once, giving it a great deal of trouble. [You have sessfully killed a ¡®Red-Bearded Hwagwi¡¯!] The message Chang-Sun had been waiting for finally appeared, quickly followed by several others. [A ¡®Two-Headed Serpent Monster¡¯ has fallen into your trap!] [A ¡®Fire Dog¡¯ has fallen into your trap!] [A ¡®Homun Bird¡¯ has fallen into your trap!] ... The Jigwi could be called the king of fire-type monsters. As such, its nest would always contain strong fire energy, attracting all manner of fire-type monsters to it. Although that came with the risk of getting eaten by the Jigwi, the benefits of settling near the nest outweighed that risk. As such, Jigwi nests formed their own unique ecosystems. For the Jigwi, it could just choose the prey it wanted from such an ecosystem, and even if it went away for a long time, the other monsters would keep its nest warm. The Jigwi thus formed a symbiotic rtionship with the nearby monsters, just as a crocodile would with crocodile birds. Chang-Sun¡¯s n was based on that rtionship. He had set down arge quantity of meatced with Ice Toxin, which fire-type monsters loved to eat. When the monsters gathered around to eat the meat, his traps would activate. Soon afterward, more monsters would be drawn to the traps to eat the previous monsters¡¯ corpses, and the traps would activate again, and so on¡­ As the whole setup formed a stable system, all Chang-Sun had to do was manage and repair the traps. Not only would he gain a great deal of experience points from killing the unaware monsters, he would also be able to harvest a lot of nts, simr to the Crying Flowers and Laughing Flowers in the monster viges. It was like killing two birds¡ªno, four birds¡ªwith one stone, as he could raise the level of his trap skill while killing time. [Level up!] Chang-Sun¡¯s smile widened when he finally saw the message he wanted. ¡°Open the system window.¡± [Lee Chang-Sun] Divine Name: Divine Twilight (Unusable) Title: Natural Enemy of Serpents Faction: Underworld Guardian: ¨D ss: Rune Master . Level: 30 Strength: 91 (+55) Agility: 96 (+45) Stamina: 80 (+48) Magic: 75 (+45) Intelligence: 87 (+60) Willpower: 85 (+60) Acquired Skills: Advanced Dagger Proficiency Lv.4 Lesser Rune Creation Lv.8 Lesser Rune Engraving Lv.9 Viper Eyes Lv.4 Intermediate Trap Instation Lv.2 Blood Toxin Lv.3 ck Mountain King¡¯s First w Lv.1 Acquired Effects: Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier Lv.2 Ten Toxin Immunity Lv.1 Unbending Spirit Lv.2 Composed Spirit Lv.2 Acquired Authorities: Soul Exploitation Lv.1 Execution Sword Lv.1 Special Note: Due to yourck of a Guardian, your leveling speed is too slow rtive to the magnitude of your achievements. Please choose a Guardian. Additional Stat Points: 45 Stroking his chin, Chang-Sun nodded in satisfaction. If he continued the mass ughter, it seemed he would be able to increase his stats quickly. Kieeehhh! Kyaaahhh! The sound of writhing monsters caught in traps echoed throughout the nest. ¡ºHuh¡­!¡» Song Yoo-Jun let out a faint exmation, seemingly surprised to witness such a sight. Boom, boom, boom! Rumble, rumble¨D! [A massacre is taking ce!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ughs ecstatically, saying the explosions are an incredibly pleasant sight.] * * * However, after ten days passed, Chang-Sun had to change his ns. ¡®The Jigwi isn¡¯ting,¡¯?he realized. At first, Chang-Sun had thought the Jigwi had just left the nest to look for food, as it had left behind several traces that indicated it had just been there a few days prior. He had believed the Jigwi would return after a week at most; however, even after ten days, the Jigwi never returned, even though it would normally be about time for it to check on its nest. That could only mean one thing. ¡®The Jigwi left,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, clicking his tongue. He was unsure why the Jigwi had left its nest; perhaps it was because it had run out of food in the nearby region, or it had decided to move its nest on a whim. However, the problem was that Chang-Sun had wasted ten precious days. ¡®It wasn¡¯t a total waste, though,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he inspected his status window. ? [Lee Chang-Sun] Level: 32 Chang-Sun had leveled up twice. It had been no small task, considering how he had almost annihted the ecosystem around the nest, but he was very satisfied. However, he could not achieve his goal without the Jigwi, which meant he had to move to find it. ¡®Deciding my next move is the problem¡­ Will I just have to follow the river this time too?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, scratching his head. The possibility of the Jigwi moving its nest had never urred to him. A creature of the Jigwi¡¯s size would have very limited options in choosing a nest, which meant they usually never moved. However, that seemed to have happened regardless. As Chang-Sun could not continue to sit around in the nest, he was just about to move, when¡­ Pah! Suddenly, Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he quickly moved into the bushes. The nest had turned into a barren wastnd due to the many explosions caused by his traps, but he sensed a ¡®shadow¡¯ hiding skillfully in the area¡ªone other than Yoo-Jun. ¡°¡­Hup!¡± the shadow eximed, seemingly perplexed by the unexpected sight of Chang-Sun heading in their direction. sh! The shadow trembled, just barely stopping [Tiamat''s Snaggletooth] from biting deeply into their neck. Chang-Sun and the shadow¡¯s eyes both shone; Chang-Sun was interested to see how the shadow had blocked his attack, and the shadow was taken aback by the strike¡¯s sheer power. The shadow was especially surprised by the way [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] had buried itself into their spear handle, considering how powerful their spear was. ¡°Unbelievable...! What is that dagger¡­?¡± The shadow muttered as they leaned back, revealing their face. ¡®Baek Gyeo-Ul?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, finally recognizing the shadow. Baek Gyeo-Ul was a man with hideous burns across his face and eyes full of spite. Although his robust build made him look as bulky as an armored warrior, he still looked well-proportioned, as he was over 190 centimeters tall. Chang-Sun was somewhat surprised to find that the shadow was one of the people he had been keeping an eye on in the Safe Zone. He wondered, ¡®Why is he here?¡¯ Had Gyeo-Ul been following Chang-Sun? Come to think of it, there were always several trainees who caused trouble during each training session, avoiding the supervisor and instructors¡¯ surveince. Judging from Baek Gyeo-Ul¡¯s aura alone, he seemed to be the sort who would never y dirty¡­ ¡®Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought as he tightened his grip on [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth.] No matter what Gyeo-Ul¡¯s reason was, Chang-Sun had no intention to let him leave in one piece. Chang-Sun¡¯s n involving the Jigwi had to remain a secret to the supervisor and the instructors, as well as to Yoo-Jun, who had been following Chang-Sun the entire time. Swish, swoosh, swish¨D! With [Tiamat''s Snaggletooth], Chang-Sun struck quickly, aiming to slit Gyeo-Ul¡¯s throat. ¡°¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul quickly retreated and swung his spear, thinking he would be in real trouble if he did nothing. sh, sh, sh! Chang-Sun¡¯s [Tiamat''s Snaggletooth] and Gyeo-Ul¡¯s spear shed several times. Although [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] was longer than ordinary daggers, it was still ssified as a dagger. In contrast, Gyeo-Ul¡¯s long spear was three meters long, but he swung it with great speed. Additionally, the spear was very heavy, making his attacks strike with great force. Gyeo-Ul was so talented that most instructors would be unable to win against him in head-to-headbat; his abilities exceeded his official records. Even his level seemed higher, and Chang-Sun assumed he was around level 35 or 36. His movements were particrly extraordinary; they were fierce yet flexible, as if a shadow hade to life. They were a perfect match for his long, heavy spear. However, there was one problem¡­ sh! It was that Gyeo-Ul was fighting against Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun deflected the spear by swinging [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] upward, causing it to fly into the air in a spray of red sparks. The spear¡¯s handle was already covered with severalrge and small scars left by [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], indicating how quick Chang-Sun¡¯s attacks had been. Swoosh¨D! In order to seize the opportunity to attack Gyeo-Ul, Chang-Sun quickly darted in to close the distance. Although Gyeo-Ul looked puzzled, he quickly attempted to strike Chang-Sun¡¯s chest with his left palm. Pang! Even though Chang-Sun heard a loud burst of air, indicating that Gyeo-Ul had used the famous ¡®palm st¡¯ technique, he continued to charge forward. He skillfully turned his body sideways at the most critical moment, dodging the attack. At the same time, he drew the [Yuchang Sword] from his back pocket with his left hand, holding it in a reverse grip and quickly pushing it against Gyeo-Ul¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul froze, unable to move. The de of the [Yuchang Sword] pressed against Gyeo-Ul¡¯s neck, leaving an indent on his skin. As Chang-Sun had not sharpened the de, it was dull, leaving Gyeo-Ul unhurt. However, a man with Chang-Sun¡¯s talent could easily sever someone¡¯s head even with such a sword. As Gyeo-Ul was well aware of that, he could not even think of fighting back. The tall Gyeo-Ul looked down, making eye contact with Chang-Sun, who was a head shorter than him. ¡°You¡­¡± Chang-Sun began, looking back at Gyeo-Ul with a sharp gaze. He asked, ¡°How in the world can you use [Shadow Secret Technique]?¡± [Shadow Secret Technique] was the signature Skill of one of Chang-Sun¡¯s old colleagues. 1. A giant bird that appeared in the texts Cheongjanggwanjeonseo (?????) and Yangyeopgi (???). Chapter 43: Star, The Training (6)

Chapter 43: Star, The Training (6)

When Chang-Sun lived as ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯, his entire life had been filled with warfare, but he still had colleagues. Apart from Gramps, who had practically been his father and teacher, there had also been ¡®Goddess of Massacre and Destruction¡®, ¡®Thousand-Year Slumbering Dragon¡¯, ¡®Wandering Shadow¡¯, ¡®Iron-Blooded Lion¡¯¡­ They had once been Chang-Sun¡¯s pirs of strength. Although they had bitterly left Chang-Sun, unable to withstand his growing madness, his memories of them were still precious. However¡­ ¡®Why can I detect traces of Xerxes¡¯ aura on him?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Xerxes was the real name of ¡®Wandering Shadow¡¯. No one had weed him due to the powerful curse ced on him, forcing him to wander the world, unable to settle in one ce. Xerxes had been called a cruel person, but he had always smiled gently in front of Chang-Sun. How was Baek Gyeo-Ul using Xerxes¡¯ Skill, [Shadow Secret Technique]? That was, of course, not the real name of the Skill. Even though Chang-Sun had unexpectedly found a trace of his old colleague, he had no reason to risk referring to it by its real name. After all, he was being watched by Song Yoo-Jun, as well as Heoju, who could very well know Divine Twilight and Xerxes¡¯ rtionship. Although Chang-Sun had onlye into conflict with Heoju¡¯s faction after his colleagues all left him, it was still possible that Heoju knew about his rtionship with Xerxes; Heoju had no doubt investigated everything about Divine Twilight and his allies during the conflict. [Shadow Secret Technique] was actually the term Xerxes used to collectively refer to all of his Skills and Authorities. ¡°My power is unique because I only have one Authority, although everyone else has several Authorities and Divine Authorities.¡± There was only one deity who had one Authority. That was why the Skill¡¯s true name was a secret only Chang-Sun and Xerxes¡¯ closest colleagues knew. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ wonders what Skill yer ¡®Gyeo-Ul¡¯ used.] From Heoju¡¯s reaction, Chang-Sun could tell that he had not figured out much information about Gyeo-Ul. ¡®There should be a big difference between Xerxes¡¯ real [Shadow Secret Technique] and a mere mortal¡¯s [Shadow Secret Technique], so it¡¯s no wonder he didn¡¯t recognize the skill,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Unlike Heoju, Gyeo-Ul reacted strongly. As soon as he heard the words [Shadow Secret Technique,] his expression turned grim and he asked, ¡°How do you¡­ know its name?¡± ¡°Well, I asked first, didn''t I?¡± Chang-Sun replied sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯ll make you speak then!¡± Gyeo-Ul shouted, his eyes burning with a desire to make Chang-Sun answer him. sh! Gripping the rear end of the spear handle, Gyeo-Ul fiercely swung the spear diagonally. Chang-Sun was forced to retreat, withdrawing the [Yuchang Sword] from Gyeo-Ul¡¯s neck. Until Gyeo-Ul told him the truth about [Shadow Secret Technique], Chang-Sun had to refrain from harming him. ng, sh, ng! sh! ng, sh! Gyeo-Ul moved much more quickly than before. Every time he moved, he brought forth the intimidating aura of a tiger walking forward; he was using [Tiger Prowl]. On top of that, he swung his spear sharply but silently using [Shadow Secret Technique]. Thebination of both skills made his every movement fiercer, as if he had unsheathed a hidden de. His spearmanship was extraordinary; he swung his spear to deflect Chang-Sun¡¯s attacks, sending [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] flying toward the ground with a diagonal sweep. Then, he pulled his spear back to create more torque. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ watches his soon-to-be subordinates¡¯ fight very contentedly.] The tide had turned against Chang-Sun, and Gyeo-Ul was backing him into a corner. Taking full advantage of the three-meter-long spear, Gyeo-Ul never allowed Chang-Sun to close the distance between them, attempting to overwhelm his opponent with speed and power. Chang-Sun sensed Gyeo-Ul¡¯s strong will to get answers out of him. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ cheers you on, saying she will make you pay if you lose to that weird guy!] Realizing he needed to do something, Chang-Sun sheathed [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and the [Yuchang Sword]. In their ce, he drew the two batons hanging on his left waist. As des emerged from the ends of the batons, Chang-Sun struck the upper and middle parts of Gyeo-Ul¡¯s long spear to deflect his attacks. sh, sh! ¡°¡­A spear?¡± Gyeo-Ul muttered, surprised that Chang-Sun had sheathed his two daggers and pulled out the same weapon he was using. However, yet more surprises were waiting for him. Click¨D! Chang-Sun quickly formed the Nameless Spear by connecting the ends of the two short spears. During the tests, Gyeo-Ul had not watched Chang-Sun hunting the Drake and had taken zero interest in Chang-Sun afterward, which meant the scene before him was aplete surprise. Although Chang-Sun¡¯s spear was much shorter than Gyeo-Ul¡¯s long spear, Gyeo-Ul somehow felt that Chang-Sun¡¯s demeanor and aura had changed a great deal. When Chang-Sun was using the two daggers, he had been like a deft, nimble ck panther; now, he looked more serious and dignified, like a lion. Gyeo-Ul was not mistaken. Paah¨D! Chang-Sun¡¯s new attacks were much more powerful than before. He had distributed all 55 of his additional stat points to his Strength of 96, adding up to a new total of 151. There was no way a mere Level 30-something yer could handle his sheer power. ng! ¡°Urgh!¡± Gyeo-Ul¡¯s eyes widened as he felt a tremendous weight bearing down on his spear handle, making it shake fiercely. His spear clearly seemed better, as it was longer and heavier. His frame was also muchrger, and it seemed his level was higher than Chang-Sun¡¯s. How was Chang-Sun so strong?! [The Skill ¡®Tiger Disaster¡¯ has been activated!] [The Skil ¡®Tiger Prowl¡¯ has been activated!] Swish, swoosh, swish! With every step, Chang-Sun continuously thrust his spear. As if it were alive, the Nameless Spear moved at strange angles, repeatedly stabbing toward Gyeo-Ul. [Skill Combination is in progress.] [The simultaneous activation of ¡®Tiger Disaster¡¯ and ¡®Tiger Prowl¡¯ has created a perfect ¡®Tiger Form¡¯!] The image of a tiger appeared behind Chang-Sun, revealing its ws. [The Skill ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ has been activated!] As the tiger bared its ws, a storm raged in the nest. [Skill Combination is in process.] [The simultaneous activation of ¡®Tiger Form¡¯ and ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ has created perfect ¡®Tiger Teeth¡¯!] Boom! Boom! Boom! As if someone were firing cannonballs, loud booms echoed through the nest whenever Chang-Sun thrust the Nameless Spear, strong enough to make the mountain shake. He attacked Gyeo-Ul constantly with the spear. Like a reed dancing in the wind, Gyeo-Ul¡¯s long spear swayed dangerously. The tremendous power and silent movements he specialized in were useless before Chang-Sun¡¯s brutal attacks. In the end, he scowled, making his ugly face even more hideous. Seemingly reacting to its owner, the raging manifestation of Gyeo-Ul¡¯s magic also shook fiercely. As Gyeo-Ul frantically retreated¡­ Swish! Chang-Sun shed diagonally from left to right with the Nameless Spear, attacking from below. Although his spear had only one de, five wounds appeared on Gyeo-Ul¡¯s body, as if a real tiger had appeared and scratched him with its ws. However, only his cor was torn, and his wounds only bled slightly. That was because Chang-Sun had withdrawn his spear midway. ¡°¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul had been knocked half-unconscious, although it was hard to tell due to his burn marks. Faced with Chang-Sun¡¯s maelstrom of spear attacks, he had felt as if he were swallowed up in a storm, facing imminent death. Thud¨D Unable to feel his legs, Gyeo-Ul copsed onto the ground. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ has a hard time staying in her seat due to her excitement for a good fight!] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ has received asting impression of you once again!] Although Gyeo-Ul had lost, Chang-Sun could see his will had not been broken, as the other man continued to re back at him. ¡°What are you going¡­?!¡± Gyeo-Ul yelled. ¡°You¡¯re a half-spirit,¡± Chang-Sun interrupted. ¡°¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul¡¯s eyes widened mid-sentence. Chang-Sun had urately deduced the true identity he hoped no one would ever find out. ¡°That¡¯s why you have a supernatural ability,¡± Chang-Sun concluded with a nod. ¡°H-How did you¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul stuttered. ¡°Does it matter?¡± Chang-Sun replied nonchntly. Half-spirits were usually born when a human had intercourse with a spirit. They naturally bore curses for their entire lives, as they were born through an unnatural process. Common examples of such curses were their unusually hideous appearances and mental instability; additionally, they were often surrounded by strange phenomena and hallucinations. That was because they were born with supernatural abilities they could not handle. Although supernatural abilities were normally considered gifts in the current generation, those that could not be controlled were simply considered abnormal phenomena or curses, causing fear in most people. As such, it was natural for Gyeo-Ul to react the way he did. Although Chang-Sun did not know for sure, he could tell that Gyeo-Ul had been despised by many people due to his uncontroble supernatural ability and his appearance. Gyeo-Ul¡¯s experiences had no doubt traumatized him, making him hide his half-spirit side. ¡®He has those burn marks because he¡¯s a half-spirit, not from an ident. He didn¡¯t obtain [Shadow Secret Technique] through?training,?either. He was just born with it,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He had found his answer from the spear fight against Gyeo-Ul. The deity¡¯s scent Chang-Sun had smelled on Gyeo-Ul upon first meeting him had to belong to Xerxes. He had not recognized Xerxes¡¯ scent instantly, partly because they had been too far apart in their first encounter, and partly because of how dull his senses had grown. On top of that¡­ ¡®Xerxes¡¯ energy has weakened a lot,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought bitterly. The power of [Shadow Secret Technique] had weakened so much that Chang-Sun was not even sure he could call it the legacy of a Celestial. Considering that the power of Skills and Authorities could change on the original owner¡¯s Divine ss, Chang-Sun assumed that something had happened to Xerxes, enough to significantly damage his Divine ss. ¡®What in the world happened?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered, as he had not heard any bad news about Xerxes. Although he had not had the time to look after his old colleagues in the midst of the Myth War, he would have heard any bad news about Xerxes then. That meant something had happened to Xerxes after Chang-Sun underwent the Divine Trial. ¡®He had no choice but to leave his son in the Saha World,¡¯?Chang-Sun realized. Gyeo-Ul had to be Xerxes¡¯ son. Considering Xerxes was a man, Xerxes had no doubt intercourse with Gyeo-Ul¡¯s mother, who was most likely a shaman, and she had given birth to Gyeo-Ul... The time frame did not fit perfectly, but it was not impossible. Time flowed differently in each dimension, universe, and ne. In some ces, time even flowed backward, not forward. Events from Arcadia¡¯s future often happened in Earth¡¯s ancient past. Thus, Gyeo-Ul¡¯s conception could well have happened while Chang-Sun was ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯. In any case, Xerxes had always wandered the world, just as his Divine Name, ¡®Wandering Shadow¡¯, implied. He never settled anywhere, nor did he properly disy his abilities; he never did anything he would have to take responsibility for. It was not because he was irresponsible, but because he did not want to hurt those he would end up leaving eventually. Despite all that, Xerxes had fathered a son, which meant he had to have a reason for not telling anyone. ¡®I have no other choice but to keep him,¡¯?Chang-Sun eventually concluded. He had not expected to meet Xerxes¡¯ son so suddenly, but he could not take the encounter lightly after having found a remnant of his old colleague. Still, Chang-Sun could not directly ask Gyeo-Ul about his parents because there were too many eyes around them. Thus, he needed to befriend Gyeo-Ul naturally in order to find out the truth. ¡®There¡¯s also no guarantee that Gyeo-Ul knows about his father.¡¯ Judging from the way Gyeo-Ul was able to use [Shadow Secret Technique] with moderate proficiency, it seemed he knew about his father on some level, but he had not mastered the Skill. There was a strong possibility that someone taught by Xerxes had taught Gyeo-Ul. Then, how could he keep his old colleague¡¯s son by his side? It did not take long for him to figure out an answer. Tilting his head, Chang-Sun said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you were nning to kill the Jigwi to cure your half-spirit curse with the Jigwi¡¯s eye, but it won¡¯t work. Give up.¡± Gyeo-Ul, who had been watching Chang-Sun in shock, shouted with a frown, ¡°What do you know¡­?!¡± ¡°I know better than you,¡± Chang-Sun replied with a shrug. ¡°¡­What?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked in disbelief. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell by the way I figured out you were a half-spirit after just exchanging a few attacks?¡± Chang-Sun replied so matter-of-factly that it left Gyeo-Ul briefly speechless. He continued, ¡°You must have thought that the scar on your face came from a fire spirit-type parent, but the Jigwi¡¯s eye would never cure you. It would only make your scars worse.¡± Gyeo-Ul¡¯s eyes lost focus. Chang-Sun exined, raising an eyebrow, ¡°First of all, your parent isn¡¯t a fire-type spirit. Although you might have assumed so because of your burn mark-like scars, you wouldn¡¯t be able to use the darkness-type skill, [Shadow Secret Technique], if that were the case. Besides, a Jigwi is closer to a death-type spirit, not a fire-type spirit, so it has much more ghostly energy. Were you seriously nning to eat that?¡± [The Celestial ¡®World-Circling Serpent¡¯ tilts his head curiously, wondering where you acquired such knowledge.] ¡°I won¡¯t stop you if your n is to make your curse worse, in order to be a real ghost or a monster deity,¡± Chang-Sun said with a smirk. Gyeo-Ul opened and closed his mouth silently multiple times. ¡°You must have known deep down, right?¡± Chang-Sun added, having guessed Gyeo-Ul¡¯s thoughts from his reaction. Half-spirits were never stupid¡ªno, they were so smart that they could practically see the future. Thus, Gyeo-Ul would never have stupidly ced all his hopes on the Jigwi. He had only entertained the possibility, as he wanted to undo his hideous curse by any means necessary. An aura of misfortune, gloominess, and loneliness surrounded Gyeo-Ul, as he had grown up alone and been forced to stand on his own. In a way, that was his other curse; he did not know how to make any friends. He hade this far in an attempt to ovee his curses, but he had run into yet another tall wall. Even though Gyeo-Ul had not been dispirited after losing to Chang-Sun, now he looked sad. Through clenched teeth, he forced out the word, ¡°What¡­¡± Gyeo-Ul¡¯s depression made him choke up. Grief and despair squeezed his heart, briefly leaving him unable to speak. Eventually, he forced himself to shout, ¡°What¡­ am I supposed to do then?!¡± . ¡°I¡¯ll help you cure it,¡± Chang-Sun suddenly replied. When Gyeo-Ul¡¯s obsidian-like eyes, the only part that had not been affected by his curse, widened in surprise, he saw Chang-Sun¡¯s nonchnt expression. ¡°So let¡¯s make a deal,¡± Chang-Sun offered. Chapter 44: Star, The Training (7)

Chapter 44: Star, The Training (7)

¡°¡­Deal?¡± Baek Gyeo-Ul repeated, his expression changing slightly when Chang-Sun mentioned the word. His burn marks¡ªno, his half-spirit curse¡ªmade his expression unreadable, but his trembling voice made it clear that he was shocked. ¡°Yes, a deal. It seems you¡¯ve investigated the Jigwi in your own way. Am I right?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Yes¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul cautiously answered. ¡°Lend me your knowledge¡ªno, not just that, I hope you can cooperate with me in killing the Jigwi,¡± Chang-Sun said confidently. He was sure that Gyeo-Ul had not merely investigated the Jigwi. ¡®Gyeo-Ul would have investigated everything about the Jigwi, and maybe even learned something I haven¡¯t figured out,¡¯?he thought. ? Unlike Chang-Sun, Gyeo-Ul had to have staked his very life on curing his curse. As he had been born a half-spirit, he no doubt had various methods of obtaining information. Thus, it was highly likely that Gyeo-Ul knew things about the Jigwi¡¯s habits that even Chang-Sun had been unable to confirm. After all, Gyeo-Ul had found the Jigwi¡¯s nest with apletely different method, even though he was severelycking in Skillspared to Chang-Sun. ¡°¡­How can I trust you?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked warily. ¡°Would demonstrating th right here and now suffice?¡± Chang-Sun replied, reaching out with a hand. ¡°What?¡± Gyeo-Ul eximed in surprise. ¡°Give me your hand,¡± Chang-Sun said, waving his hand up and down. For a moment, Gyeo-Ul hesitated, wondering whether it was alright to be swayed by Chang-Sun that way even though he had zero trust in Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun thought it was natural for Gyeo-Ul to react that way, as he had an idea of what kind of life the other man had lived until now, but he had no time to persuade Gyeo-Ul gently. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you trust me or not, does it?¡± Chang-Sun nonchntly added, making Gyeo-Ul bite his lower lip. In truth, he was right; Gyeo-Ul had no other choice. Gyeo-Ul held out his right arm and Chang-Sun grabbed it with his left hand, feeling the man¡¯s pulse. Although he could sense Gyeo-Ul flinching, Chang-Sun fixed his gaze on Gyeo-Ul¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It¡¯ll be pretty hot, so you¡¯ll have to endure it.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul was about to ask what Chang-Sun meant, but he had no time to say anything as fire energy suddenly poured into him through his wrist. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Even the slightest wrong breath will mess up your magic cirction, so don¡¯t open your mouth,¡± Chang-Sun warned Gyeo-Ul. He was wrong about one thing, however. Gyeo-Ul would not have been able to open his mouth in the first ce, even if Chang-Sun had not warned him against it. Elemental energy surged through Gyeo-Ul¡¯s body like a wildfire,pletely filling his magic organ; the horrific pain it caused forced him to grit his teeth, unable to speak. Gyeo-Ul felt as if he had swallowed a ball of fire; his body so hot that he almost fainted. He had gotten his name because he had been born in winter, but ¡®Gyeo-ul¡¯ was gone. He felt as if he had be summer, his ice and snow melting away. Crack. He heard a sound that resembled a hard lump of ice cracking. Crack, crack¨D! Paaah! The cracks slowly spread across the entire lump of ice, connecting to each other in various ces until the ice¡¯s surface resembled a cobweb. It then melted into water that slowly seeped into Gyeo-Ul¡¯s magic organ. The ice was his half-spirit curse, and the melted water was what remained of his yin energy and ghost energy after the curse was broken, instantly increasing his mana significantly. Now, Gyeo-Ul was even more shocked by the fact that the half-spirit curse that gave him both power and misfortune was breaking apart than the pain caused by Chang-Sun¡¯s fire energy. [Your ¡®Half-Spirit¡¯ state is changing!] [Your curse is being wiped away.] [Your misfortune is being undone.] Previously, Gyeo-Ul had put tremendous effort into breaking his half-spirit curse, but the curse had remained as hard as a rock. However, it was being undone easily, as if it had just met itsplete antithesis. ¡®A bit more¡­ Just a little bit more¡­!¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought, desperately hoping the fire energy would continue to power through. Only twenty percent of the half-spirit curse had melted due to Chang-Sun¡¯s fire energy, but eighty percent remained; apart from that, his heart, the core of the curse, remained frozen.. He continued hoping against hope that the ¡®wildfire¡¯ would melt his frozen heart, and it seemed more than possible that it could do so. However¡­ Pzzzzz¨D! ¡­as if to mock Gyeo-Ul¡¯s wishes, the ¡®wildfire¡¯ died down gradually, slowly being reduced to cinders. Chang-Sun¡¯s fire energy exited his body the same way it had entered. ¡®N-No¡­!¡¯?Gyeo-Ul cried frantically in his mind. He tried to hold onto the fire energy in any way he could, but it quietly drained away, taking the fierce heat and pain with it. All that remained was a subtle, refreshing afterglow and the sensation of his mana, which had been increased by one and a half times, circting fiercely within his body. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul eximed, staring nkly at empty air for a moment. However, Chang-Sun¡¯s next words brought him back to reality. Chang-Sun instructed him, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Check your face first.¡± Gyeo-Ul touched his face with his hand, and found that most of the turtle shell-like scales and twisted burn marks he was used to feeling on his face had faded away significantly. He ran to a nearby river to look at his face in the water, and saw a face that had long been obscured by the half-spirit curse looking back at him. Previously, his nose and mouth were disfigured beyond recognition by burns, but now they had regenerated enough to be distinct. The scales that once covered part of his face had faded substantially, giving way to a more defined appearance. From his eyes and nose down to his jawline, he had a strong, masculine silhouette. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is surprised to see such great changes!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ thinks he needs to conduct new research on the Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯s abilities.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ughs in satisfaction after he sees the positive change in his subordinate.] The animosity and rage that had previously filled Gyeo-Ul¡¯s eyes were reced by a powerful thirst, stemming from his desire to receive more treatment. He quickly turned to Chang-Sun, a silent plea for help in his gaze. However, Chang-Sun shook his head and exined, ¡°That¡¯s all I can do right now. Of course, your curse will weaken more if I repeat the treatment regrly, but I still won¡¯t be able to fully cure you.¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked quietly. ¡°Help me kill the Jigwi. That way, I¡¯ll be able to strengthen my fire, and curing you fully won¡¯t be impossible,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°In that case...¡± Gyeo-Ul began. ¡°I¡¯ll even make a [Mana Pledge] if you want me to,¡± Chang-Sun said with a shrug. However, Gyeo-Ul shook his head as if to indicate Chang-Sun did not have to go that far. He knew he had encountered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and decided to seize the chance. He breathed deeply to calm himself down, then said, ¡°No, that¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll trust you.¡± The mixture of joy and longing that briefly filled his gaze vanished, reced with his usual calm as if it had never been there. However, what soon took its ce was a strange spark, his eyes burning with determination to do whatever was necessary. ¡®He¡¯s truly something, more than I thought.¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, observing Gyeo-Ul. Seeing Gyeo-Ul maintain hisposure even through the events unfolding, Chang-Sun felt he had to reevaluate the man. He concluded that Gyeo-Ul was talented enough to be an important figure in the future, and that was not simply because Gyeo-Ul was the son of his former colleague. ¡°How can I help you?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked, wondering what to do next. He looked forward to hearing Chang-Sun¡¯s requests, expecting that no such request would be ordinary. Crossing his arms, Chang-Sun began, ¡°First¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°...Speak to me formally,¡± Chang-Sun nonchntly requested. Gyeo-Ul was left speechless for a moment, utterly dumbfounded by the unexpected request. However, that was what mattered more to Chang-Sun than anything else at the moment, as he found it unpleasant to hear his friend¡¯s son speaking to him casually. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ calls you a geezer, clicking his tongue.] * * * ¡°In order to track the Jigwi, we have to study its habits first. It is known that each Jigwi has different preferences and personalities,¡± Gyeo-Ul exined, following Chang-Sun¡¯s instruction without question. Although the difference in their ages was minimal, he showed no sign of displeasure. ¡°Habits?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡°Yes, sir. We need to search the nest,¡± Gyeo-Ul said with a nod. ¡°¡­?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head in confusion, as there was no part of the nest that he had not seen during his ten-day stay. However, when he saw what Gyeo-Ul was doing, he quickly understood what the man meant. Gyeo-Ul moved to the center of the nest, tapping the ground in several ces, before suddenly thrusting his spear downward in a reverse grip. His strike created a powerful wind that swept through the nest and overturned the ground, revealing a deep pit that was filled with arge assortment of items. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ examines the pile with sparkling eyes, as she can see many good things within.] The items in the pit ranged from ordinary weapons and expensive-looking artifacts to treasures such as skill books and magic scrolls. Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes sparkled as he said, ¡°These are the belongings of the people killed by the Jigwi.¡± Among the yers who had gone missing in the training institute during each round of training, not all of them had been killed by other yers; others had been killed by the Jigwi. ¡°Much like crows, Jigwis often collect sparkling things, and are proficient at gathering treasures as if they were collecting trophies. However, they often forget about their trophies,¡± Gyeo-Ul answered as he overturned the soft ground. Chang-Sun was amazed by Gyeo-Ul¡¯s discovery, as even though he had installed and uninstalled countless traps during his stay, he had not evene close to discovering the pit. It was as if Gyeo-Ul had some kind of treasure detector. ¡°By going through the buried items this way, I can roughly estimate where the Jigwi was heading,¡± Gyeo-Ul said as he examined the pit. Just like Gyeo-Ul, Chang-Sun examined the items the Jigwi had gathered. He picked out a weapon that caught his eye. [White Magpie Bow] A nameless hunter made this bow using the wing bones and feathers of his biggest, fastest, and strongest prey. The bow¡¯s fierce spirit is a match for any bird of prey, giving it great potential in the right hands. ¡¤ Type: Bow ¡¤ Damage: 100~300 ¡¤ Effects: Bullseye Piercing, Quintuple Volley. ¡®It has?[Bullseye Piercing], which can make an arrow always hit the bullseye, and [Quintuple Volley], which can be used to shoot five arrows simultaneously?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in satisfaction. Slinging the [White Magpie Bow] over his left shoulder, Chang-Sun also took the quiver that appeared to match it. He had already been considering carving a wooden bow for long-range attacks; it seemed the new acquisition would be very useful. Apart from the bow, he picked out everything that looked decent and threw it into his inventory. Some even had Effects such as [Yijin Jing] or [Fire Storm] that he could use immediately inbat. ¡®I¡¯ll take some for myself and sell the rest of them,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a nod. The pit was like a gold mine; it was a shame that each inventory had a limited capacity. While searching through it, Chang-Sun found an ordinary-looking orange sphere rolling around. However, its unusual scent drew his attention; it was the scent of death, which he had previously only smelled in the Underworld. [Dream Sphere] This sphere that contains unusual energy was created by mixing Death Flowers and Destruction Flowers with another substance in a specific ratio. It contains the grudges of those killed by the Hohwan Mama. ¡¤ Type: Marble. Misceneous. ¡¤ Effect: ??? ¡®Hohwan Mama?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, tilting his head. ¡®Hohwan Mama¡¯ was the ancient name of a horrifying gue that was as terrifying as a Hohwan¡ªan incident in which a tiger killed a human. It did not merely refer to an ordinary gue; rather, it indicated a strange phenomenon with an unknown cause. ¡®This seems fishy,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, specting that he had perhaps unexpectedly found something rted to the White Tiger n. ¡°I think I figured out where it went,¡± Gyeo-Ul said, approaching Chang-Sun. After putting the [Dream Sphere] in his inner pocket, Chang-Sun looked at Gyeo-Ul in surprise, asking, ¡°Already?¡± He had previously assumed that it would take a while for Gyeo-Ul to find the Jigwi¡¯s trail, but it had taken less than an hour since Gyeo-Ul began his search. Despite the look of disbelief, Gyeo-Ul nodded nonchntly, seemingly not displeased. He exined, ¡°It was easier than I thought. It seems this Jigwi has been using its fire energy a lot for some reason, which means it has been focusing on eating.¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes sparkled for a moment. A Jigwi created fire by burning up the souls it swallowed. The more souls it swallowed, the stronger its fire energy would be. If it used up much of its fire energy despite that, it would go somewhere else to consume many new souls. The question was, where would the Jigwi go to find them? ¡°So it would have gone deep into the mountain range, and specifically, somewhere full of high-ss creatures. That means it must be in a ce where mystical and demonic creatures live, right?¡± Chang-Sun conjectured. ¡°Yes, sir. You are right,¡± Gyeo-Ul replied, calmly affirming Chang-Sun¡¯s guess. ¡®He isn¡¯t just useful. He¡¯s?very useful,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a nod. If Chang-Sun, who had almost be the strongest Celestial, thought of a person as¡® very useful¡¯, that meant the person was very talented and had high potential. His desire to keep Gyeo-Ul by his side only grew stronger. ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go,¡± Chang-Sun said. He gestured to Gyeo-Ul with his chin, letting the other man take the lead. * * * Swoosh¨D! Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul swiftly passed through the woods. It was not difficult to locate the habitats of mystical and demonic creatures. Such creatures would have thergest territories in the religion, which meant they simply had to follow the nearest trail they could find. The farther they traveled, the more Jigwi nests they came across. They passed by forests and mountains that werepletely parched, as if they had been ravaged by powerful mes that swept across them. ¡°It will be tremendously gluttonous and greedy, more than you might expect,¡± Second Elder warned him. The Jigwi truly was more gluttonous and greedy than Chang-Sun had expected. However, the fire energy left behind in the ruined nests had only grown hotter the deeper they went. Thus, the twopanions became certain that the more often they found such ces, the closer they were getting to the Jigwi. After continuing their chase for four days¡­ Kieeeehh! ¡­they finally ran into a gigantic firebird with ck and red plumage. A single one of its wings was between two hundred to three hundred meters long; if it lowered both of them, it could practically cover an entire mountain. [The Rank Four Disaster Jigwi is causing a drought!] The words ¡®Catastrophe¡¯ and ¡®Disaster¡¯ were used to refer to monsters that could never be killed by an ordinary yer. Although they said nothing about their ns, Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul quickly prepared for a fight. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is surprised by the bird¡¯s size.] [The Celestial¡¯ A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ smacks her lips, feeling that it will be fun to hunt such a firebird.] Gripping his long spear, Gyeo-Ul sprang forward. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun aimed an arrow at the bird using the [White Magpie Bow]. Their coordination reflected the amount of time they had spent working together. When Chang-Sun activated [Viper Eyes], the skill showed him the weak points that covered the Jigwi¡¯srge body. At that moment¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ proudly gives his two subordinates a bonus reward for spreading his glory!] Whoosh! ¡®He¡¯s suddenly giving us a bonus reward?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Although he was slightly surprised by Heoju¡¯s unexpected bonus reward, he was not shaken up at all; he continued to focus on tightly drawing back the bowstring. However, he somehow felt as if he could concentrate more effectively and see farther¡ªno, more than that, it seemed every one of his senses had somehow leveled up. Heoju¡¯s bonus reward had to be either Sense Opening or Sense Magnification. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is surprised by Heoju¡¯s bonus rewards.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is nervous about the way other deities keep giving you bonus rewards.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ quickly looks for better bonus rewards.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ pulls out her hair because she has nothing good. She has a bonus reward she previously nned to give out in order to show off, but it does not look good enough now.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ tries toe up with something good, anxiously pacing back and forth.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ wants to give you an Authority as a bonus reward!] Just then, Chang-Sun unexpectedly received a jackpot, making him smile. He thought inwardly, ¡®Pabilsag pulled a Pabilsag.¡¯ Swoosh¨D! With that thought, Chang-Sun let loose the arrow. [The Authority has been applied!] 1. ¡¯Gyeoul¡¯ (??) means ¡®winter¡¯ in Korean 2. This may be confusing to English-speakers, but in Korean culture, it is considered very important to address one¡¯s seniors formally. 3. In Korean culture, white magpies are said to represent good fortune. They are also known to be fierce enough to fight off birds of prey despite their small size, which is what this bow¡¯s nature alludes to. 4. This is a qigong manual that pertains to breathing exercises, and is well-known in Chinese martial arts. In Korean wuxia, it is often said to make the user invincible. 5. An ancient Korean name for smallpox. The ¡®Mama¡¯ here is actually a Korean term that roughly corresponds to ¡®Your Majesty¡¯ or ¡®Your Highness¡¯. Chapter 45: Star, The Training (8)

Chapter 45: Star, The Training (8)

[Perfect Marksmanship] An Authority granted as a bonus reward by the Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯. You will hit your target no matter what happens, as the result is predetermined. The damage dealt will vary based on the arrow you use. ¡°Never let go of any prey you set your sights on.¡± ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Authority. ¡¤ Effect: Reverse Causality, Sure Shot, Combo Shooting. At first nce, it was unclear why the Authority granted personally by Pabilsag was considered one, as many bow-rted skills improved uracy and increased damage. However, upon closer examination, it was far from being an ordinary Authority. Out of the three Effects, the first one alone was ridiculous. Each event in this world normally had to obey thew of causality: All effects were determined by a cause. In order to use an Authority, there would be numerous ¡®causes¡¯ involved. Everyponent that formed part of the ¡®process¡¯ of an event¡ªthe Authority user¡¯s desires and actions, the nearby surroundings, the air currents, and the opponent¡¯s reactions¡ªcould be considered ¡®causes¡¯, including any unexpected variables that the Authority user did not take into ount. In order to shoot the center of a target with a bow and arrow, every factor¡ªthe terrain, the distance between the shooter and the target, interference from a third party, and so on¡ªcould be considered ¡®causes¡¯. As a result, the arrow would not necessarily hit the target, which meant the result would not always align with the shooter¡¯s desires. ¡®And yet [Reverse Causality] ignores everyponent,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, feeling pleased. What if the result ¡®The arrow hit its target¡¯ were to be decided before the causes? That meant it would always align with the shooter¡¯s desires. Perhaps the arrow would be blown by the wind, or perhaps the target would slip and fall in its path; regardless, the oue would be the same. No matter how fierce the interference, no matter what unexpected variables the arrow faced, it would hit its target in the end. That was what made [Reverse Causality] truly terrifying ¡®The ¡®arrow¡¯ can also be anything. This should be a good match for [Viper Eyes].¡¯ Using J?rmungandr¡¯s bonus reward, Chang-Sun had previously identified the Jigwi¡¯s weak points, which were several spots on its right wing and nape. Looking at the reddest spot as he fired the arrow from his bow, he thought, ¡®I will hit the target.¡¯ [A target has been selected!] Swish¨D! Chang-Sun fired two arrows in two different directions. Turning into rays of white light, both arrows shed through the air, striking their targets without giving the Jigwi any time to react. Boom, boom, boom! Rumble, rumble¨D! Pzz! Pzzzz! The second Effect, [Sure Shot], activated alongside the third Effect, [Combo Shooting]. A violent explosion followed, shaking the mountain-sized Jigwi with a shockwave. Large tornadoes formed over the spots that had been hit by the two arrows, deepening the wounds they created. Golden lightning crackled outward from the arrows and instantly spread like a web, covering the Jigwi¡¯s entire body. Just as the exnation ¡®The damage dealt will vary based on the arrow you use¡¯ suggested, Chang-Sun had used his new skills in conjunction. [Explosive Thunder] You can create a violent explosion upon impact with a target. Its damage will vary depending on your uracy and the quantity of mana you use. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Active. ¡¤ Effect: Explosive Impact. [Lightning Web] You can create powerful lightning energy and spread it across a fixed area. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Active. ¡¤ Effect: Spread Lightning. The [White Magpie Bow] was not the only thing Chang-Sun had found in the Jigwi¡¯s nest. There had also been several skill books in the nest. Although they appeared to contain ordinary Rank C Skills at first nce, the ones contained within could be as potent as Rank A skills if the user applied them effectively. Those skills were [Explosive Thunder] and [Lightning Web]. By creating a violent explosion at the point of impact and transforming the resulting sparks into lightning, Chang-Sun could produce a ¡®Thunderstorm¡¯, an effect capable of pulverizing everything it touched into dust with multiple explosions. [The simultaneous application of the Skills ¡®Explosive Thunder¡¯ and ¡®Lightning Web¡¯ has temporarily created a ¡®Thunderstorm¡¯!] [You haveunched several heavy attacks against the ¡®Jigwi¡¯!] On top of that, Chang-Sun had taken it to another level by using ¡®arrows¡¯ specially made by the heir of Ou Yezi. The same way he destroyed the Drake¡¯s eyes in the test, he had fired the two Nameless Short Spears, mercilessly breaking one of the Jigwi¡¯s wing bones and leaving arge wound on its neck. Kiieeh! The Jigwi¡¯s violent screams echoed across the mountain range. [Critical Hit!] [Critical Hit!] ¡­ [¡®Explosive Thunder¡¯ and ¡®Lightning Web¡¯ have leveled up!] [¡®Explosive Thunder¡¯ and ¡®Lightning Web¡¯ have leveled up!] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ puffs up her chest!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ pompously says that no deity can provide a better Authority!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ smirks at ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯, calling him useless!] In truth, the bonus reward Heoju had granted Chang-Sun was not so mediocre. [Beast Senses] A bonus reward granted by the Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger.¡¯ Like a beast ready to fight, your senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste have all been enhanced. Additionally, you have the Sixth Sense, an instinctive ability to detect danger, making you a true beast. ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Passive. Active. ¡¤ Effect: Sense Enhancement, Expanded Cognition. Sixth Sense Creation. The skill wouldplement Chang-Sun¡¯sbat instincts, which he had thought of ascking for some time. With it, he could analyze the situation more urately and make better decisions in closebat. However, what really mattered to Chang-Sun was that Heoju had given him a bonus reward, not how good [Beast Senses] was. What it truly represented was Heoju giving Chang-Sun his full attention. [The Skill ¡®Beast Senses¡¯ allows you to focus your senses on the ¡®Jigwi¡¯!] [You can now predict the behavior of the ¡®Jigwi¡¯ a little more urately.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ contentedly watches you use his bonus reward.] Focusing all his senses on the Jigwi, Chang-Sun prepared tounch a new attack, but¡­ ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯?he wondered, frowning. After he used [Beast Senses], he had felt an unexpected presence. * * * ¡®Unbelievable¡­!¡¯?Baek Gyeo-Ul thought, gaping. His first encounter with the Jigwi had made him feel gloomy, overwhelmed by the bird that was the size of a ten-story apartment. Although he had been warned about the Jigwi when he first received an exnation of its nature, seeing it with his own eyes was still apletely different experience. How could he ever have thought about killing such a monster? The bravado he had maintained until thest few days had faded, leaving him light-headed. It left him uncertain as to how Chang-Sun would kill the monster, and whether he could receive the remaining treatment in the end. However, Gyeo-Ul¡¯s thoughts changed in that instant. ¡®We may be able to¡ªno, we will kill it.¡¯ With a mere two attacks, Chang-Sun had clipped one of the Jigwi¡¯s wings and left a deep wound on his neck, enough to reveal its insides. Even ounting for the fact that Chang-Sun had taken the Jigwi by surprise, killing it no longer seemed impossible, provided that they could continue to attack it sessfully. Thus, Gyeo-Ul increased his pace as he ran toward the Jigwi, thinking only of killing the monster. His target was its right wing. Although Chang-Sun had knocked the Jigwi off bnce by breaking its right wing bone, Gyeo-Ul had to cut the wing offpletely in order to stop the Jigwi fleeing into the air. However, just as Gyeo-Ul was about to leap high into the air¡­ [Uninvited invaders have appeared in the middle of the raid!] ¡­Gyeo-Ul had to stop running, dodging a great distance backward. Thud! Thud! Two peoplended where Gyeo-Ul had just been. Judging from their nonchnt looks and the symbol of the White Tiger n on their backs, they were instructors who managed the Dungeon¡ªno, their outfits looked simr, but they were somewhat different. ¡°This is a restricted area,¡± one of them said. ¡°Only authorized personnel can enter, so trainees are not permitted to be here. Please leave now,¡± the other added. The two instructors did not allow Gyeo-Ul to get any closer, making him frown. ¡°We have been hunting that monster for over four days. Please let us kill it,¡± Gyeo-Ul said as calmly as he could. ¡°I said, only authorized personnel can enter, so step back. If you refuse to follow instructions, we will have to force you out of here. As we have warned you enough, we take no responsibility for potential idents,¡± the second instructor said. Sensing resistance from Gyeo-Ul, the instructors reached for the weapons on their waists. Truly living up to their rank, the intimidating aura of [Tiger Kill] swirled around them, raking the ground as if with tiger ws. ¡®Shit!¡¯?Gyeo-Ul cursed inwardly. He shot a brief nce at Chang-Sun, who was still covering him, before looking up at the Jigwi again. Kieeehhh! The Jigwi had recovered just enough to let it fly into the air; it seemed to be able to do so even with a broken wing. If it retreated into the sky, hunting it would be incredibly difficult, as the two men had few options for attacking an airborne target. However, the two instructors did not budge an inch. Gyeo-Ul wondered what to do. Would it be a good move to attack the instructors? He hesitated, as instructors were never to be taken lightly. If he failed to overwhelm thempletely, his membership in the White Tiger n would likely be revoked, causing him to be kicked out of the Dungeon. Still, if he retreated, there was no telling when another opportunity woulde again¡ªno, they would no longer be able to ambush the Jigwi, as it would be on guard in the future. Gyeo-Ul nced at Chang-Sun again. Although Chang-Sun was not guaranteed to have any solutions, Gyeo-Ul still thought he would be able to pull out a trump card. Meanwhile¡­ Chang-Sun had quickly been writing words in the air with his index finger. He directed a question toward Song Yoo-Jun, Executive Director Oh¡¯s spy, who was no doubt secretly watching him. However, Yoo-Jun said nothing in response. As there was no way he could have missed the words, Chang-Sun could only take his silence as an affirmation. ¡®There must be something above the instructors¡¯ level that the White Tiger n and Executive Director Oh want to hide,¡¯?Chang-Sun concluded.. It could be rted to the [Dream Sphere] Chang-Sun had collected from the Jigwi¡¯s nest. What if the Jigwi had coincidentally killed a person who had connections to the n and Executive Director Oh¡¯s secret? That would mean others had shown up to kill the Jigwi, in order to retrieve or destroy the [Dream Sphere]. Although it was merely a conjecture without any solid evidence, Chang-Sun could not help but think it was usible. He organized his thoughts with a crooked smile. ¡®I might get something if I dig a little deeper.¡¯ He then asked the instructors, ¡°Does that mean I can still go to other areas as long as I avoid the restricted area?¡± Despite the distance between Chang-Sun and the two instructors, they could hear his voice as clearly as if he had spoken right next to them. Chang-Sun was more talented than they had expected. However, they nodded calmly, hiding their surprise as they replied, ¡°Yes, so step back¡­!¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Chang-Sun said, interrupting the instructors. His vaguely sarcastic tone made the instructors nervous, and they prepared to ask another question. Kieeeee! The Jigwi flew into the air, but suddenly screamed in pain and fell, right where the instructors were standing. ¡°Hup!¡± ¡°W-What¡­?!¡± With a giant bird about to fall onto them, the two instructors were forced to evade quickly without stopping to think about what had happened. Boom! Rumble¨D! The Jigwi fell rapidly,nding on its head and sliding across the ground. Dirt scattered into the air and created a cloud of dust, while the aftershock of the Jigwi¡¯s impact shook the entire mountain. Even though it was as if a whole mountain were approaching Chang-Sun, he stared calmly at the Jigwi with his arms crossed. Slowly, the giant bird ground to a halt right in front of him. Pant, pant¡­ The Jigwi panted rapidly through its beak, which wasrger than Chang-Sun. Even though it was known to be a bird made of fire, its entire right half was somehow covered in ice. Just like that¡­ Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! A powerful vortex appeared, sucking what remained of the Jigwi¡¯s fire into Chang-Sun. [The ¡®Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯ is rapidly absorbing the new ember!] The two instructors watched the Jigwi dying before their very eyes,pletely lost as to what was happening. They swiftly turned to look at Chang-Sun. Apart from everything else, they could not understand how Chang-Sun had overwhelmed the Jigwi and stolen its fire. The magic Chang-Sun had used was simply too far beyond theirprehension. 1. The author is making a y on words here. Thunder and lightning make up a thunderstorm. Chapter 46: Star, The Training (9)

Chapter 46: Star, The Training (9)

Chang-Sun and Baek Gyeo-Ul had not only been chasing after the Jigwi for the past four days. ¡°It seems to have given birth or something,¡± Chang-Sun observed.? ¡°Birth¡­ Sir?¡± Gyeo-Ul repeated, tilting his head.? ¡°Yeah. The only way it makes sense that the Jigwi suddenly left its nest and abruptly started using so much more fire energy is if it¡¯s trying to feed its offspring,¡± Chang-Sun exined.? ¡°Ah,¡± Gyeo-Ul replied with a nod. ¡°It seems we can use this to our advantage if we n well¡­ Besides, even a ranker can¡¯t easily kill a mythical creature¡ªno, a demonic creature like a Jigwi, so we have to prepare,¡± Chang-Sun said, looking back at Gyeo-Ul.? ¡°Do you have any good ns?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked. ¡°What about you?¡± Chang-Sun replied, gesturing at Gyeo-Ul with his chin.? ¡°I¡¯vee up with several ns, but I¡¯m not sure whether they¡¯re good,¡± Gyeo-Ul replied with a shrug.? ¡°Then let¡¯s use my n, but incorporate some of yours,¡± Chang-Sun suggested.? ¡°Yes, sir. What should we do first?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked. ¡°If my theory that the Jigwi has given birth to offspring is true, it¡¯ll try to seek out nutritious food no matter what, making it easier for us to predict its route. So, we need to identify where it will go ahead of time and install traps in advance,¡± Chang-Sun exined. He was certain that the traps he had installed in the Jigwi¡¯s nest would work on the Jigwi because he had already won several times in abat simtion with Second Elder.? Fortunately, it would not be difficult to predict the Jigwi¡¯s route. Just as Gyeo-Ul said, the Jigwi had been consuming an abnormal amount of food, which meant Chang-Sun only had to locate the habitats of high-ss monsters. ¡­ ¡®The fact that it swallows its prey¡¯s souls was very helpful,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought as he stared coldly at the Jigwi, which was struggling to stand up despite its half-frozen body. [The Authority ¡®Soul Exploitation¡¯ gnaws at the spirits that make up the Jigwi!] [The spirits have been caught in the Purgatory Brazier¡¯s fire, which spreads to the other connected spirits.] [The fire spreads all over the Jigwi.] ... [The Jigwi has entered the ¡®Burned¡¯ state!] ... [The Jigwi has entered the ¡®Frostbite¡¯ state!] [The Jigwi has entered the ¡®Paralyzed¡¯ state!] ... [The Purgatory Brazier¡¯s fire is growing stronger.] [You have begun absorbing the ashes!] The traps installed by Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul were simple. They had killed any demonic creatures that could be food for the Jigwi before it could hunt them, using their corpses as bait. Although Gyeo-Ul was unsure how such traps could kill the Jigwi, Chang-Sun was confident that they could. ¡®The Jigwi has started eating everything in sight. It has to eat a lot due to extreme hunger, not because it¡¯s hunting for fun. So, it¡¯ll love monsters that have already been killed,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. As he had no need to exhaust all his stamina at once, Chang-Sun was able to apply arge amount of Ice Toxin and Paralysis Toxin to the monster corpses over time in order to slow down the Jigwi. Fortunately, the n worked. That was why the Jigwi had been unable to fly away when Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul ambushed it. On top of that, Chang-Sun had put in ce another n, one he had not told Gyeo-Ul: He had deliberately refrained from burning the spirits of the monsters they had killed. Jigwis created the fire of death using the bodies and spirits of the prey they consumed. That meant Chang-Sun could affect the Jigwi by activating [Soul Exploitation] only after it ate the monsters¡¯ spirits, which would then be considered part of it. Just as nned, Chang-Sun had used [Soul Exploitation] on the Jigwi as it escaped into the air. The Purgatory Brazier¡¯s fire had ignited the spirits of its prey, then spread to other spirits like a wildfire. As the Jigwi itself was a cluster of spirits, there was no way for it to escape. Inevitably, it lost all its ability to fly and plummeted to the ground. Just like that, the Jigwi¡¯s ashes were absorbed into Chang-Sun, along with the unique fire that symbolized the ¡®Firebird of Death¡¯. Considering the attributes he had, Chang-Sun could be considered a natural enemy or antithesis¡ªno, an absolute predator¡ªto the Jigwi. [The ¡®Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯ has begun absorbing endless quantities of the Jigwi¡¯s fire. The destruction attribute is gradually being infused into the brazier on top of its existing regeneration attribute.] [Your Strength has increased by 1.] [Your Agility has increased by 2.] ... [Your Magic has increased by 4.] [Your Magic has Increased by 5.] ... [Your Magic is increasing rapidly.] [Warning! Uncontroble growth may poison your body. Please refrain from overusing the Authority.] [Warning! The Jigwi¡¯s fire is being absorbed more quickly. The Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯s properties are changing. The brazier is going out of control.] The closer Chang-Sun got to the Jigwi, the more quickly he absorbed its fire. By the time he moved away, he was surrounded by a gigantic, whirling vortex of ck and red fire that was slowly absorbed into his body. His skin turned red, and his magic circuit swelled until it seemed as if it would explode at any moment. In an instant, his mana was multiplied several times over, saturating all his energy paths and meridians. Like a flooding river, Chang-Sun¡¯s mana had begun flowing at a speed that was difficult to handle. If he had not strengthened his magic circuit in advance by cleansing his body with the Purification Fire, it would have overloaded, unable to handle the extraordinary amount of mana going berserk all throughout his body. Although it should have been impossible for the current Chang-Sun to control the mana coursing through his body, he was able to manage it without any difficulty. Even as more of it zed through his body with greater momentum, he took it in easily. In order to slow down the wildfire of mana, he increased his own magic circuit¡¯s capacity by expanding it with more branches. [Your magic circuit is growing!] [Your magic circuit is growing!] ... [Your magic circuit has exceeded its maximum capacity!] [You have reached the limit of expanding your magic circuit.] [You have reached the limit of reinforcing your magic circuit.] ... [A new shunt has been installed.] [The shunt has reached its limit.] [A new shunt has been installed.] [The shunt has reached its limit.] ... [You have reached the limit of creating more cells.] [Your magic circuit has determined that it cannot contain all the iing mana in its current state, so it is attempting to transform!] [Achievement unlocked!] ¡°The Sun Swallower.¡± Reward: Intelligence +20, Willpower +20, Magic +??, Instation of ¡®Magic Integrated Circuit¡¯. Chang-Sun¡¯s ever-increasing number of magic circuit passages had rapidly grown out of control. Having reached the limit of expansion, they had begun to integrate with each other. Shunts, which made up the various cells of his magic circuit, connected to each other in a way that transformed the entire circuit. As a result, the efficiency of his magic cells increased significantly. After the process of rebuilding Chang-Sun¡¯s entire magic organ wasplete, making it dozens of times more efficient than before, the magic pathways in his body began to resemble an integrated circuit. Just then, the speed at which Chang-Sun absorbed the Jigwi¡¯s fire increased once again. The capacity of his magic organ had expanded sufficiently to allow him to swallow the Jigwi whole. Kieeehh! [The Authority ¡®Soul Exploitation¡¯ has leveled up!] [The speed of soul exploitation has increased.] [The Jigwi is trying to resist!] Just as the Authority leveled up, something Chang-Sun could never have anticipated would happen at his current level, the Jigwi forced itself to its feet in order to resist. It was determined to kill Chang-Sun by any means necessary, as it would die if it did nothing. Thump! Thump! Thump! Dragging its frozen wing across the ground, the Jigwi lunged toward Chang-Sun. As Chang-Sun had absorbed a great deal of its fire, it had shrunk to the height of a six-story apartment; however, it was still enormous, making the ground copse every time it moved. ¡°U-Uh¡­!¡± ¡°What should we do¡­?!¡± No matter how much the two instructors wanted to interfere, it would be impossible for them to do so. A powerful firestorm had begun raging between Chang-Sun and the Jigwi; jumping into the fray would simply be a death wish. Paying no mind to the two perplexed instructors, Chang-Sun drew the [Yuchang Sword] from behind him, gripping it in his right hand. He thought, ¡®I might be able to unseal it now.¡¯ [The destruction attribute has beenpletely added to the Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier!] [Its properties are changing.] [The Eon Fire is being ignited little by little.] When the message that informed Chang-Sun he could ignite the Eon Fire appeared, his eyes shone. The moment he was waiting for had finally arrived. After exiting the Tutorial Dungeon, Chang-Sun had not merely spent the previous month on Earth idly killing time. He had been nning how to kill the Jigwi, and part of that n involved putting in a great deal of effort to awaken the sealed [Yuchang Sword]. Just then, the moment he had been desperately waiting for arrived! [The Eon Fire has been ignited, entering the ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯!] Whoosh¨D! Glug, glug, glug! Eon Fire, which had the same properties and traits as the Jigwi¡¯s fire, ignited on Chang-Sun¡¯s fingertips and promptly entered the [Yuchang Sword]. The weapon resembled a bronze fire poker, making it look as if it would melt at any moment. However, it instead drank in all the fire, trembling incessantly as if it were urging Chang-Sun to give it more fire. Oooo, ooo¨D! The de began to glow bright red from the heat. Cracks began spreading audibly from the handle to the tip of the de. Meanwhile, Eon Fire, mixed with blood from Chang-Sun¡¯s palm, continued to be absorbed into the sword. In truth, fire and blood were the keys needed to awaken the [Yuchang Sword], which had been sleeping for over a thousand years. ¡­ The [Yuchang Sword] was forged by Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith, and had remained close to his furnace while being passed down to his heirs. Thus, it was only natural for to settle within the sword, as it had been handled by many generations of Ou Yezis. ¡­ The [Yuchang Sword] was the de that had seen the most bloodshed among the Nine Fine Swords forged by Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith, and had gained a reputation as a demonic, murderous sword. Passing from one assassin to another, it was at times a de of judgment used to kill corrupt officials, and at other times an instrument of torture used to ughter innocent civilians. Thus, the that seeped into the sword could never be washed clean. The [Yuchang Sword] swallowed Chang-Sun¡¯s and drank Chang-Sun¡¯s . As it continued to feed incessantly, Chang-Sun likewise integrated his and imprinted his into the sword. [The sword¡¯s ¡®Fire¡¯ has awoken.] [The sword¡¯s ¡®Blood¡¯ has awoken.] [You have sessfully fulfilled the hidden conditions needed to unlock the relic.] At that moment, the [Yuchang Sword] glowedpletely red from the heat, covered in so many cracks that it seemed as if it would break apart. ¡°Cry,¡± Chang-Sun shouted, intoning the word like a magical incantation. Roar¨D! The [Yuchang Sword] let out a violent cry. [The new owner¡¯s mark has been imprinted on the ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯!] Boom! The surface of the de exploded. Theyer of verdigris that had covered it disintegrated in an instant, and pieces of bronze scattered across the ground, revealing the true de of the [Yuchang Sword]. Strange, indecipherable letters lined the new, longer de; they shone with a red light that made it seem almost alive, emanating heat and smoke. All throughout the process, Chang-Sun experienced the memory fragments contained within [Yuchang Sword]. Each and every one was the memory of one of the sword¡¯s former owners, contained in fragments of their souls. ¨DLet me. ¨DLet me go. ¨DHold me. ¨DMe. ¨DNo, me¡­! ¨DNo, pick me over him! There were so many fragments that an ordinary person would have fainted, swept away in a flood of memories. The souls contained in the [Yuchang Sword] could even enter the body of its wielder. Naturally, however, the memories did not affect Chang-Sun one bit. Although the souls within the [Yuchang Sword] were once famous assassins, heroes, and even demons, not one of them had umted as much karma as Chang-Sun. Thus, one word was enough to make them fall silent. ¨DSilence. Just like that, the memory fragments ceased to make any noise. That was not all, however. With his willpower alone, Chang-Sun intended to overwhelm all the fragments, burning them all away using the Eon Fire and leaving only his thoughts and will. The process of eliminating the remaining marks would reset the [Yuchang Sword], allowing him to imprint it with his presence alone. The fragments attempted to resist, but their efforts to avoid being swept away by the Eon Fire were futile. Chang-Sun¡¯s presence filled the newly empty sword, making him feel as if he had be one with the [Yuchang Sword.] [Congrattions! You have be the new owner of the ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯.] [You have sessfully achieved ¡®Sword-Body Union¡¯!] That was all Chang-Sun needed. The smoke emanating from the sword¡¯s inscriptions swirled around him, slowly forming arge tornado that surrounded his body. Whoosh, swish, whoosh! From left to right, Chang-Sun shed a line in the air with the [Yuchang Sword]. The tornado that had formed around him exploded, ignited by the Eon Fire imbued into the sword. Turning into a vast stream of fire that resembled Dragon Breath, it struck the Jigwi near-instantly. Kiieehh! [Critical Hit!] [The Jigwi has received a Critical Hit!] The frozen half of the Jigwi¡¯s body shattered to pieces, broken apart by a mix of [Tiger Disaster] and [Tiger Kill]. It tried to flee, but Chang-Sun chased after it, swinging the [Yuchang Sword] multiple times. Swish, swish, swish! [¡®Tiger Teeth¡¯ has exploded!] [¡®Tiger Teeth¡¯ has exploded!] ... Every time the [Yuchang Sword] moved, it cut away part of the Jigwi¡¯s body. Just like that, the monster went from being the size of a six-story apartment to a five-story apartment, and then to four¡­ Soon, it was no more than three meters tall. Each time part of the fire that made up the Jigwi¡¯s body was torn away, Chang-Sun consumed it all, not leaving behind a single spark. [The Skill ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s First w¡¯ has been activated!] Swoosh! shing onest time with the [Yuchang Sword], Chang-Sun unleashed a final burst of ck wind and Eon Fire that carved what remained of the Jigwi apart diagonally from top to bottom. Kieeeh¡­ As it died, the Jigwi could only muster the faintest trace of a shriek. Its intive wail sounded almost as if it were speaking in protest, or expressing lingering resentment, but the w had already torn it apart. ng! Thud¨D! In the end, the Jigwi disappeared. The two Nameless Short Spears fell quietly to the ground along with a red Jewel Eye. [Acquired ¡®Jigwi¡¯s Right Jewel Eye ¡Á 1¡¯!] Chapter 47: Star, The Jigwi (1)

Chapter 47: Star, The Jigwi (1)

[Jigwi¡¯s Right Jewel Eye] A kind of neidan condensed from all the ghost, evil, and fire energy of the demonic creature ¡®Jigwi¡¯. With this eye, you can observe the changes in many realms, such as the Saha World or the hidden Astral World. It is a valuable treasure to those who cultivate death magic. ¡¤ Type: Jewel. Ingredient. ¡¤ Effect: Acquire Ghost Energy, Acquire Evil Energy, Acquire Fire Energy. Even after Chang-Sun acquired his long-awaited Jigwi¡¯s Jewel Eye, messages continued to appear. [You have sessfully unearthed the secrets of the ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯!] [Your understanding of swordsmanship has significantly deepened.] [The Skill ¡®Advanced Dagger Proficiency¡¯ has leveled up.] ... [The Skill ''Advanced Dagger Proficiency¡¯ has reached its maximum level. A higher-level skill has been created.] [The Skill ''Expert Dagger Proficiency¡¯ has been created!] ... [The Skill ''Basic Longsword Proficiency¡¯ has been created!] [Skill Level increased!] ... [The Skill ''Advanced Longsword Proficiency¡¯ has reached its maximum level. A higher-level skill has been created.] ... [All weapon skills categorized under ¡®Swordsmanship¡¯, such as ¡®Expert Dagger Proficiency¡¯, ¡®Expert Longsword Proficiency¡¯, ¡®Expert Sword Defense Proficiency¡¯, and ¡®Expert Sword Offense Proficiency¡¯ have beenbined.] [Congrattions! The Skill ¡®Sword Mastery¡¯ has been created!] ... [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is incredibly shocked that you own the ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ tiptoes around nervously, as she did not realize that what seemed to be a mere fire poker was actually a divine sword.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ says she should have kept her mouth shut, pping herself on the mouth multiple times.] ... [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ just shakes his head, now unsurprised that your knowledge was deep enough to let you unseal the relic.] ... [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ watches you level up, still awaiting your answer.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ says the sword is a perfect match for your righteous nature, giving you her sincere congrattions.] ... [The deities watching you are very surprised that a masterwork made by Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith has reappeared!] Rather than focusing on Chang-Sun¡¯s achievement, the Celestials were more interested in the fact that the [Yuchang Sword], the sword left by the deceased Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith, had awakened. It was understandable, as from their perspective, an old sword that had been used as a fire poker for a forge had suddenly transformed into a divine sword. As a self-proimed sacred weapon maniac, Pabilsag was especially embarrassed about her slips of the tongue. However, that only proved just how perfect the seal ced on the [Yuchang Sword] by the first Ou Yezi was. Without the sharp insight he had acquired along with the [King of Weapons] trait, Chang-Sun would never have recognized it either; thus, it made sense that even Celestials were taken by surprise. [Yuchang Sword] One of the Nine Fine Swords forged by the first Ou Yezi, who was known as the Divine cksmith. The sword is short enough to be used as a dagger. It can also be used as a longsword now that its true form has been unsealed. In that form, the grudges contained within are released, and the ¡®fire¡¯ left by Ou Yezi¡¯s heirs and the ¡®blood¡¯ spilled by the sword¡¯s previous owners grant mysterious powers to the new owner. ¡¤ Type: Dagger or Longsword. Relic. ¡¤ Damage: Unmeasurable. ¡¤ Effect: Bloodletting Equip. Fire Storm. (Other Effects Unknown.) *Requirements have been partially met. Some of the sword¡¯s hidden abilities can be used. *Requirements have not beenpletely met. Other set items are needed to awaken the sword¡¯s other abilities. Zing, zing! The [Yuchang Sword] trembled faintly, and the zing symbols on it slowly shrank once again, their heat dissipating. The de was sealing itself once again after releasing its hidden power to the limit. [The Hidden Quest (Ou Yezi¡¯s Secret) has been created!] [Ou Yezi¡¯s Secret] Type: Hidden. Exnation: The first Ou Yezi, who was known as the Divine cksmith, devoted his entire life to smithing. He sessfully created nine swords with different properties and characteristics. Today, people call the nine swords ¡®Ou Yezi¡¯s Nine Divine Swords¡¯ or the ¡®Nine Fine Swords¡¯. The ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯ you currently own is one of the Nine Fine Swords, and contains the ¡®Fire¡¯ and ¡®Blood¡¯ properties. However, you should know that the Nine Fine Swords made by the first Ou Yezi are not separate items. They are all part of a system designed topensate for each one¡¯s ws and maximize the swords¡¯ unique strengths. The more Fine Swords you have, the stronger their synchronization will be, drawing out more of their hidden abilities. Thus, you must find the remaining eight Fine Swords scattered across the realms. Once they are reunited with one another, they can allow you to reach a more profound realm. Be wary, however. The owners of the other Fine Swords may also try to steal your ¡®Yuchang Sword.¡¯ Prerequisite: Own one of the Nine Fine Swords. Time Limit: ¨D Objectives: 1. Protect the ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯. 2. Seek out and retrieve the other Fine Swords. 3. Unlock the swords¡¯ abilities through imprinting. Reward: Unlock hidden abilities. The first Ou Yezi¡¯s legacy. *You currently own one Fine Sword. ¨DYuchang Sword: Fire and Blood. Meanwhile, the [Yuchang Sword] began to undergo a rapid transformation. Seemingly discontent with remaining an ordinary bronze sword, it moved as if it were alive, quickly being absorbed into his right hand. After that¡­ Paaaah¨D! A burst of light shone from the back of Chang-Sun¡¯s hand as a line of strange symbols, identical to the ones engraved on the [Yuchang Sword.] The symbols then transformed themselves into a crest that depicted a sword shing through a wave of fire. The [Yuchang Sword] had settledpletely in Chang-Sun¡¯s right hand and forearm. ¡®My right arm is tougher now,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he opened and closed his hand. Along with his improved mana cirction, he sensed that his right forearm, where the [Yuchang Sword] had settled, had be significantly tougher, as if it had been reinforced with rebar. It was as if the sword had found a nest to make its home, and only on Chang-Sun¡¯smand would it leave that nest and reappear once more in his hand. Oooooong¨D! Just then, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], which was sheathed on Chang-Sun¡¯s left waist, trembled faintly at a strangely precise moment. Previously, it had never shown any reaction no matter how roughly Chang-Sun swung it, but it suddenly began reacting as fiercely as a child throwing a tantrum. Was it because the sword of Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith, who had been known as the rival of Taotie the Devil cksmith, had awakened? Whoosh! Gradually, the raging firestorm of magic within Chang-Sun subsided, and his magic integrated circuit stabilized. He was unsure whether it was because he had finished absorbing the Jigwi¡¯s fire, or because he had unsealed the [Yuchang Sword], or both; regardless, the previously overheating magic circuit was slowly cooling down. Likewise, his vastly increased pool of mana began to calm down; where it had once resembled an ordinary river, now it was closer to a vastke. [Magic: 221 (+60)] Chang-Sun¡¯s Magic stat had been 76 while he was in the Level 30 range, but the confluence of multiple incidents had nearly tripled that value. He had absorbed the Jigwi¡¯s fire, strengthened the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier], and continuously eaten Crying and Laughing Flowers, rapidly increasing his mana. By any standard, his Magic stat was now extremely high, befitting the wizard-type ss ¡®Rune Master¡¯. Chang-Sun grinned in satisfaction as he looked at his Magic stat.. * * * ¡ºShit¡­! I can¡¯t believe he took out the Jigwi before us. I knew the Tyrant was insanely good, but this doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡» ¡ºWhat should we do?¡» ¡ºI don¡¯t know. It¡¯s going to be tricky now that things have turned out this way, seeing as we can¡¯t just bury the incident.¡» While watching Chang-Sun slowly catch his breath, the two instructors massaged their temples as they quickly exchanged telepathic messages. They were actually more like guards than ordinary instructors who were assigned to teach trainees; their task was to secretly watch trainees and prevent them from entering the n¡¯s ¡®research facility¡¯, while looking for ¡®ingredient¡¯ candidates. Previously, the two had received an order from their superiors at the research facility. ¡ºKill the Jigwi. It seems the person carrying the [Dream Sphere] got killed while collecting the Berserk Flowers¡­ Dammit, why did the training exercise have to take ce at a time like this? Eliminate the Jigwi by any means necessary. The [Dream Sphere] can¡¯t end up in the wrong hands. Scour the nest just in case.¡» When they had first received the order, they had been incredibly dumbfounded, as the Jigwi was known as the ruler of the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯ among the instructors. They were supposed to avoid encountering it at all costs; a Jigwi was too difficult to approach, as it was a boss monster that could cause forest fires and droughts wherever it went. To make matters worse, one of their own had been killed by such a monster while carrying the [Dream Sphere]. There was no way he could not know the importance of the [Dream Sphere], so how had he gotten himself killed while wandering around without a care? Of course, the dead man had likely not expected to die; still, the instructors burned with anger, as they still had to clean up his mess. Despite the two instructors¡¯ reluctance to follow their orders, they had no choice, as the secret of the [Dream Sphere] did not belong to the n alone. If its existence were ever revealed to the public, they would also be executed as aplices. However, the Jigwi, the only creature that could know the whereabouts of the [Dream Sphere], had suddenly died right before their eyes. The two instructors had two choices left: Retreat, or scold Lee Chang-Sun and Baek Gyeo-Ul. It seemed Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul had been chasing after the Jigwi for a long time, but the instructors had no way of knowing whether the two had acquired the [Dream Sphere] or seen traces of it in the process. Although the instructors could ask them leading questions, they had a feeling that Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul would not fall for it. ¡ºThere¡¯s no other choice.¡» One of the instructors gave hispanion a serious gaze. ¡ºWhat are you nning?¡» The other instructor asked him a question. ¡ºLet¡¯s attack them.¡» The first instructor spoke decisively. ¡º¡­What?¡» The second instructor was surprised, turning to look at the first one before continuing. ¡ºWon¡¯t this be difficult? He didn¡¯t just extinguish the Jigwi¡¯s fire, he absorbed it! How are we supposed to subdue a guy like this?¡» Even for instructors and rankers, the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire posed a great deal of trouble; it would take three or four instructors to even have a chance of killing it. That was why the instructors had avoided the Jigwi. Thus, it was absurd for two of them to even consider subduing someone who could wield the Jigwi¡¯s fire. ¡ºNo, this is actually a perfect moment.¡» The first instructor continued to insist on the n, undeterred. ¡ºWhat?!¡» The second instructor protested. ¡ºLook at them. They¡¯re tired after fighting the Jigwi. Even if Lee Chang-Sun absorbed the Eon Fire, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s tired.¡» The first instructor gestured toward Chang-Sun with his chin. The second instructor then began to calmly observe Chang-Sun, seeing that he was breathing quietly with his eyes closed. The sword that had released a stream of fire was nowhere to be seen, leaving only traces of ash and smoke around Chang-Sun. Using such a powerful fire-type skill had no doubt taxed Chang-Sun¡¯s body a great deal; he seemed to be recovering from fatigue. Although Gyeo-Ul remained in decent condition while guarding Chang-Sun, he also looked tired due to the fatigue he had built up after chasing the Jigwi relentlessly for four days. No matter how skilled the two were, it seemed as if they could no longer do much. On top of that, the two instructors were powerful enough to pursue the Jigwi on their own. ¡º¡­You¡¯re right.¡» The second instructor nodded. ¡ºSo let¡¯s just subdue them and ask them about the [Dream Sphere]. If they can¡¯t tell us anything useful, we can just feed them to some animals.¡» The first instructor offered up a suggestion.. ¡ºIt¡¯s a shame, considering how much hope Executive Director Oh had for him.¡» The second instructor added a remark. ¡ºThat¡¯s the price of being in the wrong ce at the wrong time.¡» The first instructor responded coldly. After discussing what to do next, the two instructors prepared to move. However, they were soon forced to stop. The hot air that remained as a result of the Jigwi¡¯s fire drained away quickly, reced with the cold, sharp air of the battlefield. Worried that Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul might have caught onto their ns, they turned to look, but the two men were still standing in the same ce. ¡®There¡¯s someone else here!¡¯?the two instructors thought, simultaneouslying to the same conclusion. They looked back toward the direction of the cold wind, and were met with the sight of three people emerging from the rough thicket with cunning, demonic smiles. ¡°Hehe! I never expected to catch two big fish¡ªno, is it three big fish?¡± ¡°It¡¯s three. We found Lee Chang-Sun, the Jigwi¡¯s treasure, and the White Tiger n¡¯s hounds. It¡¯s basically a gift bundle. We don¡¯t have any birthday boys today, do we?¡± Yang Shin-Hae, Park Gi-Pyo, and Bae Woo-Gyeong, the three demonic yers from the Highoff n, had appeared. 1. As a reminder, this is an alternative wuxia/xianxia term for ¡®beast cores¡¯ that contain a monster¡¯s cultivation, like the Sarira of Fire. Chapter 48: Star, Jigwi (2)

Chapter 48: Star, Jigwi (2)

Yang Shin-Hae and the other two demonic yers seemed genuinely d to meet the two instructors; they were very familiar with the pair, who were the first of the White Tiger n¡¯s hounds sent to ambush and kill the three during the copse of the Highoff n¡¯s head office. The three demons had not expected to run into those very hounds in the Dungeon! Just as Gi-Pyo said, the ¡®gift bundle¡¯ was sorge, they could not stopughing. ¡°How did you¡­!¡± the two instructors eximed, briefly frozen in shock. The ¡®il Devil¡¯ Yang Shin-Hae, the ¡®Sawde Teeth¡¯ Park Gi-Pyo, and the ¡®Red Target¡¯ Bae Woo-Gyeong¡ªthey had once been the highest-ranking yers in the Highoff n. If such people had entered the White Tiger n¡¯s private property, that meant there was a hole in the n¡¯s security. The problem was that the three demonic yers had chosen this specific Dungeon out of all the other Dungeons that the White Tiger n owned. That meant they had to have ferreted out the n¡¯s secret research facility. ¡°Hehe, what do you mean ¡®how¡¯? Of course, we proudly crawled our way into this Dungeon,¡± Shin-Hae replied. He took off a bracelet around his wrist, smiling slyly. Then, a pair of iron chains extended down from his sleeves link by link, hitting the ground loudly. Thud! At the end of each chain was a giant iron weight,rger than a human head. Shin-Hae¡¯s weapons resembled the ancient Chinese weapon known as a meteor hammer. However, the weights on the end were also covered in spikes, which meant they could be considered ils. ¡°Anyway, it looks like we have a lot to talk about,¡± Shin-Hae said, grabbing the middle of one chain and starting to spin it around. Driven by centrifugal force, the iron il head whirled around with a horrible sound that seemed as if it could split the air itself. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! He truly lived up to the title of ¡®il Devil¡¯. Gulp! The two instructors felt tense as they looked at Shin-Hae and the other demonic yers. Gi-Pyo, who was famous for being cruel as Shin-Hae, had also drawn his weapon, a sword that resembled a giant sawde. If the two instructors fought with the three, the result would be obvious. Thus, they easily came to a decision. Paaah¨D! The faster instructor leaped backward and began to run, nning to notify the facility about the three demonic yers¡¯ appearance and call for backup as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, the other instructor leaped toward Shin-Hae. ording to the White Tiger n¡¯s emergency manual, one instructor had to buy time for their other colleague to escape and arrive at headquarters. However, the remaining instructor was unable to reach Shin-Hae, as Gi-Pyo tried to cut him in half at the waist. ¡°Hup!¡± The instructor gasped, quickly deflecting Gi-Pyo¡¯s attack. ng! Gi-Pyo¡¯s strike was so powerful that it made the instructor¡¯s sword shake, to the point that his hands felt as if they would fall off at any moment. Meanwhile, Gi-Pyo smiled at the instructor and remarked, ¡°Come on, you can¡¯t be surprised already! We¡¯re just getting started.¡± Grrrr¨D! The Sword Breaker, Gi-Pyo¡¯s favorite weapon, was a sharp sword with a saw-toothed edge. Each time it shed with the instructor¡¯s de, the heat and friction created a shower of sparks and a horrible sound that resembled that of a saw cutting through a log. The instructor could not help but be intimidated whenever he crossed des with Gi-Pyo. As expected of a demon, Gi-Pyo seemed extremely satisfied to see his opponent¡¯s reaction. The more metallic screeches filled the air, the louder his cruelughter became. ng! sh, ng! Meanwhile, as Gi-Pyo exchanged attacks with the instructor whose task it was to stay behind¡­ ¡°Hmm? Where are you going?!¡± Shin-Hae called out, throwing his il toward the escaping instructor with great strength. Propelled by the strong centrifugal force of the spinning chain, the iron weight flew high into the air, crashing down toward the instructor¡¯s head like a bird of prey swooping down on its next meal. The fleeing instructor quickly turned around, swinging his sword at the iron weight. Bwoong! Crack, shatter! The instructor managed to deflect Shin-Hae¡¯s meteor hammer to one side with great difficulty, but the il head hadnded with such force that it shattered both his sword and his arm. As sword fragments scattered across the ground, spraying sparks like a firework, the instructor tried to hold himself together despite his broken arm. However¡­ ¡°Oh, you¡¯re good! Now, take this!¡± Shin-Hae yelled. Seemingly not done yet, he then threw the other meteor hammer in his left hand at the instructor. The other half of the pair of meteor hammers struck the instructor¡¯s torso like a shooting star crossing the night sky. ¡°Urgh!¡± the instructor groaned. His weapon had been smashed to pieces, leaving him unable to stop Shin-Hae¡¯s second attack. Several of his ribs broke from the impact, sending him rolling a great distance across the ground. The shock of the blow had ruptured his intestines, and it seemed as if bone fragments had punctured his lungs, making it difficult to breathe. He tried to resist, but he was ultimately helpless as Shin-Hae¡¯s right meteor hammer, which he had previously deflected, crashed down on his head once again. Rattle, rattle! Smash¨D! The copsed instructor was unable to counterattack as the meteor hammer crushed his face, splitting his skull like a watermelon. Bits of flesh and pulverized brains sprayed through the air. ¡°Hahaha! He¡¯s too weak! How can he be this weak?!¡± Shin-Hae eximed,ughing like a lunatic. Shooting Shin-Hae a look, Gi-Pyo angrily shouted, ¡°Be careful, you bastard! You shouldn¡¯t kill off an important clue like that!¡± ¡°Why are you worried? You¡¯ve got another one over there, right?¡± Shin-Hae retorted, stillughing as he gestured with his chin. ¡°Fuck! You¡¯re making things harder for me!¡± Gi-Pyo grumbled with a frown. Although he had a strong urge to spill blood, he had been desperately holding back that urge in order to search for clues. Shin-Hae, on the other hand, seemed to have no such priorities. Regardless, he knew Shin-Hae would never listen no matter how angry he got. Thus, he calmed himself down, deciding to subdue the remaining instructor first. ng, sh, ng! In a sh, his de shed with the instructor¡¯s sword countless times. * * * ¡°What are you nning to do with us?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Although I don¡¯t actually want to do this¡­ I have no choice right now. I¡¯m sorry, but you have to die.¡± Woo-Gyeong, the demonic yer who had not fought against the instructors, said as he approached Chang-Sun and Baek Gyeo-Ul. Unlike the two instructors, who had looked vigorous, Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul were visibly tired. Thus, Woo-Gyeong, the weakest and most timid of the three ¡®demons¡¯, had chosen to approach them. Although Gyeo-Ul stepped up to protect the tired Chang-Sun, his clear signs of fatigue made him less intimidating than Woo-Gyeong, who was practically radiating demonic energy. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t n on dying here, you know?¡± Chang-Sun replied, quietly opening his eyes and staring at Woo-Gyeong after calming his boiling mana. Although Gyeo-Ul turned to look at Chang-Sun, silently asking whether he was alright, Chang-Sun fixed his gaze on Woo-Gyeong with a smirk. Woo-Gyeong thought Chang-Sun was simply bluffing for thest time in his life. It was a reasonable assumption, as he had sensed the instability in Chang-Sun¡¯s energy; that suggested Chang-Sun would soon copse from exhaustion if he overexerted himself. The countless murders Woo-Gyeong hadmitted gave him a keen sense for such things; he thought there was no way he could be wrong. Even though he was timid, he was still a ¡®demon¡¯. ¡°Well, regardless, please die now,¡± Woo-Gyeong said, pulling a giant ax from behind his back. It was a massive battle-ax, farrger than one meant for chopping wood; its de was an unsettling shade of red, and it was difficult to tell whether the gore that coated it came from humans or animals. Gripping his long spear tightly, Gyeo-Ul also prepared to fight. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it if you can avoid that,¡± Chang-Sun said as he pointed at the sky behind Gyeo-Ul, sending a shiver down Woo-Gyeong¡¯s spine. The bright sunlight that had just been shining across the ground had disappeared, covered by shade as if arge cloud were passing through. However, the air was starting to feel unusually hot, too much for it to be a mere cloud. ¡®Didn¡¯t it feel like this just a little while ago¡­?¡¯ Woo-Gyeong thought as he quickly looked up. ¡°Wait¡­!¡± he cried. When they heard Woo-Gyeong¡¯s shout, Shin-Hae and Gi-Pyo nced at him before instinctively looking up at the sky. What they saw made them freeze. [The boss monster ¡®Jigwi¡¯ has appeared!] Kieehh! The new Jigwi let out an eerie shriek and quickly flew toward them. At first, it was so far away that it resembled a dot on the horizon, but it flew so quickly that it soon loomed overhead, looking one and a half timesrger than the previous Jigwi. ¡°It seems they just happened to have recently had a baby. Well, I was curious as to how the female Jigwi would react after finding out about her mate¡¯s death. Well, try your best to avoid her,¡± Chang-Sun remarked, still smirking. Jigwis were boss monsters. Due to territory disputes, boss monsters usually lived alone, not in groups; however, there was a certain time in which they broke their habits¡ªmating season. Among birds, the female bird would incubate the egg, while her partner, the male bird, would seek out food for both of them. If a baby bird were to hatch, the male bird would have to find more food, as baby birds were always hungry. The same thing applied to Jigwis. Although Jigwis were technically clusters of spirits, they were still living birds. Thus, while a female Jigwi tended to its egg, the male Jigwi would look for food. That was why the Jigwis in the Dungeon had left their beloved nest and begun gathering an abnormallyrge amount of food. Chang-Sun had killed the male Jigwi. In order to hunt it down while it was wandering in search of food, he had set several traps, baiting them with monster corpses full of Ice Toxin. Then, he had sessfully strengthened the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier] by stealing all its Eon Fire with [Soul Exploitation]. Now, the female Jigwi had noticed her mate was in danger, and flown over from far away! In that time, the male Jigwi had died, but she saw several people who looked like her mate¡¯s killers in the era. Thus, the decision she had to make was simple. Kieeeh! [The Jigwi fires bolts of lightning!] [A storm is raging.] Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! With a single powerful p of the Jigwi¡¯s wings, the air trembled, and powerful gusts of wind swept across the ground. Battered by the strong winds, the yers present could barely remain standing; nearby trees were uprooted, and boulders were sent flying. Rumble, boom! Rumble¨D! That was not all, however. Apanying the wind was a storm of lightning bolts and a rain of fireballsrger than a human body. The storm was so difficult to survive that the demonic yers and the surviving instructor were forced to stop fighting and work together. Woo-Gyeong was no exception. He was forced to stop pursuing Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul, quickly swinging his battle-ax upward to destroy a falling fireball. ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± he groaned as the fire clung to his clothes wherever itnded, forcing him to spend a lot of time extinguishing it. The heat and intensity of the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire was truly terrifying. She was the flying embodiment of a disaster, able to copse mountains and overturn the earth. That was the true power of a Jigwi. The only reason Chang-Sun had been able to hunt a Jigwi was that he had ambushed it using properties that countered it. If he had resorted to normal methods, it would have been impossible for him to even approach the Jigwi. However, the female Jigwi was furious, making her even more difficult to hunt than she would otherwise have been. As if to demonstrate why she wasrger than her dead mate, she spared no effort in her attempts to kill the three demonic yers and the instructor. ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening¡­?!¡± ¡°Meteor hammer! Throw your meteor hammer over there first! Tear your scroll too!¡± Boom, boom, boom! Rumble¨D! The four yers who had previously been at each other¡¯s throats joined forces and fought the Jigwi with everything they had, as the monster spread chaos across the sky and the ground alike. At some point, however, Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul seemed to have vanished from the area. * * * ¡°Shin-Hae! Dodge!¡± ¡°Arrggh!¡± ¡°Fuck! You stupid bastard, how could you get killed by it?!¡± The mountain was in ruins, practically reduced to a t in. Scorch marks indicated where fireballs had fallen, and plumes of smoke and ash billowed up from the ground wherever fires had swept through. The three demonic yers and the instructor, forced to run for their lives, had sustained so much damage that they felt as if they were about to die. Just then, Shin-Hae had failed to prevent a fireball fromnding on him, and was killed instantly. Gi-Pyo was clinging to life by a thread, but he had copsed onto the ground after his right arm was incinerated by a fireball. Woo-Gyeong and the White Tiger n instructor were in rtively better condition, but they were far from fine, as their mana was depleted. Kieeeh! Of course, the Jigwi¡¯s condition was no better. Even though she had an advantage at a distance, her opponents were far from being ordinary yers. The fight had shrunk her body to half of its original size and left one wing in tatters; she flew unsteadily through the air, as if she would fall at any moment. Perhaps the best term to describe the battle was ¡®mutually assured destruction¡¯. ¡®¡­Huh!¡¯?Gyeo-Ul silently gasped from afar as he watched the four yers. He had despaired when he first saw the female Jigwi. However, after Chang-Sun advised him to use [Shadow Steps] to escape, he had been able to retreat to safety, albeit with great difficulty. Thus, Gyeo-Ul¡¯s mind was full of questions as he watched Chang-Sun, who was meditating once again to focus on controlling his mana. ¡®Who on earth is this guy?¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought, staring at Chang-Sun. When he first met Chang-Sun, he had found the man suspicious in every way. However, the suspicion he initially felt had given way to a sense of intrigue toward a mystery: How could Chang-Sun have predicted that the female Jigwi would appear at that precise moment? From the two Jigwis to everyone who had taken an interest in them, all those involved had been mere pawns on Chang-Sun¡¯s chessboard. He controlled every variable; if one worked against him, he simply forced it to work in his favor instead. Gyeo-Ul had heard that Chang-Sun¡¯s nickname was something like ¡®Tyrant¡¯. Although he was unsure where the term hade from, he thought there could be no more suitable nickname for Chang-Sun. Just then, Chang-Sun opened his eyes again and grabbed [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], his gaze sharp. ¡°Where are you going, sir¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul quietly asked. ¡°What do you mean, where? I¡¯m going to get another Jewel Eye,¡± Chang-Sun said casually. Gyeo-Ul was dumbstruck to hear that Chang-Sun would kill the remaining Jigwi, even after sessfully eliminating one. Chang-Sun¡¯s greed was truly so endless that Gyeo-Ul felt as if it would swallow him up whole. ¡°However, your physical condition¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul protested, trying to stop him. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a lot better, and I¡¯ve also replenished my stamina,¡± Chang-Sun exined. Just as he said, he seemed to be breathing more calmly. He had been meditating not only to calm his mana, but also to eliminate his fatigue. Regardless, Gyeo-Ul firmly insisted, ¡°It is still dangerous.¡± No matter how much power the Jigwi had used up, she would not be easy to fight alone. Chang-Sun would surely be eaten if he tried. . As Gyeo-Ul tried to stop Chang-Sun, Chang-Sun met his serious gaze with an odd expression. It was the first time he had shown any emotions around Gyeo-Ul; strangely, however, the look in his eyes felt like that of a father showing pride in his son. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Chang-Sun said, his expression quickly fading as he passed by Gyeo-Ul¡ªno, he actually had a faint smile that could only be noticed with close observation. The smile was different from the smirk he usually showed his enemies; this time, he appeared to be enjoying himself. ¡°I have a n,¡± he continued as he pulled out the [Jigwi¡¯s Right Jewel Eye]. The shining red Jewel Eye looked like a real jewel, leaving a beautiful yet grotesque impression. Just like that, Chang-Sun shoved the Jewel Eye in his mouth like a hard candy, before swallowing it whole as if he were taking a vitamin pill. At that moment¡­ Paaah¨D! Kieeeh! A tornado of fire, much fiercer and gloomier than when Chang-Sun had first absorbed it from the Jigwi, burst out of his body. The Jigwi¡¯s neidan, otherwise referred to as its core, was an importantponent that had just been added to the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier] that resided in Chang-Sun¡¯s magic integrated circuit. His Magic stat significantly increased once more, and the fundamental properties of the [Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier] changedpletely. Its mes now zed ck and red; bizarre, echoing ghostly wail arose from the fire, as if thousands of spirits had been condensed into it. If a Jigwi, a cluster of spirits made of fire, were to take the form of a human rather than a bird¡­ It would look just like the current Chang-Sun. ¡°Is there a need to consume a Jewel Eye even after I absorb all the Jigwi¡¯s fire?¡± Chang-Sun asked.? ¡°There is,¡± Second Elder replied with a nod. ¡°Why? I¡¯ll have strengthened the fire as much as possible, and it would be more efficient to turn the Jeweleye into an artifact or something,¡± Chang-Sun replied, not understanding. ¡°It¡¯s still better to eat it. That way, rather than just ¡®adding attributes¡¯ to the fire, you can also ¡®change its foundations¡¯,¡± Second Elder exined. Aftering up with aplete n to hunt a Jigwi in the Underworld, Chang-Sun had asked Second Elder about consuming its Jewel Eye, and he had been told that doing so would transform the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯s properties, allowing it to contain true Eon Fire. That was not the only advantage, however. ¡°Ah, one more thing,¡± Second Elder added, raising a finger.? ¡°¡­?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head. ¡°If you eat the Jewel Eye, you can be a Jigwi,¡± Second Elder concluded with a grin.? ¡°¡­!¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone.? [The destruction and ghost attributes have been added to the ¡®Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯.] [The fire¡¯s properties are changing.] [All the attributes have been merged, causing a transformation.] [The doom attribute has been created!] [The ¡®Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯ has turned into the ¡°Eon Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯.] With Chang-Sun at its center, the tornado of fire suddenly began to change directions, gathering in one ce. [You have be a Jigwi!] [Strength has increased by 2.] [Agility has increased by 4.] ¡­ [You now understand the characteristics of the Jigwi.] [You have learned to control spirits and Eon Fire.] [You have learned ¡®Wraith Form¡¯.] [You have learned ¡®Poltergeist¡¯.] [You have learned ¡®Pyrokinesis¡¯.] ¡­ [You can now use ¡®Single Eon Fire¡¯!] [Single Eon Fire], a fire that was reputed to be able to destroy the world if its wielder desired it, rose up in the shape of wings. Wings made of ck and red mes, the symbol of the Jigwi, sprouted from Chang-Sun¡¯s back and pped vigorously. Paaaah! In order to perfectly y both sides and monopolize all the Jewel Eyes, Chang-Sun once again leaped onto the battlefield, soaring through the air in a surge of embers that fell to the ground like feathers. The embers red brilliantly before fizzling out. 1. The author made a reference to Reaper from the game Overwatch when naming this skill. Chapter 49: Star, The Jigwi (3)

Chapter 49: Star, The Jigwi (3)

¡°Arrgh¡­!¡± ¡°K-Kill me¡­!¡± All that remained of the yers were smoking lumps of coal scattered across the ground. As they no longer had the energy to speak, it took thest reserves of their strength to utter two words¡ªa plea to end their misery as soon as possible. As soon as Chang-Sun had leapt onto the battlefield on wings made of [Single Eon Fire], he had turned the tables by sinking [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] into the necks of the instructor and the surviving demonic yers, killing Park Gi-Pyo. Afterward, he had used [ck Mountain King¡¯s First w] to tear apart the female Jigwi, cleaving through her like a tornado. Naturally, he made sure to absorb everyst ember while absorbing her fire. In the end, he was left holding another Jewel Eye. Crack! Chang-Sun once again bit into the Jewel Eye like a piece of hard candy; it quickly melted, and he swallowed it. [You have absorbed the ¡®Jigwi¡¯s Right Jewel Eye¡¯!] [Your Magic has increased.] [Your Magic has increased.] ... [The ¡®Eon Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier¡¯ has been strengthened.] [The spirits and the Eon Fire under your control have been enhanced.] [¡®Poltergeist¡¯ has been enhanced.] ... [The ¡®Single Eon Fire¡¯ has been enhanced, allowing you to control it more precisely using your energy.] [Current Magic: 287 (+60)] ¡®I guess I¡¯ve reached the limit because it¡¯s my second time eating one,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. This time, he had gained a total of 66 Magic points. It was less than half of the stats he had previously gained, but he was not disappointed, as his mana control had also been enhanced and he had hit Level 35. When the Dungeon Ranking updated, Chang-Sun unlocked an achievement. [Achievement unlocked!] ¡°The Mythical Bird Couple Hunter.¡± Effects: Magic +10. Willpower +15. Title ¡®Jigwi¡¯s Phantom Body¡¯. [Jigwi¡¯s Phantom Body] You can be the living cluster of spirits and fire known as a ¡®Jigwi¡¯, and use its abilities as much as you want. With the fire of death, you can scorch the earth and cause chaos in the sky. As you have swallowed two Jeweleyes, your fire has be fierce enough to automatically cause disasters such as forest fires and droughts. ¡¤ Type: Title. ¡¤ Effect: Activation of the Eon Fire in the Eight Trigrams Brazier. Advent of Disaster. [The title ¡®Jigwi¡¯s Phantom Body¡¯ has been applied.] [The characteristics of a Jigwi have been applied.] ... [The Dungeon Ranking has been updated!] [Dungeon Ranking] First ce: Munseong Second ce: Oh Shi-Hwan ... Ninth ce: Lee Chang-Sun (New!) ¡®It has to be chaos down there now,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He had consecutively killed not one, but two Jigwis, the rulers of the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯. It was only natural for his name to be recorded high up in the Dungeon Ranking. After wrapping things up, Chang-Sun looked down at Bae Woo-Gyeong and the instructor as they writhed in agony on the ground. The two ¡®lumps of coal¡¯ had attempted to crawl away from Chang-Sun, but it was impossible for them to move without any limbs Chang-Sun had let them live for a very simple reason: He wanted to hear the secrets of the White Tiger n and the Highoff n. If he let only one survive, he would run the risk of hearing only one side of the story, which was why he had allowed one person from each n to live in order to cross-reference their answers. ¡°You said you wanted to die, right?¡± he asked. As if to say yes, the demonic yer from the Highoff n squirmed. What was his name? Was it Bae Woo-Gyeong? Although he initially feigned hesitation, his demonic nature could not help but reveal his strong desire to kill Chang-Sun. ¡°Urgggh¡­! Please¡­!¡± Woo-Gyeong fervently nodded in assent. ¡°Then I want you to answer my questions properly,¡± Chang-Sun replied. It was said that the pain of burning alive was the most excruciating in the world. As Woo-Gyeong was in the grip of that very pain, he felt that he could even sell out his parents if it meant escaping from his hellish torment. ¡°Tell me everything you know,¡± Chang-Sun said without specifying a question. He wanted to dig up every single scrap of information he could, even if it seemed irrelevant or nonsensical. Sometimes, it was possible to acquire useful information by looking at such things. Besides, he had all the time in the world. In the end, Woo-Gyeong had to squeeze all the information he could out of his mind. * * * Baek Gyeo-Ul nkly watched Chang-Sun, whose energy now resembled a barely-contained explosion after consuming two Jigwi¡¯s Jewel Eyes. ¡®A fireball¡­ It¡¯s as if the sun¡¯s core is inside him,¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought. Although their first encounter had left him with the impression that Chang-Sun was a highly perceptive individual, Gyeo-Ul now felt that Chang-Sun looked downright dangerous. Chang-Sun was like a zing fire that seemed as if it could explode at any moment. At times, his eyes shone and the air around him heated up, making him even more intimidating. It would be no exaggeration to call Chang-Sun a beast at the top of the food chain. Even though he seemed calm on the surface, his true nature was one of unparalleled savagery. Gyeo-Ul felt as if he would be torn apart if he opposed Chang-Sun, but paradoxically, seeing that side of the other man only made him feel safer. He would have felt only fear if Chang-Sun had been his enemy; however, as they were on the same side, he simply felt as if he were the safest person in the world. Perhaps sensing Chang-Sun¡¯s dangerous aura, Woo-Gyeong talked about a great many things, each of which filled Gyeo-Ul with shock. ¡°¡­So based on what you said, the White Tiger n joined forces with the Highoff n to open something called the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan], right?¡± Chang-Sun asked, crossing his arms. ¡°Y-Yeah¡­!¡± Woo-Gyeong answered with great difficulty. The [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] was a relic that had been discovered in some unknown dungeon by the White Tiger n twenty years prior. It consisted of seven scrolls, but the White Tiger n had only acquired three of them. However, those three alone had such extraordinary powers that the White Tiger n had achieved remarkable results after putting a great deal of effort into tranting the encrypted texts within. ¡®Didn¡¯t the White Tiger n show exponential growth thirteen or fourteen years ago?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, stroking his chin. The White Tiger n¡¯s leader, Sword Sky Tiger Munseong, had been the best swordsman in the world; however, his followers were not as talented as him. In fact, the White Tiger n had failed to rank among the top five ns in Korea, and the public had sarcasticallymented, ¡®Sword Sky might be strong, but his n certainly isn¡¯t.¡¯ It had not been long since the White Tiger n began growing exponentially, gaining fame all over the world. ording to Woo-Gyeong, they had achieved all that after acquiring the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]. ¡°What are the books about?¡± Chang-Sun asked, tilting his head in confusion. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ the details¡­!¡± Woo-Gyeong protested weakly. ¡°You can just tell me what you know,¡± Chang-Sun said. . ¡°If I tell you this, then please¡­!¡± Woo-Gyeong begged. ¡°I¡¯ll decide whether or not I grant your request. Talk,¡± Chang-Sun replied, staring at Bae Woo-Gyeong. ¡°Urgh, argh¡­!¡± Woo-Gyeong groaned in agony, but he began to exin what he knew. Each of the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] exined a different subject, describing how to summon and use the power of ¡®primordial constetions¡¯ that had been forgotten long ago. ¡®Primordial constetion?¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, his eyes shining coldly. ¡®!¡¯ After the ¡®Light¡¯, when the universe had first been created, there had only been a few constetions engraved among the stars. Although they had been as weak as the newly-created universe, they had contained immense Divinity within them. After countless years, the constetions had settled into being thews of the various nes, leaving behind traces all across the universe and the nes. They were the mechanisms that embodied nes, fundamentalws, and concepts. Thus, they hade to be known as ... And the White Tiger n was trying to gather their powers? Chang-Sun had never heard of Heoju seeking the constetions¡¯ powers¡ªno, he had never even seen a trace of any such activity taking ce in the Heoju belonged to. ¡®Is Heoju doing this on his own?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. He needed to dig deeper into the subject. Meanwhile, the new information allowed him to sort out many things that had been at the back of his mind very quickly. ¡°But¡­ The White Tiger n only deciphered¡­two scrolls among the three¡­ The most important one remains encrypted¡­!¡± Woo-Gyeong added quickly. ¡®[Peter¡¯s Key] must be the key to open the locked divine scroll,¡¯?Chang-Sun realized. Secretly touching the key ne beneath his shirt, Chang-Sun asked, ¡°Then why are you guys here? It doesn¡¯t look as if you came here tomit terror or take revenge.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s¡­!¡± Woo-Gyeong stuttered. ¡°It¡¯s what?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡°It¡¯s to find the [Dream Sphere]¡­!¡± Woo-Gyeong answered. Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone once again when Woo-Gyeong mentioned the opaque marble he had found in the Jigwi¡¯s nest. He had thought the marble was suspicious because it held the grudge of a Hohwan Mama, and just like that, it had been mentioned again. Thus, he asked, ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°The n got it¡­ from¡­ the first divine scroll¡­ The method to create an invincible soldier¡­ is recorded¡­ inside¡­¡± Woo-Gyeong exined slowly. Among the ]Cryptical Books of Hsan] that the White Tiger n had acquired, the first scroll described ¡®one who lost their soul and was possessed by starlight.¡¯ One who lost their soul would also lose their ego, leaving behind their body as an empty vessel. However, that vessel could be filled with starlight, creating a powerful, invincible soldier. The way it worked was unknown, but that person would be reborn as a loyal champion that would only follow the orders of the star who created it. In order to create such invincible soldiers, the Seocheon Flower Garden¡¯s flowers, such as the Crying Flowers and the Laughing Flowers, would be needed; a [Dream Sphere] was the final result of the process. The White Tiger n had been secretly manufacturing such soldiers and using them to fight for the n. ¡®So there was a reason why the n created the training institute here,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought.? The ecosystem of the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯ resembled the Seocheon Flower Garden, which meant it was the perfect ce to manufacture [Dream Spheres]. On top of that, it contained many kinds of monsters that could not be seen in other dungeons. Thus, it was not only good for testing trainees, but also for picking good candidates to turn into invincible soldiers. ¡®They just covered up the missing person incidents by saying the trainees were killed after leaving the Safe Zone without an instructor¡¯s permission.¡¯? Chang-Sun also assumed that Executive Director Oh, the White Tiger n¡¯s second inmand, was the man in charge of the project. ¡®But he¡¯s now in trouble after ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb¡¯ disappeared overnight, along with [Peter¡¯s Key].¡¯ Executive Director Oh had no doubt been perplexed to see the situation turning messy right when he thought things were going his way. No, it was more than a mess; it was a total disaster. The Highoff n, with whom the White Tiger n shared many secrets, had been exposed. Thus, the White Tiger n had tried to silence the Highoff n¡¯s members, worried that the connection between them would be exposed. The suspicion Chang-Sun formed after reading the news articles had turned out to be true. ¡°So you guys thought you could expose the White Tiger n using the [Dream Sphere] or something, am I right? You guys must have gathered other pieces of evidence too,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­!¡± Woo-Gyeong replied, nodding once again. Chang-Sun also nodded, as most of his questions had been answered. The [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan], the [Dream Sphere], the research facility, Executive Director Oh, the Highoff n¡­ Everything he had encountered was connected.. ¡®There¡¯s definitely something else, something this guy doesn¡¯t know.¡¯ Chang-Sun thought as he looked at Woo-Gyeong If the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯ had merely been an extremely dangerous Dungeon, the White Tiger n would have found a suitable pretext to seal off its Gate. However, despite the existence of such a method, Executive Director Oh wanted the Dungeon to be cleared ¡®identally¡¯, which meant he had to have been secretly exploiting the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯. As the Dungeon would no doubt be brought into the spotlight,ing under scrutiny by the White Tiger n¡¯s members due to the Highoff n incident, Executive Director Oh was trying to eliminate the evidence. ¡®Then, I should find out how Executive Director Oh was exploiting the Dungeon,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, deciding where to head next. In the deepest part of the mountain range, there was a ce that was considered confidential even among instructors. It was the research facilityplex responsible for manufacturing [Dream Spheres] and invincible soldiers. If Chang-Sun searched the ce, he would be able to figure out how Executive Director Oh had been exploiting the Dungeon. ¡°Now, please¡­!¡± Woo-Gyeong begged Chang-Sun to let him die, having shared everything he knew. sh! In order to be considerate to Woo-Gyeong, who had provided all the necessary information Chang-Sun needed without hesitation, Chang-Sun killed him in a single strike of [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth.] Afterward, Chang-Sun turned to the panting instructor nearby. Although the instructor seemed more loyal to his n thanWoo-Gyeong, he still ended up telling Chang-Sun everything he wanted to know. When he finished revealing the n¡¯s secrets, all that remained within him was anger. ¡°A-Aren¡¯t you¡­ afraid of the Guardian¡¯s¡­ wrath¡­?!¡± the instructor choked out. Without his limbs, he could do nothing but mention his deity. ¡°Guardian? Guardian, huh¡­¡± Chang-Sun trailed off. He thought the instructor was pathetic. Even if deities and stars existed, each person had to forge their own destiny at the end of the day. However, the instructor was trying to invoke the authority and power of his deity as if they were his own. On top of that, he truly knew nothing about the deity he served. ¡°Do you really believe the Guardian is on your side?¡± Chang-Sun asked coldly. ¡°Of course¡­!¡± the instructor began, but his whimpers gave way to silence as the messages that appeared before his eyes filled him with shock. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ has lost interest in the follower who is weaker than the dirt beneath his ws.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ watches his ambitious new follower with pleasure.] Heoju was not smiling at the instructor, who followed him loyally; rather, his favor was directed toward Chang-Sun, who could potentially be a traitor. ¡°The Guardian wants stronger and sturdier ws, not a dying idiot like you,¡± Chang-Sun exined, telling the instructor what had happened. ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­!¡±the instructor began to yell, seemingly ovee with disbelief. sh! As if he had no interest in hearing what came next, Chang-Sun cut off the instructor¡¯s head with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. ck and red fire rose up and swallowed the two bodies whole, leaving only ashes behind. The survival of the fittest¡ªthe principle that only the strongest would take all, including the privilege of voicing their opinions¡ªwas the main doctrine of Heoju, as well as the to which he belonged. Thus, Chang-Sun had once been recruited by that same , having been considered a perfect match for their ideals. Despite temporarily joining them, he had eventually fought a war against that due to a difference in opinion. As a result, he knew Heoju¡¯s doctrine better than anyone. Heoju merely thought Chang-Sun was trying to dig up the n¡¯s secrets in the name of ambition. If it meant getting stronger and reaching a higher level, Heoju¡¯s doctrine allowed everything short of betraying Heoju himself, as he believed his followers would be able to hone stronger, sturdier ws through their experiences. In the White Tiger n, the loser would always be considered the fool, while the winner would never be considered the viin. Chang-Sun had already seen proof of Heoju¡¯s beliefs in the Fierce Tiger Library. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ shows you a wily smile!] Chang-Sun smiled back at the air where Heoju would be, albeit for a different reason altogether. 1. These are a set of fictional ult grimoires from H. P. Lovecraft¡¯s short story ¡®The Outer Gods¡¯. Chapter 50: Star, The Jigwi (4)

Chapter 50: Star, The Jigwi (4)

¡°Sit in the lotus position,¡± Chang-Sun instructed, turning to Baek Gyeo-Ul. ¡°Do you mean you¡¯re now¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul began, his voice trembling. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to cure you right here,¡± Chang-Sun answered. ¡°¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul clenched his fists. Finally! Gyeo-Ul could finally escape from the curse that had tormented him for more than twenty years. ¡°The treatment will be over more quickly than you think, but there¡¯s more of the half-spirit curse remaining than I initially expected. That means it¡¯ll take a long time for you to calm the remnants, and you may even lose focus,¡± Chang-Sun warned him. Gyeo-Ul listened quietly to Chang-Sun, silently paying close attention so as to not miss a word. To Gyeo-Ul, Chang-Sun, who had repeatedly disyed many miracles, was practically a Guardian. ¡°Still, don¡¯t faint no matter what happens. This will be a very boring fight. Even if only an hour or two passes in the outside world, you¡¯ll feel as if dozens of hours or several months have passed. That¡¯s how hard and painful calming this frenzied energy will be,¡± Chang-Sun continued. Gyeo-Ul remained silent. ¡°Although you might feel as if the process will never end, it will eventually, so don¡¯t give up. The moment you think about giving up, the process of demonization will begin. You might already know this, but if that happens¡­¡± Chang-Sun trailed off. ¡°I¡¯ll be a monster or a ghost,¡± Gyeo-Ul finished. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Chang-Sun said with a nod. Half-spirits were technically half-monsters. Despite their human exterior, half-spirits were filled with strange energy. They were born with an innate talent that could only be called a supernatural ability, but they had to live with a curse of proportional strength to that talent. Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul were about to get rid of Gyeo-Ul¡¯s half-monster side, a process that could never be easy. If Gyeo-Ul gave into his half-monster side, his human side would disappear, and the half-monster side would run wild, which meant he would start undergoing Demonization Syndrome. Those who underwent that process were referred to with one name: ¡¯demonic beings¡¯. ¡°If I see even the slightest sign of you bing a monster, I¡¯ll eliminate you without any hesitation.,¡± Chang-Sun said, his eyes shining coldly. Even if Gyeo-Ul was his old colleague¡¯s son, Chang-Sun had no other choice, as he had no intention of letting a ¡®ruined¡¯ Xerxes loose on the world. Although Gyeo-Ul was unaware of it, the half-spirit curse that bound him was so powerful that it would be difficult to find another one on its level in the entire Saha World. If Chang-Sun let Gyeo-Ul run amok, he could be a true disaster. Compared to a Jigwi, which was a rank four disaster, Gyeo-Ul could even be ssified at a higher level, a ¡®Grand Disaster¡¯. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Gyeo-Ul answered confidently, showing no signs of hesitation despite Chang-Sun¡¯s fearsome warning. In fact, his eyes sparkled with determination, as if to say he would go through with the process no matter what. After all, he had spent his whole life experiencing such awful things that he often felt dying would be a better option. He could not give up, even if he had to suffer a little. Chang-Sun smiled faintly; it was as if he had seen traces of Xerxes in Gyeo-Ul. He reminisced, ¡®Well, you may have acted like a quiet, forgettable person, but you were really stubborn, enough to leave others astonished.¡¯ That was why Xerxes had always held his head high with a smile, even though he had been forced to endure the nightmare of wandering across hidden nes as a ¡®shadow¡¯, unwanted by anyone. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin,¡± Chang-Sun thought. He pulled up his right sleeve, and the crest of the [Yuchang Sword] on the back of his hand shone with red light. * * * [The ¡®Single Eon Fire¡¯ covers your entire body!] [The half-spirit curse is burning up.] Whoosh! As the treatment began, the Eon Fireing from Chang-Sun¡¯s fingertips instantly engulfed Gyeo-Ul. The fire reached deep within Gyeo-Ul, burning the half-spirit curse that saturated every part of his body again and again. During the process, Gyeo-Ul was overwhelmed with alternating waves of horrible pain and pleasant relief. As the half-spirit curse melted, it left behind a considerable amount of ghost energy that was absorbed into Gyeo-Ul¡¯s mana, significantly increasing his Magic at a rapid pace. While controlling the process, Gyeo-Ul never forgot Chang-Sun¡¯s words. ¡®Don¡¯t faint.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t give up.¡¯ Gyeo-Ul would seize the opportunity Chang-Sun had created for him, and¡­ ¡°Where¡­ am I?¡± he murmured, suddenly realizing that his surroundings hadpletely changed. Just then, Gyeo-Ul had been meditating to cure his half-spirit curse, but now, he found himself in the midst of a snowfield, surrounded by nothing but white. The raging snowstorm swirling around him obscured his vision; he could only see a meter ahead of him, making it difficult to find a way forward. He could not see the sky, and all he could hear was the wind. No matter how much he focused his senses, the only sound that filled this world was that of the cold, howling wind. The possibility of having suddenly been kidnapped crossed his mind. ¡®No,¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought, shaking his head. He soon realized he was familiar with this world. ¡®This is my subconscious world.¡¯ The trauma that settled deep in his heart had created this world. Although he had always wanted to avoid recalling it, Gyeo-Ul¡¯s memories of ¡®that time¡¯ were impossible to forget. His earliest memory was of standing alone in the cruel, icy winter. At the time, he had not had any parents or friends by his side. However, he was unsure whether he had never had them to begin with, or if he had lost them in the past he could not remember. If he had been an ordinary child, he would have frozen to death in that extremely cold winter, but Gyeo-Ul had survived. He had been unable to eat or drink anything, so he should have starved to death, but Gyeo-Ul had survived. He had marched through the snowfield no matter what, and eventually escaped it. A rumor about a child who had been lost in a blizzard quickly spread among several remote mountain viges. Someone had taken him in and named him ¡®Gyeo-Ul¡¯ because he was found in winter. He had also received his surname Baek from the white snow covering his hair. Some would say¡ªno, they had actually said that Gyeo-Ul was only alive right now because he had been rescued from a dangerous environment. However, Gyeo-Ul had always protested angrily when he heard that. After all, Gyeo-Ul¡¯s so-called parents had raised Gyeo-Ul only out of a temporary sense of pity. The person he once thought of as his father had left him at an orphanage one day, saying Gyeo-Ul disgusted him. The person he once thought of as his mother had abused him whenever she felt like it. As people had always avoided him, Gyeo-Ul had been unable to finish school. To fill his hungry belly, he had needed to dig through trash. He had needed to use a wet box as a nket because he had nowhere else to sleep. However, he had once been kicked by another homeless person while trying to sleep outside; another time, he had been beaten up by a group of homeless people due to his hideous appearance. Was that existence truly good enough to be considered ¡®living¡¯? What hope for the future could he have? However, he could only continue to exist without a reason to live, because he had never been able to convince himself to end it. Thus, he had asked himself multiple times. If he had just copsed in the midst of the snowfield, the first ce he remembered and where he had had been found¡­ If he had allowed himself to disappear beneath the snow, instead of silently trudging forward¡­ Would he have been able to avoid having those terrible memories? Gyeo-Ul walked. Step. He could hear his footfallsnding on the snow. Step. The only marks visible across the empty snowfield were Gyeo-Ul¡¯s deep footprints. They left a long line stretching into the distance, as if there were no one but him in this world. Step. Each time he took a step forward, a cold wind blew, sending a fineyer of snow flying through the air. ¡­ The world suddenly fell silent, because Gyeo-Ul stopped walking. His vacant-looking eyes regained their focus as he fixed his gaze on something in the distance. A vague human shadow that was shaped exactly like Gyeo-Ul stood amid the wind and snow. ¡ºThere you are.¡» The shadow spoke in Gyeo-Ul¡¯s voice. Strangely, it did not speak out loud; rather, its voice rang clearly in Gyeo-Ul¡¯s mind. ¡ºI found you.¡» The shadow seemed to be looking for Gyeo-Ul. As if to silently ask what it wanted, he simply stared back at the shadow. The shadow quickly seemed to realize what Gyeo-Ul was trying to say, and made an offer. ¡ºThe wind is cold, soe with me. We should leave before this blizzard bes more severe.¡» Gyeo-Ul wanted to ask why he should follow a stranger, but he could not do so for some reason. He just had a vague feeling that if he simply followed the shadow, he would no longer have to suffer, be cold, or feel lonely and sad; thus, he felt the shadow was worth listening to. It would be better to be with someone else than to remain alone. ¡®I don¡¯t want to be alone anymore,¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought, biting his lip. Step¡­ Gyeo-Ul slowly walked forward again, approaching the shadow. The shadow reached out a hand and nodded as if to say Gyeo-Ul had done a good job. ¡ºYes, grab my hand.¡» Gyeo-Ul began to follow the shadow¡¯s instruction, as if he had fallen under a spell. If he simply grabbed that ck hand, everything woulde to an end and disappear like a mirage. He himself would also disappear, so he would have nothing to worry about. However¡­ ¡®Don¡¯t faint.¡¯ Gyeo-Ul heard someone¡¯s voice. Although he had been sure that the only sounds he could hear were his footsteps and the loud snowstorm, those words had been engraved on his heart like a magic spell, and¡­ they convinced him to open his eyes. ¡®Don¡¯t give up.¡¯ The voice made Gyeo-Ule to his senses. His blurry view cleared as his eyes regained their focus. The shadow who had been watching him tilted its head and asked a question. ¡ºWhat¡¯s wrong?¡» Looking back and forth between the shadow¡¯s ck hand and his own, Gyeo-Ul clenched his teeth. Step! As Gyeo-Ul turned back, his once weak footsteps were filled with vigor for the first time. He thought as he ran, ¡®I don¡¯t belong here.¡¯ * * * ¡®He¡¯s passed the crisis,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He heaved a sigh of relief as he watched the Eon Fire that had been burning furiously slowly subside. Just then, he had seen Gyeo-Ul teetering on the brink of demonization as his half-spirit curse acted up. Chang-Sun had needed to stop himself from grabbing [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] from his waist. If Gyeo-Ul had been demonized and be a demonic being¡­ Chang-Sun was unsure whether he could win a fight against Gyeo-Ul with his current ability even if he used [Jigwi¡¯s Phantom Body] to the fullest extent. That was how tenacious and powerful Gyeo-Ul¡¯s half-spirit curse was. ¡®Well, it¡¯spletely natural for him to be like this, seeing as his father is Xerxes,¡¯?Chang-Sun said with a nod. Although Xerxes had almost no followers and was practically unknown in Heaven, his Divine ss was too high to be ignored. In fact, if only his Divine ss and Rank were considered, he would practically be unmatched. Wherever there was light, there was also shadow, and that shadow was Xerxes. Even if nobody paid attention to or revered their shadow, everybody had one nheless. As he had been born with the power of such a being, Gyeo-Ul¡¯s half-spirit curse could never have been weak. Even after Chang-Sun finished curing Gyeo-Ul, he would likely need a considerable amount of time to properly integrate all its energy. ¡®Of course, he¡¯ll also gain such strong Divinity that he can aim for Exuviation and Transcendence,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. At the very least, he felt that he had no need to worry any further, as Gyeo-Ul was stable enough for him to rx. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ smiles faintly as she notices your righteousness.] Paying little heed to the message from Minerva, whose opinion of him was still excessively high, Chang-Sun organized his thoughts. ¡®Then, shall I continue my search while Gyeo-Ul catches his breath?¡¯?he decided, his eyes shining coldly. He stood up and carved several Concealment Runes nearby. [A Concealment Rune has been applied!] ¡­ [The Skill ¡®Lesser Rune Engraving¡¯ has reached its maximum level. A higher-level skill has been created.] [The Skill ¡®Intermediate Rune Engraving¡¯ has been created!] ¡­ [The current area will be concealed from surveince!] Pzzzz¨D! Space distorted, and a fog spread through the air, obscuring Gyeo-Ul¡¯s figure. Eventually, even his presence seemed to disappear. Additionally, as the Jigwi had wreaked havoc in the area, no other monsters woulde near. In any event, Gyeo-Ul would need a lot of time to take care of his half-spirit curse. Thus, Chang-Sun nned to visit the research facility within the Dungeon that produced the [Dream Spheres]. He had already gotten its exact location from his interrogation. ¡®If I¡¯m lucky, I might be able to obtain that strange scroll that can borrow the power of a ,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, his eyes shining coldly. ¡®But before I do that¡­¡¯?he thought, looking in a certain direction while gripping [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. ¡®I should get rid of that unnecessary tail.¡¯ [The Skill ¡®Beast Senses¡¯ has been activated!] Whoosh! Using Heoju¡¯s bonus reward, Chang-Sun¡¯s senses expanded to a wider area. Within that area, he detected the faint and furtive movements of someone who was escaping quickly. [You have located someone who is fleeing while using a Concealment Skill.] Song Yoo-Jun, Executive Director Oh¡¯s shadow whom Chang-Sun had failed to find until just then, was hurriedly trying to leave the mountain range. 1. ¡¯Baek¡¯ (°×) means ¡®white¡¯. Chapter 51: Star, The Dream (1)

Chapter 51: Star, The Dream (1)

Paaah¨D! ¡®I have to alert Executive Director Oh about this¡­!¡¯?Song Yoo-Jun thought as he ran frantically down the steep mountain. The only thing on his mind was that he needed to escape the Dungeon by any means necessary and report all the incidents he had witnessed to Executive Director Oh. Chang-Sun had hunted two Jigwis and killed three demonic yers from the Highoff n, as well as the White Tiger n instructors, which suggested he had an ulterior motive. Of course, the instructors had attempted to kill Chang-Sun first, so he could im self-defense. However, if that were the case, he should have at least seemed surprised. Instead, he had exploited the instructors¡¯ ambush as if he had been anticipating it all along, uncovered the secret that tied the White Tiger n and the Highoff n together, and even learned of the research facility¡¯s existence. Yoo-Jun was certain that Chang-Sun had some secret designs in mind. Although Chang-Sun had pretended he would be Executive Director Oh¡¯s loyal dog, he clearly had a totally different n in mind. Whether or not it was motivated by ambition, Chang-Sun¡¯s n would definitely involve stabbing Executive Director Oh in the back. Thus, Yoo-Jun had to get rid of him for Executive Director Oh¡¯s sake. That was the conclusion Yoo-Jun eventually reached. People in the present day usually thought rationally, so the phrase ¡®deathsworn soldier¡¯ was just an archaic term seen only in old history books. However, that did not apply to Yoo-Jun, as Executive Director Oh had given him a name and a family. Some could point fingers and call Executive Director Oh a viin, but not Yoo-Jun. Executive Director Oh would be his master until the day he died. Even though his loyalty was the result of brainwashing and hypnosis using the [Dream Sphere], he nheless had an obligation to alert Executive Director Oh as his master¡¯s shadow. Luckily, it seemed Chang-Sun did not have sharp enough senses to see through Yoo-Jun¡¯s concealment skill. Seeing as Chang-Sun was busy treating a guy called Baek Gyeo-Ul or something, he had to get out now¡­! Slip¡ª! Yoo-Jun¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when he felt a sudden pain in his knee. He fell forward, bleeding profusely as he yelled in pain, ¡°Arrgh!¡± [The Concealment Skill has been deactivated!] Space distorted and Yoo-Jun, who had sustained a deep injury in one leg, reappeared. Because he had been running quickly, he slid a great distance across the ground. His clothes quickly became ragged, and the blood from his wounds trailed across the ground. A ¡®shadow¡¯ fell onto Yoo-Jun¡¯s head. Like a kite suddenly swooping down to snatch away its prey, Chang-Sun dove straight down, spreading his fiery wings. Boom! ¡°Urgh!¡± Yoo-Jun groaned. Yoo-Jun instinctively reached for his waist, but Chang-Sun was faster, driving [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] into the right side of his chest. The de entered so deeply that its tip pierced through the other side of Yoo-Jun¡¯s torso and dug into the ground. Revealing a pair of gleaming canines, Chang-Sun smiled coldly as he looked at Yoo-Jun, who squirmed like a bug at his feet. ¡°d to see you again,¡± Chang-Sun said nonchntly. ¡°What¡­? What are you going to do with me¡­?!¡± Yoo-Jun asked, forcing himself to shoot Chang-Sun a re despite his trembling. Although he wanted to escape from Chang-Sun at all costs, it seemed that he had been poisoned. Considering the fact that he was at a higher level than Chang-Sun, it should have been impossible for him to be subdued so easily, but that was how things were. Unless Chang-Sun¡¯s opponent was a high ranker, a gap in levels would mean almost nothing to him, seeing as he had gotten stronger after eating two Jigwis and bing one himself. Thus, Yoo-Jun could not understand why Chang-Sun had not killed him, even though Chang-Sun could have easily severed his head if he wanted to. ¡°I was going to kill you right away, but I changed my mind because I don¡¯t want Executive Director Oh to suspect me,¡± Chang-Sun said as if he had read Yoo-Jun¡¯s mind. ¡°What¡­?!¡± Yoo-Jun yelled in shock. ¡°Why would I use another method when I have the best method?¡± Chang-Sun remarked as he pulled out something from his inventory, making Yoo-Jun¡¯s eyes widen. When Chang-Sun held up the opaque marble, the [Dream Sphere], Yoo-Jun realized what he was nning to do. [Dream Spheres] were made from the Seocheon Flower Garden¡¯s wildflowers, which made them good for erasing personality traits within the Saha World. Chang-Sun was nning to ce Yoo-Jun under new brainwashing. ¡°No¡ªno¡­! Urgh!¡± Yoo-Jun resisted, afraid of losing his ego if he ate the sphere. However, it was toote. Chang-Sun had already grabbed Yoo-Jun¡¯s jaw with his left hand, forcing the [Dream Sphere] into his mouth. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t need to make you swallow it,¡± Chang-Sun remarked. As soon as the [Dream Sphere] entered Yoo-Jun¡¯s mouth, it melted and flowed down his throat. He convulsed violently as if he were suffering from a seizure, but he eventually stopped. His eyes had lost focus, which meant his sense of self had been ¡®paused¡¯. [The yer ¡®Yoo-Jun¡¯ has swallowed a Dream Sphere!] [The yer¡¯s reasoning has been frozen.] [The yer¡¯s ego has been paused.] [The yer ¡®Yoo-Jun¡¯ has entered the ¡®Hypnotized¡¯ state.] Executive Director Oh called such a person a ¡®Soulless Shell,¡¯ a person who had lost their soul; there seemed to be no better term to describe such a person. ¡°Stand up,¡± Chang-Sun ordered curtly as he stepped away from Yoo-Jun, in order to see whether the sphere worked ording to Bae Woo-Gyeong¡¯s exnation. Yoo-Jun stood up, following Chang-Sun¡¯s order like a machine. Despite the fact that he was bleeding profusely from his chest, it seemed as if he felt no pain. Even Chang-Sun¡¯s Paralysis Toxin seemed to have no effect. After the first order, Chang-Sun gave Yoo-Jun several instructions such as ¡®Sit¡¯, ¡®Roll¡¯, and ¡®Bark¡¯, and Yoo-Jun carried out each one without any hesitation. Chang-Sun did not get the impression that Yoo-Jun was pretending. However, what was the limit when it came to giving him orders? There was a chance that Yoo-Jun¡¯s subconscious was still intact. ¡°Kill yourself,¡± Chang-Sun ordered. Yoo-Jun immediately drew his sword from his waist and swung it toward his own neck. sh! Chang-Sun quickly stopped Yoo-Jun¡¯s sword using [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and said, ¡°Stop.¡± Before receiving themand, Yoo-Jun had been about to shift to a reverse grip even as he staggered from Chang-Sun¡¯s blow, but he stopped as soon as he heard the instruction. Chang-Sun gaped slightly as he watched Yoo-Jun, remarking, ¡°The White Tiger n certainly made something ridiculous.¡± It seemed Bae Woo-Gyeong¡¯s exnation about how the scroll had been used to borrow the power of the had not been nonsensical or exaggerated. Chang-Sun felt that he had to be very wary of the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]. ¡®If the weakest among the three scrolls contains this kind of ability, what kinds of abilities do the other scrolls have?¡¯ Chang-Sun wondered, suddenly understanding why the White Tiger n had been so eager to find [Peter¡¯s Key]. Before Yoo-Jun could bleed out too much, Chang-Sun swiftly stopped the bleeding and calmly gave Yoo-Jun several instructions. * * * ¡°You understand everything, right?¡± Chang-Sun asked. Yoo-Jun nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Chang-Sun had given Yoo-Jun very simple orders. ¨DWhen you report about me, say there is no problem. Act as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. In short, Yoo-Jun¡¯s ego could ¡®resume¡¯ again, but from now on, he had to be absolutely loyal to Chang-Sun, not Executive Director Oh. However, adjusting the brainwashing and hypnosis Executive Director Oh had ced on Yoo-Jun was not easy, as the imprint was especially strong; thus, Chang-Sun had needed to put in a lot of effort to change it. Still, he had some experience doing so from his time as a fiend. Thus, after several attempts, he was able to make Yoo-Jun his puppet in the end. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says you are such a snake, chuckling at your sly n.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ watches your ambition with interest.] p! As Chang-Sun pped lightly, Yoo-Jun¡¯s hazy eyes regained focus, and he immediately got down on one knee. ¡°You can go,¡± Chang-Sun said, waving his hand. ¡°Thank you,¡± Yoo-Jun replied before using his concealment skill again. Swoosh¨D It was amazing to see how Yoo-Jun seemingly disappeared into empty air, even though he was right in front of Chang-Sun. ¡®This will be more useful than I thought,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. Hemanded, ¡°Wait.¡± Instantly deactivating his concealment skill, Yoo-Jun kneeled again, asking, ¡°Do you have any more instructions?¡± ¡°Can I also learn your movement skill?¡± Chang-Sun asked. His original n had been to acquire Sagittarius¡¯ movement skill, [Avatar¡¯s Descent], in the Fierce Tiger Library. However, as he did not know when he would be able to visit the library again, he had to find a temporary substitute. To seize opportunities inbat, it was necessary to move quickly. Chang-Sun had be substantially faster after acquiring [Jigwi¡¯s Phantom Body], which meant he could not be content with his regr inefficient movements. Luckily, most of the White Tiger n¡¯s skills came from the Three Basic Skills. Chang-Sun had already learned [Tiger Prowl], so it seemed he could mimic Yoo-Jun¡¯s movement skill to some level. The skill was very useful; it enabled Yoo-Jun to move as quickly as if he had used a lightness skill. He had often used it to hide and shadow, which was perfect for Chang-Sun since he had to sneak into the research facility. ¡®It¡¯lle in handy for Gyeo-Ul too,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. No, more than that, it would be a perfect match for Gyeo-Ul because it was simr to his [Shadow Steps], just as Chang-Sun expected¡­ ¡°It¡¯s called [Windstalking Tiger]. As it was derived from [Tiger Prowl], you¡¯ll nod oubt be able to use it. You can use this wind-type skill as a lightness skill, a concealment skill, and a stealth skill,¡± Yoo-Jun exined. Seeing as his expectations had turned out to be correct. Chang-Sun nodded and said, ¡°Good, then teach me.¡± ¡°But it¡¯ll take a considerable amount of time for you to learn because there¡¯s no skill book¡­¡± Yoo-Jun trailed off. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it on my own,¡± Chang-Sun said, gesturing at Yoo-Jun to begin. Although he was unsure what Chang-Sun was nning, Yoo-Jun showed him the basic movements of [Windstalking Tiger] on the spot without asking any further questions. Just as he described, Yoo-Jun moved very naturally as if he were riding on the wind, even though he still gave off the heavy pressure of [Tiger Prowl]. ¡°Again,¡± Chang-Sunmanded, making Yoo-Jun repeat his movements multiple times. Chang-Sun simply watched Yoo-Jun without attempting to mimic him. However, after Yoo-Jun went through the motions about four times. Whoosh¨D! Chang-Sun suddenly adjusted his posture and took half a step forward with his right foot. Wind began to gather with him at its center. Yoo-Jun could tell Chang-Sun was not using [Tiger Kill], because unlike [Tiger Kill], which released refined energy outward, the nearby energy was being pulled toward Chang-Sun in the center. When he realized what was happening, Yoo-Jun¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°H-How on earth¡­?¡± Yoo-Jun eximed, gaping in disbelief. Paah! When Chang-Sun put his left foot forward, his body dissolved into gusts of wind. Ding! [You haveprehended a new concept based on your understanding of ¡®Tiger Prowl¡¯!] [The Skill ¡®Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been created.] [Windstalking Tiger] The basic movement skill of ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯, derived from ¡®Tiger Prowl.¡¯ Like a flying tiger that moves on the wind, you can travel bravely and swiftly. ¡°The wind follows the flying tiger.¡± ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Active. ¡¤ Effect: Lightness Skill. Skill Synchronicity. Yoo-Jun doubted his eyes. How long had he struggled to learn the Skill in order to be Executive Director Oh¡¯s shadow? It had taken him at least several years. However, Chang-Sun was already using it perfectly even though he had only seen Yoo-Jun using it three or four times. Ever since seeing him in the Fierce Tiger Library, Yoo-Jun had felt that Chang-Sun truly seemed like a person from another world. Whish! ¡°So it¡¯s like this,¡± Chang-Sun muttered to himself. The wind coalesced again, reforming into Chang-Sun, whoughed in satisfaction. Just as he expected, [Windstalking Tiger] would be useful until he acquired [Avatar¡¯s Descent]. ¡°I really respect you,¡± Yoo-Jun said with sparkling eyes. ¡°You¡¯re saying that again¡­ Forget it, just go,¡± Chang-Sunmanded. ¡°¡­Yes, sir!¡± Yoo-Jun replied as he disappeared into the air again, looking at Chang-Sun with an inexplicable look of admiration. Even after Yoo-Jun left, Chang-Sun practiced [Windstalking Tiger] several times. [You have learned a Lightness Skill.] ¡­ [Skill Level increased!] [Skill Level increased!] ¡­ [You have learned a Concealment Skill.] [You have learned a Stealth Skill.] ¡­ When he familiarized himself somewhat with the skill¡­ Paah! ¡­Chang-Sun gathered as much as he could and released it all at once,unching himself explosively in the direction the two Jigwis hade from. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ughs, seemingly dumbfounded.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ rummages through her stuff, to see if there is anything that can help you, one who disys excellent movements as a hunter.] 1. The original text used ¡®jujong¡¯ (??), which literally refers to a master-servant rtionship; the ¡®archaic¡¯ connotations mostly appear in fiction. Considering Yoo-Jun¡¯s brainwashed, absolute loyalty, the concept of deathsworn from xianxia is the closest term tomunicate the cultural nuances. Chapter 52: Star, The Dream (2)

Chapter 52: Star, The Dream (2)

¡°What did Executive Director Oh say?¡± Yang Sang-Won asked. ¡°He said to wait because everything will be resolved soon¡­¡± his subordinate timidly reported. ¡°Shit!¡± Sang-Won cursed, pounding his desk with his fists. Thud! He noticed that the sound had made his subordinate flinch, but he could not afford to care. He had bigger fish to fry. The Secret Tiger Lab had practically been the core pir and foundation of the White Tiger n for the past ten years. Ever since the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] were discovered, the Secret Tiger Lab had invested a lot of time and manpower into deciphering and making use of the Divine Script on the three scrolls, following Executive Director Oh¡¯s lead. From the [Dream Spheres] that created ¡®Ghost Soldiers¡¯ to the [Starlight Coordinates] that had yed a crucial role in transforming the Three Basic Skills into the Three Derived Skills, theb had seeded in achieving remarkable results; they had even created several divine weapons, relics, and Authorities¡­ Sang-Won had always been proud of his achievements, never doubting that he would make significant contributions toward making the White Tiger n stronger than most of therge ns in the world. Thus, he had thought that secretly making some personal profit would be no problem. Why would it be a problem when he had already sacrificed so much for the n? Besides, he had always been confident that he wouldn¡¯t get caught. The Secret Tiger Lab was ssified as top-secret, which meant a very small number of people in the n even knew of its existence. Because only a few people monitored the facility, it had been very easy to hide his minor personal gains, and he had had no reason to worry with Executive Director Oh backing him. In fact, Executive Director Oh was the one who had ordered Sang-Won to siphon off money in the first ce. However, unexpectedly, that siphoned-off money had be a noose around Sang-Won¡¯s neck. The scandal surrounding the Highoff n, which had been working as theb¡¯s subcontractor, had been exposed, cing the world in an uproar. Thus, theb staff had needed to quickly incinerate all the materials that could link them to the Highoff n, and had even been forced to stop the [Dream Sphere] manufacturing lines. The White Tiger n members had quickly moved to silence the Highoff n members, but during that process, the fact that Sang-Won colluded with the Highoff n behind the White Tiger n¡¯s back had been exposed. The White Tiger n¡¯s ¡®cleanup crew¡¯ had also discovered traces of another project that had not been reported to the White Tiger n¡¯s executivemittees. Theb staff had naturally begun whispering among themselves about how the White Tiger n inspectors would soon search the facility. Sang-Won¡¯s friend in the Inspection Department had actually tipped him off, so he was fairly sure the inspectors would barge into theb today. The problem was that the inspector who arrived could turn out to be Director Gwon himself, the Inspection Department Leader who was known as the ¡®Grim Reaper.¡¯ Director Gwon was officially the White Tiger n¡¯s third-inmand, and the only person who could challenge Executive Director Oh. It was no secret among the White Tiger n members that Director Gwon was hell-bent on finding Executive Director Oh¡¯s weaknesses. In such a situation, Sang-Won had be Director Gwon¡¯s first target, which left him scared to death. Before anything else, he had incinerated any materials that could raise suspicion. However, it was the Investigation Department members, who were known to even dust a target¡¯s underwear, who were on the move. Thus, it would not be strange if they found something in a ce Sang-Won had not expected. Perhaps he would even be framed, or be abandoned by Executive Director Oh just like the Highoff n. In fact, he had sent Executive Director Oh distress calls several times, but the only answer he had gotten was ¡®wait¡¯. ¡®I¡¯ve paid him so much this whole time!¡¯?Sang-Won thought bitterly, gritting his teeth. Thus, Sang-Won had been desperately searching for a way to survive, even as he felt betrayed. He had even considered fleeing to some other organization with all theb¡¯s confidential documents. If anyone were to see the ¡®Gildal Project¡¯ that had been initiated and supervised by Executive Director Oh¡­ they would be interested. Of course, the Council would be a dangerous ce for a demonic being like him, so he had to go somewhere else. As the organization he would join had to be as big as the White Tiger n, he thought the Sword of Ohsung n would be his best choice. Despite the fact that the Ohsung Group¡¯s official advocacy was social justice, it was still a chaebol, giving Sang-Won a sense of baseless confidence that the Sword of Ohsung n would take him in. ¡®I¡¯ve obtained a fine vessel too,¡¯?Sang-Won thought, remembering the test specimen he had acquired after hearing his subordinates¡¯ report a couple of days prior. The current batch of trainees was strangely very talented, and many had exceptional abilities. If the Highoff n scandal had not been revealed, Sang-Won would have gone to great lengths to capture all of them; however, he only had enough time to capture one. ¡®His name was¡­ Baek Gyeo-Ul, wasn¡¯t it? I was most curious about Lee Chang-Sun and Baek Gyeo-Ul¡­ I can¡¯t tell where on earth they disappeared to, though. It would be for the best if I could monitor him and take him along.¡¯? Sang-Won was a little disappointed, but the test subject was still extremely talented¡ªno, he was actually better than most test subjects Sang-Won had captured through the training sessions. It was just that he could not help butpare the specimen to Lee Chang-Sun due to Chang-Sun¡¯s sheer fame. ¡°Phew¡­!¡± Sang-Won finally heaved a sigh of relief after making a rough sketch of his n, telling himself to calm down now that things had already turned out this way. He nned to wait for only one hour. If Executive Director Oh did not provide him with any solutions within the hour, he would leave theb immediately. ¡°Why haven''t the guys I sent out to retrieve the [Dream Sphere] returned?¡± Sang-Won asked suddenly. Seemingly having gathered his wits after deciding on a n, he frowned, realizing that the two subordinates he had sent out to kill the Jigwi this morning were nowhere to be found. ¡°I-I¡¯ll order someone to quickly investigate the matter,¡± his subordinate stuttered. . ¡°Move quickly before the Inspection Department members find out about this! If they do, we¡¯ll be in more trouble!¡± Sang-Won yelled. ¡°Y-Yes, sir!¡± his subordinate replied, hurriedly exiting theb director''s room. Although Sang-Won had made his subordinate a Ghost Soldier using a [Dream Sphere], the man was somehow a worse worker than other Ghost Soldiers. Grit! Sang-Won subconsciously chewed on his fingernails after gritting his teeth, an indication of how nervous he was despite the fact that he had reassured himself many times over. * * * [The Skill ¡®Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been activated!] Chang-Sun ran quickly toward the research facility, leaving only traces of dust and wind in his wake instead of footsteps. Although it had not been long since he acquired the skill, he was already using [Windstalking Tiger] with great proficiency. However, he was not heading directly to theb called¡­ Silver Tiger or Gold Tiger or something. Instead, he was heading to the Jigwis¡¯ nest, which was on the way to the research facility. ¡®A Jigwi couple onlyys one egg every hundred years,¡¯?Chang-Sun recalled. ? He had no clue whether the two Jigwi¡¯s offspring had already hatched or not. In the former case, he would simply take the hatchling¡¯s fire and Jeweleye, just as he had done to its parents. Although he was a little saddened by the thought of killing a baby bird, letting such a bird loose would certainly cause substantial damage. However, in thetter case¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll take the offspring.¡¯ Jigwis looked like birds, but were clusters of spirits; that meant they were spectral beings without fixed shapes. They had simply chosen to look like birds for no reason other than following the habits of their ancient ancestors, which meant they could change into other forms depending on the environment they grew up in. It was even possible to train them to have a good nature, and the owner could bestow them a certain level of intelligence. ¡®I really want to?have the offspring, because there¡¯s a possibility that it can be a mythical creature¡ªno, a divine creature,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, smiling faintly. As the offspring had the fire attribute, it would be best if it grew up to be a fire-type divine creature. Perhaps it could be a phoenix that could rise from the ashes multiple times, or a phantom dragon that fed on illusions. It could even be a Bulgasari, considering its death attribute. However, it did not matter what the offspring grew into; Chang-Sun was confident that he could get any result he wanted after hatching the egg. Besides, he had also be a Jigwi, so raising a Jigwi would not be a problem. ¡®I¡¯ll have to decide after checking on the egg¡¯s condition,¡¯?Chang-Sun concluded. Depending on how close it was to hatching, the potential options Chang-Sun had to choose from for the offspring would vary greatly. [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ is interested.] [The Celestial ''Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ wishes for a righteous divine creature that resembles you to hatch from the egg.] The two deities reacted with interest, realizing what Chang-Sun had nned just from seeing where he was heading. As usual, Minerva misunderstood Chang-Sun very nicely (?), but Mephistopheles unexpectedly revealed a different reaction. Even after Chang-Sun had rejected him in the ¡®Choose a Guardian¡¯ Scenario Quest, Mephistopheles had just continued to watch without saying anything. Although Chang-Sun was unsure why Mephistopheles was acting that way, he had moved on without paying much attention to it, as no one could tell what Mephistopheles was truly thinking. [The Jigwis¡¯ nest has been found!] It was not difficult to locate the nest¡¯s exact location; Chang-Sun simply had to follow his ¡®gut feeling¡¯. The area near the nest was covered with scorch marks, as well as piles of half-eaten monster corpses. His nostrils filled with the stench of rotting corpses, Chang-Sun drove the Nameless Spear into the ground just as Baek Gyeo-Ul had done. Boom! The ground was overturned several times, revealing an egg buried beneath it. Like the Jigwis, the egg was quiterge, the size of a human torso. ¡®I found it.¡¯ [Jigwi Egg] The eggid by a Jigwi couple. It looks as if it will take a while to hatch. ¡¤ Type: Egg. Ingredient. ¡¤ Effect: Hatch Demonic Creature. Bestow Attributes*. (*If it is used as an ingredient.) After examining the Jigwi egg from multiple angles, Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone. The pattern on the egg¡¯s shell was vivid, and the shell itself was also firm. On top of that, when he examined it with [Viper Eyes], the entire egg shone with a bright blue light, which meant the Jigwi couple had taken very good care of it. ¡®Its power bnce, growth status, and health¡­ The egg is in perfect condition. It¡¯ll be best to raise the egg into a divine bird.¡¯ There was a divine bird called the Yukdeokwi. It resembled an eagle, and flew as swiftly as a hawk. However, it was sorge that a person could ride on it, and powerful enough that it could hunt the king of the mountain, the tiger. The Yukdeokwi ate evil creatures and stopped misfortune. As it fed on the energy of death, it only did good things for humans, saving any beings who ought to live and devouring all those who ought not to. Thus, Yukdeokwis were normally found on battlefields, as they brought victory to the righteous and defeat to the wicked. They were also known for blessing warriors and cheering for heroes, acting as guides to the Underworld whenever those warriors and heroes died. In many ways, a Yukdeokwi was a perfect divine bird for Chang-Sun, who moved constantly from battle to battle collecting lives. Whenever a Yukdeokwi encountered a tiger, it would swoop down on the tiger¡¯s head to enjoy a delicacy, the tiger¡¯s eyes. That made Chang-Sun like the bird even more, as he was trying to hunt a tiger named Heoju. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is curious as to what kind of creature you will hatch the egg into.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ advises that it would be better if the egg hatched into a rare wild animal-type creature, especially a tiger-type, instead of a nasty winged animal-type.] Although Chang-Sun inwardly mocked Heoju, he outwardly bowed in Heoju¡¯s direction as if he were grateful for a blessing. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ objects to ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯s opinion!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ advises that a hawk or a hound-type creature is the best match for a natural-born hunter such as you.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ advises that a Boramae or a Yinshan Tiangou would be a good match for you.] ¡®Surprisingly, she decided to speak up,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. A Boramae was a bird of prey-type mythical creature that was known to urately read its master¡¯s mind, and a Yinshan Tiangou was a dog-type monster that stopped unfortunate events from happening with its calming howl. It was said that a little knowledge could be a dangerous thing, but sometimes a person would say the right thing even with such little knowledge. That was what Pabilsag was doing at the moment. Of course, however, Heoju would never think of such a thing. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ snorts, saying that such creatures are mere snacks for him.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ res at ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ for making fun of her friends.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ bares his fangs and stares at her, asking what she will do about it.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ searches her belongings to find arrows.] [The two Celestials'' rtionship is worsening very quickly!] The other Celestials who watched Chang-Sun usually did not care what Pabilsag babbled about, but Heoju was different. Due to his greedy and violent nature, he never left anyone who challenged him alone. Even though he was going against the ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ Tiamat¡¯s daughter, he seemed not to care. ¡®Birds of a feather flock together,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought without paying much attention to the deities¡¯ fight. In any event, he had no reason to waste time, as he had obtained such a good egg. Swish¨D! Chang-Sun hurried onward to the Secret Tiger Lab. 1. Gildal (??) is a Dokkaebi (supernatural creatures often likened to Korean ¡®goblins¡¯) that appears in the text Samguk Yusa (????), but depending on the source, he is also asionally described as a ghost or monster. 2. Chang-Sun is talking about the Secret Tiger Lab. This is Korean wordy. ¡®?¡¯ has various meanings, such as ¡®?¡¯??? (secret), ? (silver), etc. 3. Also called Bulgasal, this is an unkible monster from Korean mythology that can provide protection against disasters and fire. 4. This is actually a Korean term for a baby hawk, but the novel uses it to refer to a mythical creature. Chapter 53: Star, The Dream (3)

Chapter 53: Star, The Dream (3)

¡®Have I arrived?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. After running for some time, he realized that the air around him hadpletely changed at some point. [¡®Beast Senses¡¯ is reacting strongly!] Due to the influence of the Jigwi¡¯s territory, the air had been hot and dry; now, however, he was met with a damp and gloomy sensation, akin to what he had felt when he first walked through the Underworld. ¡®No, the air is simr, but it¡¯s different,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, shaking his head. Although the Underworld¡¯s air had a hint of gloominess, he had not found it unpleasant. In fact, the air in the Underworld had beenforting, as if it were meant to reassure the dead who felt lost. However, the air in this ce waspletely different; he sensed danger and tension, along with something foul. Negative emotions, such as grudges, betrayal, resentment, and regret, formed aplex cocktail in the air. If the Hohwan Mama Chang-Sun had sensed from the [Dream Sphere] were to be described in terms of emotions, it would feel precisely like that. It indicated that many people had died nearby. Most people would shudder and tense up as soon as they entered, but not Chang-Sun; he beamed, thinking, ¡®Good for me.¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is having fun, saying you take after him.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ says ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is being ridiculous and ims you are brave like her.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ advises ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ to go home and sleep if she is nning to continue speaking nonsense.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ smirks, retorting that it would be better for him to shut up because his breath stinks when he speaks.] [Sparks are flying between the two Celestials!] While Heoju and Pabilsag¡¯s rtionship continued to sour, and they bickered with each other¡­ ¡®I¡¯ve arrived,¡¯?Chang-Sun realized after heading deeper into the gloomy mountain. His eyes shone when he saw arge researchplex sprawling across the vast hignd. The facility was heavily guarded, patrolled constantly by intimidating-looking yers. Surveince artifacts and emergency traps were installed in various spots. It was clear that the facility was top-secret. [Your Concealment Skill has been activated!] [All the sounds you make disappear into the wind.] Quickly altering the properties of [Windstalking Tiger], Chang-Sun began his attempt to sneak into the facility. ¡®I¡¯d better figure out the facility¡¯s structure before I begin to attack.¡¯ Aftering up with a n, he crossed over the wall with a single leap, seizing the opportunity when the front gate guards were distracted by conversation. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Well, I felt as if someone passed by just now.¡± ¡°Who would pass by here?¡± ¡°I might be mistaken¡­¡± ¡°Hey, cut the bullshit. because I¡¯m already scared shitless. What are you going to do if someone really appears?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Phew! I was too nervous because of the Inspection Department¡­¡± Paying little heed to the guards¡¯ conversation, Chang-Sun quickly crossed the researchplex, nimbly jumping from rooftop to rooftop. [Trap No. 12 has been activated!] [The Skill ''Beast Senses¡¯ detects the activated trap¡¯s location!] [The trap failed to detect you.] [The Skill ''Viper Eyes¡¯ has been activated, swiftly scanning for other traps installed nearby.] [The Skill ''Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been applied to ¡®Viper Eyes¡¯.] ¡­ [Skill Level increased!] ¡­ [Trap No. 27 has been activated!] [Sessfully avoided the surveince trap.] ¡­ While using [Beast Senses] to avoid any surveince traps, Chang-Sun scanned for other traps with [Viper Eyes] to prepare for any possible danger. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ exims lightly in surprise as he watches how you use your skills.] Due to both skills, Chang-Sun quickly reached the center of theplex. ¡®Did something happen? Why is everyone so busy?¡¯?he wondered; he could tell that an ident had urred within the researchplex. Many people inb coats and instructor uniforms were running around theplex frantically, their faces pale as they held bundles of documents. At first, Chang-Sun thought that perhaps he had been discovered; however, judging from the documents they were holding, that did not seem to be the case. How could he describe the situation? It was simr to something he had experienced in Arcadia. While he had been resting in an army barracks,missioned and nonmissioned officers alike had suddenly begun running around just like these people, because some superiors from military highmand had suddenly announced that they were going to conduct an inspection. ¡®Is someoneing?¡¯? Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone as he used [Beast Senses] to strengthen his hearing. The range of his hearing expanded, and the faint voices in the area became as loud as thunder. . [¡®Beast Senses¡¯ has sharpened your hearing!] [Detecting nearby sounds.] ¡°Fuck! Why are theying while we¡¯re busy as hell¡­?!¡± ¡°Get rid of this stuff quickly! We¡¯ll be dead meat if they figure anything out!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a test subject when we¡¯ve been the ones conducting the experiments. Shit!¡± ¡°Bring that over here!¡± ¡°Take that over¡­!¡± They were all busy cursing, venting their anger, and shouting. Although most of it was unhelpful nonsense, Chang-Sun filtered and sorted through the information he had gathered to get what he needed. ¡°We¡¯re swamped with work, so why aren¡¯t the guys who went off to kill the Jigwi returning?!¡± ¡°We really need to retrieve the [Dream Sphere].¡± ¡°Shit! Those guys working in the field are such slowpokes.¡± ¡°What really happened?¡± ¡°F-Fuck! We¡¯re screwed!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The Management Bureau just sent an emergency message about how the Jigwis were found dead just now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? The guys who went out didn¡¯t report any¡­!¡± ¡°You idiot! How can you not tell that other people took out the Jigwis already?!¡± ¡°W-What¡­? Who could possibly kill Jigwis¡­?!¡± ¡°How can we know if it¡¯s possible or not?! Fuck! We already received a report about how the Highoff n¡¯s demonic yers secretly infiltrated the training institute¡­!¡± ¡°W-W-What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡®Well, it¡¯s about time they found out,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a nod. Two powerful boss monsters had suddenly disappeared, so it was actually surprising that they had just found out now. However, it seemed the chaos in the research facility was not simply because of the Jigwi incident. Thus, Chang-Sun paid close attention to their chatter, and soon, he heard something interesting. ¡°Take care of the stuff inside before the Inspection Department members barge in¡­!¡± ¡®Got it,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, instinctively realizing that he had found what he had been looking for, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Any organization and country would fear an inspection. Naturally, a n the size of the White Tiger n feared such a thing too. If the Inspecting Department was about to visit a facility, that facility¡¯s staff would naturally try to bury any information they wanted to hide as deep as they could. Whether that information was about their performance, or embezzlement, or something else, they would be the facility staff¡¯s weakness. Thus, Chang-Sun followed the men who had just spoken up. At a nce, he could already tell that the men were in a hurry to enter the most heavily guarded building, which reeked of [Dream Spheres]. ¡®That¡¯s the [Dream Sphere] manufacturing line,¡¯?Chang-Sun realized in an instant as he entered the building, sticking close to the men and slipping in right before the gate closed. [A strong smell of poisonous herbs fills the building!] [Crying Flower Toxin has entered your body.] [Laughing Flower Toxin has begun causing seizures.] ¡­ [The Hohwan Mama has targeted you!] ¡­ [The Effect ¡®Ten Toxin Immunity¡¯ has been applied, sessfully purifying all the toxins.] ¡®I¡¯m feeling lightheaded. How much medicine are they making?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, lightly clicking his tongue as he passed by the men who were running around busily. In order to locate the Hohwan Mama, he followed the scent of [Dream Spheres], which grew stronger the deeper he went. ¡°Hurry! Come on!¡± ¡°Move that over here!¡± After moving past the researchers, Chang-Sun finally reached an iron door that was locked up tightly, unlike the other rooms he had seen. [The door is securely locked!] [Unauthorized personnel.] [Enter the correct pattern or password to unlock the gate.] When Chang-Sun pressed his hand against the door, a screen appeared in front of him, making him narrow his eyes. He wondered, ¡®How do I open it?¡¯ He looked around, hoping someone would enter the door, but the researchers were not even looking in its direction. It seemed only a few selected personnel could enter the area. ¡®I wonder, are there any Administrators like Herald wandering around somewhere?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Of course, that thought was just a bit of nonsense. Even if he could call on an Administrator the way he had with Herald, he had no leverage he could use against them. Squinting, he thought, ¡®It looks as if I could get through if I wanted to¡­¡¯ For a moment, the thought of breaking through the iron door using [Jigwi¡¯s Phantom Body] crossed his mind, but that n would only be valid if he decided to wreak havoc in the facility. Chang-Sun still had to figure out the secret the research facility members were trying to hide, which could be used as leverage against Executive Director Oh. If he caused chaos before he discovered the secret, there was a chance he would be unable to find it at all, as he would be too busy fighting against the research facility members. Thus, he considered searching other rooms first. ¡®No, this has to be the ce,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, shaking his head. He had a strong gut feeling that something was inside the room; it made no sense to move past it without checking. ¡®A password, a password, huh¡­¡¯?he thought, putting his brain to work. What kind of password would they use? As they would not want their security to be weak, they would naturally use a very difficult password. As he racked his brains, suddenly¡­ Ooong! He felt something vibrating against his neck. ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯?he thought, unsure what was going on, but he could tell that [Peter¡¯s Key] was reacting. He wondered whether it would be okay to pull out the key while Heoju was watching him. A thought suddenly crossed his mind. He reached out toward the touch screen, and¡­ [Master ID has been confirmed.] [Unlocking the devices and opening the door.] Suddenly glowing brightly, the touch screen disyed new messages, and the tightly-shut iron door opened up. ¡°Huh,¡± Chang-Sun reflexively said out loud. The lock used a veryplicated encryption system, but it had been unlocked very easily. Chang-Sun could not tell how it had been opened. Perhaps [Peter¡¯s Key] was connected to the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] or had a secret of its own. Regardless of the reason, Chang-Sun was not about to leave when the door had conveniently been opened. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is a bit perplexed to see the device suddenly being unlocked.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ wonders whether you have a for unlocking things.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ asks if ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ still cannot tell what happened, clicking his tongue.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ asks what ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ means by that.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says you are capable of doing so because you are more cunning than a nest of serpents.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ says ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ has a point, nodding.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ exims that you are not only brave, but also smart!] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ desires you more.] ¡®Surely, Heoju doesn¡¯t know I have [Peter¡¯s Key]... but what do they mean by that?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, tilting his head in confusion. Heoju had fought fiercely with Pabilsag, but strangely, he seemed to get along with J?rmungandr on some level. Besides, why would J?rmungandr, a real serpent, call Chang-Sun a serpent? Although he felt somewhat dumbfounded, Chang-Sun showed none of his confusion as he entered the depths of theb. Shortly after he entered¡­ ¡®¡­So this was their secret.¡¯? Chang-Sun¡¯s expression turned grim as he saw an empty room, in which dozens of people were standing still in a military formation. As if they had be mannequins, their eyes were all vacant. They wore sturdy armor and helmets and held sharp-edged weapons, emanating more violent and wicked ghost energy than the Jigwis. They looked more like weapons than people. At that moment, Chang-Sun could tell that the people before him were the invincible soldiers created using [Dream Spheres] that the Highoff n¡¯s demonic yer had told him about, the ¡®ones who lost their souls and were possessed by starlight¡¯. Bae Woo-Gyeong had said that the White Tiger n called them ¡®Ghost Soldiers¡¯¡ªsoldiers who had be like ghosts. Grrrr! The ghost energy emanating from the Ghost Soldiers ravaged the area. [The Hohwan Mama rages within the area!] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ smiles wickedly as he sees his fangs and ws lined up.] Chapter 54: Star, The Dream (4)

Chapter 54: Star, The Dream (4)

¡®Disgusting,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought after observing the army of Ghost Soldiers. After the Hohwan Mama overtook them, people lost their rationality and ego, turning into mere dolls to be unleashed on the world as killing machines. As Chang-Sun knew how horrible it was to have one¡¯s free will taken away, he was bound to feel that way; he was naturally annoyed by Heoju, the one responsible for what was happening. ¡®Song Yoo-Jun said they would just be given new egos afterward. These people¡­ only exist now as soulless dolls.¡¯ [The Celestial ''Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ is very displeased to see the current sight!] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ scowls at ¡®Cmity Tiger.¡¯] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ smirks at her, asking what she is going to do.] Minerva had not even been hostile toward Mephistopheles, but the sight before her left her outraged. From what had happened in ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb¡¯ up until now, Minerva had taken great issue with everything rted to Heoju. However, Heoju acted shamelessly, taunting Minerva by asking what she would do to act on her hostility. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ explodes with anger, desperately pleading with you to execute justice on her behalf!] Just as she always did, Minerva bitterly asked Chang-Sun to resolve the situation, saddened by the fact that she could not take care of the incident herself due to the restrictions of causality. [A Sudden Quest (The Owl¡¯s Plea) has been created!] [The Owl¡¯s Plea] Type: Sudden Quest. Exnation: ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ is greatly disappointed by ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯, who only brings deep chaos and darkness to the Saha World at present. She is also saddened to see that many lives are being held hostage. Thus, ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ strongly pleads with you to bring peace to those people on her behalf. Prerequisites: Quest recipient. Time Limit: ¨D Objectives: 1. Eliminate all the Ghost Soldiers. 2. Annihte the ¡®Dream Sphere¡¯ manufacturing facility, the ce that created the Ghost Soldiers in the first ce. Reward: A blessing from ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ that will be chosen based on the level of your performance. ¡®She¡¯s going this far?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, slightly agape. No matter how angry Minerva was with Heoju, Chang-Sun had not thought she would actively give out a quest to stop him. On top of that, she was offering Chang-Sun a pretty good reward. ¡®She¡¯s saying that she¡¯ll give me a different blessing depending on how well Iplete the tasks¡­ Is she willing to give?me an Authority, too?¡¯ Chang-Sun thought half-jokingly, but somehow, he had a feeling that it would not be so impossible. Thus, it made sense to ept the quest. However, there was a problem. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is very curious as to what you will choose!] ¡®I¡¯ll be on bad terms with Heoju if I ept this,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. It was a problem, as his n to get as close as possible to Heoju by winning his favor would be disrupted as a result. ¡®I¡¯ll be burning bridges with Minerva if I reject this, though.¡¯ In truth, Chang-Sun had nothing to lose even if he turned down Minerva¡¯s request. Minerva¡¯s bonus rewards, [Unbending Spirit] and [Composed Spirit], would disappear, but he had other skills to substitute for them. Still, he felt bitter about the thought of letting one of his sugar deities go just like that, and he was reluctant to give up when he could potentially even receive an authority. In the end, he had to choose one of two particrly risky options. ¡®Fuck,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ fixes her gaze on you!] Even as Minerva strongly urged Chang-Sun to ept the quest, he prepared to reject it, feeling that he had no other choice. However, an idea suddenly shed through his mind. ¡®Don¡¯t I just have to act uncertain in front of them? Besides, these two deities need me to a simr extent,¡¯?Chang-Sun concluded. Smiling faintly, he asked Heoju, ¡°I would like to ask ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯, who wishes to be my Guardian, one thing.¡± [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ willingly epts your request.] ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already well aware of why I¡¯m here,¡± Chang-Sun began. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ orders you to cut to the chase, as he indeed knows very well.] ¡°I¡¯m nning to snatch up everything in this ce right now, because I have zero intention of letting others have what I can¡¯t have. What does ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ think about my choice?¡± Chang-Sun politely asked. In short, he was telling Heoju that he would take as much as he needed from the research facility as he could, then burn the rest. If Heoju disliked Chang-Sun¡¯s choice, they would have no choice but to part ways. ¡®Heoju is already paying a lot of attention to me, the most desirable priest candidate, so he won¡¯t just give up on me,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Heoju was the kind of deity who would swallow something he wanted before thinking twice, even if that something was poison. Thus, Chang-Sun thought Heoju would only be more intrigued and continue to watch him if he acted that way. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ughs inadvertently, realizing what you are arrogantly trying to pull.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ says he likes your attitude despite everything, and concludes that his subordinates would be the stupid ones if they were killed by you.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ promises that he will not interfere while you fulfill your ambition.] [A Sudden Quest (The Tiger¡¯s Plunder) has been created!] [The Tiger¡¯s Plunder] Type: Sudden Quest. Exnation: ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ strongly desires to watch you, his new priest candidate, grow stronger. However, he warns you that he will punish you severely if you fail to meet his expectations, as he has been watching you with interest. Prerequisites: Quest recipient. Time Limit: ¨D Objectives: 1. Just as you have dered to the deity, pige everything before you. 2. Consume all your trophies perfectly. Penalty: Divine Punishment. Reward: 1. The right to keep your trophies. 2. A blessing from ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ that will be chosen based on the level of your performance. ¡®I got him,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in satisfaction. Seeing as even Heoju had given out a quest, Chang-Sun had basically received a nk check. ¡®I¡¯ve taken care of Heoju, so how are you going to react, Minerva?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, waiting patiently. In truth, Chang-Sun had put on the whole performance for Minerva, not Heoju, as if to ask whether he could use whatever method he desired to finish her quest. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ delightedly says that she knew you would make such a decision.] It seemed Minerva was actually rejoicing in the fact that Chang-Sun would diligently carry out her quest. ¡®She¡¯s definitely a simpleton,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought as the corners of his lips curled up in satisfaction. [epted the Sudden Quest (The Owl¡¯s Plea)!] [Your range of objectives has increased, as the two Sudden Quests (¡®The Owl¡¯s Plea¡¯ & ¡®The Tiger¡¯s Plunder¡¯) have been merged.] [Eliminate all the Ghost Soldiers and any rted facilities from now on!] As Chang-Sun had gotten a better result than he originally intended, he moved without any hesitation, feeling pleased. ¡®Next¡­!¡¯?he thought, deciding to examine the room to try to find any hidden passageways. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± someone suddenly yelled from behind, causing Chang-Sun to look backward. [Your Concealment Skill has been deactivated!] Chang-Sun saw two yers looking at him sharply, their eyes wide. Even at first nce, he could tell they were no ordinary yers; their levels seemed to be higher than the two instructors he had met in the Jigwis¡¯ nest. It seemed they had visited to take care of business amid the chaos and detected Chang-Sun¡¯s presence¡­ Chang-Sun¡¯s mastery and skill level of [Windstalking Tiger] were low, which meant his [Windstalking Tiger] appeared very sloppy in the eyes of the two yers, who were at higher levels than Chang-Sun. ¡®I¡¯ve dragged things out too much,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, lightly clicking his tongue. The yers had caught him before he couldpletely figure outExecutive Director Oh¡¯s secret. Seeing that he had no other choice, he powered up his magic integrated circuit. In truth, the thought that he would need to create chaos to find what he needed had already crossed his mind. It was said that it was easier to catch a fish in muddy waters . [The Eon Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier is zing!] [The Title ¡®Jigwi¡¯s Phantom Body¡¯ has been applied!] Whoosh! Fire zed outward from Chang-Sun¡¯s feet, spreading out to create several vortexes. Giant Jigwi wings sprouted from his back as the ck and red me vortexes swirled and cast sparks. ¡°W-What¡­?!¡± ¡°Why is a Jigwi¡¯s fire¡­?!¡± The two yers could not finish their sentences, as they were instantly destroyed by the firestorm created when Chang-Sun pped his fiery wings. Even before they could scream, they were reduced to ash, not leaving a single trace of blood. Only ck scorch marks remained in the spot where they had been as the mes spread across the entire room in a sh. ¡®I feel as if things are somehow turning out simrly to how they did in ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb¡¯,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡­! Rumble, rumble, rumble¨D! [A firestorm rages in the room!] The Ghost Soldiers standing by, of whom there were over a hundred, were immediately engulfed by the firestorm. * * * Boom! Boom! Rumble¨D! In the blink of an eye, the researchb exploded, engulfed in mes. It started with the ground suddenly shaking, and an explosion that was so loud it almost deafened those nearby filled the air. Thus, despite how busy they were, the facility¡¯s staff looked in the direction where the explosion hade from. However, the firestorm suddenly spread through the researchplex, destroying everything in its way. As most herbs and facilities rted to the [Dream Spheres] were highly mmable, the facility¡¯s staff had fireproofed everything, but the firestorm waspletely unaffected. ¡°Fire!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a fire!¡± ¡°The central research wing is on fire! Hurry! Come on!¡± ¡°W-We can¡¯t put it out!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going¡­ Aaaarrrgh!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too close! Use an ice spell from far away!¡± The second explosion reduced those who had hurried to put out the fire to ashes, or buried them alive as the ground copsed. Third and fourth explosions soon followed one after another, causing the entireplex to fall intoplete mayhem. No matter how much they used ice-type magic spells and Skills, the fire only grewrger and spread more fiercely, rising higher rather than subsiding. Explosions continued to happen unceasingly, shaking the mountain range and creating earthquakes violent enough to cause avnches. The ck smoke in the air turned into a tornado that filled the air. ¡°W-What¡¯s g-going on?!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won stuttered, leaping out of his office with a pale face after btedly realizing what was going on. Tongues of crimson me greedily swallowed up the central research wing where all the important facilities were, including the [Dream Sphere] manufacturing lines and the Ghost Soldier depository. If the central wing copsed, the decade of effort the White Tiger n had spent would go to waste. However, Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s biggest problem was that the ¡®vessel'', hisst hope, was there! ¡°W-What are the guards doing?! How on earth did they let¡­?!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won yelled. Boom, boom, boom! Rumble¨D! Another explosion followed, sending arge amount of shrapnel flying through the air. The yers who failed to avoid the fragments died on the spot, and some of the researchers hurriedly escaped the researchplex in fear. ¡°L-Lab Director! Are y-you alright?¡± Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s subordinate asked,ing to his aid. Lab Director Sang-Won had barely managed to survive by instinctively diving toward the ground, his face turning so white that his subordinate could see his smallest blood vessels. Imagining what would happen if the facility and the ¡®vessel¡¯ were both destroyed, Lab Director Sang-Won clenched his teeth, as he had no way to survive if his worst fears came true. Director Gwon was scheduled to arrive soon. In order to survive, Lab Director Sang-Won was prepared to use any means necessary. Even if he could not necessarily save the Ghost Soldiers, he had to save the ¡®vessel¡¯. Thus, he quickly grabbed his subordinate, who was right next to him, and asked, ¡°How many? How many men do we have left?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­!¡± his subordinate stuttered. ¡°Speak! Now!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won yelled, his eyes burning with madness. 1. This is a saying that appears in the Thirty-Six Stratagems. When the water bes muddy, the fish loses its sense of direction and is disoriented, making it easier for the fisherman to catch it. Chapter 55: Star, The Dream (5)

Chapter 55: Star, The Dream (5)

¡®S-Shit¡­!¡¯ ¡®What in the world should I do¡­?¡¯ ¡®Do I really have to go in there?¡¯ At Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s urging, over twenty guards from the vicinity all gathered together. Considering how there had been more than fifty guards before, more than half of their number had been massacred after getting caught up in the fire or had escaped. The remaining guards strongly regretted gathering together. ¡°Everyone, follow me to the central research wing. Anyone who doesn¡¯t want to go in, step forward so I can break your neck myself!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won growled. Although Lab Director Sang-Won had the title ¡®Research Lab Director¡¯, he had been acting as Executive Director Oh¡¯s loyal dog for quite a while, so he was naturally skilled atbat. Thus, it would not be particrly strange if he killed the guards on the spot for refusing his orders. Rumble¡­! Boom! ¡®H-How am I supposed to go in there¡­?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going to die either way!¡¯? Watching the explosions continuously rocking the central research wing, the guards could barely suppress their desire to refuse Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s order. To ordinary people, yers looked like superhumans, but in truth, yers were still human and could die in dangerous situations. Naturally, they were reluctant to move toward a hell where they could die at any minute. However¡­ ¡°As you may already know, the Ghost Soldier depository is in that wing, so what do you think will happen if the Ghost Soldiers all disappear? Won¡¯t the higher-ups reprimand you? There¡¯s no guarantee that your families won¡¯t be affected by this, no?¡± Lab Director Sang-Won reminded the guards. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The guards trembled, forced to face the cruel reality before them. All the Secret Tiger Lab personnel¡¯s families were held hostage by the White Tiger n as a confidential security measure. Although the n provided a high sry and a good benefits n to inspire loyalty among them, the fact that their families could be in danger remained. Thus, what would happen if the Ghost Soldiers, which the White Tiger n had created at great expense, were lost in the fire? Creating one Ghost Soldier required a minimum of a year and an astronomical amount of money, so the White Tiger n was bound to be outraged and reprimand them, just as Lab Director Sang-Won warned. If that happened, their families would surely be in danger, which meant they had to bite the bullet and follow orders. ¡°What are you doing?! Get moving!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won yelled, browbeating the dispirited guards to stop them from having second thoughts. Like a herd of cattle being dragged to a ughterhouse, the guards moved toward the central research wing. * * * Previously, the guards had prepared all kinds of fireproofed defensive equipment and armed themselves to the teeth. After some time, their despairing expressions brightened somewhat; the fire had noticeably weakened as if it knew they were about to enter. The mes were still strong, but no further explosions urred, which was enough to allow the guards to infiltrate the facility. ¡°We¡¯re going in right now!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won ordered. The guards slowly entered the central research wing in a single file. Step.? Step. Waddling like penguins due to their thick defensive equipment, the guards were all connected to each other by tethers in case of emergencies; it was a safety measure to prevent one of them from being swept away without warning. Lab Director Sang-Won followed them from the back of the line. The guards in the front believed the director was using them as cannon fodder to ensure his safety. However, the real reason he stood in the back was that he was nning to immediately head to the secret researchb where the ¡®vessel¡¯ was hidden if things went south. ¡®Maybe?this is for?the best. If I disappear in a ce like this, the n will think I died, so I¡¯ll try to wrap things up as much as possible and make it seem as if I died in an ident. While the n sorts out the incident, I¡¯ll take ¡®it¡¯ and run away overseas,¡¯?Lab Director Sang-Won thought, barely managing to hold in hisughter at the thought that his misfortune had turned into a fortune. Of course, that happy scenario would only be possible if the ¡®vessel¡¯¡ªthe thing Executive Director Oh and Lab Director Sang-Won called ¡ªwas intact, so he could not let his guard down. ¡°Why¡­ Why is it so dark in here¡­?¡± ¡°Shit, it¡¯s so freaking hot in here.¡± ¡°Cough! Cough! Shit, there¡¯s too much dust. Everyone, be careful when you breathe!¡± the guard in the lead yelled. Moving in single file like a train, the guards frowned as they slowly entered the central research wing. There was nothing intact inside the area; the hallways they had previously been running around busily were covered with scorch marks, and most of the research rooms had copsed. The bulkheads that were supposed to block fires had been destroyed. Rebar peeked dangerously through the gaps in the ceilings. The entire wing looked dangerous, as if it could copse at any minute, making the guards even more nervous. Still, the hallways were rtively intact apart from the scorch marks, which meant they were still somehow able to head toward the Ghost Soldier depository. [You have been poisoned with Fire Toxin!] ¡°Fire¡­Toxin?¡± the leading guard muttered, widening his eyes when he saw the message suddenly appear. No matter how much fire filled an area, it would rarely create Fire Toxin, a substance that was mostly created by fire-type monsters. In order to be poisoned by Fire Toxin, the guards had to have been constantly exposed to a substantial amount of it, so it was natural for them to wonder. Until now, they had not seen a single fire-type monster, let alone being bitten by them; thus, the message would make no sense¡­ unless they had breathed in a lot of Fire Toxin from surroundings filled with it. ¡®Breathed?¡¯ the guard thought. A shiver ran down his spine, from the top of his aching head to the tips of his toes. [Warning! The area is full of Fire Toxin. You are advised to leave immediately.] ¡°No¡­!¡± the guard began to yell desperately, when he saw the new message, trying to warn the others that this ce was a trap. It seemed a fire-type monster with high intelligence had appeared, and theb had practically be its den. However, he had no time to finish his warning; the first message disappeared in a sh, reced by several others. [The amount of Fire Toxin umted in your body has greatly exceeded the permissible limit.] [You have inhaled too much fire energy.] [A spark has been lit, detonating the umted Fire Toxin.] [The Eon Fire has exploded!] ¡°¡­Argghhh!¡± The guard shouted in pain as one word caught his attention¡ª¡¯exploded¡¯. That meant he was on fire! The Fire Toxin that had umted within his lungs instantly detonated, burning up his body from the inside. Mouth, nose, ears¡­ Every orifice of his body shone with red light, and ck smoke billowed out. ¡°W-Won-Ho¡­!¡± ¡°F-Fire!¡± ¡°Why was he set on fire so suddenly¡­!¡± ¡°Idiot! Cut the tether first!¡± The guard who was closest to the burning guard moved around anxiously, but he came to his senses when he heard a voice from behind. As he had previously thought the tether was only there to prevent anyone from being left behind, he was slow to react; by the time he tried to cut the tether with his dagger, the fire had already reached him. [The Eon Fire has exploded!] ¡°Arrrgh!¡± the second guard yelled in pain. It was inevitable that they would be exposed to Fire Toxin, as the substance that permeated the entire ce was the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire. Thus, the second guard had also unwittingly breathed in a lot of Fire Toxin in the central research wing. Of course, even a small ember was sufficient to cause the Fire Toxin tobust. ¡°Save me! Save¡­ me! Urrggh!¡± ¡°What are you doing?! Cut the tether first!¡± ¡°B-But the tether is too sturdy¡­ Urgh!¡± ¡°Ahhhh! The fire is spreading here!¡± ¡°W-Why don¡¯t the artifacts work?!!!¡± One by one, the guards were quickly ignited by Eon Fire through the chain. The fireproofed defensive equipment did not seem to help at all, leaving the people in the back even more terrified. As their bodies themselves werebusting due to the Fire Toxin¡¯s explosions, the entire process bypassed the defensive equipment¡¯s abilities, but they were too frightened out of their senses to realize that fact. They could do nothing but try to run away, but the tethers they had brought to avoid leaving anyone behind were hard to cut. In the end, the guards were only able to escape after sacrificing seven of their number to the fire. ¡°N-No¡­!¡± ¡°Why¡­ am I also¡­ Urgh¡­!¡± The dying guards resentfully watched their colleagues, who had abandoned them and fled. However, the ones who barely managed to survive could not regain theirposure, because another disaster abruptly came after them. ¡°Argggh!¡± ¡°Gyun!¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s happening this time?! Why did he disappear¡­!¡± One of the guards disappeared while standing right beside the others, causing one of his colleagues to look for him. However, the second guard also disappeared mid-sentence as if he had been snatched up by a bird of prey, leaving behind only a deep bloodstain that evaporated quickly in the zing heat. Swoosh! Whenever the sound of wind passed by, one of the guards disappeared. ¡°Fuuuuuck!¡± As the situation unfolded, the remaining guards became more anxious, finally realizing that the fire was due to arson, not an ident. The suspect had been silently waiting for the guards to enter the research wing, only moving when the opportunity arose. ¡°Where are you?!¡± ¡°S-Show yourself!¡± The guards all drew their weapons and pointed them outward. Although they were not rankers, they had worked as proud instructors of the White Tiger n, so they could confidently say they were quite strong. Thus, now that they had grasped the situation, they nned to catch the rat using human wave tactics. However, the problem was that no matter how much they sharpened their senses, they could not perceive anything. The fire surrounding them prevented them from sensing anything properly, and the fear that slowly eroded their mental state was difficult to get rid of. [Fear is running rampant!] [You have entered the ¡®Mass Panic¡¯ state!] [Fires are raging!] The current situation rendered the guards powerless. Meanwhile, rough gusts of wind struck them several times, and the fire next to their feet red up fiercely, greedily trying to swallow them whole. sh, sh¨D! St! Rumble¨D! There had been over twenty guards, but many of them died one by one, unable to fight back. Heads fell to the ground one after another, and their bodies were engulfed in fire. Just then¡­ Swoosh¨D! ¡°I-It¡¯sing again!¡± The wind that had relentlessly taken their lives approached once again. sh! Suddenly, however, someone blocked the path of the wind. The remaining guards turned to look in its direction and saw Lab Director Sang-Won blocking something with his sword, gritting his teeth. In front of the director stood a man d in the ck and red fire that filled the area, taking the form of armor and a pair of wings. The man¡¯s eyes were wide, as if he had not expected his attacks to be blocked; he remarked, ¡°You¡¯re good.¡± ¡°Who¡­?! Who are you? Who sent you? Was it the Highoff n? How in the world are you controlling the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire?¡± Lab Director Sang-Won let out a barrage of questions as he red at the man. The intruder had taken away theb, which was everything to Lab Director Sang-Won, so he could never let the man live. However, one of the guards behind Lab Director Sang-Won answered his question first. ¡°Lee¡­ Lee Chang-Sun!¡± a guard yelled, quickly recognizing Chang-Sun. ¡°What? He¡¯s Lee Chang-Sun?¡± Lab Director Sang-Won eximed, his expression stiffening as he also gradually recognized Chang-Sun. He had never thought Chang-Sun, whom he had identified as the strongest candidate for the Gildal Project, would be the one to destroy theb. ¡®Wait, then¡­?¡¯?Lab Director Sang-Won suddenly thought, deciding to change his n from killing Chang-Sun to subduing him. ¡®I¡¯ll just make him into a Gildal too!¡¯ Lab Director Sang-Won did not know Chang-Sun¡¯s identity, purpose, or reasons for destroying theb. He did not even know how Chang-Sun was handling the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire, but he could tell that the man¡¯s ability was far more exceptional than he had expected, enough that it was worth ignoring all the unanswered questions. What if he could make such a talented person into a Gildal¡­? He could say for certain that he would no longer have anything to be afraid of in this world. In at most five years, he could build a n that was asrge as the White Tiger n. sh! At that moment, Yang Sang-Won stared at Chang-Sun, his eyes burning with greed and a desire to never let Chang-Sun go. ncing at the guard who had said his name, Chang-Sun retreated, lightly clicking his tongue. He nned to use the Concealment Skill to disappear again, because he would be at a disadvantage if he fought them head-on. Woosh! A stream of Eon Fire that stretched downward from Chang-Sun¡¯s wings like a tail drew a line between Chang-Sun and the director. ¡°Where are you going?!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won yelled, seemingly unwilling to ever give up on Chang-Sun. He continued to approach Chang-Sun, seemingly unhindered by the dangerously ring Eon Fire. [The Skill ¡®Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been forcibly canceled!] [The Concealment Skill has failed.] After the skill¡¯s abrupt cancetion, Chang-Sun held [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] up to block Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s attack, which was about to cut his head in half vertically. Boom! Rumble¨D! [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] shook fiercely as if it would shatter at any moment. Although the weapons shing were made of metal, the guards heard an explosion fill the air. Shattered fragments of [Tiger Kill] scattered everywhere, leaving w marks across the floor. [The Hohwan Mama is raging!] Pzzzz! Amid the remnants of [Tiger Kill], Chang-Sun had detected an energy he had never expected to find. Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s [Tiger Kill] was not only infused with fighting spirit, but also with the painfully stinging energy of death¡ªghost energy. As the director looked down at Chang-Sun, a pair of ghostly green wisps shone in his eyes. ¡°Grr¡­!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won growled loudly with rage, a sound halfway between the cries of an animal and a ghost. Suddenly, Chang-Sun came to a realization, and his gaze turned cold. ¡®He¡¯s a Ghost Soldier!¡¯ Chapter 56: Star, The Dream (6)

Chapter 56: Star, The Dream (6)

In truth, it was no exaggeration to say Chang-Sun had been lucky to have hunted the guards so easily; just creating the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire had been enough to destroy half the research facility. Things had been practically bound to turn out that way, however; even one stray spark could cause a catastrophe to strike an ordinary oil-refining facility, so how could the researchb remain intact even after multiple explosions? However, Chang-Sun assumed he could not count on being lucky again, as Lab Director Sang-Won had detected him. Unless he was a fool, the director would never let Chang-Sun use his Concealment Skill again. And yet, what surprised Chang-Sun the most was that Sang-Won, theb director, was a Ghost Soldier. ¡®Is the White Tiger n not stopping at making disposable people into Ghost Soldiers?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. That meant the ¡®Ghost Soldiers¡¯ were not necessarily disposable. In hindsight, it would have been a natural conclusion if Chang-Sun had thought about it some more. Creating [Dream Spheres] required a substantial amount of time and money, and judging from the many research wings and pieces of equipment Chang-Sun had seen, creating Ghost Soldiers needed more than just [Dream Spheres]. ¡®Of course, they¡¯re all destroyed now,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a faint grin. It was likely that most of the White Tiger n¡¯s executive members had gone through the Ghost Soldier transformation. ¡®This is actually for the best,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, changing his ns. At first, he had intended to retreat after wreaking moderate havoc and finding out Executive Director Oh¡¯s weakness, but seeing as he had figured out that the White Tiger n¡¯s higher-ups were Ghost Soldiers, he felt that fighting Lab Director Sang-Won would give him good experience. ¡®This might be a chance to test what a Ghost Soldier is capable of,¡¯?Chang-Sun concluded. [Your magic integrated circuit has activated, circting fiercely.] [The Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire is ring up!] As the fire around his body grewrger, Chang-Sun gripped [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] more tightly. [Distributed 30 additional stats to Strength. 111¡ú141] [Strength: 141 (+55)] Squeak¨D! Like a spinning sawde, Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s sword had been bearing down on Chang-Sun¡¯s head, but he was slowly pushed back. Boom! Chang-Sun suddenly pushed back with tremendous power, leaving the director shocked for the first time. [Distributed 30 additional stats to Agility. 101¡ú131] [Agility: 131 (+45)] Using all of his Eon Fire to make his wingsrger, Chang-Sun flew at Lab Director Sang-Won. As he had be faster and stronger, so too did his attacks with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] grow more powerful. Screech! Boom, boom, boom¨D! Although Lab Director Sang-Won staggered backward, he managed to regain his bnce and deflect Chang-Sun¡¯s attacks one by one. Each time their weapons shed, a metallic screech filled the air and several explosionsrge and small urred. A hideous scowl spread across the director¡¯s face, his pride hurt by the fact that he was exchanging attacks with a trainee. However, his eyes remained full of greed to possess Chang-Sun. If Chang-Sun could grow that quickly, the director could not even imagine how strong he would be as a Gildal. ¡°I definitely have to have you,¡± Lab Director Sang-Won said with a grin. Boom, boom, boom! The director swung his sword more quickly. [Your opponent¡¯s sword now contains arge quantity of ghost energy!] [The aura of ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ intensifies.] [Caution!] Swish, swoosh, swish¨D! Whenever Lab Director Sang-Won swung his sword, several gusts of slicing wind scattered across the area and wed the floor. Each gust was an advancedbination of [Tiger Teeth] and [Tiger w], reminding Chang-Sun of a tiger that snatched people and livestock away from a vige, taking them back to its mountain in the dark of the night. That was how a tiger earned the name ¡®Hohwan¡¯, which referred to a disaster caused by a tiger; the word ¡®Mama¡¯ referred to its ominous ghost energy[ref]The ¡®Mama¡¯ (??) in ¡®Hohwan Mama¡¯ is actually a term ordinary used to deify smallpox.[/ref.] The director had be the embodiment of the Hohwan Mama, which had terrorized humans for a long time. Pzzz, spark! However, Lab Director Sang-Won was not Chang-Sun¡¯s only problem. ¡°You bastard¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± . ¡°Let me help you, Lab Director!¡± Pzzzz¨D! After some time, the eight surviving guards pulled themselves together and unleashed their own ghost energy. As they emanated [Tiger Kill] auras infused with ghost energy, more Hohwan Mamas were created, and green wisps began to glow in their eyes. ¡®Are they also Ghost Soldiers?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered, turning sideways while pushing Lab Director backward. Fire rose from Chang-Sun¡¯s feet and swirled around him, once again forming a sturdy suit of armor. His Eon Fire was thoroughly infused with [Blood Toxin] that swiftly bared its fangs. However, the surviving guards threw their swords at the barrier created by the Eon Fire, causing it to explode. Rumble¨D! Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Get him!¡± Although the guards were not as skilled as Lab Director Sang-Won, they were still highlypetent. The ghost energy that suffused their attacks slowed down their reasoning, but maximized their damage, making every attack sharp and relentless. sh, sh, sh! ¡®It¡¯s going to be dangerous if I do nothing,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. sh, sh¨D! One of the guards¡¯ [Tiger Teeth] broke through the Eon Fire barrier and shed open Chang-Sun¡¯s thigh. A [Tiger w] cleverly exploited Chang-Sun¡¯s blind spot, leaving a deep cut in his left shoulder. Each attack was extremely dangerous, which meant Chang-Sun could have been seriously injured if not for [Viper Eyes] and [Beast Senses]. Chang-Sun realized how the White Tiger n had suddenly be powerful over the past ten years. Ordinary yers on the same level would never be able to go up against them. It seemed Chang-Sun had to give more credit to the Ghost Soldiers than he had initially thought; he realized he was lucky to have been able to destroy the Ghost Soldier depository beforehand. If he had needed to fight against all the Ghost Soldiers, he would have already ended up copsing onto the ground. [A brawl is taking ce!] ¡­ [The Skill ¡®Unyielding Spirit¡¯ has been activated, reinforcing your potentially wavering concentration!] [The Skill ¡®Composed Spirit¡¯ has been activated, enabling you to rationally observe the situation.] As such, Chang-Sun coldly analyzed the situation by properly applying [Unyielding Spirit] and [Composed Spirit]. Even though he was using [Jigwi¡¯s Phantom Body], Chang-Sun was unsure whether he could win in a one-on-one fight against Lab Director Sang-Won; however, one thing he was sure of was that he would definitely lose if he had to take on eight Ghost Soldiers. ¡®So I¡¯ll have to defeat them one by one,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. If he could not take all of them at once, he would have to reduce the number of his enemies. [The Skill ¡®Beast Senses¡¯ is searching the surroundings!] Avoiding head-on shes as much as possible, Chang-Sun utilized the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire to stop them from joining forces, continuously retreating using [Windstalking Tiger]. Lab Director Sang-Won and the guards became more nervous as Chang-Sun continued to avoid their attacks right before they hit him. His movements were so sly and agile that they were forced to move more, depleting their stamina. Additionally, whenever Chang-Sun saw an opportunity, he never missed, stabbing [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] into their bodies. Soon, two guardsy fallen on the ground, reducing the number of survivors from eight to six. At that moment¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve got you, you rat bastard!¡± a guard yelled. Chang-Sun had run into a dead-end hallway. As the end was surrounded by three walls and the guards were blocking the only exit, it seemed he had nowhere else to run, leaving the guards in high spirits. The guard who had lost his closest colleague in the explosion sprang forward to kill Chang-Sun, filled with a desire to kill the man by any means necessary. ¡°Keep your goddamn head down, you stupid bastard!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won hurriedly yelled; he was anxious to see that Chang-Sun remained calm despite being in a dead end. Come to think of it, even though Chang-Sun was trapped, the hallway was too narrow, only wide enough for two guards to go against him at once. Swirl! Just as nned, Chang-Sun unfurled his bracelet like a ball of yarn. Using his three-tailed whip, which was filled with his magic and covered in Eon Fire, Chang-Sunshed the hallway floor. ¡°Uh¡­ Huh¡­?¡± The guard who was within the whip¡¯s attack range instinctively raised his sword to block the first tail, but¡­ Swirl! Chang-Sun quickly immobilized him for a moment using the second tail. ¡°No-no¡­!¡± Crash! With the third tail, Chang-Sun struck the guard¡¯s head, killing him on the spot by crushing his head like a melon. The other two guards who had been following behind him were left in a predicament, letting out exmations. ¡°W-Wait¡­!¡± ¡°Arggh! Get out of my way, bastards!¡± Swirl, swirl! Chang-Sun divided the first tail of the whip, which had been sent flying upward, into three strands thatshed the guards¡¯ bodies. The attack¡¯s sheer power forced the two backward; afraid of getting killed like their colleague, they tried to make some distance between Chang-Sun and themselves, but they were unable to retreat due to the other guards right behind them. In the end, Chang-Sun swung the remaining tail in the direction of the lined-up guards and crushed both of their heads at once. His attacks were extremely urate. [The Authority ¡®Perfect Marksmanship¡¯ has been applied.] [Perfect Marksmanship] was an Authority that enabled Chang-Sun to hit his target no matter what by reversing the order of causality. The Authority applied not only to projectiles, but also to long-range weapons such as whips. It became even more effective if Chang-Sun could lead arge number of enemies into a narrow space. That was how he had been able to instantly kill three guards, even though all he had done was change the location. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ arrogantly watches how well you use her Authority!] Swirl, swirl, swirl! ¡°What on earth is happening¡­?!¡± the guards shouted, perplexed. Chang-Sun retracted and unfurled his whip multiple times, letting it fly all over the narrow hallway. As it seemingly moved around with no pattern, the guards could not get close to Chang-Sun. Thus¡­ Paah¨D! [The Skill ¡®Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been activated to the fullest extent!] While the guards hesitated, Chang-Sun pped his wings and closed the gap quickly. Then, he struck the closest guard¡¯s neck with the pommel of [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Smack! Crash¨D! Even though the remaining guards attempted to capture him, Chang-Sun managed to retreat and unfurl his whip, leaving the guards in an absurd situation where they could neither approach or retreat. Lab Director Sang-Won could only watch in frustration. At first it seemed as if Sang-Won and the guards could capture Chang-Sun if they pressured him a little more, but the heat of the Eon Fire and the unpredictable trajectory of his whip prevented them from doing anything. They felt as if they were the ones backed into a tight corner, not Chang-Sun. Smash! ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± one of the guards groaned as he copsed, blood bubbling up from a hole in his neck. Soon, only one guard remained, his face pale as paper. Although the guards had outnumbered Chang-Sun, they had suffered a crushing loss, leaving the lone survivor dispirited. In his current state, it would not be strange for him to die at any moment, just like his colleagues. ¡®I have to do something¡­!¡¯?Lab Director Sang-Won thought, gritting his teeth. He had used up too much time trying to capture Chang-Sun, which meant the head office had probably found out what happened by now. That meant Director Gwon would soon arrive at theb, leaving Lab Director Sang-Won little opportunity to run away if he wasted any more time. ¡°Move!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won yelled, yanking the remaining guard by the neck and pushed forward; even though he had wanted to avoid injury as much as possible, now was not the time to worry about that. ¡®I just have to reach him somehow. My level and overall stats are much higher than his, so if I can get close, I¡¯ll be able to subdue him,¡¯?Sang-Won thought. Swirl, swirl, swirl! Ting! Ting! Ting! Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s splendid swordsmanship continuously deflected the strikes from Chang-Sun¡¯s whip, which now had nine tails. Although hisb coat was torn and his defensive equipment cracked with each blow he took, the director did not care, believing he could still resolve everything if he could just get to Chang-Sun. Soon, the director managed to close in on Chang-Sun. Despite his overwhelming power and speed, Chang-Sun seemed to becking stamina; he had likely used a lot of his stamina and sustained injuries from having to take on all the guards at once. By now, Chang-Sun¡¯s dangerous whip attacks and his Eon Fire had be much weaker; in contrast, Lab Director Sang-Won had mostly managed to conserve his strength. That meant he could capture Chang-Sun by fighting him one-on-one. ng! With a loud, metallic ring, Chang-Sun was pushed backward while blocking Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s attack using [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. The director reached out and tightly grabbed Chang-Sun¡¯s cor, shoving him against a wall. ¡°I finally got you¡­!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won snarled with a grin, the wisps in his eyes glowing more bizarrely than ever with the desire to make Chang-Sun into a Gildal. ¡°Ha!¡± Chang-Sun spat coldly, despite the fact that he was being choked by the director. He replied, ¡°You must have thought you could somehow subdue me if you just caught me, huh?¡± ¡°What¡­?!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won eximed. However, before the director could react, Chang-Sun quickly passed [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] from his right hand to his left and poured his Magic into the seal on the back of his right hand. The seal shone brilliantly, and all the blood Chang-Sun had shed until now quickly gathered in his palm, forming a bronze longsword. [The ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯ has appeared!] As Chang-Sun grabbed the weapon¡­ Roar! ¡­the [Yuchang Sword] let out a long cry. Ooong, ooong, oooong¨D! Just like the sword, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] shook noticeably, seemingly reacting to the other weapon. The [Yuchang Sword], Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith¡¯s masterpiece, had disyed its brilliant light to the world while revealing its true form; thus, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] tried to show it was just as good, being Taotie the Devil cksmith¡¯s masterpiece. ¡°Howl,¡± Chang-Sun ordered [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] as if he were reciting a magic spell, just as he had done with the [Yuchang Sword]. The body of [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] twisted, emanating demonic energy. [¡®Double Sword Resonance¡¯ is taking ce.] [¡®Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth¡¯ has awakened!] Chapter 57: Star, The Dream (7)

Chapter 57: Star, The Dream (7)

If Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith had gained evesting fame by leaving behind a rare handful of masterpieces, Taotie the Devil cksmith had done the same by forging and mass-producing countless masterpieces. The two cksmiths were still the most famous fine swordspair of rivals among Celestials. It was difficult to say whether one cksmith was better than the other, because they had different goals and had been active in different times and ces. Most of the Nine Fine Swords, the symbols of Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith, could not even be found; thus, there had been no chance topare the Fine Swords to Taotie the Devil cksmith¡¯s masterpieces. However, now that Chang-Sun was holding both of their masterpieces in each hand, just such a chance topare the two had finally arrived. As the [Yuchang Sword], which had finally emerged after drinking its fill of blood, revealed its brilliant light to the world, so too did [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] reveal itself, not wanting to lose to the [Yuchang Sword]. ~ [You have sessfully fulfilled part of the hidden conditions required!] [Taotie¡¯s Seal has begun shining.] [A lock has been disengaged.] ¡­ [¡®Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth¡¯ has revealed its hidden form!] Whoosh! On the short de of [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], Taotie¡¯s seal emanated a deep ck light. The misshapen, ghost face that made up the seal squirmed, opening its mouth to reveal its vicious fangs and teeth. The more it revealed its teeth, the longer [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] became. No longer in the shape of a dagger, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] had transformed into a curved longsword, truly resembling the fang of the gigantic Tiamat. In contrast to the [Yuchang Sword], which shone a brilliant blue as if the sword were carved from a jewel, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] gleamed with pitch-ck light. [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] This weapon is made from the tooth of the ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯. Her child never stayed at home, so she had no choice but to pull out her tooth and forge it into a weapon. After receiving Tiamat¡¯s request, Taotie the Devil cksmith forged the tooth into a weapon, and it was proud enough of its work to carve Taotie¡¯s Seal into it. The weapon contains strong demonic energy, and as it carries a trace of ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯, the weapon can be a powerful fang for its wielder. ¡¤ Type: Dagger or Longsword. Relic. ¡¤ Damage: Unmeasurable. ¡¤ Effect: Persistent Bleeding, Evil Devourer. (Other Effects Unknown.) *Requirements have been partially met. Some of the sword¡¯s hidden abilities can be used. *Requirements have not beenpletely met. Other requirements are needed to awaken the sword¡¯s other abilities. Holding a divine sword in one hand and a demonic sword in another, Chang-Sun infused them with as much of his magic as possible. Ziinng! Ooong¨D! The swords were undergoing Double Sword Resonance! As the two masterpieces howled simultaneously, they released tremendous amounts of divine and demonic energy at the same time. The mix of two antithetical energies and the Eon Fire created a tornado that could make people¡¯s teeth chatter in fear. [The Skill ¡®Sword Mastery¡¯ has been applied!] Due to their differences, divine energy and demonic energy could usually never coexist. However, [Sword Mastery], the Skill that enabled Chang-Sun to handle any weapon that could be categorized as a sword, made their coexistence possible. [Sword Mastery] A Skill that is only achievable by a master swordsman who has seeded in achieving ¡®Sword-Body Union¡¯. It can make the swordsman capable of handling any sword in the world as he wills. ¡°One who walks the path of the sword will face the forest at the end of the path.¡± ¡¤ Skill Level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Passive. ¡¤ Effect: Infinite Sword Ownership. Infinite Sword Use. [Sword Mastery] waspletely different from other ordinary Skills. Unlike active Skills that required magic in order to activate, it was passive; that meant it was always in effect, ignoring all the possible restrictions or curses Chang-Sun could encounter in battle. Thus, the Skill was asionally considered equivalent to an Authority. The most important fact was that Chang-Sun absolutely needed to obtain the skill as the first requirement for him to regain his power: [King of Weapons], the Trait that had created ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯. If he finished leveling up [Sword Mastery], he could acquire [Sword Forest]. With that Trait, Chang-Sun would not only be able to handle any weapons that could be categorized as swords, but also be their owner, thus obtaining [Infinite Sword Overlord]. The first step to acquiring [Infinite Sword Overlord] was to achieve Double Sword Resonance. The moment Chang-Sun unlocked Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith¡¯s legacy treasure and Taotie the Devil cksmith¡¯s masterpiece at the same time, he had already begun walking a different path from ordinary yers. [Achievement Unlocked!] ¡°The Two Antithetical Swords¡¯ Coexistence.¡± Reward: Intelligence +5. Increased level of the Skill ¡®Sword Mastery¡¯. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ looks at you in surprise for having awakened her relic!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ widens his eyes after witnessing a surprising new method to use a Trait!] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ asks you to use Taotie the Devil cksmith¡¯s weapon to execute justice!] [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ is interested in the two masterpieces!] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ blesses you for having acquired a new fang!] ¡°What¡­?!¡± Sang-Won muttered in surprise. He had no idea what was going on, unlike the Celestials, who had constantly paid close attention to Chang-Sun, but he was sure of one thing: The sword Chang-Sun had just awakened contained a substantial amount of energy. It was surely a relic-grade artifact that only an apostle could witness! Paaah¨D! Kicking off the wall behind him, Chang-Sun leaped forward, rapidly approaching Lab Director Sang-Won. The director instinctively felt the iing danger, the [Beast Senses] he had received from his Guardian ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ warning him to dodge or else he would die. He tried to step back, but Chang-Sun attacked him first. sh. Chang-Sun used the [Yuchang Sword] in his right hand. The de that held divine energy unleashed an explosion, releasing a diagonal sh of highly concentrated Eon Fire. Lab Director Sang-Won swung his sword, just barely managing to block Chang-Sun¡¯s attack. However, the Eon Fire pierced his defenses and exploded right in front of him. ¡°Urggh!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won groaned. The remnants of hisb coat had burned awaypletely, and shattered fragments of his armor flew through the air. Although he was not bleeding, severe burn marks in the shape of ws had formed across his body. Chang-Sun, who had been left in a tight corner by Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s attack, had scored the first real hit. However, the [Yuchang Sword] howled ferociously, as if it were unsatisfied with the attack¡¯s result. Ooong, ooong! At that moment, the [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] in Chang-Sun¡¯s left hand shook fiercely as if it were pompously telling [Yuchang Sword] to watch and learn; it shed in the opposite direction of the [Yuchang Sword]¡¯s strike, from bottom right to top left. Boom! Boom! ¡°¡­Urgh!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won groaned as he was pushed back even harder than before. Was it because Chang-Sun¡¯s second attack used concentrated demonic energy? Or had his stamina instantly been halved by blocking the first strike? The director¡¯s sword was half-broken; there was a hole in the middle as if a dragon had bitten it, causing it to bend precariously. Zinng¨D [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] shook once again as if it were showing off its power to the [Yuchang Sword], saying it had simply been hiding its great power. The demonic sword created from the ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ and forged by Taotie the Devil cksmith unted its power as much as possible, proiming that it was the greatest sword of its generation and that Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith¡¯s legacy treasure was just full of hot air, riding on Ou Yezi¡¯s past reputation. Ooong! Naturally, the [Yuchang Sword] did not like the situation. Although it was trying to ignore the childish rampage of [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], retreating at that moment would only hurt its own pride; thus, the [Yuchang Sword] emitted more powerful divine energy, strengthening the Eon Fire. [The ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯ disys its brilliant de!] [The ¡®Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth¡¯ reveals its vicious fangs!] Determined to never lose, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] unleashed a constant stream of demonic energy and flew at Lab Director Sang-Won to drain the life out of him, chasing the man persistently. Rumble¨D! Boom! Chang-Sun pushed the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire to the limit, driving Lab Director Sang-Won into a corner. Screaming at the top of his lungs, the director used all sorts of Skills, but his screams were muffled by the sound of explosions and his Skill Effects were blocked by the Eon Fire¡¯s heat. [The aura of ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ has expanded!] [A ¡®Tiger Disaster¡¯ is raging!] ¡­ [The ¡®Tiger Teeth¡¯ are annihting your enemy!] [The ¡®Tiger w¡¯ is overwhelming your enemy!] [The ¡®Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has reached maximum speed!] In that moment, Chang-Sun became the embodiment of a fierce tiger. With brilliant and cruel ws in each hand, he crushed and overpowered his enemy. Creak! ng¨D! Like interlocking gears, the divine and demonic swords interacted with each other,bining their respective energies. Soon, however, the mixed energies exploded, as if the swords were taunting, or perhaps even challenging, each other. Although the two swords were known for their different characteristics and personalities, they strangely seemed to share the same affinity¡ªblood. The divine sword [Yuchang Sword] and the demonic sword [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] liked¡ªno, loved blood by their nature, sparing no effort to taste Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s blood; they sought to drink everyst drop to relieve their thirst. Thus, they were the best match for Chang-Sun. If they had merely been elegant and graceful swords, they would not have gotten along with Chang-Sun, but they were different. [The Skill ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s First w¡¯ has been activated!] Crack! Rumble¨D! Using powerful Zhen Jiao, Chang-Sun crossed the [Yuchang Sword] with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. The two swords filled with Eon Fire and exploded again, creating a raging whirlpool. Swoosh, swish, swoosh¨D! Several w-shaped gusts of wind struck Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s upper body forcefully. His weakened swordpletely shattered; his armor waspletely crushed, its fragments digging into his wounds. [Despair has spread!] [Discouragement has deepened!] [Negative thoughts fill the ¡®stage¡¯. The Eon Fire swallows the tremendous grudge, strengthening itself!] Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡­! The gusts of wind that had been raging powerfully through the researchplex, which had seemed as if they would soon destroy the facility, suddenly subsided. ¡°Urgh!¡± . The ragged Lab Director Sang-Won, still standing in ce, coughed up arge quantity of blood. The burn marks all over his body were so severe, it was clear he had no chance to survive. Thud! Lab Director Sang-Won copsed onto his knees. Although his eyes were already vacant, it seemed he still had some lingering feelings; he moaned softly, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ want¡­ to die!¡± For a moment, Chang-Sun nonchntly looked down at the director and pondered whether or not to kill the man on the spot. One swing of his sword would be enough to cut off the director¡¯s head like a guillotine. As he no longer had any stamina or mana, hecked the strength to think rationally. However, Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s final regret forced him to move. It seemed as if he did not even know he would die soon; the only thought remaining in his mind was that he had to do something. ¡®Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t found anything else aside from the Ghost Soldiers,¡¯ Chang-Sun realized. While the central research wing was left in chaos by the raging firestorm, Chang-Sun had scoured the entire area, but he had not found anything remotely as significant as the Ghost Soldier depository. Thus, Chang-Sun spected that Lab Director Sang-Won¡¯s final regret was somehow rted to Executive Director Oh. [Retrieved the ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯.] [Sealed ¡®Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth¡¯ again.] Chang-Sun withdrew all his mana. The two swords that had been trembling as if they werepeting returned to their original forms: The [Yuchang Sword] flowed back into Chang-Sun¡¯s right hand, while [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] turned into a dagger that Chang-Sun slung behind his back. ¡°I¡­ have to¡­ get it¡­ by any means¡­!¡± Lab Director Sang-Won slowly crawled forward on his knees, seemingly looking for something somewhere. Chang-Sun quietly followed him to find out what was more important than the Ghost Soldiers. Chapter 58: Star, Overwhelmingness (1)

Chapter 58: Star, Overwhelmingness (1)

Thud! [The yer ¡®Yang Sang-Won¡¯ has died!] Lab Director Sang-Won died extremely suddenly. After passing through the Ghost Soldier depository, he had reached a cleverly-hidden door. All he needed to do was reach out his hand to open the door, but his head slumped down, and he was unable to do so. [The door is securely locked!] [Enter a pattern or a password to unlock the door.] The door seemed to be locked with a more advanced security system than the Ghost Soldier depository. ¡®Will it work again?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. As there was a precedent, he simply brought his hand to the touch screen without worrying much about it. Then, [Peter¡¯s Key] trembled lightly against his neck, and the touch screen shone brightly once again. [Master ID has been confirmed.] Click! Zing¨D! The tightly-shut door opened wide, as if it were encouraging Chang-Sun to enter. ¡®It seems¡­ This key specializes in opening locked devices or doors,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Did the key have any requirements apart from the object having to be ¡®locked¡¯? Thinking he had to test it out properlyter, he went inside. Unlike the Ghost Soldier depository outside, the inside of the chamber was much narrower. It was thirty-three square meters wide; in the center, there was an altar of the sort used to pray to a deity. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ looks at you in surprise for sessfully locating this ce.] The altar consisted of two parts: A main tform upon which sacrificial offerings would be prepared, and a smaller tform ced in front of it. However, what caught Chang-Sun¡¯s attention was a woman, lying on the altar with her eyes closed as if she were sound asleep. He was not even sure whether she was alive; she was extremely pale, and her breaths were shallow. On top of that, she was connected to aplicated series of ss tubes protruding from the walls. ¡®This woman is¡­?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He was familiar with her. What was her name? ¡®Was it¡­ Shin Eun-Seo? I think it was something like that.¡¯ She was the woman who had spoken to Chang-Sun during the tests, telling him she was a long-time fan of his. From what Chang-Sun remembered, she had acted very frivolously and had a twin brother¡­ He had had his eye on her because he could sense her exceptional talent at the start of the training session, but he had not expected to see her here. It looked as if Lab Director Sang-Won had also thought so, and thus kidnapped her for her talent. ¡®Did she be a Ghost Soldier?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered as he carefully felt Shin Eun-Seo¡¯s pulse. When he used [Viper Eyes], he could not find any protective devices; thus, he was able to analyze the situation without any hindrance. [Analyzing the subject!] [Foreign energy detected.] [The Hohwan Mama is on alert.] Chang-Sun squinted, searching for a [Dream Sphere] and signs of magic being used to turn Eun-Seo into a Ghost Soldier. ¡®No, she isn¡¯t bing a Ghost Soldier. The magic in use is more intense and fundamental.¡¯ While the Hohwan Mama in a [Dream Sphere] could ¡®reset¡¯ a soul, the magic being used here was transforming the soul into an entirely different being. The ones responsible were not simply infusing ghost energy into her; they were also changing her soul¡¯s energy into ghost energy. In that case, she would be a being that could no longer be considered human; people usually called such beings Aberrations. The word Aberration was used to refer to irrational and mysterious beings that could not be understood through human logic. Among them were monsters left only with their violent natures,; bizarre-looking yokai; M¨­ry¨­s, creatures that only wandered hidden nes¡­ Every sort of indescribable being could be ssified as an Aberration. In a sense, the Jigwis Chang-Sun had killed were also Aberrations. ¡®This was what Executive Director Oh tried to hide,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought.? It seemed the Ghost Soldiers were merely the prototypes for creating an Aberration, but Executive Director Oh had covered up the existence of the Aberration in order to use it as his hidden weapon. ¡®He called her¡­ Gildal,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, recalling the word Lab Director Sang-Won had muttered to himself while heading toward the door. He had been unsure what the director meant by ¡®Gildal¡¯, but Eun-Seo had to be it. After thinking for a while, Chang-Sun remembered an old folktale that talked about Gildal, the leader of the Dokkaebi; the director had to have named the Aberration after him. [The Hohwan Mama¡¯s manifestation is in progress¡­ 41%plete.] ¡®41%? The number¡¯s a bit vague,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The Hohwan Mama¡¯s manifestation had not progressed enough for Eun-Seo to be called a Ghost Soldier or a Gildal, but her muscles and bones had be far sturdier than ordinary people¡¯s; her muscle fibers were so tough that a knife would sooner shatter than pierce through her flesh. If she woke up, she would be so strong she could easily take on most yers. [The Skill ¡®Beast Senses¡¯ has been used to analyze the subject¡¯s condition in detail!] While examining Eun-Seo¡¯s mind to see whether her ego was intact, Chang-Sun checked to see whether removing the ss tubes would affect her badly. ¡®Fortunately, they haven¡¯t even begun to hypnotize or brainwash her,¡¯?Chang-Sun concluded. It seemed brainwashing was thest step in Gildalization. Eun-Seo could potentially suffer from mild amnesia after she woke up, but her ego would be intact. There would be no issues removing the ss tubes either; although she could potentially have some negative reactions, Chang-Sun could deal with those. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ watches what you are going to do with great interest.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ asks you to quickly save the poor woman in front of you.] A message implying that Heoju seemed to be having fun appeared. He assumed that Chang-Sun was going to steal Shin Eun-Seo after the Gildalization process concluded; he thought that, having already encountered the Ghost Soldiers, Chang-Sun would want a Gildal, which would be much stronger. However, even after seeing the messages, Chang-Sun pulled out the ss tubes one by one without hesitation. [You have removed the ss tubes!] [The Gildalization process has been forced to stop.] [The forced cessation of the process has left the Hohwan Mama raging.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is very surprised by your choice.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ says she knew you would do that; she nods, asking you to quickly get the woman to safety and give her first aid.] Just as he had while saving Gyeo-Ul, Chang-Sun infused his magic into Shin Eun-Seo and called forth the Eon Fire; she was instantly engulfed in mes. [The Eon Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier is zing!] [The process of destruction has begun.] [The fire is eliminating all toxins.] [The fire is eradicating all impure energies.] ¡­ [The Hohwan Mama is strongly resisting the Eon Fire.] [The Hohwan Mama attempts to resist.] [The Eon Fire has suppressed the Hohwan Mama¡¯s resistance!] [The Hohwan Mama tries to defy the Eon Fire.] [The Eon Fire has crushed the Hohwan Mama¡¯s defiance!] ¡­ [The Eon Fire is regenerating and healing the subject. While blocking all external stimuli, the fire is healing the subject¡¯s wounds.] Although the attribute of the [Single Eon Fire] was ¡®doom¡¯, not ¡®regeneration¡¯ like the [Fire of the Eight Trigram Brazier], its original attribute had notpletely disappeared. Rather, the Eon Fire destroyed the Hohwan Mama inside Eun-Seo¡¯s body, which would surely have tormented her for her entire life, and thus purified her body. Chang-Sun controlled the fire to destroy all the negative effects of Gildalization and only leave behind the positive effects. [The Single Eon Fire and the Hohwan Mama are shing fiercely!] Naturally, it took a while for the Eon Fire to finish its restorative process. However, as with Baek Gyeo-Ul, Eun-Seo would have to undergo part of the process herself without Chang-Sun¡¯s help. Eventually, all Chang-Sun could do was wait. He let go of Eun-Seo''s wrist, then headed over to the small tform to see what was on it while the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire burned the Hohwan Mama. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ asks what has happened to your ambition of taking everything!] Chang-Sun chuckled dryly; he could see what trick Heoju was trying to pull; it was an attempt to make him interested in Gildals and Ghost Soldiers, thus leading him to do what Heoju wanted. Just as everyone in the White Tiger n had been blindly manufacturing the pawns Heoju wanted, he wished for Chang-Sun to do the same. He muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t going to take anything.¡± . [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ tilts his head in confusion, unable to understand you.] Thinking it would be better to show Heoju what he meant to dismiss any doubts, Chang-Sun activated his Authority on the spot. [The Authority ¡®Soul Exploitation¡¯ has been activated, exploiting the ashes of all the beings you have killed over the past 24 hours!] Oooo! Kieeeh¨D! In a sh, ghostly wails filled the room with Chang-Sun at their center; several gloomy gray whirlpools raged, filled with distorted specters and their ashes. They all belonged to the deceased people and monsters Chang-Sun had killed over the past day, including the dead Ghost Soldiers and the Hohwan Mamas within them. [Absorbing the ashes.] [Strength has increased by 0.01!] [Absorbing the ashes.] [Agility has increased by 0.02!] ¡­ [The Hohwan Mama mixed into the ashes attempts to avoid being absorbed.] [The Authority¡¯s power stops the Hohwan Mama¡¯s attempts and tries to integrate it by force!] [Sessfully integrated.] ¡­ [Sessfully purified and used the integrated Hohwan Mama as fuel for the Eon Fire.] [Magic has increased by 0.02!] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ bursts intoughter, dumbstruck.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ shakes the shrine with his loud, manicughter!] Just like the Jigwis, the Hohwan Mamas originated from spirits; seeing as all the spirits Chang-Sun encountered had ended up belonging indefinitely to him so far, it was natural that every Hohwan Mama in the Secret Tiger Lab would likewise be absorbed into him. Click! Click! An immense amount of magic flowed into Chang-Sun like a flooding river, the way it had when he absorbed the Jigwis¡¯ fire. Seemingly already used to the process, his magic integrated circuit absorbed the flow without any difficulty by installing additional shunts. [Magic: 325 (+60)] As he watched his Magic stat increase by 40, Chang-Sun smiled in satisfaction. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ cannot stop his manicughter!] Heoju continued tough strangely. Chang-Sun stopped walking, feeling nervous for some reason; he recalled what Lab Director Sang-Won had said. While hey dying, the director had said two things: He had mentioned the ¡®Gildal¡¯, but the other phrase had been ¡®Before theye¡­!¡¯ When Chang-Sun had pressed him for information on who wasing, the director had answered ¡®Inspection Department¡¯. ¡®If my previous investigation into the White Tiger n was right, the Inspection Department is on the side of Director Gwon Hyo-Hae, Executive Director Oh¡¯s rival¡­ but Executive Director Oh didn¡¯t do anything even though he heard that they wereing,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, analyzing the situation. Of course, Executive Director Oh could have attempted to stop Director Gwon and the Inspection Department on the outside without Chang-Sun knowing about it. However, the Inspection Department members making a move meant they had detected something suspicious from theb; thus, Executive Director Oh would not have been able to smooth things over without making a very attractive offer. The problem was that Executive Director Oh had personally asked Chang-Sun to close the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯, even making his asset Song Yoo-Jun tail Chang-Sun. However, those efforts would never be enough to avoid Director Gwon¡¯s terrifying inspection¡ªno, how could Executive Director Oh be sure that Chang-Sun would be able to close the Dungeon before Director Gwon arrived? ¡®The Dungeon Closure is a separate matter, so it must mean he can get rid of all the evidence rted to him before the Dungeon closes¡­¡¯ Executive Director Oh just needed the Dungeon to be closed ¡®naturally¡¯ to erase any evidence he might have left behind by ident. That sly fox of a man would definitely have taken action to make sure everything would be fine even without a Dungeon Closure. In truth, a question had been bothering Chang-Sun the whole time. If his conjecture about how Executive Director Oh¡¯s weakness was hidden in the ck Blood Mountain Range was right, would he have simply relied on Chang-Sun to take care of everything? For a moment, Chang-Sun had thought that Executive Director Oh simply had no weaknesses, but finding the Gildal had forced him to discard that conjecture. Then, why had Executive Director Oh not used the method he had to destroy the evidence, even though he had it? He should have destroyed, hidden, or at least done something about the Gildal. It did not take long for Chang-Sun toe up with the answer¡ªDirector Hyo-Hae. Executive Director Oh was waiting for his rival to visit the Secret Tiger Lab. If Chang-Sun¡¯s guess was right, was Heojuughing madly because he knew what was going on and having fun watching Chang-Sun? ¡®¡­Wait!¡¯?Chang-Sun thought urgently, quicklying back to reality. He had no time to sit idly. He quickly threw everything on the tform into his inventory without checking. Carrying the still-recovering Eun-Seo on his back, he ignited the Eon Fire. [The Title ¡®Jigwi¡¯s Phantom Body¡¯ has been applied!] [The Skill ¡¯Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been activated. Escape from your current location as soon as possible!] Pah! Quickly breaking the ceiling, Chang-Sun escaped the interior of the research wing. * * * Shortly afterward¡­ ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyoneing out?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the Inspection Department members enter the Dungeon? The Lab Director should have gotten out quickly, but why isn¡¯t he¡­?¡± The researchers stomped the ground anxiously as they watched the explosions in the research wing growrger. Tumble¡­! Deep underground, the ground began to shake. However, no one on the surface felt it due to the explosions in the research wing. In the end, however, disaster struck. ¡°Do you feel¡­?!¡± someone eventually began, but it was toote. Their voice was drowned out by an explosion that overturned the earth. It was as if a volcano had erupted: Pirs of fire soared wildly into the air, eating away the remaining research wings and manufacturing facilities. Boom! Rumble, rumble¨D! Tumble¡­! 1. In mythology, these refer to the spirits of mountains, rivers, trees, rocks, and the like. Chapter 59: Star, Overwhelmingness (2)

Chapter 59: Star, Overwhelmingness (2)

¡°¡­It¡¯s a mess,¡± the White Tiger n¡¯s third-inmand Gwon Hyo-Hae, also known as the ¡®White Cowl Tiger¡¯s Fang¡¯, said, sounding dumbfounded. Despite his sly nature, Executive Director Oh always had a gentle smile. In contrast, Director Gwon always maintained a straight face. Thus, he was normally perceived to be the most difficult executive to deal with. However, even he could not hide his shock today. It was understandable, as the Secret Tiger Lab, which he had been about to inspect personally, had been blown to pieces, leaving nothing for him to inspect. All traces of it werepletely gone, including the mountain range that had been hiding the Secret Tiger Lab. Rumble¡­! Whoosh, whoosh! Swoosh, swoosh¨D! The mountain peaks had been reced with zing pirs of me. The fire had even spread to the nearby areas, swallowing up most of the mountain range. Smoke spewed forth and darkened the sky. The heat was also so intense that if the Inspection Department members and Director Gwon had not been sufficiently skilled, they would have been unable to even reach theb site through the raging fires. ¡°Scour this ce! Leave nothing behind!¡± ¡°Just find something! Come on!¡± The Inspection Department members were quite perplexed, not having expected to find theb blown to pieces. However, they reacted quickly, as they were used to office politics; they quickly went to search for any evidence rted to the explosions. After half a day passed, the Inspection Department Head approached Director Gwon, staring at the ground in shame; his expression was filled with bitterness and anxiety. ¡°Have you looked into it?¡± Director Gwon asked, biting down on a cigarette even though they were surrounded by fires. Although the Inspection Department Head had been serving Director Gwon for over ten years, he still could not read what was on Director Gwon¡¯s mind. Thus, he simply bowed and replied, ¡°Yes, it seems they buried a massive amount of explosives.¡± Director Gwon¡¯s eyes shone sharply as he repeated, ¡°Explosives?¡± ¡°Yes. All the traces we¡¯ve found are from artifacts such as [Agni¡¯s Yawn], [Tribtion Fire Zone], [Fire Forest], [Lightning Grenade]¡­¡± the Department Head trailed off. ¡°They were nning this from the start,¡± Director Gwon said, closing his eyes. ¡°And it looks as if the mountain fire was started by the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire,¡± the Department Head cautiously suggested. ¡°Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire too?¡± Director Gwon remarked, chuckling in disbelief. He was well aware of what a Jigwi was; such a creature had constantly bothered him when he spent some time traveling through the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯. Although he could easily kill one now, it had been very tricky to deal with one back then. ¡°They nned out every part of theb before they even started building it,¡± Director Gwon concluded, as the artifacts listed by the Inspection Department Head were explosive items well-known among yers. Although other artifacts were also dangerous, the Council explicitly prohibited people from using [Agni¡¯s Yawn] due to its exceptional killing power. The more significant point was that the explosives had been ced in such a way as to amplify each other¡¯s powers, as opposed to canceling each other out. In other words, an expert had intentionally ced them that way. Only a person like Executive Director Oh, who had been deeply involved in theb¡¯s construction from the start, could have done such a thing. That was why Director Gwon could say for certain that theb members had been ¡®nning¡¯ this from the start. From the beginning, Executive Director Oh had prepared to detonate theb if things went south. Of course, the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire had not been rted to Executive Director Oh at all, but as there were no survivors, Director Gwon and the Inspection Department Head had no way of knowing that at the moment. In any event, Director Gwon was certain that Executive Director Oh had been hiding something in theb. What could it have been? Although Director Gwon wanted to know, he would never be able to find out, as not a single trace was left. He thought to himself for a long time, biting down on the cigarette; soon, however, he dropped it onto the ground and snuffed it out with the tip of his shoe. ¡°It seems the original n was to wait for me to enter theb and activate the explosives, but why were they activated before I entered? Did Executive Director Oh make a mistake, or did the explosives malfunction?¡± Director Gwon calmly muttered to himself, trying to figure out Executive Director Oh¡¯s motive. However, he sounded as if he were talking about an ident that had happened to somebody else, even though he could have died. The more Director Gwon behaved that way, the more scared the Inspection Department Head became. He could not raise his head as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t think he made a mistake.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. That Executive Director Oh is such a sly snake, he wouldn¡¯t make such a mistake,¡± Director Gwon said with a frown, crossing his arms. ¡°Then, that means another variable that Executive Director Oh wasn¡¯t expecting must have appeared¡­¡± The Inspection Department Head remained silent, knowing it was wiser to leave Director Gwon to draw his own conclusions in times like this. ¡°What could that variable be? Nothing ising to mind right now,¡± Director Gwon wondered. The truth was that Chang-Sun had blown up the research wing beforehand, and the shock had detonated the explosives before they were scheduled to go off, but Director Gwon and the Inspection Department Head had no way of knowing that either. ¡°Anyway, dig a bit deeper in case we find something,¡± Director Gwon said, gesturing at the Inspection Department Head ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the Inspection Department Head replied with an even deeper bow. However, neither he nor Director Gwon truly thought they would really find any evidence, as Executive Director Oh must have erased it all already. However, they could not just leave Executive Director Oh alone. In the end, Executive Director Gwon had to leave the site without finding anything. The Inspection Department Head kept bowing until hepletely disappeared from view. As he heaved a sigh of relief, however, Director Gwon suddenly stopped walking, making him gasp in surprise. ¡°By the way,¡± Director Gwon said. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The Inspection Department Head promptly answered. ¡°I heard some useless rat talked,¡± Director Gwon said; his tone was t, but at that moment, the Inspection Department Head felt a shiver running down his spine. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it right away,¡± the Inspection Department Head replied, bowing as deeply as he could. As if to indicate he was leaving the matter to the Inspection Department Head, Director Gwon lightly waved his hand and exited the site. However, until hepletely left the site¡ªno, until the Inspection Department Head could no longer hear his footsteps¡ªthe Department Head could not stand up straight. Although a long time had passed, Director Gwon¡¯s residual energy continued to give him pressure. * * * [Are you logging out?] As he entered the Gate that led outside, Director Gwon looked up toward where his deity would be watching him. He quietly murmured, ¡°I hope he¡¯ll at least give me a hint.¡± [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is happy that the Dungeon is full of turmoil.] ¡°I knew it,¡± Director Gwon muttered, shaking his head; he had always known that his Guardian was not merciful to his followers. Instead, their deity made them fight constantly. After such fights, he granted power to those he considered ¡®gems¡¯, and authority to those he considered ¡®jewels¡¯; however, if those ¡®gems¡¯ and ¡®jewels¡¯ were to crack by ident, he would simply discard them without any hesitation. Then he would search for recements, as he could find many ¡®tools¡¯ that could be his fangs and ws anywhere. If he could gain sturdier ws and fangs through ceaseless battles, Director Gwon¡¯s Guardian would do anything. Although Director Gwon had initially joined the White Tiger n because he liked that aspect of it, the older he got, the less sure he felt that he was on the right path. ¡®I¡¯ve got no other choice,¡¯?Director Gwon thought with a shrug. As he was his Guardian¡¯s priest, he could not defy his Guardian; no matter what the deity¡¯s doctrine was, a priest¡¯s duty was to obey it. In order to do so, Director Gwon eventually had to get rid of the obstacle in his path named Executive Director Oh. Thus, his deity naturally wanted him to achieve his ambition. Smiling bitterly, Director Gwon entered the Gate. * * * Baek Gyeo-Ul quietly opened his eyes. ¡®I¡¯m¡­?¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought absentmindedly. His head was filled with fog, leaving him unable to remember where he was or what he was doing. The same way anyone would feel disoriented after waking up from deep sleep, Gyeo-Ul¡¯s mind felt foggy. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Chang-Sun asked, suddenly bringing Gyeo-Ul back to reality and making him remember everything, from where he had been to what he had gone through. Gyeo-Ul saw Chang-Sun faintly smiling right before him, but he was unsure where the other man had returned from, because Chang-Sun¡¯s clothes were all ragged. As if Chang-Sun had gone through a fire, he had several scorch marks on his clothes and soot on his face. There was also an unfamiliar woman on Chang-Sun¡¯s back. Seemingly sound asleep, she her calm breathing was so unlike Chang-Sun¡¯s own that it looked as if Chang-Sun had brought her out of another world. ¡°And she¡¯s¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul cautiously asked. ¡°I met her nearby¡­!¡± Chang-Sun exined. ¡°Is she your missus¡­ Urgh!¡± Gyeo-Ul fell backward in the middle of his sentence because he was hit with something blunt, leaving a red mark on his forehead. Smash! ¡°Judging from how you¡¯re speaking nonsense, I see you¡¯vepletely healed,¡± Chang-Sun said, leaving Gyeo-Ul shocked again. Fixated on the phrase pletely healed¡¯, he quickly stood up and looked around to find something that could be used as a mirror. Then, he noticed an item lying by his feet¡ªit was a bronze mirror, and the item that had just hit his forehead. He quickly thanked Chang-Sun and picked it up. When he looked in the mirror¡­ ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Gyeo-Ul eximed inadvertently, not realizing he was starting to sob. The sullen Chang-Sun smiled faintly again. Gyeo-Ul found a totally different person looking back at him. His jawline was chiseled, and his facial features were well-defined. Although his looks seemed a bit sharp, he looked like a traditionally trustworthy, stout, and handsome man with his robust physique and 190-centimeter height; he left apletely different impression from Chang-Sun, who looked like a pretty boy. Gyeo-Ul¡¯s eyes teared up. After he turned back to Chang-Sun, he wanted to say something; however, he hesitated, not knowing what to say. As he had never received anyone¡¯s favor as he grew up, he had barely said ¡®thank you¡¯ to anyone; thus, he could only react that way. Chang-Sun was well aware of that reason, so he said nothing. The absence of hideous burn marks was not the only change. As the half-spirit curse that previously tortured Gyeo-Ul hadpletely melted down, his energies had greatly stabilized overall. ¡°You worked hard,¡± Chang-Sun said quietly. That one sentence was enough. Drip! A streak of tears ran down Gyeo-Ul¡¯s cheek as he bowed silently, expressing his gratitude to his savior, Chang-Sun, to the fullest extent possible. 1. This tiger appears in Korean mythology. A monk wearing a white cowl turned out to be the leader of a tiger pack that caused tiger disasters, so Gang Gam-Chan (a famous general in Korean history) ordered the leader to take his pack and leave the vige or else he would kill them all. The leader obeyed hismand, and the vigers no longer suffered from tiger disasters. Chapter 60: Star, Overwhelmingness (3)

Chapter 60: Star, Overwhelmingness (3)

[Sessfullypleted the two Sudden Quests (The Owl¡¯s Plea & The Tiger¡¯s Plunder)!] [As a reward, the blessing of ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ will be granted!] [Currently essing your achievements to urately determine which reward to give you.] [Please wait for a moment.] ¡­ [As a reward, you have obtained the right to keep the trophies you have acquired.] [Acquired ¡®Dream Sphere ¡Á 32¡¯!] [Acquired ¡®Formerly-Red Ghost¡¯s Knife¡¯!] [Acquired ¡®Energy sk¡¯!] ¡­ [As a reward, the blessing of ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ will be granted!] [Currently essing your achievements to urately determine which reward to give you.] [Please wait for a moment.] ¡­ [A substantial amount of time is needed to urately analyze your achievements and performance.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ ponders what gift to give you for achieving such high performance.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ ponders which fang to give you to praise your achievements.] The moment they concluded that Chang-Sun hadpleted the two quests rted to destroying theb, Minerva and Heoju had been wondering what to give him as a reward; however, it had been quite some time since he finished the quests. ¡®It¡¯s understandable, seeing as they probably think my [Alignment] leanspletely to one side,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. Even though his [Alignment] slightly leaned more toward evil, he was still in the middle of the scale; as people naturally favored the side that highly appreciated them, Minerva and Heoju had to be agonizing over what reward to give. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ boasts that it will be very difficult to give a better gift than hers, which suits you very well!] Meanwhile, Pabilsag was busy bragging to the two deities. In any event, it seemed that the two would only be able to give Chang-Sun his rewards at ater time, so he decided to wait. Besides, he had no ns to fight for a while. ¡®The White Tiger n must have found out about theb by now, so everyone in the n will have flipped out,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a faint smile. After calming down, Baek Gyeo-Ul slowly raised his head and wiped his eyes as if he suddenly felt shy, but his eyes were as red as his cheeks, making Chang-Sun chuckle lightly. ¡°But who is she¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked as he looked at Shin Eun-Seo, whom Chang-Sun hadid on the ground; he was curious to meet the unfamiliar woman, but¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Chang-Sun replied with a shrug. ¡°Pardon¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked cautiously. ¡°I just found her being held captive somewhere, so I brought her with me,¡± Chang-Sun exined. ¡°Oh,¡± Gyeo-Ul said with a nod. Although he did not know Chang-Sun had visited the Secret Tiger Lab, he knew Chang-Sun had other agendas he was unaware of; thus, he simply assumed the woman was a survivor of one such thing. ¡°Then do we have to leave her like this?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked, looking at Eun-Seo worriedly. It had not been long since he was cured of the half-spirit curse, but he pitied Eun-Seo. ¡®He might be bad at expressing his emotions, but he still does. He also seems to be good-hearted,¡¯?Chang-Sun observed. Due to Gyeo-Ul¡¯s half-spirit curse, it had been difficult to see any changes in his facial expression, but not anymore. His kind nature made Chang-Sun want to take him along even more. People who suffered from discrimination and violence often turned out with crooked natures. Having grown up watching such things, their ways of thinking would automatically be affected. However, Gyeo-Ul had no such issues, apart from being a pessimist. That meant he was born to be a man of great caliber and good nature like his father. Despite his notorious reputation in Heaven, Xerxes had often left Chang-Sun frustrated with his tender-heartedness. ¡®He¡¯s like a dog,¡¯?Chang-Sun concluded. Naturally, that sounded strange, but he did not mean it in a bad way. Although a dog would remain alert against strangers, it would gently wag its tail after opening up to them. After reassessing Gyeo-Ul, Chang-Sun answered, ¡°She¡¯ll wake up on her own, as I administered first aid.¡± Gyeo-Ul nodded, fixing his gaze on Chang-Sun with eyes full of absolute trust. It seemed he would believe everything Chang-Sun said, even if he told Gyeo-Ul that one plus one was three. Just then¡­ ¡°Mmmm¡­!¡± Eun-Seo groaned, her eyes twitching for the first time. Surprised and unsure what to do, Gyeo-Ul began fidgeting. However, Chang-Sun felt distracted, gesturing at Gyeo-Ul to stay put as he woke Eun-Seo up. ¡°Hey, Miss Shin Eun-Seo. Can you hear me?¡± Chang-Sun called out after digging up her name from his memory. When she heard Chang-Sun, Eun-Seo quietly opened her eyes. As she gained focus, she saw Chang-Sun looking at her. ¡°¡­!¡± Facing thest person she had expected to see, her eyes widened. It was only natural for her to be surprised, as she had been a fan of Chang-Sun for a long time. ¡°Can you hear me, Miss Eun-Seo? Can you tell me who I am?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. However, Eun-Seo did not answer, and insteady still with her eyes shut. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Unable to understand what she was doing, Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul tilted their heads in confusion. ¡°I must be dreaming. How can I still dream about him during training¡­ I must have gone crazy,¡± Eun-Seo mumbled to herself, falling asleep again. Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul were unsure how to react, shooting each other dumbfounded looks and blinking silently. * * * ¡°D-D-Did you, the Tyrant¡­ really s-save¡­ m-me¡­?!¡± Eun-Seo stuttered, almost losing her mind after she heard Chang-Sun¡¯s exnation of what had happened. She was so excited that she was unable to sit still, making Chang-Sun briefly wonder if smoke woulde out from her nostrils at any moment. Luckily, she seemed to be unable to remember what had happened after she was kidnapped, just as Chang-Sun expected. Perhaps her defense mechanisms had subconsciously activated to protect her ego, or the [Dream Sphere] caused temporary memory loss; whatever the cause was, she could not remember what had happened at all. Chang-Sun thought it was better for her to forget what had happened, as such incidents often became a source of trauma that could corrode a person¡¯s mind. ¡®Of course, I have to constantly help her stay mentally stable¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Meanwhile, Eun-Seo was still incredibly excited, making Chang-Sun wonder whether there was any side effect of the [Dream Spheres] that he did not know about. ¡°B-By any chance, did I drool or say nonsense while I-I s-slept¡­?¡± Eun-Seo trailed off, busy trying to read Chang-Sun¡¯s mind. After recalling the sleep talk he had heard when he brought her along from theb, Chang-Sun shook his head, thinking it would not be good to bring it up. He replied, ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± Eun-Seo asked again. ¡°Really, you didn¡¯t,¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡°Phew¡­! That¡¯s a relief,¡± Eun-Seo said, heaving a sigh of relief only after Chang-Sun firmly shook his head. However, when Chang-Sun stood up, Eun-Seo subconsciously stared at him in surprise. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve gotten better, so let¡¯s get out of here first. As you can see, we aren¡¯t exactly safe here,¡± Chang-Sun said, nning to observe her for the time being in order to see whether there would be any unexpected side effects. However, Eun-Seo was practically about to faint from excitement, due to the way Chang-Sun had not only saved her but also offered to find her colleagues. The ¡®Tyrant¡¯ Lee Chang-Sun she knew had never been kind to anyone. Whenever fans asked for his signature, he had always coldly rejected their requests without exining why. This time, however, he had made a kind offer despite his usual cold tone, making her heart flutter. ¡®C-Can this really be happening? I¡¯m not dreaming, right? I¡¯m awake. I¡¯m awake¡­!¡¯?Eun-Seo thought tedly. At that moment, however, she suddenly came to her senses. During her yer qualification test, she had watched visual aids that warned about doppelganger-type monsters that disguised themselves as humans and lured yers into traps. When she recalled that, she hurriedly moved far away from Chang-Sun, staying on her guard like a scared kitten. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Wondering what was wrong with Eun-Seo now, Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul turned back to look at her. Eun-Seo sharply narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your blood type?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Type B,¡± Chang-Sun answered. ¡°When¡¯s your birthday?¡± Eun-Seo quickly added. ¡°It¡¯s January 30th,¡± Chang-Sun replied, tilting his head in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s your favorite food?¡± Eun-Seo continued, her eyes shining. ¡°It¡¯s kimchi-jjigae, but why are you suddenly asking these questions?¡± Chang-Sun asked, squinting in response to her strange behavior. However, Eun-Seo did not lower her guard easily, replying, ¡°That¡¯s not your favorite food. That¡¯s weird, because I urately remember that two years ago, on August 23rd, you said you wanted to eat tuna gimbap first after returning to Korea. That was during an interview you had after pulling off ae-from-behind victory to beat the French team in San Francisco, 3:2.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Chang-Sun was dumbstruck. ¡°I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I? Yeah, my oppa is the embodiment of rudeness, so he wouldn¡¯t be kind like you. You¡¯re fake, aren¡¯t you? Who are you?¡± Eun-Seo replied with a smirk. It seemed that Eun-Seo had misunderstood and thought Chang-Sun was a doppelganger, but it would be difficult to exin himself. Although the game had happened two years ago on Earth, it had happened several hundred years ago for Chang-Sun, so he could not even remember it. He had just answered ¡®kimchi-jjigae¡¯ because his mother had been making the dish often as ofte. ¡®What should I do? Should I just leave her here?¡¯ Chang-Sun quietly wondered. ¡°Huh? My bad, you¡¯re my oppa. Hehe, when did kimchi-jjigae be your favorite food?¡± Eun-Seo suddenly asked with a grin, lowering her guard and standing beside Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul again. Confused by the sudden change, Chang-Sun tilted his head and asked, ¡°What made you change your mind again?¡± ¡°The look on your face,¡± Eun-Seo said, beaming. ¡°¡­?¡± Chang-Sun was bewildered. ¡°You considered leaving me here just now because I was bothering you, right? Yeah, my oppa would definitely do that,¡± Eun-Seo exined. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Which direction should I go now? Is it this way?¡± Eun-Seo asked, taking the lead. After watching her for a moment, Chang-Sun chuckled. Although it was hard to read what was going on inside her head, Eun-Seo was somewhat adorable. It was hard to hate her. ¡°You¡¯re silly,¡± Chang-Sun remarked, chuckling as he slowly began moving. Gyeo-Ulughed along as he followed them. 1. Kimchi stew, a traditional Korean dish. 2. Rice and fillings (in this case, tuna mayo) rolled in seaweed, simr to Japanese maki but without vinegared rice; also a traditional Korean dish. Chapter 61: Star, Overwhelmingness (4)

Chapter 61: Star, Overwhelmingness (4)

Shin Geum-Gyu gritted his teeth as he thought, ¡®Where on earth did she disappear to¡­?¡¯ It had already been four days since his twin sister disappeared into thin air. While his team was crossing the forest, a group of monsters had ambushed them. Under the guidance of his team leader, Kim Hyeong-Jun, the team had sessfully gotten the monsters under control to an extent. The problem came afterward, because Shin Eun-Seo had disappeared while they were killing monsters. At first, Geum-Gyu assumed that she had hidden from the monsters or fallen behind the group as she chased after the escaping monsters; after a while, however, he became nervous, thinking that perhaps a monster he failed to notice had kidnapped his sister. However, no matter how much he scoured the area with his teammates and how many monster hives they raided, Geum-Gyu could not find Eun-Seo. If he had found her corpse, he would have been sad, but he could have at least given up. Nevertheless, he had been unable to find a single trace of her, as if she had evaporated into thin air. Geum-Gyu even asked the instructors, who had said they would protect the trainees in secret, what had happened, but the answer he received was that they had not seen what happened because of the hectic situation, leaving him incredibly frustrated. Every day from then on was torture for Geum-Gyu. Sometimes he felt so suffocated that he was unable to breathe, leading him to run into the forest alone and scream at the top of his lungs. However, he could not calm down. Although he had always teased his sister for her immaturity and nagged her about wasting her time and money, she was still his dearest sister. Although she acted as if she had a screw loose, she was very considerate of others. In contrast to Geum-Gyu, who always gave up even if he wanted something, she was so tenacious that she got things done every time. In fact, she was very mature, almost as if she were his older sister; he still had a lot to learn from her. Eun-Seo had been like that ever since she was little. In the past, Geum-Gyu had once returned home after being beaten by the neighborhood bullies because of his impoverished single-parent family. Upon seeing him in such a state, she had fiercely asked who was responsible, then gone out with a slipper. After a while, she returned with a bruised eye, looking incredibly strong as she brightly said she had pped the bad guys¡¯ foreheads using her slipper. After their mother found out about the incident, she had scolded Eun-Seo for being too wild, but Eun-Seo had just beamed, saying she was alright. Geum-Gyu could not lose his dear sister like this. Thus, he had left his team members, who had grown reluctant to find her, two days prior. However¡­ ¡®Why did I run into them here¡­?!¡¯?Geum-Gyu thought in frustration. He ran into trouble because he was stopped by Lim Joo-Han and his boys, who had formed the biggest group in the ¡®ckish Blood Mountain Range¡¯ named Mister Lim. ¡°Please¡­ Let me enter. I beg you,¡± Geum-Gyu pleaded with a bow. The people who had stopped him were perplexed, but they shook their heads as if they had no other choice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°We also know why you¡¯re doing this, but¡­¡± They trailed off as they busily tiptoed around Joo-Han, who was crossing his arms and watching them. It was enough for Geum-Gyu to figure out who was trying to interrupt his search, so he looked at Joo-Han with a pleading gaze. However, Joo-Han calmly shook his head with the gentle smile he had used to bewitch several other people, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t let you do that, because it¡¯s dangerous here. We¡¯ll look for your sister as much as possible, so please go back.¡± Although he spoke very politely, he was firmly declining Geum-Gyu¡¯s request to enter the area. In truth, Joo-Han was secretly very annoyed, despite his calm expression. He thought, ¡®What¡¯s this idiot? I already have tons of things to do, but he¡¯s bothering me.¡¯ Joo-Han had ordered his team members to block the route because it led yers to an area with monsters that could give a substantial amount of experience points. As he was aiming to be on top among the trainees¡ªno, be on top of the Dungeon Ranking, he did not want other teams to use the hunting ground he had secured with great difficulty. ¡®Lee Chang-Sun, Lee Chang-Sun¡­! I have to beat him somehow,¡¯?Joo-Han thought, gritting his teeth. Thest time he had checked, Chang-Sun was in second ce on the Dungeon Ranking, not just the trainee ranking. Considering how the training exercise had just started three weeks ago, Chang-Sun¡¯s current ranking was absurd. In contrast to Chang-Sun, Joo-Han was currently in 121st ce. On top of that, there was also a man named Baek Gyeo-Ul who was at 42nd ce in the Dungeon Ranking. Although Joo-Han was confident that he could climb the ranks within the remaining period, he could not tolerate someone¡¯s name being above his. ¡®I have to close the gap as quickly as possible because it¡¯ll be harder to do so as time passes,¡¯?Joo-Han thought anxiously.? That was why he had secured an efficient hunting ground and focused on leveling up after instructing his team members to stop anyone from approaching. However, he had suddenly been stopped by his team member¡¯s urgent report. ¡®His sister went missing nearby? Nonsense! He should havee up with a better excuse. Who would believe that? Tsk!¡± He had already concluded that Geum-Gyu was lying. However, even if Geum-Gyu was speaking the truth, Joo-Han had no intention of granting his request, because the world of yers was very cruel. If a monster got the better of Geum-Gyu in the training institute, a ce safely guarded by instructors, he would soon die in a foreign Dungeon if he ever went out into the field. ¡®That kind of guy is always a problem. Without knowing the reality of yer life, they flock toward the job like moths¡ªno, idiots¡ªjust because yers look cool.¡¯ Holding his desire to show his disgust, Joo-Han smiled gently again; no matter how much of an idiot someone else was, it was important to always maintain one¡¯s image as a kind-hearted person. ¡°I¡¯ll search the area for just a minute, so¡­!¡± Geum-Gyu desperately shouted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Joo-Han said as he turned back to return to his hunting ground, thinking Geum-Gyu had to have understood by now. Paaah¨D! ¡°Huh, huuuh?¡± ¡°Wait¡­!¡± Joo-Han¡¯s team members shouted as Geum-Gyu ran in the direction of the hunting ground with gritted teeth, avoiding the people trying to stop him. sh! ¡°Step back,¡± Joo-Han said, instinctively drawing his sword to stop Geum-Gyu once again. ¡°B-but¡­!¡± Geum-Gyu stuttered as he came to a halt, as Joo-Han¡¯s bloody sword would slice through his waist if he continued to force his way in. ¡°It¡¯s against the rules to trespass in a hunting ground that has an owner,¡± Joo-Han said, reminding him of the training institute¡¯s rule. ording to the principle of ¡®survival of the fittest,¡¯ trainees could form a team or monopolize a hunting ground. However, they would only be able to do so if they were skilled enough, meaning other people could also take one from them. To sum things up, Geum-Gyu had to choose one of two options to pass through the area: He had to win against Joo-Han or be his subordinate. Unlike Eun-Seo, Geum-Gyu was not a talented yer, so he had no way of winning against Joo-Han. Still, he could not retreat. Thus, he ended up hesitating, unsure what to do. With a solemn look, Joo-Han brought his sharp sword closer to Geum-Gyu¡¯s neck, threatening to take his head off at any minute with just a little more force. [The aura of ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ fills the air!] As he continued to ramp up the intimidation, Joo-Han gave the trembling Geum-Gyu a final warning¡ªno, he was about to as he began, ¡°I said, step back¡­!¡± ¡°Get away from my younger brother, you half-chewed squid!¡± ¡­However, Joo-Han was interrupted by Eun-Seo¡¯s yelling. * * * Shouting at the top of her lungs, Eun-Seo abruptly sprang forward. It seemed that the person being intimidated was her twin ¡®younger brother¡¯, whom Eun-Seo had been looking for; however, as the person doing the intimidating seemed strong, Gyeo-Ul prepared to follow Eun-Seo. ¡°Wait,¡± Chang-Sun suddenly said, holding out a hand to stop Gyeo-Ul. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sir?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked in confusion. ¡°Stay put for a moment,¡± Chang-Sun instructed him. Gyeo-Ul looked at Chang-Sun with confusion for a moment, wondering why he had given such an order. However, when he noticed that Chang-Sun¡¯s gaze was fixed on Eun-Seo, he took a step backward without challenging the order, because he believed Chang-Sun had to have a legitimate reason. Ever since Gyeo-Ul had undone the half-spirit curse, he trusted Chang-Sun more than anyone else in the world. ¡®If I observe her, I¡¯ll be able to find out what a Gildal is and check if she suffers from other side effects,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he silently watched Eun-Seo. Boom! Leaping high into the air, Eun-Seo uratelynded between Geum-Gyu and Joo-Han, kicking up arge cloud of dust. At that moment, Joo-Han subconsciously moved back a bit; on top of being surprised by Eun-Seo¡¯s sudden interference, she was also emanating shockingly intense energy. [The aura of ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ is raging!] Behind Eun-Seo, Geum-Gyu was also surprised and dumbfounded, barely managing to utter, ¡°You¡­!¡± For a moment, he had been relieved to find his twin sister, whom he had tried so hard to search for. However, it seemed as if she had be a totally different person. However, Chang-Sun thought Eun-Seo was bound to be different; her [Tiger Kill] had been infused with a substantial amount of the ¡®Hohwan Mama¡¯ after partially undergoing Gildalization, which meant it was a lot more advanced than that of the other trainees who had recently learned [Tiger Kill]. Thus, unless the person¡¯s mastery of the skill was higher than Eun-Seo¡¯s own, they would naturally feel overwhelmed by her. That was not what surprised Chang-Sun the most, however. ¡®She might be surprised at the changes in her body, but she¡¯s handling the change quite well, as if she had been born this way,¡¯?Chang-Sun observed. Judging from the way she was acting, Eun-Seo herself seemed to be shocked by the sudden changes in her body. It was understandable, as her stats hadpletely changed after being rescued from the monster who had kidnapped her. However, she did not reveal how baffled she was; perhaps it was because now was not the time to do so, or it was simply because she was far tougher than her petite frame suggested. Rather, her eyes shone brightly with apparent satisfaction at her newfound power. ¡°How dare youy hands on my younger brother? Get lost!¡± Eun-Seo shouted with fierce energy. Joo-Han¡¯s expression froze. Only after his subordinates pointed their weapons at Eun-Seo did hee back to reality, his face red with embarrassment. He gripped his sword tightly as he bit his lower lip, asking, ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± ¡°I said, you look like a piece of half-chewed squid. Do you have a problem with that? Oh, I see what the problem is. You look like a dried-up sea anemone, so I can¡¯tpare you to an innocent squid. Ah, wait, then am I being unfair to the sea anemone?¡± Eun-Seo remarked with a smirk. For his entire life, Joo-Han had walked an elite path and was always considered handsome, so he had never heard such an insult. On top of that, Eun-Seo¡¯s smirk only made him angrier. However, he suppressed his anger as best he could and calmly said, ¡°You¡¯re insulting me and my team.¡± ¡°How is it an insult? Well, you¡¯re the one who tried toy a hand on my younger brother, and what¡¯s that? ckmailing? Threatening? ying Gab? What¡¯s your favorite?¡± Eun-Seo continued. Feeling as if he would go out of his mind if he continued to bicker with the petite woman before him, Joo-Han¡¯s expression stiffened once again before he said, ¡°I guess I have to shut your mouth first.¡± Paaah¨D! Joo-Han moved quickly, nning to subdue Eun-Seo first. As the instructors were no doubt watching, he could not truly harm her, but the instructors would not interfere unless the fight became too serious. Thus, he could still teach her just how scary the world was. Joo-Han¡¯s team members, who had been staying still, also moved; as his subordinates, they had to help him. ¡°You cowards. Well, I guess I should have seen iting, seeing as three men are ganging up on one woman, huh?¡± Eun-Seo remarked, insulting them as much as she could while coldly analyzing the situation. She was going up against a total of three yers, including Joo-Han. He already looked like a skilled yer who would not be easy to deal with, but there were two more yers aside from him. If she fought them head-to-head, she would definitely lose; even though she had acquired a mysterious power, she could not guarantee that she would be able to use it unless shepletely mastered it. However, she would be able to win if she used that power correctly. Thus, she took a weapon out of a deep corner of her inventory and mmed it against the ground. ¡®A tower shield?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in surprise. Eun-Seo had pulled out something he had never expected¡ªa two-meter-tall tower shield that was farrger than her entire body. The shield was so thick that most attacks would fail to even leave a scratch on it. ng! sh! ¡°W-What¡¯s going on¡­?¡± ¡°Why did it¡­?!¡± Just as expected, the two yers who tried to attack Eun-Seo first were perplexed when their attacks were easily blocked by her tower shield. Paying little heed to them, Eun-Seo moved forward, focusing her power on holding the tower shield in her left hand. When she moved forward with the tower shield, she looked like an armored car, severely intimidating her opponents. [Your ¡®Tiger Walk¡¯ is strengthening as you walk forward!!] [You are moving more quickly!] [The Skill ¡®Shield Attack¡¯ is being used with full force!] Boom! Boom! ¡°Aarggh!¡± ¡°Urgh!¡± Eun-Seo charged forward so quickly that the two yers were instantly struck by her tower shield. One yer flew into the air like a deted balloon, eventually rolling across the ground. Barely managing to sidestep the charge, the other yer dodged Eun-Seo¡¯s [Shield Attack] and attempted to attack her from the side, but he was stopped. nggg! ¡°Hal-halberd¡­?!¡± The second yer¡¯s eyes widened when he saw what had stopped his sword attack. It was a long halberd, a weapon with a sharp spike attached to arge ax de for a head. Just like the tower shield, the halberd was sorge that it seemed as if it could cut monsters in half from top to bottom with a single strike. The contrast between the petite woman who was barely 160 centimeters tall and the vicious-looking polearm only made the sight look more intimidating. [A ¡®Tiger Disaster¡¯ is being used with full force!] The yer had no idea where his opponent¡¯s power wasing from. Eun-Seo powerfully swung the halberd in her right hand. Crack, boom! Slide! She destroyed the yer¡¯s sword instantly, and also hit him as hard as she could. At thest moment, she had used the back of the halberd, keeping the yer from dying; however, he was tossed a great distance away, struck by an immense force akin to being hit by a car. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Eun-Seo¡¯s outrageous power overwhelmed everything. [The aura of ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ has filled the air!] Having missed the chance to attack Eun-Seo, Joo-Han stood still, frozen in ce. Geum-Gyu gaped, vacantly watching Eun-Seo in disbelief over what was happening. ¡°What were you going to do with me again?¡± Eun-Seo casually threw Joo-Han a question. Joo-Han subconsciously straightened his posture, as a shiver and a trickle of cold sweat ran down his spine. Looking at Joo-Han, Eun-Seoughed slyly as she continued, ¡°My memory often fails me, so can you tell me again, you spoon-worm-looking mister?¡± [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ cheers the yer ¡®Shin Eun-Seo¡¯ on for executing justice!] 1. The raw literally says ¡®Mister Lim¡¯. The intent is to convey how arrogant he is. 2. Age is very important in Korea. The older you are, the more mature and skilled you are assumed to be, so people like to say ¡®I¡¯m older than you¡¯. As Eun-Seo and Geum-Gyu are twins, they always argue about who was born first. 3. Koreans often make fun of other people¡¯s looks using sea creatures. The mostmonly used one is squid. Chapter 62: Star, Overwhelmingness (5)

Chapter 62: Star, Overwhelmingness (5)

¡°¡­I see she doesn¡¯t need my help,¡± Baek Gyeo-Ul remarked, awkwardly putting away the long spear that he had been holding so he could help Shin Eun-Seo at any moment. Indeed, Eun-Seo was teaching Lim Joo-Hwan a lesson. No matter how much Joo-Han attempted to counterattack, every swing of his sword was blocked by Eun-Seo¡¯s tower shield. Afterward, Eun-Seo skillfully began to retaliate, swinging her halberd with admirable skill. In other words, she was a tank-type yer who could both inflict a great deal of damage and withstand her enemies'' attacks for a long time. In the end, Joo-Hwan tried to escape, unable to withstand Eun-Seo¡¯s attacks. However, his attempts soon became futile, as Eun-Seo knocked him out by throwing her halberd at his back. Eun-Seo and Joo-Hwan both looked powerful¡ªno, Joo-Hwan was technically stronger, but he was forced to his knees, unable to inflict significant damage on Eun-Seo. ¡®The gap in their innate talent is greater than I thought,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, summarizing the reason very concisely. It was true that Joo-Hwan was more skilled than most people, but Eun-Seo had so much more talent that she could easily overwhelm him. She was what people called a ¡®genius¡¯. There was a reason why Chang-Sun had taken an interest in her as soon as he met her. Although her talent had not been noticed until now, she would definitely have found great sess someday. If Chang-Sun had not been in the White Tiger n, she might have be one of the rising stars within the n¡ªno, she had almost be a Gildal precisely because the n already thought so. ¡®And her talent became even greater after going through Gildalization,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Eun-Seo¡¯s greatest talent was her unwavering judgment in unexpected situations¡ªsuch as the times when she had doubted Chang-Sun, encountered Joo-Hwan, and realized her mysterious power. Without revealing her uncertainty, she had rationally analyzed the situations and made decisions ordingly. Above all, she trusted her own decisions and remained determined to carry out her ns. Due to her frivolous behavior, few people expected that side of her. On top of that, she had obtained outrageous strength after Gildalization; potentially, she could also have gained sharp senses, giving wings to someone who was already talented. ¡®Unlocking talent¡­ No, Gildalization is more about unlocking potential, pleting¡¯ the subject¡¯s body. If she¡¯s already that skilled even though she didn¡¯t go through half the Gildalization process, I have to assume that a real Gildal would be even more outstanding,¡¯?Chang-Sun spected. The Ghost Soldiers alone were incredible, but a Gildal would be at a much higher level than them. However, Executive Director Oh was the only one who had control over them. Silently clicking his tongue, Chang-Sun thought, ¡®I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s aiming for, but Executive Director Oh is certainly ambitious.¡¯ It looked as if the key would be to find out how many ¡®cards¡¯ such as the Ghost Soldiers and the Gildal were up Executive Director Oh¡¯s sleeves. ¡®I¡¯ll have to inspect what I obtained from the altar in detail.¡¯? Recalling the scroll he had found with Eun-Seo, Chang-Sun organized his thoughts and moved in Eun-Seo and Geum-Gyu¡¯s direction, with Gyeo-Ul at his back. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Geum-Gyu asked, looking at Eun-Seo with confusion. However, he still checked to see if his sister had sustained any injuries. It was understandable, as she had be a totally different person after disappearing into thin air for fifteen days. When he sensed the approaching Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul, he flinched as he looked at them, staying on guard. As he had suffered because of Joo-Hwan, he wanted to verify their intentions. Chang-Sun in particr was someone to watch out for as far as the trainees were concerned, but¡­ ¡°It¡¯s okay. They saved me,¡± Eun-Seo reassured him. ¡°That bast¡­ no, Mr. Lee Chang-Sun did?¡± Geum-Gyu asked in surprise. Although he knew little about Chang-Sun because he was uninterested in games, he had heard a thing or two that told him what kind of person Chang-Sun was. On top of that, the Chang-Sun whom Geum-Gyu had initially met seemed to be an arrogant man who thought he was better than everyone else. However, it appeared Geum-Gyu¡¯s first impression was wrong. ¡®But who¡¯s next to him? I¡¯ve never met him, but he doesn¡¯t look like an instructor. Is he one of the trainees?¡¯?Geum-Gyu wondered, not recognizing Gyeo-Ul¡¯s changed appearance. It seemed as if he would have to ask them countless questions. * * * ¡°What are you going to do, sir?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked Chang-Sun, trying to get an idea of their next move after Geum-Gyu received a brief exnation of what had happened. Gyeo-Ul felt that Chang-Sun would naturally have a n in mind. Eun-Seo and Geum-Gyu likewise fixed their gazes on Chang-Sun. Eun-Seo thought the mysterious power she had suddenly been granted was ¡®a bonus reward from Heoju or an unknown deity, granted while she was unconscious¡¯. Although it only happened on rare asions, yers sometimes gained sudden strength through the bonus rewards they received. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ delightedly says that he likes the w who is as talented as she is,ughing.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ says that the power may have originated from an evil source, but she can put it to good use.] However, Geum-Gyu and Eun-Seo had nowhere to return to because of Eun-Seo''s newfound power. Even if they returned to their original team, the other team members would have an awkward rtionship with them, so the two had to follow Chang-Sun¡­ Fortunately, Chang-Sun had not explicitly rejected them, implicitly agreeing to work together as a team. Thus, they were bound to be curious about Chang-Sun¡¯s ns. There could be nothing more exciting than watching the genius who had set a new record in action. With sparkling eyes, Eun-Seo especially looked forward to Chang-Sun¡¯s answer. However¡­ ¡°What am I going to do?¡± Chang-Sun replied nonchntly, as if Gyeo-Ul had asked a redundant question. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, seeing as we¡¯re in a Dungeon?¡± ¡°Then are you nning to clear the Dungeon¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked, his expression brightening.. In contrast to Geum-Gyu, who screamed silently as if he could not believe what he was hearing, Eun-Seo¡¯s eyes sparkled as brightly as a gxy. The ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯ had existed for a very long time, but it had not been cleared even once. The Dungeon itself was veryrge, and the difficulty level varied in every sector, making it difficult to clear. There was a reason why the White Tiger n had given up on clearing the Dungeon and instead used it as their training institute. However, the n instructors always yed things up, urging new trainees to clear the Dungeon if they could, because they thought it would be impossible for the trainees to clear the Dungeon within one hundred days. Thus, it was understandable that Geum-Gyu could not believe they would be trying to finish the Dungeon. Regardless, the n had been formted by Chang-Sun, the genius SSS+++ Grade novice who had achieved many unbelievable goals. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ wonders if it is possible to do that.] As he had been watching the ck Blood Mountain Range for a long time, even Heoju could not believe Chang-Sun¡¯s big talk. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ cheers you on, saying you will be able to aplish it.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ asks how anyone can still doubt such a sly snake, clicking his tongue.] Paying little heed to how the deities were reacting, Chang-Sun nodded quietly as he looked at Gyeo-Ul. ¡°I knew it¡­! Then how long do you think it¡¯ll take to clear the Dungeon?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked with sparkling eyes. Meanwhile, Eun-Seo and Geum-Gyu showedpletely different reactions from one another. As Gyeo-Ul¡¯s half-spirit curse waspletely cured, all his attention was focused on challenging the unfinished Dungeon that was considered impossible to clear. As he was a martial artist, he was bound to be excited about the challenge. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Chang-Sun asked, tilting his head. ¡°Well, we have to make several preparations to clear the Dungeon¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul excitedly continued. ¡°We don¡¯t need to make preparations,¡± Chang-Sun said, snorting lightly and crossing his arms. ¡°A day will be enough.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± This time, Gyeo-Ul and Eun-Seo silently screamed along with Geum-Gyu. * * * ¡°Urgh!¡± Joo-Han opened his eyes, clutching his aching head. Had he fainted? Everything around him was confusing. However, he abruptly came back to reality as all the humiliating events that had happened to him shed before his eyes like afterimages: He had been beaten by Eun-Seo like a dog. No matter how hard he resisted, Eun-Seo had followed him relentlessly and beat him with her halberd. Even right now, he felt as if Eun-Seo would smack his head again with the halberd. ¡°¡­!¡± Joo-Han instinctively raised his sword high into the air. Whoosh! However, nothing smacked his head. The only thing he could feel was a breeze. Joo-Hwan gradually looked around at his surroundings and realized what was going on, as Eun-Seo and Geum-Gyu were nowhere to be found and the only people he could see were his team members, who had fainted before him. ¡®How dare¡­! How dare she¡­!¡¯ Joo-Hwan thought as he gritted his teeth angrily, unable to hold in his boiling anger. He trembled with a sense of humiliation he had never felt before in his entire life. ¡®What did she do? How can a bitch whose rank is much lower than mine¡­?!¡¯?Joo-Han thought, but suddenly, a possibility came to his mind. ¡®Yes, she must have cheated by drinking a potion, fooled my eyes, or something like that. That must be it. Otherwise, it doesn¡¯t make sense. She might be a demonic being.¡¯ He could not be more wrong, but he had a hard time epting the fact that Eun-Seo had beaten him, as he was confident he could even beat Chang-Sun in his current state. ¡®I¡¯ll get to the bottom of the cheat she used. If she¡¯s truly a demonic being, I¡¯ll never let her walk in daylight again,¡¯?Joo-Han thought as he gritted his teeth. ¡°Team Leader!¡± ¡°Where are you, Team Leader?¡± Coming from the hunting ground, his team members who had been hunting together looked for him. They had likely begun to search for him because he had not returned for a long time. How could Joo-Han exin the situation? Although he wanted to say everything was fine, his surroundings did not look?fine. No matter how Eun-Seo had cheated, it would be embarrassing if his team members found out she had beaten him. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll silence them for good so they won¡¯t talk about what happened¡­?¡¯?Joo-Han briefly thought about killing his two unconscious team members, but he could not due to the instructors watching him. ¡®Or maybe I¡¯ll tell them she ambushed us, but my team and I ambushed her in turn.¡¯ Joo-Han quickly analyzed the situation and concluded that ambushing Eun-Seo was a good idea. Everyone in the Dungeon was supposed to believe he was invincible, and thus could not lose unless he had been ambushed by a demonic being. However, he could still look invincible if he caught the demonic being in the end¡ªno, more than that, he would leave a strong impression on his team members and fellow trainees while turning the table on the enemy. ¡®A trainee who caught the demonic being that infiltrated the training institute in a life-and-death battle¡¯ would definitely be a headline in the media. Joo-Han had already concluded that Eun-Seo and Geum-Gyu were demonic beings, and thus fixated on the n of receiving the spotlight by subduing them. ¡®Yes, that Lee Chang-Sun bastard must also be a demonic being, or else it would be impossible to have such a record. After I tell the world what that Eun-Seo bitch is, I¡¯ll be going after you, Lee Chang-Sun,¡¯?Joo-Han thought, finalizing his ns. He slowly stood up, acting as if he had received a grave injury. In truth, however, he was meticulously(?) picturing his shining future. ¡°I¡¯m here¡­!¡± Joo-Hwan shouted. However, that shining future would dim soon after. [The Dungeon Mission has concluded!] [Compiling the final ranking.] [Dungeon Ranking] First ce: Lee Chang-Sun (810,320 Points) Second ce: Munseong (390,000 Points) ¡­ [Different rewards will be given out based on performance.] [Different rewards will be given out based on rank.] ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Joo-Han murmured, dumbfounded, after seeing a message he had never expected to see in the ck Blood Mountain Range. Joo-Han, his team members who had been running in his direction after hearing his voice, the nearby instructors, the people who had been training in the Safe Zone¡­ All the people in the Dungeon were screaming. ¡°What in the world happened¡­?¡± ¡°The Dungeon has been cleared? Un-Unbelievable!¡± ¡°What the hell happened? Who was monitoring Lee Chang-Sun? Quickly find out what happened!¡± However, they had to ept what had happened, because they could not continue to stay in the Dungeon if the Dungeon Mission had concluded. [The Dungeon is closing.] [Everyone, please brace for impact.] [10.] [9.] ¡­ [1.] [The Dungeon is nowpletely closed.] [Great work, everyone.] It had been twenty-five days since the probationary training had begun, and the Dungeon had been closed in less than a month. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ enjoys the chaos!] Chapter 63: Star, The Meeting (1)

Chapter 63: Star, The Meeting (1)

¡°Wh-what¡­?¡± ¡°Why¡¯re people suddenly¡­?¡± The guard post that had been protecting the gate leading to the ck Blood Mountain Range was in chaos. The guards had already been in disorder due to Director Gwon and the Inspection Department members barging in. On top of that, the probationers and instructors had all been forced out of the dungeon due to the gate closing. Among the crowds, there were also Inspection Department members who were there to investigate the blown-upb. Everyone looked perplexed. Nobody had expected that the Dungeon Mission would be concluded. Some were so confused that they thought they must have been forced to exit the Dungeon to carry out a new Dungeon Mission, but those with sharper judgment realized the true reason. It was due to the person that had ranked first in the Dungeon Ranking, with an overwhelmingly higher score than the White Tiger n Leader. The person whom people couldn¡¯t easily refer to by name. ¡°Lee Chang-Sun¡­! Someone get Lee Chang-Sun¡­! Come on!¡± Someone shouted at the top of their lungs. * * * ¨DBabyPot: Man, my hyung-nim has done it again! It¡¯s fucking great, sick, five, six, seven, awesome, and cool. Hey, mister. How old are you? ?Beep. Turn right to find the senior citizen center. ¨DUNKNOWN: What¡¯s this? Are my eyes malfunctioning or something? ¨DGaudium: The ck Blood Mountain Range is the White Tiger n¡¯s training institute, right? The cursed ce where ten probationers go in and only eighte out? ?Gosh, my hyung-nim is definitely on another level. ?I heard the Dungeon is really famous among foreign yers too. The difficulty level differs by sector, and the Dungeon is so freakishlyrge that they almost starved to death beforepleting the Dungeon Mission. ?He even beat Sword Sky Tiger and ranked first ce in the Dungeon Ranking. How did he clear a Dungeon like that? ¨DSteak: I once saw a video clip that showed the inside of the Dungeon, and it was freaking crazy. He cleared that Dungeon? In less than a month? ?How could you fall for that, you idiot? It¡¯s obvious the White Tiger n and the Tyrant nned it all from the start. ?Our resident conspiracist appears again. ?I¡¯m not sure why they continue to live. ?lollolloll Do you have any idea how valuable the ck Blood Mountain Range is? lollolol so you¡¯re telling me the White Tiger n threw it all away to make one rookie into a hero? Well, I guess the White Tiger n is so filthy rich that they have money to burn! ¨DSteak: The Tyrant fans are going crazy nowadays, so they¡¯ll definitely go berserk again. ?Ah, things will get hectic if they go crazy. They¡¯ll fight like hell again. ¨DKkyong: I think the White Tiger n are probably the most bewildered ones in this situation. Are they not releasing an article or something? ¨DRenein: lmao they¡¯re panicking. ?They must be, since the estate they¡¯ve been using for over twenty years disappeared overnight. ?Press X to express joy. ?X ?X ?X ¨DApudTyrant: All the people that yapped about how they can¡¯t believe what happened will finally shut up. Hahahaha, thement section is gonna clear up. As the inte went berserk over the news articles andments rted to Chang-Sun, the White Tiger n were also in a state of mayhem. The inspection of the Secret Tiger Lab had intensified the battle of nerves between Executive Director Oh and Director Gwon, so the n members were already on thin ice. The sudden news about the cleared Dungeon was like a bucket of hot water poured all over it. Executive Director Oh¡¯s faction and Director Gwon¡¯s faction were having problems of their own, but it was the Personnel Section that had the biggest trouble to deal with. Only a fourth of the training period had passed, so ording to the curriculum, there were many probationers that hadn¡¯t gotten through the basic training. However, the training institute had disappeared overnight, and they had nowhere else to train. The Personnel Section members had to quickly send cars to pick them up. Afterward, they summoned Chang-Sun to the head office to figure out what exactly had happened. However, when the Personnel Section Chief asked Chang-Sun about how he had cleared the Dungeon, Chang-Sun¡¯s answer was very simple. ¡°I just did it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± His answer was so blunt that the Personnel Section Chief and the executives, who had been watching Chang-Sun, were rendered speechless. Chang-Sun spoke like the artist from that old educational video clip who would say, ¡®It¡¯s easy, right?¡¯ . They could not even think of what other questions to ask. Meanwhile, Baek Gyeo-Ul, Shin Eun-Seo, and Shin Geum-Gyu just watched quietly. Due to his unfortunate childhood, Gyeo-Ul wasn¡¯t one to be fazed easily, and he looked on with a calm expression. Eun-Seo and Geum-Gyu, who had led more normal lives, fidgeted nervously. ¡®What am I supposed to do here?! Do something!¡¯?Eun-Seo mouthed at Geum-Gyu. ¡®What am?I?supposed to do?! All I did was follow him around!¡¯?Geum-Gyu responded indignantly. Eun-Seo¡¯s eyes shone. ¡®You always say you¡¯re my older brother, so act like one!¡¯ ¡®You only treat me like your older brother in times like this!¡¯?Geum-Gyu gritted his teeth. Although they silently argued, in the end, they couldn¡¯te up with a solution. Just like Geum-Gyu had said, the Shin siblings hadn¡¯t done much. After teaching Joo-Han a lesson, Chang-Sun had proimed that he would clear the Dungeon within a day. The Shin siblings had obviously thought that he was bluffing. Eun-Seo knew how confident Chang-Sun had be during his professional gamer year, so she had just thought that was how he was expressing it. Geum-Gyu had worried, thinking that Chang-Sun had be overconfident after his string of sesses. However, they had just followed him since they had no other choice¡­ ¡®It was¡­dope.¡¯?Geum-Gyu thought. It was the only word he coulde up with to describe what he had seen. Chang-Sun had been a sight to behold in the Dungeon: the way he relentlessly ran forward and swung his sword, sending dead monsters flying through the air like fallen leaves. When he used the whip in his right hand, the sound of explosions filled the air like a thunderstorm. The ground shook every time he thrust the spear in his left hand. Gyeo-Ul had been there to asionally take care of the monsters that Chang-Sun had missed, so the Shin siblings had been left with nothing to do but follow Chang-Sun around. When they returned to reality, the group had already gone to the next mountain, diligently carrying out the Dungeon Mission. After half a day, they saw the message that the Dungeon Mission had been concluded. Therefore, even if the Personnel Section Chief looked at them, silently urging them to exin further on Chang-Sun¡¯s behalf, the Shin siblings didn¡¯t have much information to offer. Thud! In the end, one of the executives mmed the desk hard in frustration. It was the Human Resources Department Head, a ranker. ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± he shouted. Since the Personnel Section was under the jurisdiction of Human Resources, the Personnel Section Chief¡¯s face turned pale as he watched his superior shout. It seemed like he was threatening Chang-Sun¡¯s group, even though they hadn¡¯t summoned him here to intimidate him. The problem was that Chang-Sun was not the kind of person that could be intimidated like this. He looked at the department head nonchntly, but everyone could see that he was starting to feel annoyed. The tension in the air caused everyone to fall silent, except the department head, who continued to shout with a reddened face. ¡°Why¡¯re you looking at me like that? Are you going to rebel¡­Urgh!¡± Smack! The department head suddenly stopped when someone smacked him in the back of his head. ¡°How dare you yell in here? Do you want to die?¡± said the man that had smacked him. He had a husky voice and spoke like a thug. All the people inside hurriedly stood up to greet the man formally. [The ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ is raging!] Their faces turned pale as the husky-voiced man¡¯s [Tiger Kill] continuously suffocated them. How could he use [Tiger Kill] this heavily in such a narrow space? There was absolutely no reason to do that, unless he actually intended to suffocate them. ¡°Team 2 Leader¡­!¡± After btedly realizing who had smacked him, the Human Resources Department Head frowned and red angrily. He felt humiliated to be smacked like a kid in a room full of his subordinates. . However, Seo Jeong-Gwon just smirked, as if challenging the department head to do something about it. ¡°Team leader, huh? Wow, you¡¯re talking awfully casually today. Howe? Are you nning on going toe to toe with me? Well, I¡¯m actually d to hear that.¡± ¡°¡­What are you doing here¡­ sir?¡± The department head could do nothing but hold back his anger. Although a department head seemed to be a higher rank than a team leader, he couldn¡¯t walk all over Jeong-Gwon since the n¡¯s cores were actually the Attack Team Department, which operated in the public, and the Future Strategy Department that worked in the shadows. Above all, as the Attack Team 2 Leader, Jeong-Gwon was the right-hand man of Executive Director Oh, who was the most influential person within the n. Jeong-Gwon¡¯s level was also much higher than the Human Resource Department Head¡¯s, so there was a high possibility that squabbling with Jeong-Gwon would only lead to more humiliation. Jeong-Gwon smirked even harder at the dispirited department head, then gestured at Chang-Sun with his chin. ¡°I¡¯m here to take him.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t done investigating¡­!¡± The department head started. ¡°Investigation my ass. You were interrogating?him. Anyhow, I¡¯m taking him, do you have a problem with that?¡± Jeong-Gwon stepped forward menacingly, bringing himself face-to-face with the department head. Although the department head still looked upset, he had to take a step backward. Even the Personnel Section Chief had been quietly urging him to back down. Technically, the Human Resources Department members weren¡¯t in a position to question Chang-Sun¡¯s group, since they were the ones that had confidently urged the probationers to clear the Dungeon if they could. If Chang-Sun had simply said ¡®I did what you asked me to do¡¯, they would have had no response. However, they could not have possibly expected that someone would really close the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯. As a result, now that he was in charge of settling the damages that had urred after the Dungeon closed, the annoyed department head was just meaninglessly releasing his frustrations on Chang-Sun¡¯s group. Besides, Executive Director Oh had likely instructed Jeong-Gwon to personally bring Chang-Sun¡¯s group. All the n members already knew about how Chang-Sun had decided to side with Executive Director Oh, so the department head had to let them go. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. Everyone, follow me.¡± Jeong-Gwon gestured at Chang-Sun¡¯s group. The people between Jeong-Gwon and Chang-Sun made a path for them, pressing themselves up against the walls. As if it was only natural to do so, Chang-Sun passed by the Personnel Section Chief and the Human Resource Department Head without saying goodbye, making the department head frown again. Still, no one could stop Jeong-Gwon and Chang-Sun¡¯s group. Gyeo-Ul instantly followed Chang-Sun out, while Eun-Seo and Geum-Gyu tentatively began walking before scurrying out behind them. ¡°You three follow my team members for a moment. Lee Chang-Sun, you follow me.¡± Jeong-Gwon instructed. At that moment, Eun-Seo¡¯s and Geum-Gyu¡¯s eyes lost focus because they weren¡¯t sure what to do. Gyeo-Ul¡¯s eyes were fixed on Chang-Sun. It was only after Chang-Sun nodded at them reassuringly that they followed the Attack Team 2 Members¡¯ lead. ¡°They must be the team members that you took under your wing in the training institute, huh?¡± Jeong-Gwon asked. As Jeong-Gwon moved forward, Chang-Sun walked beside him. They were in a random hallway of the building, all alone, as if Jeong-Gwon had intentionally emptied it out beforehand. Chang-Sun wondered for a moment about how to answer. Then, he nodded¡ªit seemed strange to say no at this point. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what happened.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how you start. A team is first formed by a freakin smart leader gathering up like-minded people.¡± Jeong-Gwon looked at Chang-Sun with interest. Although he had wanted to have Chang-Sun as his team member for a while, and he had no problem with revealing his desires, he didn¡¯t outright ask Chang-Sun to join his team. This was partially due to the promise he had made to Executive Director Oh, his cousin. Plus, there was another n he had on his mind. Even if Jeong-Gwon acted cool, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t care less. He didn¡¯t want to bother paying attention to Jeong-Gwon¡¯s every action. Therefore, Chang-Sun just randomly chatted with Jeong-Gwon for a bit, quietly wondering where he was being taken, expecting that it was Executive Director Oh that had called for him. However, he suddenly noticed something. ¡®Executive Director Oh¡¯s office isn¡¯t in this direction.¡¯ He turned to Jeong-Gwon and asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Ah, did I not tell you?¡± the corners of Jeong-Gwon¡¯s lips curled upwards. ¡°We¡¯re going to the n Leader¡¯s office. He wants to meet you himself after hearing your story.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone for a moment when he heard that Munseong, the Sword Sky Tiger and the n Leader, had summoned him. 1. The raw was ????. ????. ????. ????. The word ???? is ng and means it¡¯s great. ?(six)??? and ?(seven)??? are puns because ? in ???? sounds like five. (?.) Old Koreans often make this kind of joke. 2. The author is referring to Bob Ross. Chapter 64: Star, The Meeting (2)

Chapter 64: Star, The Meeting (2)

¡°Wee.¡± A short, middle-aged man stood in front of the n Leader¡¯s office, which was located at the innermost corner of the head office. Although he looked a little bit nervous, he had his hands behind his back and smiled gently when he saw Chang-Sun walking in his direction with Seo Jeong-Gwon. ¡°You look well. Your time in the training institute must have changed you a lot.¡± Executive Director Oh said amicably, like a gentle neighbor. [The Skill ¡®Fierce Tiger Eyes¡¯ has been activated, observing you!] However, Chang-Sun knew Executive Director Oh was watching him as sharply as ever. ¡®He must have many questions. The Dungeon closed soon after the researchb blew up, so he¡¯ll be really curious if I know anything about the explosion.¡¯ Chang-Sun assumed. Executive Director Oh had wanted Director Gwon to be inside theb during the explosion, but he mistimed it, failing to kill Gwon. Given his personality, he likely wanted to know exactly what had happened, but he couldn¡¯t because the Dungeon had disappeared before he could investigate. It was natural to think Chang-Sun may know something, but¡­ ¡®Song Yoo-Jun must have told him that I don¡¯t know anything, and Executive Director Oh won¡¯t think that I was able to clear the Dungeon within a day.¡¯? Would one have been able to clear the Dungeon while investigating the researchb? Normally, that would be impossible, so even though Executive Director Oh might have doubted Chang-Sun, in the end he had no choice but to believe him. ¡®Executive Director Oh was the one who instructed me to clear the Dungeon in the first ce.¡¯ The least Oh could have done was dig into Baek Gyeo-Ul and the Shin siblings, but they actually didn¡¯t know much, either. ¡®It¡¯ll be okay. They aren¡¯t the kind of people who would say something about me.¡¯ Gyeo-Ul already thought of Chang-Sun as his savior, and the Gyeo-Ul that Chang-Sun knew would be willing to swear a life-long loyalty to him, not betray him. Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t worried about the Shin siblings either. Shin Eun-Seo may have acted silly, but she knew there were lines that she should not cross. Shin Geum-Gyu was born calm and careful, so he wouldn¡¯t easily be swayed, either. Executive Director Oh had no choice but to observe Chang-Sun, who seemed to have changed a lot over the past month. Nevertheless, Chang-Sun was certain that Oh would not be able to find anything out about him. Although Oh was sharper than most people, he wasn¡¯t sharp enough to urately analyze Chang-Sun, someone who had experienced the Myth War. ¡°I appreciate that you think so highly of me. It¡¯s all thanks to you, Executive Director Oh.¡± Chang-Sun bowed slightly, as if he hadn¡¯t noticed how sharply Executive Director Oh was watching him. Shortly after, Executive Director Oh stopped observing and gently shook his head. ¡°Haha! I haven¡¯t done anything, this was all you. Anyhow, you¡¯ve put the n in chaos.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Chang-Sun replied calmly. ¡°Huh, are you seriously asking that? You look like you¡¯re pretending you don¡¯t know anything, even though you do. It¡¯s not just ordinary chaos either. All the Attack Team Leaders are yelling at the top of their lungs to have you as their team member¡­¡± Executive Director Oh continued as he snuck a re at Jeong-Gwon, who pretended he didn¡¯t notice anything and turned his head sideways. ¡°...and the n members are busy talking about what to do about the rewards that you must have received after clearing the dungeon¡­ Anyhow, it seems other ns abroad have also heard the news, because they have been busy calling the executives non-stop.¡± Executive Director Oh proudly smiled and squinted at Chang-Sun. ¡°So¡­ you haven¡¯t changed your mind, right?¡± He was instructing Chang-Sun to not change his mind about joining the Future Strategy Department, burning with the desire to have Chang-Sun as his own man. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ says that he does not know his ce, lightly snorting!] Pabilsag seemed to dislike Executive Director Oh¡¯s attitude, but Chang-Sun calmly nodded, reassuring him. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m the one that still wants to make such a request. As I told you before, I¡¯m thinking about resigning if I don¡¯t get to join my preferred department.¡± Chang-Sun said as he pulled out a smartphone from his inner pocket. When he turned it on, it rang over and over again with notifications. The screen showed over a hundred missed calls. He was telling Executive Director Oh to think about what he meant. That seemed to finally rx Executive Director Oh, because he burst intoughter. ¡°Sure, a man should have a big gut. The n has no intention of letting you go, including me. See, the n Leader himself wants to meet you, and he has never done that before.¡± The leader of the White Tiger n, the Sword Sky Tiger, was known to be uninterested in what was going on in his n and the world. However, judging by his interest in Chang-Sun, it seemed the Sword Sky Tiger had heard much about him. In reality, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t help but keep watching the door to the n Leader¡¯s office. The air felt too heavy, as if arge beast was sleeping inside of the office. Chang-Sun felt like the beast would immediately pounce at him if he opened the door. ¡®I heard Heoju has a really fine apostle, and I guess it was true.¡¯ [The Skill ¡®Viper Eyes¡¯ has been activated, sharply analyzing the situation!] [The Skill ¡®Beast Senses¡¯ has been activated, detecting danger!] . For the first time after his regression, Chang-Sun felt like he was encountering a dangerous man. When he was a novice, he hadn¡¯t thought a ranker could be dangerous, but he felt a little different now. ¡®He might be more talented and skilled than his Guardian.¡¯?Chang-Sun nodded, recalling the Sword Sky Tiger¡¯s secret history involving the ¡®ck Mountain King.¡¯ Although Executive Director Oh was simply visiting his master who he had served for a long time, he also looked quite nervous. He turned to the office door and said, ¡°Shall we go in?¡± The secretaries standing in front of the door quietly opened it and stepped aside. Woosh! At that moment, the intense energy that Chang-Sun had felt beyond the door released into the hallway, sending out a strong wind that tousled Chang-Sun¡¯s hair. [The ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ is raging!] The [Tiger Kill] that was iparably stronger than that of Chang-Sun and the others spread outwards, but that wasn¡¯t what caught Chang-Sun¡¯s attention. The inside of the n Leader¡¯s office was nothing like he had expected. ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you that the n Leader¡¯s office is a Dungeon. He summoned the wizards a while ago and moved the Gate here.¡± Executive Director Oh grinned. They had only walked through a door, but Chang-Sun felt like he was now in a totally different world. He felt like he was in the fantasy novel , in which the protagonist enters another world through a wardrobe. [You have entered the Dungeon ¡®Once-Green Flower Garden¡¯!] As Chang-Sun followed Executive Director Oh inside, he saw a message telling him that he had entered a dungeon. As the name suggested, the inside was full of brilliant flowers. It seemed the Sword Sky Tiger himself had tended to them. There was a hill covered with red roses, and wildflowers like dandelions danced along with the wind. Tulips, daffodils, forget-me-nots¡­ Chang-Sun could even see camellias. Under the warm and peaceful sunlight, all these flowers that were supposed to bloom in different seasons unted their beautiful colors and fragrance, very different from the intense [Tiger Kill] that had raged near the Gate. That was why Chang-Sun felt like this ce was too artificial, as if the Sword Sky Tiger had decorated the garden this way to hide something. He normally would have felt peaceful in a ce like this, but Chang-Sun felt strangely nervous. His instincts told him that something was wrong with this ce. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ watches the humans that enter hisnd!] ¡®It was definitely Heoju¡¯snd.¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. A deity¡¯snd referred to an area that was a level lower than a deity¡¯s sanctuary, so Chang-Sun thought Heoju¡¯s energy was what made the ce feel ominous. He figured that Sword Sky Tiger must not be an ordinary man, judging from how he spent most of his time in a ce like this. ¡°As youmanded, I¡¯ve brought Lee Chang-Sun, sir.¡± said Executive Director Oh. Munseong the Sword Sky Tiger, the owner of this space, wasn¡¯t far from the garden¡¯s entrance. He was wearing a traditional white hanbok, one that might be seen in a history book, not a modern hanbok. It had no pattern, making it appear elegant, as if he was standing on a quiet snowfield. His white hair, white eyebrows, and white beard matched his hanbok well, reminding Chang-Sun of Taoist sages. Still, he had an unapproachable air around him. There was an old tiger whose fur was all white, and the Sword Sky Tiger was like a human form of such a tiger. His n¡¯s name, White Tiger, couldn¡¯t suit him more, but¡­ ¡®White Tiger? No way, he¡¯s not even a fierce tiger. He¡¯s a jackal.¡¯ Chang-Sun lightly snorted after noticing Munseong¡¯s true nature. Jackals were known for their viciousness and violent tendencies, and Munseong was precisely this person: although he looked elegant, he was greedy and violent. Judging by how the Sword Sky Tiger looked at Chang-Sun, he could tell the Sword Sky Tiger always got what he wanted using any means necessary. ¡®Well, I guess he would do that, based on how ambitious he seemed in Hanyu¡¯s will.¡¯ Chang-Sun assumed. Executive Director Oh had said the Sword Sky Tiger recently had no interest in worldly matters, but Chang-Sun assumed that the truth was different. Although the Sword Sky Tiger rarely took matters into his own hands, Chang-Sun figured that he must have nted his men everywhere, because people like the Sword Sky Tiger never let go of what they had. He was only resting for a moment to obtain a bigger prize, and that was why Executive Director Oh was acting so nervous. ¡®Well, I guess that¡¯s why he¡¯s uselessly creating the Ghost Soldiers and the Gildal.¡¯? Sword Sky Tiger was a beast that was always hungry. ¡®Yeah, I thought it was strange when he suddenly requested to see me. He wouldn¡¯t have reacted this fast if that story about him was true.¡¯? [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is watching you very closely!] Heoju had chosen the Sword Sky Tiger, so Chang-Sun decided to consider Munseong and Heoju as one and the same. In some ways though, Chang-Sun thought Munseong might be harder to deal with because he looked sly and distrustful. ¡®So why did he personally summon me?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. The Sword Sky Tiger wouldn¡¯t have summoned him just to praise him. People like the Sword Sky Tiger tended to be rather elitist, with a tendency to disregard the ¡®inferior¡¯ people. Then what was it? ¡®On guard.¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes became cold. ¡®He¡¯s on guard against me.¡¯ Chang-Sun concluded that the Sword Sky Tiger must have known that Heoju recently had all his attention trained on Chang-Sun as his apostle. Munseong himself had reached his current position by betraying his senior brother and teacher, after all. He likely feared that someone else could steal Heoju¡¯s attention, and even his position, just as he had done. Meanwhile, Heoju sat back and watched in enjoyment, showing how sadistic he truly was. Thud! Just then, Chang-Sun heard the gate that led to the outside being closed. There was no way to go outside now. Chang-Sun suddenly felt like he had been caught in a trap. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ frowns due to the unpleasant air in the Dungeon.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ warns you to be careful because something feels off.] This was Heoju¡¯snd and Munseong¡¯s front yard, so Chang-Sun knew he could die if he rubbed Munseong¡¯s fur the wrong way. ¡°You¡¯re the Tyrant kid that our Guardian has recently shown interest in.¡± Munseong said, looking at Chang-Sun. Although his eyes looked nonchnt and vacant, he somehow resembled Heoju. Chapter 65: Star, The Meeting (3)

Chapter 65: Star, The Meeting (3)

¡®What should I do?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered for a moment. He had actually considered the possibility of being threatened like this someday, since he was nning to hog Celestials¡¯ attention as much as possible. He also thought some deities might even try to pull a trick to get him, so their original followers were bound to stay vignt against him. ¡®I¡¯ve already experienced this a lot.¡¯?Chang-Sun calmly thought. He had met such followers and deities in Arcadia many times, so this was nothing new to him. [The ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ intensely threatens you!] [The Skill ¡®Beast Senses¡¯ has been activated, assessing the situation to be very dangerous.] ¡°I¡¯m Lee Chang-Sun.¡± Chang-Sun introduced himself. Using [Tiger Kill], Munseong intimidated Chang-Sun, as if he would kill Chang-Sun any minute. Through [Beast Senses], Chang-Sun saw how dangerous the situation was and realized that he had to get out of here. Plus, Munseong was ck when Chang-Sun looked at him with [Viper Eyes], so he knew he could not spend a second more in this ce. Despite everything, Chang-Sun calmly greeted him as if he didn¡¯t care, and didn¡¯t break his gaze from Munseong¡¯s two shining eyes for a moment. ¡°You don¡¯t seem nervous around me.¡± Munseong said, surprised. Chang-Sun shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s interesting to meet one of the Nine Swordsmen.¡± ¡°Interesting?¡± Munseong repeated. ¡°Yes, until a few months ago, I never thought I''d visit here.¡± Chang-Sun said. He wasn¡¯t lying, since he had been in the Underworld until a few months ago, but Munseong didn¡¯t know that. Therefore he would understand Chang-Sun differently¡ªas an alcoholic that had spent his days drinking until a few months ago, who had never thought he would be this famous. If Munseong understood Chang-Sun this way, that would mean he was convinced of two things: That Chang-Sun had be famous overnight, and that a man of Munseong¡¯s position didn¡¯t need to remain vignt against such a rookie. Both would hurt Munseong¡¯s pride. Chang-Sun nned to proceed depending on Munseong¡¯s reaction. If Munseong lowered his guard, he would just retreat. If Munseong took action, he was going to counterattack right away. Of course, he couldn¡¯t beat Munseong since his level wasn¡¯t even in the 40s. Munseong¡¯s was over 90, the highest among the known high rankers. ¡®But I¡¯m not alone.¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Pabilsag, who was obsessed with Chang-Sun, J?rmungandr, Mephistopheles, Minerva, the Celestials that silently watched him even though they didn¡¯t send any messages¡­ There were many Celestials that were interested in Chang-Sun. For those Celestials, the had even made a manual. If Chang-Sun was killed, or if Heoju imed Chang-Sun all for himself, it would definitely make the other Celestials react negatively. Due to the casualty, they may not have been able to influence this world directly, but they had a way to indirectly interfere to a simr level if they put their minds to it. To sum up, Chang-Sun thought of the Celestials watching him as his backup. ¡®Even without backup, I¡¯m sure I can escape somehow.¡¯ Although he was stuck in Heoju¡¯snd, it didn¡¯t mean he had no way of escaping. Ordinary yers would never be able to think of a way out, but Chang-Sun was certain that he coulde up with something. He hadn¡¯t earned his divine name ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ in a poker game, so it didn¡¯t matter if Munseong himself chased after Chang-Sun. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to shake him, unless Chang-Sun was forced to battle him head to head. Of course, the White Tiger n Members would still chase after him to silence him for good¡­ but he could think about how he would reactter. ¡®What¡¯s his n?¡¯ Chang-Sun thought about what to do next while also sharply observing Munseong to see his reaction. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ slyly smiles, wondering how you will react.] He still couldn¡¯t tell what Heoju was thinking, but¡­ ¡°I see.¡± Munseong nodded and turned in the opposite direction. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that our Guardian has promised you a gift, so I shall entrust the matter to Shi-Hwan. Pick it up on the way out.¡± [The exit has opened!] ¡®¡­What?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Holding his hands behind his back, Munseong went deeper into the flower garden, as if he had lost interest now that their business wasplete. A new portal opened up in the spot where Munseong had stood, signaling Chang-Sun to leave. Chang-Sun was dumbfounded. Munseong wasn¡¯t staying on guard, ostracizing Chang-Sun, or even looking at him. He didn¡¯t care who Chang-Sun was. Since his Guardian had taken an interest and decided to present a gift to Chang-Sun, Munseong figured he should at least meet Chang-Sun once, as Heoju¡¯s apostle. That was when Chang-Sun realized he had judged the situation wrong. ¡®Munseong isn¡¯t staying on guard because he¡¯s sure he won¡¯t be abandoned by Heoju. He believes their link isn¡¯t weak enough to be affected by me.¡¯?Chang-Sun analyzed. The ¡®link¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be something metaphorical like trust or faith, he thought. It should have been mutually beneficial, and thus would have a definite form. ¡®Their link is [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan].¡¯?Chang-Sun realized. Based on the star object that the White Tiger n coincidentally acquired, the n had grown rapidly in the past decade. A Celestial¡¯s power came from faith, so Chang-Sun concluded that Heoju must have be stronger. In other words, Heoju wouldn¡¯t easily give up Munseong, who had provided him with such great power, even if he wanted Chang-Sun. Then what could Heoju give to Munseong? It seemed Heoju wouldn¡¯t just bestow blessings or authority, because Munseong would never be satisfied. There was only one, simple possibility. ¡®[Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] again? In return for Munseong increasing the number of followers by resting the Ghost Soldiers and the Gildal, Heoju could¡­interpret the divine scroll.¡¯? That meant¡­ ¡®[Viper Eyes].¡¯ Chang-Sun activated the skill as he infused a profound amount of magic into his eyes. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ supports you after reading your mind, as your n seems interesting!] [Skill Level increased!] [Printing information about the yer ¡®Munseong¡¯.] Chang-Sun¡¯s magic mixed with the Eon Fire was so efficient that he could dig into the ck-colored Munseong to find out more information about him using [Viper Eyes]. The ck turned even darker, and Chang-Sun felt like he could see vicious fangs beyond the ckness. Kiehhhh! [He is swarming with the very thick Hohwan Mama!] ¡®He has more Hohwan Mama than the Gildal¡­!¡¯?Chang-Sun noticed. At that moment, Munseong stopped in the middle of the flower garden, and Chang-Sun could no longer see the ckness in him. After it cleared up, Chang-Sun could see Munseong looking at him with a more nonchnt gaze. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll stop peeking.¡± Munseong said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chang-Sun slightly bowed. He thought he shouldn¡¯t provoke Munseong without a good reason. Munseong began to go on his way like nothing had happened, but Chang-Sun¡¯s head was more fogged up than ever. ¡®The Gildal wasn¡¯t the endgame. There¡¯s at least one¡ªno, two more steps left¡­but he only revealed the Ghost Soldiers to his subordinates.¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, still in shock. It seemed Munseong had already decrypted [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] to some level, but he had hidden it from others and ordered his subordinates to only manufacture the Ghost Soldiers for one reason. ¡®He wants to have all the power to himself.¡¯? If Chang-Sun¡¯s guess was right, then he could see why Munseong had insisted on staying in the dungeon instead of focusing on running the n. He was busy cultivating his own power. Heoju had divulged the secrets of [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] to Munseong, and Munseong had increased the number of Heoju¡¯s followers like a crocodile and a crocodile bird. There was no clear-cut symbiotic rtionship. ¡®Heoju just wanted to see my reaction, so Munseong chimed in.¡¯ That was why Chang-Sun had to see Munseong in a different light. It looked like Heoju had acquired a ¡®sword¡¯ that he didn¡¯t deserve, and that ¡®sword¡¯ was very sharp. ¡®Munseong has something bigger in mind, but what could it be?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. * * * [You have exited the Dungeon.] ¡°n Leader is a difficult person to deal with.¡± Executive Director Oh shook his head as they exited the Dungeon. However, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t miss the faint traces of fear, greed and jealousy in Executive Director Oh¡¯s eyes. ¡®He has no idea what Munseong is holding inside his body.¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he clicked his tongue in his mind. ¡®Executive?Director Oh must think that he had ¡®an ace in the hole¡¯ named Gildal, but in reality, even the Gildal was meaninglesspared to Munseong. Maybe he already knew what Executive Director Oh was up to behind his back, too.?Well, Executive Director Oh isn¡¯t a person who would go down easily, either.¡¯ Whatever happened in the future¡ªMunseong acting like butter wouldn¡¯t melt in his mouth or Executive Director Oh preparing to stab Munseong in the back¡ªChang-Sun could just silently watch from the side and fish in the troubled water by interfering when he needed to. Chang-Sun nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, he looked like a person from a different world.¡± ¡°He certainly acts like one. I still have trouble figuring out what¡¯s going on in his mind.¡± Executive Director Oh replied. Trembling, Seo Jeong-Gwon, who had been waiting outside, shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m begging you, please do not take me to the n Leader¡¯s office with you anymore. Gosh! I can¡¯t stop shaking every time I visit the office.¡± Jeong Gwon always ran amok as if he was scared of nothing in this world, but even he feared Munseong. ¡°Anyhow, what¡¯s this gift you¡¯re going to give me?¡± Chang-Sun said, changing the subject. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ pompously ims that nothing will be a better gift than her bonus reward.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ pays close attention.] ¡°Oh, the gift.¡± Pressing the elevator button, Executive Director Oh unfolded two of his fingers. ¡°The Guardian has given you two choices.¡± Chang-Sun looked at Executive Director Oh curiously. ¡°T-two? Wow! Can you give one of them to me?!¡± Jeong-Gwon eximed, continuing to make a fuss. ring at him, Executive Director Oh continued, ¡°One is ess to the armory, and another is ess to the library. You can ess up to the Tier 2 facilities for both.¡± ¡°T-tier 2¡­?!¡± Jeong-Gwon loudly yelled in shock, not noticing Executive Director Oh¡¯s death re. Even the executives needed permission to ess the library and the armory beyond Tier 2. Although it was only one level higher than Tier 3 facilities, there was a big difference. They didn¡¯t have a reputation as ¡®treasure houses¡¯ for no reason. As the White Tiger n had spread across the world, they had gathered up and saved all kinds of skill books and artifacts in the Tier 2 facilities. They also held treasures that the n members had made using the best of their abilities. Since the Fierce Tiger Library wasn¡¯t Jeong-Gwon¡¯s favorite ce, he rarely visited it, but the armory was a totally different story. Thanks to Executive Director Oh, Jeong-Gwon had visited the Tier 3 armory, but he had never seen Tier 2. Now, such a privilege had been granted to a new employee, so how could Jeong-Gwon not be surprised? Yet, Chang-Sun, the one actually making the choice, was calm, making Executive Director Oh curl up one corner of his mouth. ¡°You saw iting, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ding! The elevator arrived before them and opened its doors wide. Entering the elevator, Executive Director Oh pressed the button for the eighth floor, and Jeong-Gwon pressed the button for the sixth floor, where the Attack Department was located. All the while, they both fixed their eyes on Chang-Sun. ¡°No, I¡¯m surprised to hear this.¡± Chang-Sun shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re lying through your teeth. Who would believe you when you¡¯re so calm?¡± Executive Director Oh lightly scolded, but he wasughing. ¡°Considering how I¡¯ve finished the quest given by the ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ and cleared the Dungeon, I just thought he wanted to give me a big present.¡± Chang-Sun exined. ¡°Well, in that case, I understand.¡± Executive Director Oh nodded and looked up at Chang-Sun, who was much taller than him.¡°So, have you made your decision?¡± Chang-Sun nodded. It had been obvious from the start. He already had [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and [Yuchang Sword] as his weapons, and Choi Bu-Yong could build him defensive equipment. On the other hand, Chang-Sun had to find [Descent Walk] left by the ¡®Saggitarius¡¯ in the library, so he could benefit more from the Tier 2 library. ¡°I want to look for more skills, and I heard there¡¯re many new catenas¡­¡± Chang-Sun began. ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that.¡± Executive Director Oh nodded with a satisfied look on his face. Cling! After rummaging through his inner pocket, Executive Director Oh brought out a bundle of keys. Jeong-Gwon looked at them with shining eyes, as those keys led to the White Tiger n¡¯s most valuable facilities. Executive Director Oh was about to throw an unusually short key to Chang-Sun, but he suddenly came to halt. His eyes were focused on something else, as if he was looking at a system message. Then, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and curled up one corner of his lips again. ¡°Come to think of it, I heard you haven¡¯t chosen your Guardian yet, am I right?¡± Chapter 66: Star, The Meeting (4)

Chapter 66: Star, The Meeting (4)

¡°Come on, hyung-nim. You¡¯re talking crazy. How could a yer that has no Guardian be this strong?¡± Seo Jeong-Gwon snorted, crossing his arms. His reaction was understandable. Unlike small ns that worked like religious groups, the members of the major or supranational ns such as the White Tiger n couldn¡¯t have the same Guardian. The White Tiger n was especially more tolerant about its yers having different Guardians, so the n worked more like a mercenary group. Of course, to be executives they had to change their Guardian to Heoju, but the ordinary White Tiger n Members were rarely forced to do so. That was why the public and the media had two main questions when Chang-Sun had first shown up: How did such a genius appear out of thin air, and which Guardian had he chosen? Because he hadn¡¯t shown any signature skills, some conjectured that Chang-Sun did not have a Guardian, or that his Guardian wasn¡¯t famous. However, just like Jeong-Gwon¡¯s reaction, they were instantly disregarded because they ¡®didn¡¯t make sense¡¯. Even the public knew that there was a limit to how strong yers could be without Guardians. On top of that, so many Celestials wanted to have Chang-Sun that they wouldn¡¯t leave him alone. Among the experts, the fact that Chang-Sun had finished the tutorial was no longer a secret, thus they could only assume that Chang-Sun had a Guardian. However, Chang-Sun and Executive Director Oh just looked at each other without saying anything. Standing in between them, Jeong-Gwon felt anxious, beginning to think that the impossible might be true. He turned to Chang-Sun and said, ¡°¡­Say something. Hyung-nim¡­ no, Executive Director Oh is making a wrong assumption.¡± Chang-Sun stayed silent. ¡°Hmm? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Jeong-Gwon asked again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No way¡­ It¡¯s not true, right? Of course, it¡¯s not true. Of course.¡± Jeong-Gwon shook his head. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Is-is it true?¡± Jeong-Gwon took a step backward, but he was stopped by the elevator wall. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Impos-s-s-ible¡­!¡± Jeong-Gwon stuttered. Although he looked too intimidating to ever be shocked, he gaped so hard when he became certain. His jaw would have been dislocated if he wasn¡¯t a yer. Without a Guardian, Chang-Sun had shown remarkable ability and cleared the ¡®ckish-Red Mountain Range¡¯ within a month; the dungeon that even the White Tiger n Leader had given up clearing in his youth. In this case, Jeong-Gwon couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much greater Chang-Sun¡¯s abilities would be if he had a Guardian. ¡®It¡¯s craz¡­!¡¯?Jeong-Gwon was so dumbfounded that he couldn¡¯t even think inplete sentences, but he could now see why Executive Director Oh had reacted like that. If Chang-Sun truly had no Guardian, what kind of power would he have if he chose ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ as his Guardian in the future? What position would ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ offer to Chang-Sun? Just thinking about the answer made Jeong-Gwon tremble. The title of ¡®genius¡¯ was attractive if the person was just normally smart, but an extraordinarily talented genius like this made people feel like they were meeting an alien. ¡°It seems the ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ wants me.¡± Chang-Sun nodded. ¡°Of course. Even I, his mere servant, want you. Which deity wouldn¡¯t?¡± Executive Director Oh shrugged. With his guess confirmed to be true, Jeong-Gwon could only silently stand still. ¡°Many deities have offered me the seat of an apostle. Would you be able to offer me something as valuable as that?¡± Chang-Sun asked. Since Heoju¡¯s apostle was Munseong, Chang-Sun¡¯s question was ridiculous from the start. Implicitly, he wanted to know whether or not he could be ranked as a high priest or a bishop. However, it was also absurd because the White Tiger n¡¯s high priests or bishops were the executives of the White Tiger n, just like Executive Director Oh and Director Gwon. The n would be thrown into mayhem if a rookie like Chang-Sun was treated the same as the executives. Even if Heoju allowed him to be one of them, they would put restrictions on Chang-Sun on their end. There were ns where every yer was considered to be of equal rank aside from the n Leaders, but the White Tiger n had a strict hierarchy. Executive Director Oh smiled enigmatically. ¡°You know very well that you¡¯re making an absurd request, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you if the condition to receive the reward is to choose a Guardian, I¡¯ll just resign. There are many benefits to not having a Guardian.¡± Chang-Sun said, firmly drawing the line. ¡°I see I have a new boss.¡± Executive Director Oh said with a crooked smile on his face. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ hideously frowns and urges you to be his follower!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ angrily asks the ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ why he keeps coveting her apostle candidate!] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ res at the ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯!] Thud! The narrow interior of the elevator was filled with Executive Director Oh¡¯s intense [Tiger Kill]. He was intentionally intimidating Chang-Sun, but it didn¡¯t work one bit. Due to the pressure, the elevator shook fiercely, as if it was going to drop any second. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ takes a step backward and smacks his lips.] Executive Director Oh couldn¡¯t threaten Chang-Sun for a long time because Heoju had stopped intimidating Chang-Sun, unable to ignore Pabilsag and Minerva¡¯s strong opposition. Smiling bitterly, Executive Director Oh shook his head and threw the key to Chang-Sun. ¡°Being greedy and ambitious is a young person¡¯s privilege, but being too greedy will bring you trouble one day. ¡± Executive Director Oh advised Chang-Sun that he could be in trouble if he continued to try to sound Heoju out, thinking Chang-Sun was walking a thin line dealing with the Celestials that wanted him. As he epted the key, Chang-Sun answered Executive Director Oh with a nod. ¡°Go to the first floor. I¡¯ve asked Yoo-Jun to wait for you there, so he¡¯ll guide you.¡± Executive Director Oh exined. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chang-Sun said with a small bow. As Executive Director Oh pressed the button to the first floor, the elevator reached the eighth floor. As he exited the elevator, he turned to Chang-Sun for thest time. ¡°Keep in mind that the ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ isn¡¯t as generous as you think. He would rather destroy you if he can¡¯t have you.¡± After his warning, the elevator closed and soon reached the sixth floor. Jeong-Gwon, who had been hesitating the entire time, broke his silence with a light sigh and passed by Chang-Sun. ¡°Well, everybody has their own n, so I¡¯m guessing you do too. But consider choosing the ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ as your Guardian to reach a higher rank in our n, because you¡¯ll be able to do a lot of interesting things here. More than you think.¡± Grinning, Jeong-Gwon patted Chang-Sun¡¯s shoulder several times and got out of the elevator. As the elevator began to descend to the first floor, Chang-Sun brushed off the shoulder that Jeong-Gwon patted as if he was brushing off dust and lightly snorted. ¡°Bullshit.¡± * * * ¡°For security reasons, the books in the Tier 2 library are stored in separate stone chambers ording to their categories, and the visitors need different keys to enter each chamber.¡± Song Yoo-Jun briefly exined as he led Chang-Sun to the Fierce Tiger Library. His eyes were full of loyalty to Chang-Sun, but he didn¡¯t make it obvious since too many people were watching. Chang-Sun thought it was good news, because no matter how strong the brainwashing was, Yoo-Jun could make a rational judgment. ¡°Then which chamber can I enter with this key?¡± Chang-Sun asked, showing Yoo-Jun the key he received. Unlike the Tier 3 library, which just looked like an ordinary library, the Tier 2 and 1 libraries were confidential facilities. Chang-Sun had no idea what they looked like. ¡®It¡¯s gonna be a problem if I can only enter a limited number of stone chambers¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in discontentment. ording to Yoo-Jun, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t go through all the books in the Tier 2 library. Since visiting the library was a rare opportunity, it would take a long time to visit the Tier 2 library multiple times. ¡°I don¡¯t know, though.¡± Yoo-Jun shook his head. The only instruction he had received was to guide Chang-Sun. His eyes were full of sadness for not being able to help him more. They arrived at the Fierce Tiger Library¡¯s annex, which was a different Fierce Tiger Library building from the one that Chang-Sun had previously visited. ¡°You¡¯re allowed to use the library for a total of six hours, so I¡¯ll see you then.¡± Yoo-Jun said, finishing his exnation. After passing through all the heavy security, Chang-Sun could finally enter the annex. ¡®This was what he meant by ¡®ording to their categories¡¯.¡¯?Chang-Sun observed. In the round hall, there were a total of ten stone doors¡ªno, there were nine aside from the door that Chang-Sun had used to enter, and each door had a different namete. [Fierce Tiger]. [Jackal Tiger]. [Cruel Tiger]. [Roaming Tiger]. [Mountain Tiger]. [Strict Tiger]. [Four Tigers]. [ck Tiger]. And [Dream-Eating Beast]. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ proudly tells you that these are the real treasures that made him who he is today.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity¡¯ Tiger¡¯ tempts you. He says if you be his priest, you will be able to have everything in this library.] ¡®They¡¯re the advanced versions of [Tiger Form],¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, realizing why the Tier 2 Library existed only after he read all the nametes. After mastering [Tiger Walk], [Tiger Kill], and [Tiger Disaster]¡ªthe three basic skills¡ªone could transform their energy to look like a tiger using [Tiger Form], as it meant they were able to freely use [Tiger w] and [Tiger Teeth]. Those two alone were enough to incapacitate most yers, which was why the White Tiger n was famous for theirbat power. However, [Tiger Form] wasn¡¯t a simple skill. ording to each yer¡¯s personality andbat style, [Tiger Form] presented itself in different ways. It was simr to the person¡¯s hidden personality that they developed, or their shadow. Through mastering the nine categories, one could advance their [Tiger Form]. The Fierce Tiger, the evil Jackal Tiger¡­ If one could master a category that matched their [Tiger Form], they would reach a higher level much more easily and transform themselves into a true force to be reckoned with. [The reward on hold for finishing the quest ¡®The Tiger¡¯s Plunder¡¯ will be given now!] [There are a total of nine paths in front of you right now. Through each path, you can learn a method to be a tiger with a unique characteristic.] [Choose one of the paths. Your key will change upon your choice.] [However, ording to the condition set by the ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯, you have been granted the right to open all the paths, but you must choose him as your Guardian.] ¡®He¡¯s pulling a stupid trick.¡¯ Chang-Sun lightly chuckled. He could see what Heoju was up to. Heoju couldn¡¯t force Chang-Sun to join him, so he was trying to lure him in with gifts. If Chang-Sun sessfully mastered all nine categories, they would all be Chang-Sun¡¯s authorities. So with this, Heoju was taking the plunge and practically giving almost everything away. Chang-Sun assumed that Munseong was the only one who Heoju had opened all the categories for. ¡®He¡¯s really pathetic,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, because Heoju didn¡¯t know one thing. ¡®I¡¯m already nning on taking away everything in here, even if he didn¡¯t offer that.¡¯ Chang-Sun slowly pulled out the key that Executive Director Oh gave him. There was no reason to not take it, so he intended to get what he needed the most first. Among the nine categories, Chang-Sun chose¡­ 1. Thises from the phrase ¿v»¢šwɽ (lit. let a tiger loose in the mountains), which means that you should take care of loose ends lest they turn into major problems in the future. 2. A metaphor for very strict rules. 3. The raw was ???(‰ôʳõø). It¡¯s often used to refer to Baku because, in eastern mythology, Baku feeds on people¡¯s nightmares. But õø also means a beast, so the current Dream-Eating Beast isn¡¯t technically Baku. Chapter 67: Star, The Meeting (5)

Chapter 67: Star, The Meeting (5)

[You have chosen the ¡®Cruel Tiger¡¯!] ¡®Of course, I¡¯m choosing this.¡¯?Chang-Sun faintly smiled as he walked to the third door. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ tilts his head in confusion, unable to understand your decision.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ sarcasticallyments that the ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ isn¡¯t smart enough to understand such a sly snake.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ frowns in humiliation.] A Cruel Tigercked the ability to seepared to an ordinary tiger, so in order to survive, it had to toughen itself up, bing as cruel as possible in the process. As a result, [Cruel Tiger] was the category most focused on enhancing the damage of [Tiger Form] among the nine. Without a care about defense, this category was all about taking the enemy¡¯s life. That was why Heoju was dumbfounded by Chang-Sun¡¯s decision. Choosing the ability to inflict great damage also meantpromising his own safety, so in some way, the category was the worst or least desirable one. However, it was the best choice for Chang-Sun. ¡®It¡¯ll match the?Jigwi¡¯s?Eon Fire really well,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The destructive Eon Fire and the belligerent [Cruel Tiger] would be a match made in heaven. ¡®It seems it¡¯ll also match [The ck Mountain King¡¯s First w] well.¡¯ Click! When Chang-Sun inserted the key into the stone door¡¯s lock, he could hear it click open. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ tries to persuade you that it is not toote to open the other doors too.] [The door to the stone chamber has opened!] ¡®I want to open all the other doors with [Peter¡¯s Key]...¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, but no matter how generous Heoju was at the moment, he knew he wouldn¡¯t allow that. ¡®But he won¡¯t be able to stop me from taking things in the other chambers using another method.¡¯ [Cruel Tiger] was just the beginning. Chang-Sun could take everything in the other chambers even without [Peter¡¯s Key] using a method that Heoju had never thought of. With that in mind¡­ Creak! ¡­Chang-Sun opened the chamber door wide, releasing the smell of musty antique books. [You have entered the ¡®Cruel Tiger¡¯s Room¡¯!] * * * ¡°Huh? Why isn¡¯t heing? Did something happen to him? Huh? Huh?¡± Shin Eun-Seo busily paced back and forth in the waiting room, where the Attack Team 2 Members had guided them, as she waited for Chang-Sun toe back. ¡°You¡¯re distracting me, sit down!¡± Shin Geum-Gyu yelled at his sister. ¡°The Tyrant isn¡¯t the kind of person who would get into trouble, he¡¯lle back just fine without you worrying about him. Just stay still, because you¡¯re being obnoxious.¡± In Geum-Gyu¡¯s eyes, Chang-Sun was someone who could escape a desert on his own. Even though the media blindly used the word ¡®genius¡¯ to describe him, he was truly the real deal. ¡°He¡¯s not a tyrant.¡± Eun-Seo blurted out. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡± Geum-Gyu asked. ¡°He¡¯s the kind king¡ªno, good king! Don¡¯t talk about my oppa like that.¡± Eun-Seo snorted. ¡°Ha!¡± Geum-Gyu stifled a sigh and covered his face. The ¡®kind king¡¯ and the ¡®good king¡¯ were just nicknames that Chang-Sun¡¯s fans hade up with to support him whenever he caused trouble. To defend Chang-Sun, the fans made ridiculous excuses about how he only acted like a tyrant during the games, and how he was actually a real gentleman in his daily life¡­ Geum-Gyu couldn¡¯t believe that he was hearing the cheesy nickname that Eun-Seo had used a million times. After being rescued by Chang-Sun, it looked like his sister had be aplete fanatic, too. ¡®Compared to the noisy Eun-Seo, he¡¯s too quiet,¡¯?Geum-Gyu thought as he nced at Baek Gyeo-Ul, who was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. Ever since Chang-Sun had followed Team Leader Seo Jeong-Gwon, Gyeo-Ul had barely said a word. Geum-Gyu asked Gyeo-Ul if he was bored, but he concisely answered that he was fine and quietly closed his eyes. Geum-Gyu felt a bit awkward trying to talk to him. ¡®He¡¯s¡­really Baek Gyeo-Ul.¡¯ Geum-Gyu thought as he looked at Gyeo-Ul, whom he could hardly recognize for a while. Although there were over a hundred probationers, it was very difficult not to notice Gyeo-Ul due to his robust physique and face full of burn marks. On top of that, there was unapproachable air about him. Aside from Chang-Sun, he was also the probationer that had received the highest score during the tryout, so he was quite famous among the others. However, Gyeo-Ul looked like a totally different man now. The unapproachable air had disappeared, so much so that people sometimes forgot he was in the same room as them. On top of that, his facial features were so well-defined that anyone would think of him as handsome. Even the other n members hadn¡¯t believed Gyeo-Ul was actually the Baek Gyeo-Ul, so they had personally interviewed him and conducted several tests. However, the result showed that it was truly Gyeo-Ul. When they asked about what had happened to him, Gyeo-Ul had just said that he could be cured with Chang-Sun¡¯s help. In fact, Gyeo-Ul had insisted on staying beside Chang-Sun. Even now, he spoke to nobody as if he was trying to follow Chang-Sun¡¯s order about staying put to the fullest extent. He looked like he was trying to remain as still as a statue until Chang-Sun returned. ¡®What happened? Who¡¯s Chang-Sun? And what was he doing with Eun-Seo?¡¯?Geum-Gyu fell deep into thought as he recalled the mysterious Chang-Sun. He didn¡¯t believe Chang-Sun¡¯s story about how he just happened to find Eun-Seo and save her. There was definitely something that Geum-Gyu didn¡¯t know about, so no matter what the truth was, he had to find it out in order to protect his sister. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says he can actually hear your wheels turning, lightly clicking his tongue.] Just then, a message popped up in front of Geum-Gyu. ¡°Huh?¡± Geum-Gyu anxiously looked at the message, sent by the deity whom he had never seen in his entire life. Ordinary people tended to think that a whole new life would unfold before them if they could just be awakened as a yer, but in reality, each yer had different talent levels. Among those yers, Geum-Gyu had the least talent of them all, so no Celestials were ever interested in him. As a yer that had no guardian, he sadly had never seen such a message before. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ advises that no matter how hard you think, you will never be able to obtain the information you want in your current state.] ¡®The information I want? Does he mean the information about Mr. Chang-Sun¡­?¡¯?Geum-Gyu wondered. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ giggles and asks why else he would be interested in you, whose only advantage seems to be your intelligence.] Geum-Gyu gaped when he realized the deity was literally reading his mind. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says it¡¯s not so difficult to read an open book like you.] ¡®¡­!¡¯?Geum-Gyu thought this mysterious deity was surely a skilled tactician, even though he talked like it was nothing. Since ancient times, snakes had been a symbol of a being that was sly, yet wise. Ever since a snake seduced Eve in the Garden of Eden and stole Gilgamesh¡¯s elixir nt. Geum-Gyu thought it was safe to assume this ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ deity was wise in a simr way. Why would the serpent deity, that enjoyed analyzing and controlling others, approach Geum-Gyu? [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ wiggles his tail in delight, happy to meet a person who seems to be skeptical like him.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ asks how you feel about hearing out his offer.] ¡®An offer to me¡­?¡¯?Geum-Gyu thought as he opened his eyes wide in shock. At the same time, he was nervous since he somehow could see why the deity had approached him. He was curious about Chang-Sun. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says your guess is right, lightlyughing.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ promises you that the offer won¡¯t cause you harm, and that he could make you his priest depending on the circumstance.] Gulp! Geum-Gyu gulped. Even though he wasn¡¯t sure how great a deity this ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ was, the offer to make him a priest sounded more appealing than anything. He was about to ask what the deity¡¯s offer was, when suddenly¡­ ¡®Huh?¡¯?Geum-Gyu sensed someone from the hallway watching him, Eun-Seo, and Gyeo-Ul through the window. When he turned his head, he saw a familiar looking man. The man also noticed Geum-Gyu and met his eyes, before he hurriedly ran to throw the waiting room door wide open. Thud! ¡°Mr. Geum-Gyu! And Ms. Eun-Seo¡­!¡± It was Kim Hyeong-Jun, the leader of the team Adios. The other team members, who entered the room behind Hyeong-Jun, opened their eyes in shock as they saw not only Geum-Gyu, but also the healthy Eun-Seo, whom they thought had disappeared. ¡°Wow! You¡¯re all here¡­!¡± Eun-Seo was about to delightedly greet her old team members, but Geum-Gyu hurriedly stood up and interrupted her. ¡°Hold on, Eun-Seo.¡± [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says this will be a good chance to see your ability, flicking his tongue.] Thinking Geum-Gyu was acting unusually, Eun-Seo stepped backward without refuting. ¡®Why is he suddenly acting like this¡­? Does this have something to do with how no one was with him when I met him in the forest?¡¯?Eun-Seo wondered. Ever since she was a novice, she had worked with those people. They used to say they were like a ¡®family¡¯. Although she had thought they were the sort of people who would always have her back, they hadn¡¯t been at Geum-Gyu¡¯s side when he needed them most, so he perhaps felt that she shouldn¡¯t wee them so happily. Meanwhile, Gyeo-Ul, who had been standing quietly with his eyes closed, began to observe the situation. Geum-Gyu wasn¡¯t sure if Hyeong-Jun was aware of the tense air in the room, watching as Hyeong-Jun grabbed him by the hands. ¡°Thank God¡­! You two are all right. What a relief!¡± Anyone who heard Hyeong-Jun would think he had gone through all kinds of hardships to look for the Shin siblings, but Geum-Gyu hadn¡¯t forgotten. After days of searching for Eun-Seo when she had disappeared, the team members had tantly revealed how they were ufortable around him and refused to help him search for Eun-Seo, iming they were ¡®too tired¡¯. Although Hyeong-Jun was supposed to stop the team members from acting that way, he secretly encouraged them. The main reason Geum-Gyu had left the team in the middle of the night was that he didn¡¯t want to deal with those pressures anymore. Therefore, Geum-Gyu responded bluntly, ¡°We were lucky.¡± He didn¡¯t want to bother arguing with Hyeong-Jun or patching things up with him. In the end, the room fell into an awkward silence. Too awkward to interact with the cold Geum-Gyu and the silent Eun-Seo, the other team members nervously looked elsewhere. It was difficult for Hyeong-Jun to continue the conversation, but he kept trying as he nced at Eun-Seo. Even though Hyeong-Jun had ultimately let Geum-Gyu go, he had developed a rtionship with Eun-Seo for a very long time, so he didn¡¯t want to give up on her so easily. ¡°Anyways, where have you been¡­!¡± ¡°Can you move?¡± A man suddenly interrupted Hyeong-Jun from behind. Due to the abrupt Dungeon Closing, the training hade to an early end, but along with Lim Joo-Han, Hyeong-Jun was considered one of the rising stars among the probationers. On top of that, he was the son of the White Tiger n¡¯s executive, so when he had arrived at the White Tiger n¡¯s head office, he felt morefortable than in the training institute, as the head office was practically his front yard. How could someone talk to him like that in his own front yard? When he annoyedly turned to see who had spoken, he could see Chang-Sun walking in his direction. ¡°Lee-Lee Chang-Sun¡­!¡± ¡°I heard the executives summoned him to question him about the cleared dungeon, but why is he here¡­?¡± Unable to approach Chang-Sun, the team members furtively stepped back and made way for him. This ignited Hyeong-Jun¡¯s inferiorityplex that had been formed through constantly being overshadowed by Chang-Sun, all the way from the tryouts to the training institute. ¡®They didn¡¯t act like that when they were with me¡­!¡¯?Hyeong-Jun thought as he gritted his teeth. The team members that had worked with him for a long time weren¡¯t ufortable around Chang-Sun. They looked at him with envy and awe even though they had never had a proper conversation with him. Hyeong-Jun couldn¡¯t control his inferiorityplex, and it soon became stronger, finally boiling over when he saw Eun-Seo, who had been watching him with disgusted eyes, casually walk over to Chang-Sun. Snap! At that moment, Hyeong-Jun felt himself snap. He grabbed Eun-Seo¡¯s wrist. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Eun-Seo irritatedly looked at him. Hyeong-Jun smirked back at her. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re acting like this when you yed so hard to get before. Did you disappear because you were busy with a man?¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± Eun-Seo couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. ¡°Why? Do you have something to say? Try¡­!¡± Hyeong-Jun was about to continue, but he hurriedly turned his head when he sensed someone silently watching him. It was Chang-Sun. Chapter 68: Star, The Meeting (6)

Chapter 68: Star, The Meeting (6)

¡®Shall I just stab him?¡¯?Shin Eun-Seo momentarily thought. She hadn¡¯t yet mastered the new power she had suddenly been given, but she knew that she was capable enough to beat the life out of Kim Hyeong-Jun, just like she had done with Lim Joo-Han. Ultimately she decided against it, as there were too many people watching. Things would be tooplicated if the n decided to reprimand her for causing trouble, and there was a chance it would be a nuisance to Chang-Sun, who had saved her. Above all, Eun-Seo knew Hyeong-Jun was the n director¡¯s son because he had furtively let her know when they were in the training institute. At the time, she hadn¡¯t been sure why he had mentioned it, but now it seemed that he had thought it would draw her interest. To be honest, Eun-Seo had never been interested in Hyeong-Jun in the first ce, despite the fact they were on the same team. Although he wasn¡¯t actually capable enough, he overconfidently bluffed, which made him so unattractive to her. She was aware of how he looked at her from time to time. However, she didn¡¯t care because business was business, and the team Adios was a good ce to build her career. She would have thought differently if Hyeong-Jun had tantly attempted to seduce or harass her, but he hadn¡¯t gone that far at the time. She had believed that as long as she drew a clear line, it would be okay. Now though, it seemed like she had misjudged how terrible of a man Hyeong-Jun truly was. Regardless, she didn¡¯t want to cause a scene. She nned on ending with a simple warning, until Chang-Sun stepped in. ¡®Op-oppa¡­?¡¯?Eun-Seo thought in shock when she saw Chang-Sun silently watching Hyeong-Jun with a menacing gaze. The air in the room was so suffocating that it was difficult for Eun-Seo, or any of the other team members for that matter, to speak. Hyeong-Jun somehow mustered up the courage to challenge Chang-Sun, despite the fact that couldn¡¯t bring himself to look him in the eye. ¡°Wh-what¡­? What¡¯re you going to do if you stare¡­Urgh!¡± Chang-Sun interrupted Hyeong-Jun, grabbing his cor and holding him in the air without saying anything. Writhing in midair, Hyeong-Jun shoved Chang-Sun¡¯s arm several times, but it didn¡¯t budge one bit. It was as if Chang-Sun¡¯s arm was made of solid stone. ¡°Uh-uh-uh¡­!¡± ¡°Be careful¡­!¡± Walking on eggshells, Hyeong-Jun¡¯s team members anxiously spoke up, but no one dared try to stop Chang-Sun. The air around him had be much more intimidating than before, making them feel like they would end up like Hyeong-Jun if they got on Chang-Sun¡¯s bad side. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­kill¡­me¡­!¡± Hyeong-Jun wheezed as his face turned pale from theck of air. Using his magic, he tried to push Chang-Sun¡¯s arm away by activating a skill. Although the Council prohibited using a skill directly on another person, Hyeong-Jun was desperate. It really felt like Chang-Sun might kill him if he did nothing. [The skill activation has been canceled!] [The skill activation has been canceled!] The problem was, for an unknown reason, Hyeong-Jun couldn¡¯t activate his skill, so he had no means to counterattack. He had once thought that he could take out Chang-Sun anytime he wanted, but his groundless confidence was long gone now. On top of that, there was something more scary than Chang-Sun¡¯s firm grip around his neck. ¡®His-his eyes¡­!¡¯?Hyeong-Jun thought in fear. They were hidden behind Chang-Sun¡¯s long fringes, but his gaze sent shivers down Hyeong-Jun¡¯s spine. Chang-Sun¡¯s left eye was especially menacing, like a growling tiger that was about to eat Hyeong-Jun. Yes, his eyes were like that of a tiger. Hyeong-Jun had a thought that the White Tiger n¡¯s instructors or even the Attack Team Leaders were not as scary as Chang-Sun¡­ The instructors and the Attack Team Leaders had made Hyeong-Jun feel overwhelmed, but they didn¡¯t make him. However, he felt like Chang-Sun was going to kill him any second¡ªno, Chang-Sun would easily shred him to pieces, leaving no trace that Hyeong-Jun even existed. The fear of death overwhelmed his body, suffocating him even more. His mind turned nk as the tiger named Chang-Sun opened his mouth and lightly bit his head. ¡°Urgh, argh¡­!¡± [The ¡®Cruel Tiger¡¯s One-Eye¡¯ holds you!] It had only been a few hours after Chang-Sun had acquired the Cruel Tiger, the advanced [Tiger Form], from the stone chamber that he had chosen, but he already had the proper form of a veteran. Thus, it was only natural for Hyeong-Jun to fail in withstanding Chang-Sun¡¯s [Tiger Kill]. [Cruel Tiger] A tiger that only held two attributes; murderous intent and viciousness. With this, one was able to make an opponent feel the fear of death with just one look. ¡¤ Type: Trait. ¡¤ Effect: Fills user with murderous desire. Triggers fear. Since only an attack team leader or an executive was allowed to have this skill, there was no way Hyeong-Jun could resist. [You have fallen into the ¡®Feared¡¯ state!] [You have fallen into the ¡®Panic¡¯ state!] [You have fallen into the ¡®Confused¡¯ state!] ¡­¡­ [Warning! You have fallen into the extreme ¡®Panic¡¯ state, so there is a possibility of your ego copsing. You are advised to quickly exit your current location.] ¡­¡­ ¡°Argh!¡± As messages continuously popped up faster than Hyeong-Jun could read them, he fainted, foam dripping from his mouth. ¡°Is-is he¡­?¡± ¡°The smell¡­¡± A wet spot quickly formed on the crotch of Hyeong-Jun¡¯s pants, leaking down until his urine created a puddle on the waiting room floor. Only then did Chang-Sun finally let go of Hyeong-Jun¡¯s cor. With a ssh, Hyeong-Jun pathetically fell into the yellow puddle. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± said Chang-Sun, making Eun-Seo, who had been nkly watching everything, snap out of it. . She looked at Chang-Sun with rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes and answered, ¡°Okay, oppa!¡± Without even ncing at the fainted Hyeong-Jun, Chang-Sun exited the waiting room as if spending one more second there was a waste of time, and Eun-Seo followed closely behind him. Meanwhile, Shin Geum-Gyu looked at the fainted Hyeong-Jun for a moment before spitting on him and walking off. Baek Gyeo-Ul was thest one to exit the room, but he didn¡¯t pay much attention to Hyeong-Jun. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hyeong-Jun¡¯s team members, now left alone in the waiting room, busily tried to figure out their next move. But, when the stench of urine reached them, they quickly exited as though nothing had happened. They had instinctively realized that there was no need to get on the wrong side of Chang-Sun¡¯s group by continuing to interact with Hyeong-Jun. So, in the end, Hyeong-Jun was left alone in the waiting room for a long time. * * * In the first-floor lobby, many people turned their heads to see Chang-Sun, who had set the n on fire, walking across the room with his group. Humming with delight, Eun-Seo took the lead as she hopped around. Suddenly, she turned to Chang-Sun and asked, ¡°Oppa, what do you want to eat?¡± ¡°What do I want to eat?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s have a group dinner since the training is over, please?¡± said Eun-Seo, looking at Chang-Sun with a twinkle in her eye. Gyeo-Ul, who had been silently standing by Chang-Sun, opened his eyes wide when he heard the words ¡®group dinner¡¯ and nced expectantly at Chang-Sun. Geum-Gyu stood at the rear, and hesitantly looked at Chang-Sun¡¯s back as if he was guilty of something. However, Chang-Sun answered, ¡°Not today.¡± ¡°Huh? But¡­!¡± Eun-Seo was about to insist. ¡°There¡¯re too many people watching, so let¡¯s have a group dinnerter. I don¡¯t like noisy ces.¡± Chang-Sun interrupted and exined. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Eun-Seo, Geum-Gyu, and Gyeo-Ul tilted their heads in confusion. When Chang-Sun pulled out sunsses¡ªthe three weren¡¯t even sure how he had gotten them¡ªfrom his inner pocket, they grew even more confused, but after they crossed the lobby and passed the main entrance¡¯s revolving door, the three btedly understood. Click, click, click¨D! A swarm of reporters who had all been waiting for this moment bombarded them, taking photos of Chang-Sun and blinding the group with their camera shes. ¡°Mr. Lee Chang-Sun, can youment on how you feel about clearing the dungeon for the first time in the history of the White Tiger n¡ªno, in the history of Korea!¡± ¡°The White Tiger n announced that they weren¡¯t nning on filing a im forpensation regarding the current incident, rather they are going to assign you to more missions. Have you by any chance talked with the n about this¡­!¡± ¡°With the urrence of many events like your SSS+++ Magic grade, media outlets around the world are talking about you, Mr. Lee Chang-Sun. Can youment about¡­!¡± ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware, you¡¯ve received several offers from foreign ns! Is there a reason why you¡¯ve chosen the White Tiger n¡­!¡± ¡°Can you tell me about your life after you¡¯ve retired..!¡± ¡°Mr. Lee Chang-Sun!¡± ¡°Mr. Lee Chang-Sun, ament! Can you give me ament!¡± So many people threw themselves at Chang-Sun with questions. If the bodyguards hadn¡¯t formed a blockade in advance to prevent amotion, they would have surely glued themselves to Chang-Sun. Gyeo-Ul gaped hard, and Geum-Gyu was rendered speechless. They had never seen such a sight. Eun-Seo smacked her forehead as she recalled, ¡®Oh, yeah. This is my oppa¡¯s daily life¡­!¡¯ With his splendid gaming skill and arrogant way of speaking, Chang-Sun often became a trending topic whenever he did interviews. As a former actress¡¯ son, he had looked especially attractive under the spotlight, and now he had cleared the dungeon that had remained uncleared for a long time. It was like pouring oil on a fire that was already spreading wild. Behind the reporters, many young fans were cheering and waving banners with all kinds of messages on them. The banners were filled with cheesy, embarrassing lines. ¡®Arggh! Why did those crazy guyse here¡­!¡¯?Eun-Seo thought as she hurriedly covered her face. Among those fans, there were members of the fan club that Eun-Seo had joined. Since she had met up with those people as the fan club manager, they would be frantic and call her non-stop if they saw her in the same picture as Chang-Sun. In the midst of all this chaos, Chang-Sun stayed nonchnt, as he was used to it. Some reporters even put their microphones right up against his mouth, but he just ignored them. Instead, he turned his head and waited for something. A limousine happened to break through the crowd and arrived in front of Chang-Sun. When the bodyguard opened the limo door, Chang-Sun gestured at the group with his chin. ¡°Get in.¡± Due to the sudden arrival of the limousine, Gyeo-Ul, Eun-Seo, and Geum-Yu were hesitant, but they quickly got in the car after Chang-Sun stepped in. After the bodyguard closed the door, the limousine departed right away. The reporters rushed forward to at least take one more picture of Chang-Sun, but the limousine swiftly exited the White Tiger n¡¯s head office. After getting through the crowd, Eun-Seo furtively looked out the window to figure out whether or not the fan club members had seen her. On the other hand, Geum-Gyu dumbfoundedly asked, ¡°What-what¡¯s this limousine¡­?¡± ¡°My car. Executive Director Oh gave it to me along with a chauffeur.¡± Chang-Sun calmly exined. Geum-Gyu had heard that the White Tiger n had offered a shockingly goodpensation package, but he had never expected the n to provide a car¡ªno, a limousine to a mere rookie. Geum-Gyu gawked at Chang-Sun as looking at a being from another world. Chapter 69: Star, The Meeting (7)

Chapter 69: Star, The Meeting (7)

¡°And what did you want to talk to me about?¡± Chang-Sun suddenly asked the half-conscious Shin Geum-Gyu, bringing him back to reality. ¡°Pardon?¡± Geum-Gyu spoke with a goofy voice because he still couldn¡¯t understand what Chang-Sun said. Feeling icky, Shin Eun-Seo happened to look away from the window and watched her pathetic twin brother. Although Geum-Gyu was annoyed by his sister for a moment, he soon let out a long sigh when Chang-Sun calmly continued, ¡°When we were in the lobby, you looked like you had something to say to me. Am I wrong?¡± Chang-Sun was sitting across Geum-Gyu, but he really couldn¡¯t tell what was going on inside Chang-Sun¡¯s head. ¡°¡­You noticed it?¡± Geum-Gyu asked. ¡°You were clearly anxious, it would be more strange if I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Chang-Sun shrugged. Geum-Gyu sighed again, because although Chang-Sun spoke vaguely, he was sure that Chang-Sun knew what he was going to say on some level. The Chang-Sun Geum-Gyu had observed until now was capable enough, so he cut to the chase. ¡°¡­Do you happen to know the divine name ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯?¡± [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ is shocked to suddenly hear his name.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ irritatedly asks why you have such loose lips, pounding on the ground with his tail.] Even now, Geum-Gyu was torn as he looked at J?rmungandr¡¯s protesting messages. Should he tell Chang-Sun that it was nothing? Then Chang-Sun might doubt him, but the deity¡¯s offer would still stand. Geum-Gyu¡¯s level was already over 20, but he still didn¡¯t have a Guardian. Since this was a serious disadvantage for a yer, he was having a severe inner conflict about whether or not to ept the World-Encircling Serpent¡¯s offer to be his Guardian. He knew that he had only managed to join the White Tiger n with Eun-Seo¡¯s help, making Geum-Gyu even more torn. At this rate, he would only be a burden on Eun-Seo, unable to protect or help her. Even today, he hadn¡¯t done anything when Kim Hyeong-Jun had been rude to Eun-Seo. It had all been Chang-Sun. The same had happened with Lim Joo-Han because Geum-Gyu was too weak. Still, he calmed down and decided that he was going to tell Chang-Sun, since he had already nned on it. Even though it was sad to lose a potential Guardian, Geum-Gyu didn¡¯t want to lie to his sister¡¯s savior. ¡°Yeah, I know him because he¡¯s one of the deities that are interested in me.¡± Chang-Sun nodded. After hearing the expected answer, Geum-Gyu cleared his throat and continued, ¡°That same deity asked me to observe every detail about you and report what I noticed in secret.¡± [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ grumbles that his whole n is ruined.] When Geum-Gyu saw the deity¡¯s message, his nervousness subsided a little. ¡°Report?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡°Yes, he also asked me to report in detail if I noticed your secret¡­¡± Geum-Gyu trailed off. ¡°Hey! Why did you wait this long to tell such big news?!¡± Eun-Seo, who had been anxiously listening to the conversation, pinched Geum-Gyu¡¯s waist hard. ¡°Argh! It hurts! Why does it hurt so much?!¡± Geum-Gyu shrieked. ¡°Of course, it should hurt! You should have told me that right away!¡± Eun-Seo fiercely yelled. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since I received the message! That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you right now!¡± Geum-Gyu yelled back. ¡°Still, you should have told me as soon as you received it!¡± Eun-Seo pinched and twisted Geum-Gyu¡¯s belly tight, as if she was never going to let it go. Her grip had started off strong, but she grabbed him now with even more power, putting Geum-Gyu through hell. Even though Eun-Seo continued to give Geum-Gyu her death re, both the Shin siblings grew timid and silent when they looked at Chang-Sun, worrying that he might be angry at the news. ¡°That¡¯s a weird request.¡± Chang-Sun lightly snorted and crossed his legs, as if J?rmungandr¡¯s offer was not such a big deal. Geum-Gyu hesitantly asked, ¡°Are you¡­not angry?¡± ¡°Angry? Why should I be angry?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head. ¡°Well¡­ I was actually torn¡­!¡± Geum-Gyu nkly opened and closed his mouth, looking for the right words to say. ¡°So, did you figure out anything?¡± Chang-Sun spoke. ¡°No-no!¡± Geum-Gyu waved both his hands fiercely in denial. Chang-Sun had a cold expression on his face, but he let out a faint smile and chuckled, ¡°Then, there¡¯s no problem. Why would you apologize when you¡¯ve done nothing wrong?¡± For a moment, Geum-Gyu looked dumbfounded because he had never expected Chang-Sun to react like this. In fact, he was prepared for Chang-Sun to dere him as his enemy, and perhaps quit the White Tiger n, as anyone would have been angry to find out that someone they knew had received such a request. It didn¡¯t matter what they ended up finding out, the fact that they had received such a request alone was unpleasant. Yet, Chang-Sun spoke like it didn¡¯t affect him one bit. If anything, he lessened the burden on Geum-Gyu¡¯s mind. That was when Geum-Gyu knew. ¡®His caliber¡­ it¡¯s too high.¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s caliber was so different from that of ordinary people that to Geum-Gyu, he seemed like a god amongst men. The doubts and questions Geum-Gyu had about Chang-Sun disappeared like melting snow, leaving only the ¡®light¡¯ that seemed to radiate from his very being. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ coils himself and buries his head out of boredom.] ¡°Anyhow, what did the deity offer you in return?¡± Chang-Sun asked. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ furtively raises his head.] Geum-Gyu wasn¡¯t sure why he was still seeing the deity¡¯s messages when he should have been done with Geum-Gyu, but he stopped paying attention to the messages and quickly answered, ¡°He-he said he¡¯ll teach me ck magic spells.¡± ¡°ck magic spells?¡± Chang-Sun opened his eyes wide in surprise. Wondering if he had said something wrong, Geum-Gyu continued more cautiously, ¡°Yes, he said that the magic spells would suit me more than anything¡­¡± ¡°Report.¡± Chang-Sun immediately instructed. ¡°Pardon?¡± Geum-Gyu flinched. ¡°He said to observe and report about me, right? Do it.¡± Chang-Sun demanded once more. ¡°What¡­?¡± Geum-Gyu gaped. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ stands up and blinks, failing to understand what is going on.] Geum-Gyu didn¡¯t understand either, so he just stood there blinking too. ¡°The ck magic spells used by ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ are among the very best magic spells. They are called [Uroborus Structural Form]. It¡¯s very difficult to begin and continue learning these spells, so [Uroborus Structural Form] users tend to be quite arrogant. If he offered to teach you these spells despite all this, the ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ must think highly of your talent.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Geum-Gyu opened his eyes wide in shock. ¡°No¡­ should I say he thought highly of your intelligence if he made such an offer? Either way, it seems like he saw something in you.¡± Chang-Sun assumed. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ gapes, astonished that Chang-Sun somehow figured him out.] This message popped up, indicating that even the deity was surprised, but Geum-Gyu didn¡¯t even notice, busy calming himself down after hearing what Chang-Sun had said. ¡®I have¡­a talent?¡¯?Geum-Gyu thought, unable to control himself from trembling. Chang-Sun himself had said Geum-Gyu had a ¡®talent¡¯, a word that Geum-Gyu never thought would be attributed to him. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ tells you to not be too happy, grumbling.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says that he could cover a mountain with the followers and schrs that want to learn from him.] Although the deity warned Geum-Gyu, the fact that the magic spells were hard didn¡¯t matter to him. What mattered to him now was that he had received an opportunity. ¡°So, do as you¡¯ve been asked.¡± Chang-Sun repeated, confirming to Geum-Gyu that he wasn¡¯t dreaming. With that, Geum-Gyu gave Chang-Sun a determined nod. * * * Dropping off the Shin sibling in Pangyo, Chang-Sun promised to have a group dinner after things quieted down, before the limousine drove off discreetly. The twins stood there quietly, until the limousine was so far away that they couldn¡¯t see it anymore. Geum-Gyu broke the silence. ¡°Eun-Seo.¡± ¡°What?¡± Eun-Seo nkly asked. ¡°Starting from today, I¡¯m his fan.¡± Geum-Gyu dered. ¡°Are you trying to teach a fish to swim?¡± Eun-Seo pompously crossed her arms. ¡°Ask me anything you want to know about my oppa, and I¡¯ll tell you everything. Mwahaha!¡± A fan was bound to be happy when somebody else recognized their beloved star¡¯s charm. Eun-Seo thought Geum-Gyu had finally recognized Chang-Sun¡¯s charm and reveled in the moment. ¡°What the hell are you saying? I¡¯m not a crazy sasaeng like you¡­!¡± Geum-Gyu sarcastically remarked, looking at Eun-Seo with a disgusted face. Whack! ¡°Arghh! My leg! My leggg!¡± Geum-Gyu rolled around the ground after suddenly getting kicked in his shin by Eun-Seo. Snorting, Eun-Seo stepped over her pathetic twin brother and headed inside her home. * * * [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ asks how you know such information.] ¡°I think I¡¯ll keep it a secret, just like you tried to keep a secret from me.¡± Chang-Sun shrugged. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ angrily pounds the ground with his tail, saying you are indeed one sly snake.] Chang-Sun didn¡¯t mind J?rmungandr¡¯s constant protesting messages, as he was deep in thought. ¡®I didn¡¯t think I would hear about [Uroborus Structural Form].¡¯?he thought. Among the absolute evil type deities, J?rmungandr was one of the greatest schrs, alongside being a skilled ck wizard. Therefore the ¡®Uroboros Mountain¡¯ magic school, the group that had J?rmungandr as its guardian, was considered the best in multiple nes, including Heaven. Before Chang-Sun had be the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯, he had also taken a deep interest in the group. In this school, the group members¡¯ research mainly focused on the circle of life and death, so they naturally came out with all kinds of bizarre and extraordinary results that ordinary people couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom. ¡®I didn¡¯t learn it at the time because I was busy learning about runes.¡¯?Chang-Sun recalled. On the basis of difficulty, [Uroborus Structural Form] was just as difficult as runes for new learners, but unlike the forgotten runes, [Uroborus Structural Form] was bing more and more popr. Anyways, Geum-Gyu was now able to learn such magic spells. Although Chang-Sun knew that the reason why Geum-Gyu could learn those spells was him, he thought it was for the better since Geum-Gyu would gain power in no time under J?rmungandr¡¯s care. If Chang-Sun could have Geum-Gyu on his side, there was no harm in that. ¡®It¡¯ll be good if he can teach me how to be more versatile with my magic spells.¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. Gyeo-Ul, who was now sitting across from Chang-Sun, quietly looked at him. Chang-Sun could sense that Gyeo-Ul felt nervous. Chang-Sun had a guess as to why Gyeo-Ul felt that way, and he smiled bitterly. Gyeo-Ul was nervous because Chang-Sun was dropping him off in front of his home, meaning he would see how and where Gyeo-Ul lived. ¡°You said you live in Noryangjin, right?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right, sir.¡± Gyeo-Ul nodded. ¡°You¡¯re lying, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head. ¡°No-no, I¡¯m not lying. It¡¯s not big, but I¡¯m staying at a goshiwon¡­¡± ¡°Tell me the truth while I¡¯m being nice.¡± Chang-Sun faintly smiled. Gyeo-Ul stayed silent. ¡°When we get to Noryangjin, I¡¯m going to follow you to your goshiwon, and if I don¡¯t see the room you told me about, I¡¯ll smack you in the back of your head.¡± Chang-Sun spoke in an arrogant tone, crossing his arms. As Chang-Sun pressed him further, the big Gyeo-Ul¡¯s shoulder drooped down more and more. Although he looked cold and distant in front of others like the Shin siblings, he somehow seemed vulnerable now alone in front of Chang-Sun. ¡°You don¡¯t have a home, do you?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°¡­No, sir, I don¡¯t have a home.¡± Gyeo-Ul looked at his feet. ¡°Where did you stay before?¡± Chang-Sun asked, stroking his chin. Gyeo-Ul fidgeted with his fingers. ¡°I used the house deposit to get my spear.¡± Tsk! Chang-Sun lightly clicked his tongue because he had already guessed that was the situation on some level after finding out about Gyeo-Ul¡¯s story. Since Gyeo-Ul had been discriminated against and hated for his entire life, he had even failed to receive mandatory education. It was no surprise to hear that Gyeo-Ul didn¡¯t have a proper home. The studios he had stayed in would have probably also been a mess, and Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure if those studios even had hot water. Nevertheless, Gyeo-Ul wandered the dungeon with his long spear. Considering how yers had to spend most of their money on weapons to work as a yer, Gyeo-Ul would have spent all of what little money he had to get his. ¡®It seems he luckily didn¡¯t get ripped off while getting the weapon, but that¡¯s it. That¡¯s the problem.¡¯?Chang-Sun thought bitterly. On the other hand, Chang-Sun could understand why Gyeo-Ul had gambled and spent all his money on getting the weapon. He must have thought that capturing a Jigwi was the only way to cure him of his curse, so it would be more strange if he hadn¡¯t done so. What would have happened if he had failed to meet Chang-Sun and kill the Jigwis? Chang-Sun didn¡¯t want to imagine it. ¡®Xerxes, you idiot. Do you even know how your son is doing?¡¯?Chang-Sun called for his old colleague in his thoughts and lightly sighed. God only knew where Xerxes was now. Chang-Sun would feel like a piece of trash if he didn¡¯t help his friend¡¯s son in a time of need. ¡®I have to help him learn what it¡¯s like to be a half-spirit.¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. ¡°This is for the better.¡± said Chang-Sun finally, nodding his head. ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Gyeo-Ul, who had been drooping his shoulders and walking on eggshells around Chang-Sun an awful lot for such arge man, asked back. Wondering what Chang-Sun meant, Gyeo-Ul opened his eyes wide like a golden retriever. ¡°Stay in my home for the time being.¡± Chang-Sun instructed. ¡°¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul gaped. 1. A region in Korea 2. Korean term for a stalker fan. 3. A region in Korea 4. This is a type of amodation that can be found in Korea. People studying for exams usually stay in this kind of amodation to focus only on studying. Since the amodation is cheap, people who aren¡¯t studying for exams often stay here too. Chapter 70: Star, The Shadow (1)

Chapter 70: Star, The Shadow (1)

¡°I¡¯m home,¡± Chang-Sun said as he entered through the front door. ¡°Oh, my! You came home already? I thought you said the training would take more than three months¡­!¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s mother, So Yu-Ha, emerged and greeted him in shock. Judging from her apron and the spat in her hand, she must have been cooking dinner. ¡°The training ended earlier than I expected, so I came back early,¡± Chang-Sun exined. ¡°I would have prepared more dishes if I knew you wereing,¡± Yu-Ha said regretfully. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind waiting. Otherwise, we can order,¡± Chang-Sun reassured her. ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯vee back home after a long time, so you should eat a home-cooked meal.¡± Yu-Ha shook her head. ¡°Then, can I ask you a favor?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°A favor?¡± Yu-Ha¡¯s eyes widened; she was unable to understand Chang-Sun. As ofte, he had been eating a lot. Could it mean he wanted to eat more home-cooked meals, as he hade back home after a long time? Instead of answering her, Chang-Sun looked outside and called out, ¡°What are you doing over there? Come in.¡± Wondering who was outside, Yu-Ha followed Chang-Sun¡¯s gaze. She was shocked to see arge, tall man outside, who seemed hesitant to enter. ¡°He¡¯s¡­?¡± Yu-Ha trailed off. ¡°He¡¯s my friend, and his name is Baek Gyeo-Ul. Come in,¡± Chang-Sun said, gesturing at Gyeo-Ul. ¡°E-Excuse me,¡± Gyeo-Ul said, shyly entering with a face so red he looked as if he were about to explode any second. He stared at the floor, unable to meet Yu-Ha¡¯s gaze. Thinking he was very innocent for his age, Yu-Ha smiled brightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re Chang-Sun¡¯s friend, so don¡¯t just stand there. Come inside.¡± ¡°T-Thank you,¡± Gyeo-Ul said in a barely audible voice and nodded, but he was still shy. Although he was a head taller, he quietly hid behind Chang-Sun. Looking at Gyeo-Ul, Yu-Ha reflexively chuckled, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be nervous. Just make yourself at home.¡± As he started talking to the gentle Yu-Ha, Gyeo-Ul slowly rxed and began to enter; finally seeing the inside of Chang-Sun¡¯s home little by little, he was left very surprised. He gaped slightly, thinking, ¡®This kind of home really exists¡­!¡¯ Perhaps because he had always lived in old studios underground, Gyeo-Ul was amazed by everything in the house. In the studios he had lived in, he had always been worried about bumping into the ceiling, but he did not need to worry about that here because the ceiling was so high. There were no ck water stains or mold on the clean walls. The floor was made from bright marble of the sort he had only seen on TV, leaving him unsure whether it was really alright for him to set his feet on the floor. When he wore the indoor slippers given to him by Yu-Ha, they were shockingly fluffy. However, what surprised him even more was the living room, after he crossed the foyer. ¡®I-It¡¯s so big!¡¯? Gyeo-Ul thought in shock, unable to believe such arge house existed. When hey down in his old studios, his head and toes had touched opposite walls at the same time, and he had been able to get to the other end by rolling once. In contrast, he could roll several times in this living room, and he would never be able to reach opposite walls simultaneously while lying down. ¡®I can even see the Hangang River¡­!¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought, looking through the window with sparkling eyes. Through the wide balcony window, he could see the Hangang River immediately. As it was sunset, the river was full of various lights, creating a night scene that made Gyeo-Ul marvel. ¡®Mr. Chang-Chang-Sun lives in such a ce¡­¡¯?Gyeo-Ul looked at Chang-Sun, who behaved as if all he had were nothing unusual, feeling even more impressed by him. He had already been full of awe and respect for Chang-Sun, but those emotions had only grown. Even before he became a yer, Gyeo-Ul had known that Chang-Sun was famous, but after seeing the real Chang-Sun with his own eyes, Gyeo-Ul was even more amazed by him and was not even jealous. He might have been if he could actuallypare his life with Chang-Sun¡¯s, but he was unable to. Thus, he could never be jealous of Chang-Sun. ¡®Huh? That¡¯s¡­?¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought, turning to therge television that covered an entire wall of the living room; it was broadcasting about Chang-Sun. On the news, the reporter was delivering thetest story next to a picture of Chang-Sun and several familiar people. Along with the Shin siblings, Gyeo-Ul, who had been staying right next to Chang-Sun the entire time, was in the picture. ¡®It¡¯s a bit embarrassing¡­¡¯ Gyeo-Ul thought. ¡°Ahhhh! Hey! Who are you?!¡± A woman who had been lying down and chewing on dried squid screamed after btedly noticing Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul. She was Lee Hae-Seon, Chang-Sun¡¯s sister. ¡°W-W-Why are you¡­!¡± Seeing no problem with entering his own home, Chang-Sun looked emotionlessly at Ha-Seon and pointed at the TV with his chin, as if to ask why she was watching the news. Ha-Seon finally realized her mistake and hurriedly turned off the TV with the remote control, eximing, ¡°Changing channels! Yeah! I¡¯ve been changing channels and coincidentally put on the news!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Chang-Sun replied, not sure what Hae-Seon had expected him to say. Ha-Seon¡¯s face reddened and she eximed, ¡°Ugh! You¡¯re annoying!¡± Stomp! Stomp! She stomped irritatedly into her room. ¡°Why are you suddenly going into your room? It¡¯s almost dinnertime!¡± Yu-Ha called out, following Hae-Seon. However, Hae-Seon quickly mmed the door and yelled, ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat dinner!¡± Thud! ¡°My, where did she get her temper¡­¡± Yu-Ha sighed, shaking her head, and smiled bitterly as she looked at Chang-Sun. ¡°As you already know, your sister is really bad at expressing her emotions. She may grumble a lot, but she¡¯s been worrying so much about you. Everyday, she reads news that talks about you, and a couple of days ago, she watched your tryout video on Youtube¡­!¡± ¡°Mom! Don¡¯t be absurd! I hate him!¡± Ha-Seon opened her bedroom door and shrieked with an even redder face than before. Yu-Ha gaped, eximing, ¡°Ha-Seon! You¡¯re his big sister, so you shouldn¡¯t say such a mean thing to your brother, who came back home after such a long time!¡± ¡°Forget it! I¡¯m really not going to eat!¡± Ha-Seon retorted, stomping her feet. ¡°Do you really think you can win an argument by not eating?¡± Yu-Ha asked. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know, don¡¯t know!¡± Ha-Seon yelled, shaking her head. After rebuking her daughter, Yu-Ha eventually suggested to Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul, ¡°Why don¡¯t you two get freshened up first?¡± * * * Chang-Sun took Gyeo-Ul into his room. ¡°Whoa¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul eximed loudly, no longer able to hold in his sense of wonder. ¡°Sir, so th-this is your room¡­¡± ¡°Hyung,¡± Chang-Sun said, cutting him off. ¡°Pardon?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked, tilting his head. ¡°Call me hyung,¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡°¡­So, this is your room, h-hyung?¡± Gyeo-Ul replied, feeling somewhat shy as he called Chang-Sun ¡®hyung¡¯. He was very unfamiliar with the term, as he had never been close to anyone, but still, he was having a great deal of fun. Although he had been lonely his entire life, he felt that he now had a friend who would always have his back, like a wall. ¡®I think Xerxes would nag about making thingsplicated,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought with a chuckle, looking at Gyeo-Ul. He was also reluctant to be called ¡®hyung¡¯ by his old colleague¡¯s son, but considering his physical age in this world, it made sense for him to be called this way. ¡°Yeah, this is my room,¡± Chang-Sun replied with a nod. ¡°This is amazing¡­ It¡¯s bigger than my house¡­¡± Gyeo-Ul murmured, continuing to admire therge room as he looked around. On the walls, there were various posters of Chang-Sun as a professional gamer; countless trophies were in his bookcase, every one of them saying ¡®first ce¡¯, ¡®first ce¡¯, ¡®first ce¡¯¡­ From looking at them, Gyeo-Ul could tell how great a professional gamer Chang-Sun had been. However, those posters and trophies were not what stole Gyeo-Ul¡¯s attention. On top of Chang-Sun¡¯s desk, there was a desktopputer that looked more expensive than the ones Gyeo-Ul had seen while wandering from one PC Bang to another, and three top of the line monitors beside it! ¡°Wow¡­¡± Gyeo-Ul murmured, looking around to see more of the room. There were various game consoles such as a PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X, and several game cases stacked in a small bookcase. ¡°Is it your first time seeing these?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Yeah, I couldn¡¯t afford these¡­ Wow, you even have ¡¶Third Life Ranker¡·? It must have been difficult to get this, and it¡¯s even a limited edition¡­¡± Gyeo-Ul trailed off, dumbfounded. With sparkling eyes, he looked at the ssic game, for which people had to pay several times more than the original price, like a child who had found an interesting toy. Chang-Sun chuckled lightly because he had not thought the stern Gyeo-Ul would be interested in such things. In the end, he handed Gyeo-Ul a game controller and said, ¡°Try it.¡± ¡°Can¡­ I?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked, scratching his head. ¡°Why not?¡± Chang-Sun replied, putting the game controller in Gyeo-Ul¡¯s hands. After his regression, Chang-Sun had never yed games, so he thought it would be better to watch Gyeo-Ul y. Besides, he had even forgotten how to y games, and they were not even fun anymore. However, it would be different for Gyeo-Ul. Just as expected, Gyeo-Ul nervously received the game controller with shining eyes. * * * ¡®Even the bathroom is really big, and I can use hot water as much as I want,¡¯ Gyeo-Ul thought as he got out of the bathroom with rosy cheeks, drying his hair. The boilers had always broken down in his old studios, usually forcing him to shower with cold water. On top of that, he had not been able to own shampoo, conditioner, or body wash, which meant he had needed to wash himself and his clothes with one bar of soap. Thus, when he actually got to use all of those things, he felt as if he were living in a brand new world. ¡®Chang-Sun hyung truly lives in a different world,¡¯ Gyeo-Ul thought, realizing how hard his life had been once again. However, what surprised him the most was when he sat at the dining table. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but help yourself,¡± Yu-Ha said as she sat down. ¡°Th-There are so many¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul eximed, gaping as he saw the table full of banchan. How many kinds of banchan were on the table? Ten? No, there were more than eleven. Along with banchan made from meat, seafood, and vegetables, there was a boiling pot of doenjang-jjigae in the center of the table. On top of each multigrain rice bowl, there was even a fried egg. It was truly a feast for Gyeo-Ul, whose everyday meal was rice and kimchi, or sometimes jjageuli if he was lucky. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll like them. How is it?¡± Yu-Ha asked. ¡°They¡¯re so good!¡± Gyeo-Ul eximed from the bottom of his heart. The many kinds of banchan also tasted good. He felt as if the freshly cooked rice were melting in his mouth, and Yu-Ha had perfectly seasoned and grilled an entire mackerel. Additionally, the seasoned vegetable dish was so good that Gyeo-Ul¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m so d to hear that. To be honest, I put in a lot of effort for the first time in a while,¡± Yu-Ha said with a smile. ¡°I think you could open up a restaurant, because I¡¯ve never tasted anything like your cooking,¡± Gyeo-Ul said while covering his food-filled mouth. ¡°You talk so sweetly. I hope some youngest son learned from you,¡± Yu-Ha said jokingly, making Gyeo-Ul nce at Chang-Sun, who was sitting beside him. Without saying anything, Chang-Sun ate like a monk consuming tasteless temple food. ¡°They¡¯re good,¡± Chang-Sun concisely answered after sensing Yu-Ha and Gyeo-Ul looking at him, but his monotonous tone made his answer sound insincere. Yu-Ha pouted with discontent, saying, ¡°Look at him. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to cook delicious meals for him. Was your name Gyeo-Ul?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah, I¡¯m Gyeo-Ul!¡± Gyeo-Ul replied with a nod. ¡°Do you want to be my youngest son? I think you¡¯ll be a better youngest son than him,¡± Yu-Ha suddenly asked. ¡°Uh, well¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul trailed off hesitantly, unsure what to answer, and studied Chang-Sun¡¯s face to see whether he was angry. Yu-Ha burst intoughter and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to take it seriously. I was just joking.¡± Gyeo-Ul nkly looked at Yu-Ha for a while, feeling warm, but he was unsure why. He just felt that way, suddenly experiencing a sense of deja vu. Yu-Ha¡¯sughter somehow set butterflies in his stomach, reminding him of a forgotten memory. It seemed he had heard simrughter during the childhood he no longer remembered. The only thing he could remember from that time was a faint afterimage, but that image was warm, just like now. ¡°My beautiful, very beautiful baby¡­¡± ¡®Ah,¡¯ Gyeo-Ul thought, vaguely realizing whoseughter it was. ¡®Mom. It¡¯s Mom¡¯s¡­ughter. I-I also had a loving mom, even though I don¡¯t remember her.¡¯ After realizing that, Gyeo-Ul had to lower his head, bullying the innocent rice bowl with his spoon during the entire meal in order to not choke up and cry. Without saying anything, Chang-Sun looked at Gyeo-Ul, who was sitting by his side. 1. A Korean dish that is thicker than jjigae but has more soup than stir-fried dishes. Chapter 71: Star, The Shadow (2)

Chapter 71: Star, The Shadow (2)

After Chang-Sun and Baek Gyeo-Ul finished eating dinner, they went to bed earlier than usual. Perhaps because they had gone through tough battles in the training institute, they felt more fatigue than they expected after getting a chance to rx. Chang-Sun was actually happy to be sleeping in afortable bed after such a long time. Even the fiend ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ needed to take breaks and recharge himself, but somehow he could not sleep. He would be able to force himself to sleep if he used his magic, but he did not want to. Judging from how he could hear Gyeo-Ul toss and turn in the mattress beside his bed, it seemed the other man was in a simr state. ¡°Are you having trouble sleeping?¡± Chang-Sun asked with his eyes closed. ¡°Huh? Yeah, a little bit¡­¡± Gyeo-Ul replied as he stopped moving. ¡°Tell me if the mattress is ufortable,¡± Chang-Sun told Gyeo-Ul, just in case. ¡°No, not at all! It¡¯sfortable. The floor is warm, and theforter is really soft,¡± Gyeo-Ul fervently exined, not wanting Chang-Sun to misunderstand. When he heard Chang-Sun quietly chuckling, he breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Then why can¡¯t you sleep?¡± Chang-Sun continued. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ sure,¡± Gyeo-Ul replied, fidgeting with theforter. ¡°It seems you have a lot on your mind,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°Did you¡­ notice?¡± Gyeo-Ul slowly answered. ¡°I would be an idiot if I didn¡¯t,¡± Chang-Sun said concisely, making Gyeo-Ul smile bitterly. Gyeo-Ul had not wanted Chang-Sun to worry, so he had been careful not to reveal anything. Still, it seemed he could not fool Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes. In truth, however, Gyeo-Ul had only been fooling himself, because it would have been far stranger for anyone not to notice. Before eating dinner, Gyeo-Ul had been incredibly happy just to be able to y games, but after the meal, he had begun staring into the air and sighing asionally, not even touching a game controller. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chang-Sun asked, opening his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not as if something is actually wrong,¡± Gyeo-Ul replied sincerely. ¡°Then?¡± Chang-Sun continued. For a moment, Gyeo-Ul wondered how to answer Chang-Sun. No matter how he answered, however, Chang-Sun would notice if he replied dishonestly, so he decided toe clean. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ just.¡± ¡°Just?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether I can be thisfortable¡­¡± Gyeo-Ul trailed off. Although he had not lived for a long time, he had had nothing but lonely memories, so he could not help but wonder whether he was truly allowed to enjoy everything he was experiencing. He was happy, but that made him nervous that the happiness would merely be temporary. He was relieved that he had cured his half-spirit curse, bonded with Chang-Sun, and gotten a warm ce to sleep in, but he felt that he did not deserve it. That was why Gyeo-Ul could not help but feel anxious. Perhaps he was dreaming right now, and in reality, he had been captured by a monster and ced in an illusion. If he escaped the monster¡¯s illusion, everything he was experiencing right now would disappear into thin air. Or, perhaps, he would soon have to think of the present as one of the pointless fantasies he had once had. However¡­ ¡°Who decides that?¡± Chang-Sun suddenly asked. ¡°Huh¡­? W-Well¡­¡± Gyeo-Ul stuttered. ¡°No one else can decide if you¡¯re allowed to do so. You decide that,¡± Chang-Sun said calmly. ¡°I decide¡­¡± Gyeo-Ul subconsciously repeated after Chang-Sun, the words ¡®You decide¡¯ echoing around his ears. ¡°Cherish yourself more. You decide your own value. If you consider yourself pathetic, you¡¯ll be as valuable as trash on the ground, but if you appreciate yourself, you¡¯ll be more valuable,¡± Chang-Sun continued. Gyeo-Ul remained silent. ¡°So, you choose whether or not you deserve to have everything,¡± Chang-Sun said. Chang-Sun could see his old self in Gyeo-Ul, who was silently pondering the situation. When he ended up in Arcadia without anything, he had only been obsessed with fighting and not realized how valuable he was¡ªno, even after he became a Celestial, he had failed to realize that. Without thinking much, he had only kept walking the path he had been given. However, he had ended up losing everything and falling into the abyss, enabling him to start realizing how wrong he had been. He had never allowed himself to take a break, cherish anything, or reflect on himself; thus, he had remained incredibly full of himself, just running amok like a daredevil. If he had rxed or introspected a little more, Chang-Sun would not necessarily have fallen like that. His old colleagues would not have left him, and the fight against those damned Zodiacs could have turned out differently. He had be aware of that only after he regressed and spent a month with his family. Thus, Chang-Sun did not want Gyeo-Ul to follow in his footsteps. Before curing Gyeo-Ul¡¯s half-spirit curse or fighting the Jigwis, the Gyeo-Ul he met had resembled his past self. There had been nothing but spite and regret inside Gyeo-Ul, so it was not hard to imagine how he would end up. That was why he wanted Gyeo-Ul to realize that early and learn to appreciate himself. ¡®Xerxes, as his father, you should be the one to talk about this kind of stuff. Where are you? And what in the world are you doing?¡¯?Chang-Sun called for his colleague in his thoughts, but received no answer. Gyeo-Ul said nothing for a long time, but soon, Chang-Sun heard faint sniffles filling the quiet room, so he pretended not to hear anything. ¡°¡­T-Thank you,¡± Gyeo-Ul said, his quiet voice faintly filling the room. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ sniffles, wiping her nose with tissues.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ benevolently watches you.] The first night after they had cleared the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯ wore on. * * * The next morning, Lee Ha-Seon tugged on So Yu-Ha¡¯s sleeves, ncing at Chang-Sun¡¯s room, from which Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul had not emerged yet. She began, ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yu-Ha asked as she trimmed bean sprouts. ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange?¡± Ha-Seon asked. Yu-Ha curtly asked, ¡°What are you trying to say again?¡± Sensing how uninterested Yu-Ha was, Ha-Seon pouted as she grumbled, ¡°You must think I¡¯m only going to say weird stuff.¡± ¡°Then are you not?¡± Yu-Ha replied with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m not! Anyway, listen,¡± Ha-Seon said, straightening her back. ¡°Yeah, yeah. What?¡± Yu-Ha asked as she continued to trim the bean sprouts. ¡°You know, our scoundrel¡­¡± Ha-Seon began. ¡°Why must you always call your brother¡­?!¡± Yu-Ha interrupted. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t cut in on me and listen first. Don¡¯t you think our scoundrel is weird?¡± Ha-Seon asked, looking at Chang-Sun¡¯s door. Yu-Ha stopped trimming the bean sprouts, but Ha-Seon did not notice because her eyes were still fixed on the door. Yu-Ha quietly asked, ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Well, you know, he became apletely different person after he was entangled in the Jamsil Gate. He stopped drinking, and he stopped throwing tantrums. I tried to irritate him on purposest time, but he just ignored me and left,¡± Hae-Seon busily exined. ¡°How can you say those things proudly as his older sister?¡± Yu-Ha replied, clicking her tongue. ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s weird. He became totally different¡ªno, he¡¯s still cocky, but it¡¯s almost as if he became really old overnight. He talks less, is more mature, and even has a talent that he didn¡¯t have before¡­ Right!¡± Ha-Seon continued, bing more and more certain as she went on. In truth, Chang-Sun¡¯s family had almost given up on him. It was understandable because, unlike his elite siblings, Chang-Sun had been crazy about games, causing conflicts with his father. After Chang-Sun retired, he had even be an alcoholic and made even his mother worry. While he was in the Jamsil Dungeon, his family had almost fallen apart, but after Chang-Sun returned, he had acted as if nothing had happened without making any apologies, angering Ha-Seon. As time passed, however, Chang-Sun had begun to lead a different life. Although he was still unfriendly to his family, he tried to show he had changed: He had quit drinking cold turkey, which had previously been the biggest problem for Chang-Sun¡¯s family, and lived a regr life, never missing dinner with his family. Due to those changes, the family could meet Chang-Sun more often; naturally, Chang-Sun¡¯s father, who had all but given up and always been discontent with him, slowly became less angry. On top of that, Chang-Sun had be a world-ss genius. Thus, even Ha-Seon, who had never been familiar with yers, had begun to hear and see the word ¡®Tyrant¡¯ nonstop. As such, it was not unusual for Ha-Seon to talk about Chang-Sun this way. ¡®And why are there so many people wanting me to introduce them to him¡­?! Ugh, everyone should get their eyes checked. Why do they like him so much?¡¯?Ha-Seon grumbled inwardly. Looking at her daughter, Yu-Ha wondered how to answer for a moment, feeling mixed emotions and silently working through her inner conflict. ¡°The strangest part is,¡± Ha-Seon continued seriously. Because she was worried about where her daughter was going with this, Yu-Ha looked at Ha-Seon nervously. ¡°He made a friend,¡± Ha-Seon concluded, still just as serious. ¡°¡­?¡± Yu-Ha silently tilted her head. ¡°You don¡¯t know, Mom? He¡¯s had zero friends ever since he was a child¡­ Ouch!¡± Ha-Seon shrieked as Yu-Ha pped her back. ¡°That¡¯s no way to talk about your brother,¡± Yu-Ha snapped, scowling at Ha-Seon. ¡°Ouch, ouch! Mom! It hurts! Stop hitting me!¡± Ha-Seon shouted. Yu-Ha pped Ha-Seon¡¯s back nonstop; although Ha-Seon tried to dodge her, she never missed. ¡°Stop! Stooop! Hold on, Mom! Mom, let me-Let me say just one more thing! I have to tell you something really important!¡± Ha-Seon eximed, attempting to cover her back with her hands. ¡°Are you just going to say more useless stuff now?¡± Yu-Ha asked, although she briefly stopped. ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± Ha-Seon eximed, holding out her hand to put some distance between her and Yu-Ha. Yu-Ha¡¯s gaze turned sharp, ready to resume pping Ha-Seon¡¯s back any minute. ¡°His friend¡¯s looks and physique are totally my type, so can you ask if he has a girlfriendter? He hangs out with that arrogant Chang-Sun, so he¡¯ll be really gentle¡­! Ouuuuch!¡± Ha-Seon yelled. While Ha-Seon was being scolded(?) by Yu-Ha, Chang-Sun suddenly opened the door. As if they were about to go somewhere, Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul were all dressed up. However, as the clothes Gyeo-Ul had worn the previous day were in theundry machine, he was wearing Chang-Sun¡¯s biggest sweatsuit. Of course, the clothes were still so short for Gyeo-Ul that he was practically wearing capri pants. ¡°Are you heading out?¡± Yu-Ha asked, standing up. Gyeo-Ul politely bowed to Yu-Ha and Ha-Seon, saying, ¡°I hope you had a good rest.¡± Watching from far away, Ha-Seon grinned as she thought, ¡®Look at him. I can see that he¡¯s gentle in one nce.¡¯ ¡°We¡¯re going out to train. We¡¯ll eat outside, so go ahead and eat,¡± Chang-Sun answered. ¡°Don¡¯t overwork yourself,¡± Yu-Ha said, smiling faintly. ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll head out then,¡± Chang-Sun said, opening the front door. Before following Chang-Sun, Gyeo-Ul hurriedly said his farewells to Yu-Ha and Ha-Seon. ¡°I-I¡¯ll head out too.¡± Full of worry, Yu-Ha lightly sighed. She had heard that yers¡¯ parents tended to have short lifespans because they were always worried and anxious about their children, and she could now see why they were concerned. She just desperately hoped that nothing would happen. * * * ¡°Please go to Seongsu-dong,¡± Chang-Sun told the taxi driver. The taxi Chang-Sun had reserved left Jamsil. Inside the taxi, Gyeo-Ul somehow looked very peaceful, and it was all due to Chang-Sun¡¯s advice. After the previous night, he had organized his thoughts and changed his mindset. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked, tilting his head; he was unable to tell where they were going. As far as he knew, there was no yer training facility in Seongsu-dong. If they were going to train, they had to either go to Gangnam or areas on the outskirts of Seoul, such as Hanam. ¡°To change weapons,¡± Chang-Sun exined simply. ¡°Weapons¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul repeated, his eyes widening a bit. His weapon was currently in the inventory, and as he had spent a fortune on his weapon, he had not nned on changing or repairing it. ¡°Well, are you going to keep using that dull spear?¡± Chang-Sun asked, looking outside the window. ¡°But I don¡¯t have money¡­¡± Gyeo-Ul trailed off, falling silent as he was suddenly forced to think about reality. Although he had received some rewards by clearing the Dungeon and gotten his sry a couple of days prior, the seller would set the prices of weapons and defensive equipment. However, Chang-Sun dismissed Gyeo-Ul¡¯s concerns immediately, replying, ¡°Did you already forget what I said? You set your own value.¡± Gyeo-Ul stayed quiet. ¡°A weapon is important for protecting yourself and killing monsters, and it¡¯s especially important because yourbat power will be halved if you aren¡¯tfortable with your weapon,¡± Chang-Sun continued coldly. ¡°That doesn¡¯t just apply to weapons. It applies to everything, including defensive equipment, talismans, and jewels.¡± Gyeo-Ul recalled the weapons Chang-Sun had used in the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯. He had used a unique-looking spear and whip, as well as special daggers. Of course, his physical ability was exceptional, and every weapon he had was high-quality. In contrast, Gyeo-Ul had¡­ ¡®An ordinary spear I got from an ordinary forge,¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought bitterly. The spear was not bad, but it had be dull just as Chang-Sun said. Thus, even if Gyeo-Ul repaired it somehow, it would grow dull again as he fought through harsh environments. ¡°So, don¡¯t say anything and just follow me, because I¡¯m going to pay for your weapon. Get ready, because I¡¯ll test your skills afterward,¡± Chang-Sun said. He closed his eyes, leaning against the seat. Chang-Sun¡¯s weapon-handling skill was certainly splendid; what would it be like to learn from him one on one? Gyeo-Ul lightly gaped without realizing it. Although Chang-Sun¡¯s lesson would be difficult, it would be the second turning point in his life, the first being the moment when his half-spirit curse had been undone. ¡®He¡¯s been part of both of my turning points,¡¯ Gyeo-Ul thought, looking at Chang-Sun with shining eyes. Chapter 72: Star, The Shadow (3)

Chapter 72: Star, The Shadow (3)

After Chang-Sun and Baek Gyeo-Ul exited the taxi, Gyeo-Ul tilted his head as he looked around the Tailored Shoe Alley in Seongsu-dong. He muttered, ¡°This ce is¡­¡± Gyeo-Ul had also visited the same ce to get his current spear, but he had only met cksmiths who tried to rip him off. Thus, he was unsure whether there were any proper cksmiths in the alley. However, Chang-Sun went deep inside the alley without an exnation. Worried about losing sight of Chang-Sun, Gyeo-Ul quickly followed him. * * * ¡°What the hell? You want me to make you another weapon? Do you think I¡¯m a magic wand you can just wave in the air to create weapons? Weapons can¡¯t be forged that easily and quickly!¡± Choi Bu-Yong eximed, furious at Chang-Sun for making yet another absurd request after visiting for the first time in a long time. ¡¸Lee Chang-Sun has deposited 100,000,000 won into your W Bank ount.¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s a deposit. I¡¯ll pay you the same amount once you¡¯re done,¡± Chang-Sun calmly offered. ¡°Still, it doesn¡¯t work like¡­!¡± Bu-Yong yelled. ¡¸Lee Chang-Sun has deposited 100,000,000 won into your W Bank ount.¡¹ ¡°Are you still not going to do it?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°¡­Fuck,¡± Bu-Yong cursed. He gave up, realizing how futile resistance was in the face of Chang-Sun¡¯s shameless calm. The crazy bastard was throwing money in the air again. Although he was supposed to be happy that he could practically bathe in money, he could not help but be annoyed that he would have to pull an all-nighter for several days once again. ¡®What on earth¡­?¡¯ Gyeo-Ul blinked nkly as he listened to Chang-Sun and Bu-Yong¡¯s conversation. Every part of their conversation sounded surreal. What had Bu-Yong¡¯s smartphone just said? Chang-Sun had sent one hundred million won twice? Unable to believe his ears, Gyeo-Ul¡¯s jaw dropped as he heard about an amount of money he could not even imagine having. ¡®Who is this person?¡¯?Gyeo-Ul wondered. When he first met Bu-Yong, he had thought the man did not look reliable, because he looked more like a tattooist than a cksmith. Not only was his body covered with various tattoos, there were also many earrings on his ear. Gyeo-Ul tried not to stereotype people, but it was difficult to think that a person who looked like Bu-Yong could have the ¡®mindset of a great artisan¡¯. On top of that, Bu-Yong was blind, and he constantly held the leash of his seeing-eye dog, which only made Gyeo-Ul¡¯s doubts grow stronger. Regardless, it seemed Chang-Sun did not care, simply silencing Bu-Yong¡¯s protests by showering him with money. Gyeo-Ul had once heard the word ¡®flex¡¯, and the current moment seemed to be a perfect example of that word. ¡®I-It¡¯s so cool,¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought, setting the problem of whether or not he could trust Bu-Yong aside. It had been Gyeo-Ul¡¯s lifelong dream to be able to throw money around at least once, so once again, he was amazed by Chang-Sun. It was difficult to tell whether Chang-Sun was aware of Gyeo-Ul¡¯s thoughts, however. ¡°Pheeew!¡± Bu-Yong heaved a long sigh and slowly raised his head. Tidying up his disheveled hair, he cursed in annoyance, ¡°Fucking bastard.¡± ¡°I told you to call me CEO,¡± Chang-Sun replied, unfazed. ¡°Yeah, yeah, Mr. Fucking CEO, so what do you want me to make again?¡± Bu-Yong retorted before getting down to business. ¡°Spear,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°If you¡¯re telling me to make another spear like your weird-ass spear, I¡¯ll crack your skull first before I melt any iron,¡± Bu-Yong growled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to make the same kind of spear again. An ordinary long spear will be enough,¡± Chang-Sun assured Bu-Yong. ¡°Weight and length?¡± Bu-Yong asked, implicitly agreeing to make Gyeo-Ul¡¯s spear. Noticing his response, Chang-Sun looked at Gyeo-Ul. Gyeo-Ul was still unsure whether he could trust Bu-Yong, but believed there had to be a reason for Chang-Sun to have brought him here. Thus, he readily answered, ¡°A three-meter long spear will be enough for me, and as for the weight¡­¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know if you exin it like that? Do you not have anything I can refer to?¡± Bu-Yong interrupted crudely, thinking Gyeo-Ul would be the same as Chang-Sun. However, Gyeo-Ul pulled out his spear from his inventory and gave it to Bu-Yong without anyint. ¡°Why is it so heavy¡­?!¡± Bu-Yong grumbled, frowning for a moment as he felt the heavy spear resting in his hands. Soon, however, his expression faded as he slowly examined the spear with his fingertips, trying to figure out the length, weight, and shape of the spearhead. As he could not see, he drew a perfect image of the spear in his mind by touch. Bu-Yong looked so serious that Gyeo-Ul felt he had to change his initial assessment. It seemed almost as if Bu-Yong were the only person in the world. Gyeo-Ul held his breath, inadvertently thinking it would be bad to distract Bu-Yong from concentrating. ¡°Give me your hand,¡± Bu-Yong said, holding out his hand. Gyeo-Ul put his hand on top of Bu-Yong¡¯s without realizing it. Just as he had done with Gyeo-Ul¡¯s long spear, Bu-Yong inspected Gyeo-Ul¡¯s right hand very thoroughly, then asked for his left hand afterward. When he was done with Gyeo-Ul¡¯s hands, he measured Gyeo-Ul¡¯s wrists, forearms, shoulders, and overall height. ¡°You¡¯re a lefty, and you thrust your spear rather than swinging it¡ªno, you thrust and spin to maximize your attacks¡¯ damage by adding centrifugal and rotational force. Huh, you use a footwork technique, so you aren¡¯t slow. You use this kind of heavy weapon, but you make sure you aren¡¯t slow, huh?¡± Bu-Yong remarked. ¡°¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul¡¯s eyes reflexively widened as he listened to Bu-Yong muttering to himself. It seemed that Bu-Yong had not only created the image of the spear and identified the owner, but also figured out the owner¡¯s habits and fighting style in detail, deepening Gyeo-Ul¡¯s surprise even further. Due to hisck of money, he had not met many cksmiths, but no one had examined the person who was going to use the weapon fully like Bu-Yong. ¡®They were too busy showing off,¡¯?Gyeo-Ul recalled. cksmiths, craftsmen, Enchanters¡­ Most of the so-called ¡®master craftsmen¡¯ or ¡®artists¡¯, those who were usually categorized as production workers, were always full of themselves. They were so antisocial and narcissistic that they simply ordered yers to get used to their creations, as they were ¡®masterpieces¡¯. However, from Gyeo-Ul¡¯s perspective, every one of them was just an asshole waiting for an innocent, naive, and rich simpleton to step into their shops. Although there were proper craftsmen in the White Tiger n, they were arrogant too; naturally, Gyeo-Ul had not expected Bu-Yong to be any different. In contrast, Bu-Yong seemed to know what the weapons he created were supposed to be like; a weapon that suited the owner was a real weapon. ¡®Well, I guess that''s why he could create Chang-Sun hyung¡¯s weapons,¡¯ Gyeo-Ul thought with a shrug. He began to understand how Chang-Sun¡¯s weapons¡ªthe Nameless Spear and the whip¡ªhad suchplicated exteriors and structures, as well as such splendid abilities. He thought there was no way such a ¡®master craftsman¡¯ would create defective products. When he was done analyzing Gyeo-Ul, Bu-Yong sat on his chair and reviewed all the information he had received, crossing his arms. Wilson, Bu-Yong¡¯s seeing-eye dog, yawned for a while and fell asleep near Bu-Yong¡¯s feet. Only after a long time did Bu-Yong turn to ¡®look¡¯ at Chang-Sun. Even though he was blind, he had urately pinpointed Chang-Sun¡¯s direction. He asked, ¡°What kind of material do you want me to use?¡± ¡°It should be at least [ck Raven Iron] or Hundredfold Refined Steel-grade [Cold Iron],¡± Chang-Sun thought, stroking his chin. ¡°¡­What the fuck. Are you going to wage a war or something?¡± Bu-Yong asked, his jaw dropping. ¡°Something like that,¡± Chang-Sun said with a nod. Bu-Yong shook his head in disbelief. [ck Raven Iron] and [Cold Iron] were both very difficult materials to obtain, but Chang-Sun wanted Bu-Yong to use them to create a very heavy weapon. If the word ¡®crazy¡¯ could not be used for such a moment, when would it be used? ¡°Fifteen days,¡± Bu-Yong said, telling Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul the amount of time he needed to make the spear. ¡°Ten days,¡± Chang-Sun said, shaking his head. ¡°Are you nuts? The shortest amount of time I need to order materials and make ingots is fifteen days. My arms will break if I pound ingots for a week non-stop!¡± Bu-Yong yelled at the top of his lungs. ¡°They won¡¯t,¡± Chang-Sun said calmly. ¡°Fuck, you should at least give me fifteen days no matter what,¡± Bu-Yong grumbled, scratching his head in frustration. ¡°Deal,¡± Chang-Sun suddenly said with a nod. ¡°¡­Why couldn¡¯t you just say yes from the start?¡± Bu-Yong grumbled, but he lightly stretched his hands. He had been getting bored from only making Chang-Sun¡¯s weapons, so he would be less bored if he made weapons for other people too. * * * ¡®I¡¯m going to¡­ have my own weapon,¡¯ Gyeo-Ul thought as he looked down at his hands, unable to calm the butterflies in his stomach. He was incredibly happy to be able to hold a proper infantry weapon in his callus-covered hands. As a martial artist, he was bound to be happy to own a splendid weapon. However, Gyeo-Ul was more so d to have a weapon forged by the cksmith who had created Chang-Sun¡¯s own. Following the footsteps of his idol brought him happiness. ¡°What are you thinking so hard about?¡± Chang-Sun asked, bringing Gyeo-Ul back to reality. As Chang-Sun lowered the Nameless Spear, he stared at Gyeo-Ul. That was when Gyeo-Ul finally remembered where he was and held his breath. ¡®Now isn¡¯t the time to be distracted,¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought nervously. After they finished with their business in Seongsu-Dong, they traveled to the nearest yer practice range right away. Although a crowd of people who recognized Chang-Sun swarmed toward Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul, the practice range owner immediately gave them a room for VVIPs when Chang-Sun asked for it, so they could begin practicing in peace. Unless they were living on the outskirts, yers living in big cities like Seoul usuallycked ces to train. To aid those yers, the Council had set up gymnasiums that yers could use. However, yers sometimes used private practice ranges too, where they could practice in separate rooms. In those practice ranges, the rooms were decorated to resemble Dungeons using magic devices. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ watches the spar between two warriors with great interest.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ is ironing out the details of her reward for you.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ briefly stops paying attention because non-bloody fights are no fun.] Pabilsag and Minerva devoted their attention to the spar, but on the other hand, Heoju looked away. ¡®Well, you¡¯re in for a big surprise,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, smiling enigmatically at Heoju as he looked at Gyeo-Ul. Gyeo-Ul shook his head nervously and replied, ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just nervous¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous, or else you won¡¯t be able to train properly,¡± Chang-Sun instructed. ¡°Okay, hyung!¡± Gyeo-Ul replied with a fervent nod. ¡°By the way, how well are you able to use your ghost energy?¡± Chang-Sun asked, changing the topic. ¡°Um, well¡­¡± Gyeo-Ul said hesitantly, unable to answer properly. Chang-Sun chuckled quietly, asking, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you have a problem?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Gyeo-Ul said. He lowered his head slightly, feeling ashamed. In truth, Gyeo-Ul had failed to show significant progress after Chang-Sun undid his half-spirit curse. An immense amount of magic circted in every part of his body, and that magic was different enough from the norm to be called ghost energy or divine energy. Unlike his half-spirit curse, the magic gave him a vast amount of life force. However, the problem was that his progress ended there. The magic did not budge, let alone obey Gyeo-Ul¡¯s will. He could only asionally use it in times of need, but other than those moments, the magic only circted through the paths in Gyeo-Ul¡¯s body like a vast, arrogant river, practically driving him mad. He was able to feel the vigorous flow of energy, but he could not use it at all. ¡°Of course you would,¡± Chang-Sun said as if he had expected it. Gyeo-Ul¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He asked, ¡°Do you¡­ know why?¡± [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ tilts his head, wondering what you, the snake, are trying to do again.] Chang-Sun nodded, saying, ¡°You should never try to use your magic like ordinary magic.¡± ¡°Please exin in detail,¡± Gyeo-Ul requested. Chang-Sun continued, ¡°A half-spirit refers to a person who was conceived while a shaman and a ghost had intercourse, right? They¡¯re also called half-monsters, which suggests they also have monster energy or evil energy. However, the problem is that you¡¯vepletely undone the half-spirit curse, so wouldn¡¯t it be weirder for you to be able to control the energy?¡± ¡°Then, what should I do¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked. ¡°You should use a different magic cirction method than the original one you used. Of course, you¡¯ll have to change your every little habit, down to your breathing method,¡± Chang-Sun said, thinking of Xerxes throughout his exnation. ¡®Right now, Gyeo-Ul has shadow energy¡­ So, I should not only help him master the energy, but also help him manifest a Talent or Trait. In order to do so, there can be no better method than helping him be like his father,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Chang-Sun had thought of the cultivation method Xerxes had exined to him at some point in the past, as a means to help Gyeo-Ul properly obtain the special skill [Shadow Secret Technique]. It would be impossible to obtain unless a person had a unique kind of energy known as shadow energy. If that were to happen, Gyeo-Ul would obtain the trait [Shadow y]. Above all, Gyeo-Ul needed shadow, Xerxes¡¯ foundation, in order to control his shadow energy. ¡°So,¡± Chang-Sun said, lightly gripping the Nameless Spear and pointing it at Gyeo-Ul. ¡°You should be my shadow from now on.¡± Chapter 73: Star, The Shadow (4)

Chapter 73: Star, The Shadow (4)

Baek Gyeo-Ul tilted his head in confusion, unable to understand what Chang-Sun meant by ¡®shadow¡¯. Looking back at him, Chang-Sun chuckled lightly. It was understandable that Gyeo-Ul could not understand, as Chang-Sun had heard the phrase ¡®be a shadow¡¯ from his father, Xerxes. ¡°Shadow? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You know I normally don¡¯t have a fixed physical body, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, or else you wouldn¡¯t look like that now.¡± ¡°Just as you said, I normally can¡¯t even manifest in a spirit body, because you could say I¡¯m a false deity. No matter how exceptional a Celestial is, they normally don¡¯t recognize me, but you¡¯re different.¡± ¡°So?¡° ¡°So, in order to have a body, I extracted your shadow, then artificially made a ¡®shell¡¯ and inhabited it.¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your shadow¡ªno, the hidden side of your imprint, to be more urate, it would have been difficult to manifest like this in the physical world.¡± ¡°That means you¡¯re parasitizing me, am I right?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like the way you put it, but yeah, something like that.¡± As it happened, Chang-Sun had not intentionally encountered Xerxes. While exploring some ruins, Chang-Sun had coincidentally sensed him and realized he was a being who had been expelled from the nes and the universe, like the . Thus, Chang-Sun had lent Xerxes his shadow as a medium for Xerxes to show himself in the physical ne. Through that incident, Xerxes had be Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow, an ally who protected and assisted Chang-Sun, and a colleague with whom he had aplished many achievements together. Although they had gone down separate paths due to a difference in opinion, there were no hard feelings between them. In truth, Chang-Sun had long felt indebted to Xerxes after having lost his precious colleague through his ignorance and selfishness. Now, he had met that very same precious colleague¡¯s son. As Gyeo-Ul had undone his old curse and regained his original looks and talents, Chang-Sun would now guide Gyeo-Ul down the path he had to walk. Of course, Gyeo-Ul would have been able to find his own path someday with his own willpower and talent, but it would still take a tremendous amount of time. Thus, Chang-Sun would shorten the time it took and guide Gyeo-Ul, in order to ensure he did not go down the wrong path. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says he is unsure what you are trying to teach that person.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ looks forward to seeing your new knowledge, believing you know what you are doing.] However, Gyeo-Ul was still perplexed, as he did not know the full story. Perhaps due to his deep trust for Chang-Sun, however, he did not doubt Chang-Sun¡¯s instruction. He asked, ¡°Then, what should I do?¡± ¡°First, you must learn to control your shadow energy,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°Shadow energy¡­¡± Gyeo-Ul quietly repeated. ¡°You can¡¯t force shadow energy to move. You have to build a pathway for it, so it can flow naturally,¡± Chang-Sun continued. ¡°A pathway¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked. ¡°A path for your shadow energy to flow through. Project your energy onto my shadow first,¡± Chang-Sun said, pointing at his shadow. ¡°¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul tilted his head. ¡°Do you see my shadow on the ground? Try pulling it in your direction,¡± Chang-Sun exined further. Gyeo-Ul had been looking at Chang-Sun¡¯s face, but he then lowered his head to look at Chang-Sun¡¯s feet. Just like Chang-Sun, a spot of shadow cast by the light stood still where he was looking. Thus, just as Chang-Sun instructed, Gyeo-Ul tried to pull Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow toward him. However, the shadow did not budge, and Gyeo-Ul¡¯s magic still continued to flow like an arrogant river. ¡°Don¡¯t pull it forcefully. Untangle the shadow strand by strand, and slowly pull it toward you,¡± Chang-Sun instructed firmly. After managing to calm down with some difficulty, Gyeo-Ul patiently focused his attention on Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow. Instead of pulling the entire shadow at once this time, he tried to ¡®untangle¡¯ the head of the shadow and attempted to pull it toward him. ¡®Huh?¡¯?Gyeo-Ul realized. Amazingly, the shadow¡¯s head disintegrated little by little. It was very slow, but Gyeo-Ul sessfully separated a strand from Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow. It was such an amazing sight that Gyeo-Ul¡¯s eyes widened inadvertently. ¡°Focus! You shouldn¡¯t get distracted!¡± Chang-Sun yelled. Gyeo-Ul nodded and concentrated on the shadow again. Then, the strand that was about to be sucked back into Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow rose again¡­ and crawled on the ground toward Gyeo-Ul¡¯s own shadow. As soon as it met Gyeo-Ul¡¯s shadow, his magic, which had not budged until then, moved simultaneously. However, the magic still refused to move ording to Gyeo-Ul¡¯s will. Instead, it began to move in a different way from before, as naturally as if magic¡ªno, ¡®it¡¯¡ªwas supposed to move that way. It moved downward to Gyeo-Ul¡¯s feet and gradually seeped into his shadow. Pzzz¨D! Paah! The more magic flowed into his shadow, the faster Gyeo-Ul¡¯s shadow pulled on Chang-Sun¡¯s own. It started out agonizingly slow, but became noticeably faster after some time. At first, Gyeo-Ul separated Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow strand by strand, butter, one strand became two, and then three. In the end, Chang-Sun¡¯s entire shadow disintegrated as if Gyeo-Ul had untangled a ball of yarn at once, mixing into Gyeo-Ul¡¯s shadow. However, as Gyeo-Ul pulled thest piece of Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow toward him¡­ Badump! . ¡­his heart began to race so wildly that he felt as if he were suffocating. ¡°Don¡¯t get overwhelmed by my shadow. Suppress it using any means necessary.¡± Chang-Sun shouted firmly. Badump! Badump! Gyeo-Ul¡¯s heart began beating more quickly, and he could only faintly hear Chang-Sun¡¯s shout, as if it came from far away. A shiver ran down his spine, and he clenched his teeth in an attempt to withstand it. His magic quickly seeped into the shadow, where Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul¡¯s shadows shed for control. Gyeo-Ul infused a vast amount of magic, but there was no sign of Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow calming down anytime soon. [A shadow has mixed with another shadow!] [Shadow energy is being infused.] [The shadow energy has been infused.] [The foundation of your existence is in disorder!] ¡­ The moment those iprehensible messages began incessantly popping up¡­ ¡ºIt¡¯s¡­tiring¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ like¡­ it¡­¡» In his mind, Gyeo-Ul could hear a new voice grumbling from within his body. He realized that the voice was the ¡®shadow¡¯ he had seen in his unconscious world while undoing his half-spirit curse. The ¡®shadow¡¯ had reached out a hand and coaxed Gyeo-Ul to follow it. He had believed it disappeared after his half-spirit curse waspletely cured, but it seemed he had been wrong, as the residue of the ¡®shadow¡¯ remained, either in his magic or in his shadow. ¡ºWhy in the world¡­ did you catch this kind of shadow¡­ from the beginning¡­?! I have¡­ no other choice¡­ but to help¡­¡» The ¡®shadow¡¯ muttered to itself, but Gyeo-Ul could not understand what it was talking about. [The shadows have merged into one.] [Sessfully gained control of the shadow!] The shadows that had been merging chaotically as if they were about to explode gradually calmed down and took form. ¡ºYou.¡» The ¡®shadow¡¯ spoke in Gyeo-Ul¡¯s mind again, giving him a message that could be considered ¡®advice¡¯. ¡ºYou¡¯d better do well. Seeing as you didn¡¯t follow me, you have to endure all the hardships and suffering you¡¯lle across in the future.¡» Whoosh! The shadow took the form of a human again and suddenly merged itself with Gyeo-Ul, starting from his leg. The flow of magic that had been sucked into the shadow withdrew little by little, moving ording to Gyeo-Ul¡¯s will for the first time. The magic flowed not only into Gyeo-Ul¡¯s legs, but also to his fingertips through his entire upper body, forearms, elbows, and wrists. Gyeo-Ul tensed up as the shadow covered Gyeo-Ul¡¯s entire body as if it were armor. When it was done covering his body¡­ Gyeo-Ul was no longer there. A humanoid shadow rose from Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow on the ground, not from Gyeo-Ul¡¯s own. Ding! [The Skill ¡®Shadow Doll Creation¡¯ has been created!] [Analyzing the stolen shadow¡¯s information based on shadow energy.] [A temporary Trait has been granted.] [A temporary Skill has been granted.] ¡­ [A temporary Talent has been granted.] ¡­ [There is a lot of hidden information. Imitated only 71.5% of the analyzed information due to iplete decryption.] [The Trait ¡®Shadow y¡¯ has been created!] ¡­ [Deducing the result.] [Baek Gyeo-Ul] %^#%&#@#$ (Illegible.) Title: Jigwi¡¯s Phantom Body !@#!%%$%! (Illegible.) Guardian: ¨D ss: Rune Master. Level: 28 ¡­ Special note: You are clumsily imitating the yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ right now. Stealing more information from him will allow you to imitate him better. ¡®This is¡­?¡¯?Gyeo-Ul¡¯s eyes widened as he saw his new status window, which had be vastly different from his previous window. It seemed he had really imitated Chang-Sun¡¯s information. On his new status window, the word ¡®Jigwi¡¯s Phantom Body¡¯ caught his attention first. Badump! Badump! The change was incredibly unexpected, and Gyeo-Ul had never expected to create such a skill. The most surprising part was the magic that had not budged until then¡­ or in other words, his shadow energy¡­ was circting smoothly. ¡°Shadow energy is energy that mimics something, so it needs a subject to imitate,¡± Chang-Sun exined. ¡°That was why¡­ you told me to take your shadow,¡± Gyeo-Ul said. However, he was surprised again; although his voice was simr to his original voice, it had changed a lot, resembling Chang-Sun¡¯s voice. ¡°Yes, that was why,¡± Chang-Sun replied with a nod. smiling visibly. While wrapped in shadow, Gyeo-Ul looked like a knight wearing ck te armor that shone like obsidian, somehow reminding Chang-Sun of Xerxes. ¡°The better you understand about the subject you imitate, the more meticulously and powerfully you can apply shadow energy, so watch and repeat after me from now on,¡± Chang-Sun said. Gyeo-Ul nodded and tightly grabbed his spear. As he now understood what Chang-Sun meant by bing a shadow, he intended to perfectly be Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow. However, when Chang-Sun pointed the Nameless Spear toward him, he knew he had still beencent. ¡®I-It¡¯s heavy!¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought in shock, sensing the calm air around Chang-Sun abruptly changing. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ wants to judge how much your martial arts skill has been upgraded.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ thinks your camaraderie is admirable.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ wants to see how well you learned his skill!] Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The magic wind emanating from Chang-Sun became fiercer. As he walked forward using [Tiger Prowl], his [Tiger Kill] spread and mixed with [Tiger Disaster], taking the form of a tiger! However, the tiger form behind Chang-Sun lookedpletely different from before. It wasrger and clearer. It was ash-colored and made up of clear lines. However, the biggest change was that the tiger looked more vicious, with one injured eye. He was finally using the power the had chosen and learned in the Tier 2 Fierce Tiger Library¡ª[Cruel Tiger]. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ watches your progress with satisfaction!] ¡®He wants me to imitate this¡­?¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought, breaking into a cold sweat as he directly faced Chang-Sun¡¯s [Cruel Tiger]. Although he was imitating Chang-Sun, it was difficult to think that he could actually mimic such a thing. In fact, the shadow energy that made up his body was about to scatter. [Illegible!] [Unanalyzable!] ¡­ [The gap between you and the shadow¡¯s owner is too big!] ¡­ ¡°Why aren¡¯t you picking up your spear?¡± Chang-Sun asked. Gyeo-Ul nervously cleared his throat and held his spear in the same posture with which Chang-Sun held the Nameless Spear. Even though he would not necessarily be able to perfectly mimic Chang-Sun, Gyeo-Ul wanted to at least try as much as possible, in order to be able to call himself Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow. Chang-Sun contentedly watched Gyeo-Ul¡¯s positioning, remembering that Xerxes had been just as persistent as Gyeo-Ul. It seemed Xerxes¡¯ Talent was not Gyeo-Ul¡¯s only inheritance. ¡°Let¡¯s begin then,¡± Chang-Sun said, adjusting his grip. Step! When Chang-Sun took one step forward, the [Cruel Tiger] behind him also stepped forward. His swirling [Tiger Kill] was then sucked into his spearhead. By any standard, Chang-Sun handled [Cruel Tiger] very proficiently; it would be inconceivable to think that it had only been a day since he learned it. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is sad because you could have grown a lot more if you had also entered other chambers.] After reading Heoju¡¯s message, Chang-Sun smiled enigmatically, and¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ tilts his head, sensing that something is wrong.] Soon, Heoju felt strange. As Chang-Sun drew a diagonal line in the air with the Nameless Spear, the [Cruel Tiger] behind him scattered and transformed into an entirely different form. The tiger was now red, and its size had multiplied. It moved slowly, but the spearhead had an extremely heavy aura, as if it could crush anything. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is struck with dismay!] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ yells violently at you, asking what in the world you did in the library!] [The ¡®Cruel Tiger¡¯ state has been changed into the ¡®Fierce Tiger¡¯ state!] [The ¡®Fierce Tiger¡¯ howls.] [A ¡®Fierce Tiger Unleashed¡¯ is raging!] Chang-Sun was also using a new Trait that he had not chosen from the nine Traits that made up the Tier 2 Library. Chapter 74: Star, The Shadow (5)

Chapter 74: Star, The Shadow (5)

In the executive meeting room located on the seventh floor of the White Tiger n¡¯s head office, twenty executives who had gathered early in the morning busily exchanged nces with each other. Executive Director Oh said, ¡°Anyway, I would like to discuss how we should deal with the trainees from this year¡¯s training session.¡± ¡®Of all asions¡­¡¯ ¡®Why did it have to happen now¡­?¡¯ ¡®What on earth should I do?¡¯ ¡®We won¡¯t be able to disregard that matter.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s on Executive Director Oh¡¯s mind?¡¯ Each of the White Tiger n factions had different opinions about what suggestions to make, but they could not reach a conclusion, unable to sort out their thoughts. They could have done so if they had experienced a simr incident, but there was no precedent for the big case before them. Still, they could not just end the training session, because the n members had been looking forward to this year¡¯s trainees. Not only did they include the world-famous super rookie Lee Chang-Sun, there were also many hugely talented yers such as Baek Gyeo-Ul, Shin Eun-Seo, Lim Joo-Han, and Kim Hyeong-Jun. If they had taken part in previous years, they would have been on top of the ranks with overwhelming scores. If the Highoff n scandal had not been exposed, the n members would have focused all their attention and support on them. However, the n had been busy with the Highoff n, and now they had an even bigger incident to take care of. They could not disregard their exceptional trainees by not giving them proper training, so they had toe up with a solution as soon as possible. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be so problematic if the trainees had gone through at least half of the training session,¡¯?the executives thought. As the training session hadsted for less than a month, the trainees had only learned basic knowledge, which would not be enough for the White Tiger n to immediately deploy them in actual missions. Thus, there was only one solution they coulde up with. ¡®We have to put them through a new training session.¡¯? The thought crossed every executive¡¯s head, but they were unsure what kind of training to implement, so it was difficult for them to make suggestions. In the end, only awkward silence filled the executive meeting room. Executive Director Oh frowned with discontent and red at the other executives; they busily cleared their throats aimlessly, unable to meet his gaze. ¡®Isn¡¯t Director Gwon too quiet today?¡¯ On the other hand, some of the executives nced at Director Gwon Hyo-Hae, because he always picked a fight with Executive Director Oh; they thought it was past time for him to provoke Executive Director Oh. However, the strange part was that Executive Director Oh did not also look in Director Gwon¡¯s direction, as if he were avoiding Director Gwon on purpose. They did not appear to care about each other at all. Just what had happened? As some shrewd executives busily exchanged nces¡­ ¡°Why don¡¯t we deal with it and the Highoff scandal at the same time?¡± Director Kim Yeon-Seung, who was in the lowest seat, suggested after he turned on his microphone. Although he was the youngest executive, he had left asting impression. As he had not taken any sides within the n, there was even a rumor that both Executive Director Oh and Director Gwon had spared no effort to try to make Director Kim join them. Perhaps because the rumor was true, or simply because he was the first to make a suggestion, Executive Director Oh looked at Director Kim with great interest and asked, ¡°How do we deal with it and the scandal simultaneously?¡± ¡°I recently heard that the Future Strategy Department had sessfully found traces of the ¡®Phantom Demon¡¯ who was hiding like a rat,¡± Director Kim exined. Even the Council did not know that the White Tiger n had found the Highoff n Leader, which meant it was supposed to be among the most ssified of secrets, but Director Kim had mentioned that nonchntly. ¡°So?¡± Executive Director Oh replied, squinting at Director Kim as if he would crush Director Kim¡¯s skull if he said something absurd. Seemingly not even feeling pressured, Director Kim casually replied, ¡°Why don¡¯t we use this year¡¯s trainees to capture the ¡®Phantom Demon¡¯? ording to the instructors, the trainees luckily had a positive effect on each other, so theypleted their basic training. So, what theyck is actual experience¡­ There can be no better way for them to gain experience.¡± ¡°What if the Highoff guys b?¡± Executive Director Oh asked. ¡°Only the Highoff executives know the exact details, so we can let the trainees deal only with small fries, not the executives. And most of all¡­¡± Director Kim paused briefly, smiling coldly. ¡°Who would believe those unpardonable demons?¡± All the executives nodded in agreement because, just as Director Kim said, no one would believe the Highoff n¡¯s remnants. Even if they said the demonic group and one of Korea¡¯s biggest ns had a close rtionship, the public would think of it as a false rumor made up by busybodies. Tap! Tap! For a moment, Executive Director Oh stayed silent and pondered as he tapped his index finger on the table, analyzing the validity of Director Kim¡¯s suggestion. Then, Executive Director Oh looked in the opposite direction at Park Sang-Ho, the Attack Team 1 Leader. As soon as Sang-Ho made eye contact with Executive Director Oh, he straightened his posture. As the Attack Team Leaders were considered important, they were treated like executives, entitled to participate in meetings like this. ¡°Team Leader Park,¡± Executive Director Oh began. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Sang-Ho answered immediately. ¡°What¡¯s your opinion of Director Kim¡¯s suggestion?¡± Executive Director Oh asked, swiveling his chair in Sang-Ho¡¯s direction. ¡°I believe it¡¯s a good n,¡± Sang-Ho said with a nod. ¡°Is there a possibility of us sustaining great damage?¡± Executive Director Oh asked, tilting his head. His canines gleaming coldly for some reason, Team Leader Sang-Ho smiled faintly and replied, ¡°If they can¡¯t even survive through this, how can they be tigers?¡± ¡°Good,¡± Executive Director Oh said with a nod. He looked around, but still avoided looking at Director Gwon, who was sitting beside him. ¡°ording to Director Kim¡¯s proposal, we¡¯ll substitute the training session with the Highoff annihtion operation. We¡¯ll keep a record of the trainees¡¯ performance and decide which department they¡¯ll join.¡± All the executives¡¯ gazes were on Executive Director Oh as he continued, ¡°On a separate note, we¡¯ll no longer treat Lee Chang-Sun as a trainee, and transfer him to the Future Strategy Department, seeing as he cleared the Dungeon.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± As if they had nned it beforehand, the executives¡¯ eyes simultaneously widened, and they quickly exchanged nces with each other. They were already well aware of how Executive Director Oh had taken a profound interest in Chang-Sun, but they became nervous, because they had not expected Executive Director Oh to im Chang-Sun so tantly. He was practically warning the other executives to not covet his men. Some executives naturally looked at Director Kim, because some time ago, Director Kim¡¯s son had been severely humiliated by Chang-Sun. Despite his high scores in the tryouts and the training institute, he had peed himself, unable to say anything to Chang-Sun. The new trainee Kim Hyeong-Jun was Director Kim Yeon-Seung¡¯s one and only son, so there had been a rumor quietly going around in the n about how Director Kim could potentially attempt to harm Chang-Sun. However, Executive Director Oh had openly imed Chang-Sun, making the executives all pay attention. However, Director Kim stayed silent with an expressionless face as if he had nothing to do with anything; thus, the other executives could not fathom what was going on inside his mind. * * * After all the other executives exited the meeting room, only Executive Director Oh and Director Kim remained. Despite the distance between them, Director Kim was immensely pressured by Executive Director Oh, judging from how his outfit was soaked in cold sweat. Sometimes, Director Kim could not understand how such a small man could be so overwhelming, but Executive Director Oh¡¯s power was not the main thing driving him mad. The real reason was that Executive Director Oh had asked him to stay after the meeting, and yet said nothing. The silence in the room suffocated Director Kim, making him wonder whether he had done anything wrong. Suddenly¡­ Executive Director Oh broke the silence, saying, ¡°Director Kim.¡± ¡°Yes, s-sir!¡± Director Kim eximed, suddenly standing up. Regardless, Executive Director Oh merely rested his chin on his hands and observed Director Kim with a sharp gaze, calmly asking, ¡°You aren¡¯t up to anything, are you?¡± ¡°I would never do such a thing!¡± Director Kim solemnly swore. ¡°Can I trust you?¡± Executive Director Oh asked, his eyes shining. ¡°Yes, please trust me!¡± Director Kim quickly answered, trying not to cause any suspicion in Executive Director Oh. . Although they were both executives, they could not really be considered the same. Executive Director Oh was the White Tiger n¡¯s second inmand and had aided the n Leader while establishing the n. In contrast to him, Director Kim was like a fly that could disappear with a single snort. Not only his executive title would be endangered; his very life would be on the line, as Executive Director Oh was a demon who would not hesitate to take matters into his own hands in times of need. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t really care for my subordinates, because I see every one of them as disposable tools,¡± Executive Director Oh began. Director Kim stayed silent, wondering why Executive Director Oh was telling him that. Every word the executive director used was menacing, leading Director Kim to interpret it as a warning. ¡°And I happened to find a ¡®sword¡¯ I really, really liked,¡± Executive Director Oh continued, emphasizing the word ¡®really¡¯. Director Kim remained silent. ¡°But if the ¡®sword¡¯ shattered or got damaged before I could properly use it¡­ it wouldn¡¯t feel good, would it?¡± Executive Director Oh continued quietly. Thud! Director Kim quickly got out of his seat and kneeled, mming his forehead against the floor. He hit the ground so hard that his forehead bled, but he did not care at all as he shouted, ¡°Sir! I¡¯ll bring a whetstone and clear out all the unnecessary obstacles myself, so your ¡®sword¡¯ will never get damaged. Please don¡¯t doubt my loyalty!¡± Executive Director Oh remained silent this time. Thud! Thud! As Director Kim mmed his forehead against the floor multiple times, so hard that some would expect his skull to crack at any moment, a horrible sound filled the room. However, Executive Director Oh looked coldly down at the back of Director Kim¡¯s head. ¡°Please trust me! I beg you!¡± Director Kim desperately shouted, but Executive Director Oh remained silent for a long time. * * * After quite some time, Director Kim exited the meeting room. ¡°F-Father! There¡¯s blood on your face¡­!¡± Hyeong-Jun, who had been waiting in Director Kim¡¯s private office for his father to return, anxiously called out, because his father¡¯s forehead was covered with injuries and his face was smeared with blood. Thus,he hurriedly looked for the first aid kit that had been ced in the corner of his office, but Director Kim suddenly grabbed Hyeong-Jun¡¯s wrist. ¡°Fath¡­ er?¡± Hyeong-Jun began, his eyes losing focus as he looked at Director Kim. His father¡¯s eyes shone more brightly than ever as he began, ¡°Son.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes?!¡± Hyeong-Jun quickly replied. ¡°You must kill him,¡± Director Kim said in a low voice. For a moment, Hyeong-Jun¡¯s expression froze; he did not need to ask whom his father was telling him to kill. ¡°I was going to tell you to just give Chang-Sun as good as you got to repay the humiliation, but I changed my mind. You should kill him no matter what,¡± Director Kim said, tightening his grip. ¡°Can¡­ I ask¡­ why I should¡­¡± Hyeong-Jun began, his voice trembling. No matter how determined he was to have revenge on Chang-Sun, he had led an ordinary life, so murder did not sit well with him. However, Director Kim grabbed Hyeong-Jun¡¯s shoulders as if he were telling his son to calm down and emphasized his next words. ¡°He¡¯ll always be in your way and overshadow you. I¡¯m not telling you to kill him just because he humiliated you. I¡¯m telling you to get rid of him in advance or else he¡¯ll hinder you.¡± Although Director Kim had desperately insisted he would not harm Chang-Sun multiple times, he had a totally different n in mind¡ªno, it was more urate to say he was even more determined to carry out the n because of Executive Director Oh¡¯s reaction. He could tell how much Executive Director Oh valued Chang-Sun; that meant he was bound to feel threatened, feeling that someday Chang-Sun would not only endanger his son, but also himself. ¡°¡­Yes, I-I will,¡± Hyeong-Jun said, nodding with a heavy heart. He was unable to say anything because the pressure from his father¡¯s bloodshot eyes gripped his heart. Strangely, however, as he answered and decided that he would do it, his nervousness subsided as if it should have done so from the start. In fact, a sense of anticipation, or perhaps excitement, about how he would be able to take revenge soon overwhelmed him. ¡®Yes, a man should toughen up a bit. I need to make an example, and let people know that people who have humiliated me won¡¯t have a good end,¡¯?Hyeong-Jun thought with determination. As he reached that conclusion, however, his obsession with Eun-Seo red up again. He thought ecstatically, ¡®After that, that bitch will¡­!¡¯ Hyeong-Jun¡¯s delusions had grown out of control in his mind. After that day, the Adios team members had begun avoiding him. On top of that, all the White Tiger n¡¯s members had heard about the incident, including this year¡¯s trainees, so he could no longer hold his head high as he went to Director Kim¡¯s office. In such a state, his future in the n would surely be a mess. Thus, there was a need to straighten everything out. If he eliminated Chang-Sun¡­ No one would consider him pathetic, and then he would be able to have his revenge on Eun-Seo, who had looked at him with disgust. Director Kim¡¯s gaze turned cold as he asked, ¡°You¡¯re already aware that you shouldn¡¯t leave any traces, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a n,¡± Hyeong-Jun said proudly. ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± Director Kim asked. ¡°Did you know that there¡¯s another person who was humiliated by Chang-Sun?¡± Hyeong-Jun replied. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Director Kim asked, sounding intrigued, as there was no better way to leave no trace than using another person to take out the target. ¡°Yes, his name is Lim Joo-Hwan. He created a strange team called Mr. Lim or something,¡± Hyeong-Jun exined. ¡°Tell me about him in detail,¡± Director Kim said, encouraging Hyeong-Jun to speak. Hyeong-Jun then unraveled the bundle of delusions that had been hidden inside his mind. Chapter 75: Star, The Shadow (6)

Chapter 75: Star, The Shadow (6)

[The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ silently stares at you.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ angrily asks what in the world you have done.] After Chang-Sun disyed [Cruel Tiger] and [Fierce Tiger], Heoju sent him multiple messages asking what had happened. It was understandable because Heoju had revealed all nine [Tiger Forms] in order to gain Chang-Sun as his subordinate; when Chang-Sun had only chosen [Cruel Tiger], Heoju had been a little sad, but not particrly worried. After people obtained some power, they were bound to want more numerous and greater abilities. Even if Chang-Sun had acquired [Cruel Tiger], Heoju had expected him to be unsatisfied with it, as the nine [Tiger Forms] werepatible with each other. The more [Tiger Forms] one had, the stronger one became. However, Chang-Sun had used [Fierce Tiger] perfectly, a skill Heoju had not allowed him to have. [Fierce Tiger] was not even the end of it; Chang-Sun had sessfully utilized [Jackal Tiger] and [Roaming Tiger], which meant he had mastered four out of the nine [Tiger Forms]. [Fierce Tiger] The tiger that holds only two attributes, bravery and strength. No being can fight against the fierce tiger that can shake a mountain. ¡¤ Type: Trait. ¡¤ Effect: Highly Experienced Veteran. Increased Superhuman Strength. [Jackal Tiger] The tiger that holds only two attributes, brutality and ferocity. The brutal tiger¡¯s target can never survive. ¡¤ Type: Trait. ¡¤ Effect: Cruel Shredding. Overwhelming Brutality. [Roaming Tiger] The tiger that holds only two attributes, agility and wisdom. Before the intelligent tiger begins its hunt, it quickly understands the surrounding environment and moves nimbly. ¡¤ Type: Trait ¡¤ Effect: Increased Understanding. Cognitive eleration. Each [Tiger Form] had different characteristics. As [Cruel Tiger] focused on driving an opponent into a corner, it specialized in hunting. [Fierce Tiger] bestowed one superhuman strength, enabling one to overwhelm an opponent with power. Meanwhile, [Jackal Tiger] granted one the tenacity to never lose a target. [Roaming Tiger] enhanced one¡¯s ability to think, allowing for rational judgments to inform nimble movements. Heoju was bound to be enraged to see Chang-Sun learning skills he had not allowed Chang-Sun to learn. On the other hand, he was very curious about how Chang-Sun had done it. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ should have seen iting when he let you learn one form, pounding the ground with his tail.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ asks what ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ means.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says that when someone gives you one thing, you will definitely snatch away other things too.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ listens seriously.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ advises the ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ to give up, because he was destined to involuntarily be a fairy godfather ever since he met you.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ nods in agreement.] [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ agrees.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ tilts her head in confusion because it feels as if the ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ is talking about a specific being, but she is not sure who he is talking about. ] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ frowns.] ¡®¡­What are they doing?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Even though Chang-Sun had given no exnation, J?rmungandr spoke as if it were very natural for him to take everything. On top of that, even Minerva and Mephistopheles had naturally nodded along in agreement with J?rmungandr, which meant Heoju was swayed by them and began to think this oue had been inevitable. Chang-Sun briefly wondered what to think about the current situation, but decided not to care about it in the end. It looked as if the deities understood the situation, as Chang-Sun had analyzed and mastered the other eight [Tiger Forms] based on [Cruel Tiger]. ¡®Well, they aren¡¯tpletely wrong,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a shrug. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ wants you even more!] In truth, Chang-Sun had been able to learn the additional three [Tiger Forms] simply because he had a very deep understanding of Heoju. As he had be very aware of who Heoju was, what Heoju was like, and what kind of myth Heoju was from during the Myth War, he had naturally been able to derive the other forms from [Cruel Tiger], the first clue needed to approach Heoju¡¯s myth. However, Heoju did not know about any of that, so he merely believed Chang-Sun¡¯s talent was greater than he had expected. ¡®Through this incident, he¡¯ll think he really can¡¯t let other deities take me away,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. The corners of his lips automatically curled up. Boom, boom, boom! Rumble¨D! Then, Chang-Sun looked over at the source of the sudden explosions that filled the air. Still wearing the shadow doll, Baek Gyeo-Ul had been training in various ways. From the way he stepped forward to the way he swung the spear, his every habit resembled Chang-Sun. [The yer ¡®Baek Gyeo-Ul¡¯ is imitating your ¡®Cruel Tiger¡¯!] [The Skill ¡®Shadow Treading¡¯ has been activated.] [The Skill ¡®Shadow Game¡¯ has been activated.] ¡­ ¡®He¡¯s doing better than I expected,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a nod. [Shadow Treading] and [Shadow Game] were the Skills that originated from [Shadow Doll Creation]. It would normally have needed a substantial amount of time to create them, but Gyeo-Ul was already using them both perfectly. It seemed he would be able toplete the remaining parts of [Shadow y] more quickly than Chang-Sun had expected; by then, it would be no exaggeration to call Gyeo-Ul Chang-Sun¡¯s ¡®shadow¡¯. ¡®It¡¯ll be better to just teach him the basics and let him figure out details on his own,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. Feeling somewhat relieved, he sat down on a nearby rock. ¡®Then, shall I¡­ check these out now?¡¯? While examining Gyeo-Ul¡¯s movements with [Beast Senses], Chang-Sun divided his attention to look at his inventory. As he had finished settling the ¡®ck Blood Mountain Range¡¯ affair, it was time to see what he had obtained in the Secret Tiger Lab. [Pulled out the ¡®Unknown Scroll¡¯!] Chang-Sun had obtained many items from atop the secret altar tform where Shin Eun-Seo had been turning into a Gildal. The item that had caught his eye the most was a scroll made from old leather. [Unknown Scroll] An unknown scroll made from human skin. The ominous scroll is full of mysterious curses and locked tightly. It seems to require a specific process in order to unlock it. ¡¤ Type: Scroll. ¡¤ Effect: Unable to inspect the details of the relic. The fact that the scroll was made from human skin already sounded ominous enough. To unlock the scroll, Chang-Sun tried shaking it, and then infusing arge amount of his magic, but it did not budge. The scroll did not reject Chang-Sun¡¯s magic, but rather drank it in without showing any noticeable change. It was as if he were pouring water into an abyss he could not gauge the depth of. ¡®Seeing as this scroll was present while they were making a Gildal¡­ It must be rted to the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] or something,¡¯?Chang-Sun concluded. Was this scroll a partial copy of the three scrolls the White Tiger n had obtained? Chang-Sun thought that was a reasonable conjecture. ¡®Even a copy of a grimoire usually holds the grimoire¡¯s power too,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, narrowing his eyes. ¡®I''ll be able to figure out more if I can check the scroll¡¯s contents.¡¯ Knowing that he stood to find out what the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] actually was, he focused [Beast Senses] entirely on the scroll, infusing all his energy and magic to identify its structure. Then, perhaps, he could unlock the scroll somehow. [The Skill ¡®Beast Senses¡¯ has been activated, meticulously examining the ¡®Unknown Scroll¡¯!] Just as before, Chang-Sun was only able to feel a vast, dark abyss. Deciding to take a closer look, he infused all his energy into it. Just then¡­ Kieeeeh! Kikikikikiki¨D! [Detected an intense Hohwan Mama!] The horrible sound of ghostly wails echoed through the deep abyss. At the same time, powerful winds blew, carrying an ominous aura that dragged Chang-Sun¡¯s energy into the abyss. ¡®What? The Hohwan Mama is here too?¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, quicklying back to his senses. Until then, he had believed the Hohwan Mama was a phenomenon caused when Heoju¡¯s magic and the secret techniques of the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] were mixed together. However, based on this scroll, the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] had contained the Hohwan Mama from the start. On top of that, this Hohwan Mama was very different from that of the Ghost Soldiers and the Gildal. It was more ominous, insidious, and dangerous, enough for even Chang-Sun to feel a chill. Kiyahhhh! [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is interested, looking forward to seeing how you will ovee this Hohwan Mama!] ¡®This isn¡¯t a copy. It¡¯s the original scroll!¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, realizing his previous conjectures were all wrong. As the scroll had been lying around in such a ce without any protective devices, Chang-Sun had believed that it could only be a partial copy of one of the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan], but an ordinary copy would never carry such an intense Hohwan Mama on its own. The scroll had to be the original celestial obejctthat contained the mighty Authority of a ! ¡®What has Executive Director Oh done?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, gaping slightly. Only three of the scrolls were with the White Tiger n, which meant Executive Director Oh had stolen one of them. How was it possible to fool the White Tiger n¡¯s leader and steal the scroll, though? The Munseong Chang-Sun had met was no pushover who could be fooled so easily. However, Chang-Sun could not focus on finding the answer. ¡®I have to let go of it¡­!¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, clenching his teeth. At this rate, the Hohwan Mama would drag his entire soul into the abyss, so Chang-Sun tried to drop the scroll. However¡­ [The Hohwan Mama is raging!] [The Hohwan Mama wants to devour you!] ¡­ [The Tiger Roar opens its vicious jaws!] Once the Hohwan Mama took hold of Chang-Sun, it clung to him like a leech. Despite Chang-Sun¡¯s fierce resistance, the Hohwan Mama attempted to infect him, trying to steal his body by tainting his mind. [The Tiger Chaos wants to devour you!] Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Rumble, rumble¨D! The Hohwan Mama trembled, shaking the ground and Chang-Sun with its insidious demonic energy. Chang-Sun ignited the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire to fight against the Hohwan Mama, causing ck demonic energy scarlet fire to sh against each other. ¡®I should do something¡­!¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. As he looked for a solution, he suddenly thought of [Peter¡¯s Key] around his neck.¡®Seeing as this golden key unlocked the locked door, it may open the ¡®locked¡¯ scroll.¡¯ It was a valid conjecture, as the White Tiger and the Highoff n were the ones who had put in great effort to acquire the golden key in the first ce. When Chang-Sun reached that conclusion, he realized he had nothing to lose, and quickly brought the scroll close to his neck. Then, the golden key inside his shirt trembled as if it were asking him to use it! [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ observes your reactions.] ¡®Shit, it¡¯s not going to unlock automatically the way it did with the door? I didn¡¯t want?Heoju?to find out about this yet,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, gritting his teeth. He had been nning to dy revealing [Peter¡¯s Key] as much as possible because he was unsure how Heoju would react upon finding out that he had taken it. However, he thought getting away from the damned scroll was a greater priority. Forcefully snapping the chain around his neck, Chang-Sun grabbed the golden key. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is shocked to see that key, which he had never anticipated to see here!] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ bursts into manicughter, saying he knew the key would end up in his hands!] Chang-Sun pierced the scroll with [Peter¡¯s Key]. Although there was no visible lock, he could feel the end of the golden key easily sinking into the scroll. Click! He vaguely heard the sound of a lock opening. [¡®Peter¡¯s Key¡¯ has sessfully found the keyhole of the ¡®Unknown Scroll¡¯.] [The lock has been disengaged!] Rattle¨D! As Chang-Sun turned the golden key sideways, the scroll¡¯s lock, which had been sealed tightly, disengaged. The scroll unfurled itself to reveal its contents; Chang-Sun saw bizarre, illegible symbols filling the scroll. The ck symbols squirmed as if they were living worms, emitting strange demonic energy. [The Hohwan Mama has been halted!] Just then, Chang-Sun was flung backward. ¡°¡­Hup!¡± Chang-Sun groaned as he rolled across the floor, losing his grip on the scroll due to hisck of strength. He had to spend a long time calming down his unsettled stomach and dizzy head. Even as he did so, several messages continuously appeared. [The scroll¡¯s hidden contents have been revealed!] [The symbols within are squirming.] [The sentences are looking for a chance to escape the scroll.] [Acquired the Fourth Cryptical Book of the ¡®Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan¡¯!] Chapter 76: Star, The Changgwi Cave (1)

Chapter 76: Star, The Changgwi Cave (1)

¡°Hyung-nim! Are you okay?¡± Baek Gyeo-Ul urgently approached Chang-Sun when he heard the explosion sound. Chang-Sun quickly reached out with the palm of his hand facing Gyeo-Ul¡¯s direction, meaning he shouldn¡¯te any closer. There was no telling how the unlocked scroll would harm Gyeo-Ul. Realizing Chang-Sun¡¯s intentions, Gyeo-Ul came to a halt as his eyes lost focus a little. Chang-Sun silently nodded to reassure him. Gyeo-Ul looked at Chang-Sun with worried eyes, but he soon stepped backward and tightly grabbed his spear in preparation, watching to see if Chang-Sun sustained any damage. However, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t even look in Gyeo-Ul¡¯s direction, as he was already busy checking the unlocked scroll. [Fourth Cryptical Book of Hsan] The fourth piece of the seven cryptical books. The knowledge from ancient times that even the Celestials had forgotten was recorded in these books. This piece held the power of the disappeared , so one had to be careful not to be possessed while handling it. There were other secrets and abilities, but it seemed it needed to be connected with the other pieces in order to see them. ¡¤ Type: Scroll. Star Object. ¡¤ Effect: Recorded knowledge. Unable to inspect other details. ¡®It¡¯s the fourth?¡¯ Chang-Sun opened his eyes wide. As far as he knew, the White Tiger n had obtained three of the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]. However, this scroll said otherwise, meaning even the Highoff n hadn¡¯t been aware of the truth. ¡®¡­No, Executive Director Oh must have secretly found the fourth cryptical book and kept it to himself.¡¯?Chang-Sun concluded, feeling like he was finally piecing together the unsolved puzzle. He had been wondering how Executive Director Oh had stolen one of the scrolls when they were treated as confidential, and would have been under tight security. It seemed Executive Director Oh hadn¡¯t even touched the three scrolls in the first ce, and had just hidden the newly found knowledge. ¡®Was this why he could make a Gildal?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Unlike how the White Tiger n manufactured the Ghost Soldiers, Lab Director Yang Sang-Won had somehow known the advanced form of the Ghost Soldiers, the ¡®Gildal¡¯. When he remembered how Executive Director Oh and Lab Director Sang-Won had joined forces, Chang-Sun finally understood how Sang-Won had acquired the knowledge. ¡®But¡­how in the world did he interpret this?¡¯ Chang-Sun thought as he squinted down at the scroll. ck symbols squirmed across the page frantically, as if they were going to jump off the scroll at any second. Even Chang-Sun, who had mastered runes, had never even seen these symbols, so he was amazed that the White Tiger n had somehow analyzed them. ¡®Judging from how they can create the Hohwan Mama, the recorded knowledge must be extraordinary,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. ? Interpreting the symbols would require a substantial amount of time, but the problem was that even Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure exactly how long. With other scrolls, there would have been more samples that he could use to quicken the interpretation process. With this cryptical book, however, Chang-Sun only had one. ¡®Heoju won¡¯t readily teach me.¡¯?Chang-Sun assumed. He would have to take time and slowly interpret it. Fortunately, through experiencing the Hohwan Mama several times, Chang-Sun had much experience dealing with the products of the cryptical books, the Ghost Soldiers and the Gildal. ¡®Still, I can¡¯t leave such an ominous item out in the open.¡¯?Chang-Sun thought when he saw the Hohwan Mama from within the scroll tainting the air. Considering sealing it with [Peter¡¯s Key] if necessary, Chang-Sun began to close the scroll. [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ is interested in your belonging.] ¡®What?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. It was a message from Mephistopheles, who hadn¡¯t sent a message in a while. Despite his interest in Chang-Sun, he never really cared about what Chang-Sun did. Yet, he was interested enough in the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan], to finally send a message making Chang-Sun open his eyes wide in shock. This was the first time Chang-Sun had seen Mephistopheles acting like this. [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ still awaits your answer.] ¡®Answer¡­? Ah!¡¯ Chang-Sun didn¡¯t understand what Mephistopheles meant at first, realizing a bitter with a light chuckle. In the Tutorial Dungeon, he had rejected Mephistopheles¡¯ ¡®offer¡¯, to be his apostle in exchange for the magic Chang-Sun had gathered with the fake brand. Since Chang-Sun thought the offer wasn''t even worth paying attention to, he had been ignoring Mephistopheles. However, it seemed Mephistopheles had been waiting for an answer continuously since that day. [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ shows his intention to substitute the reward with this if you aren¡¯t going to give him an answer.] ¡®What¡¯s he doing?¡¯?Chang-Sun tensed up as he read the message, since even he couldn¡¯t predict the entric Mephistopheles¡¯ next move. Paaah! At that moment, a brilliant ray of light shone from the scroll. [As a bonus reward, you are now able to interpret the letters on the scroll!] ¡®What?¡¯ Chang-Sun opened his eyes wide upon receiving the unexpected bonus reward. ¡®The scroll contains rted knowledge, but Mephistopheles was able to interpret the text this easily¡­?¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ screams loudly, saying it does not make any sense!] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ has false hope.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ wants to check the scroll¡¯s content through your eyes.] Now, Chang-Sun could really ¡®read¡¯ and understand the symbols dancing around the page. <¡­My children that were bewitched by starlight and gathered in this ce. My children that want to be reborn with my power. My children that wish to follow me. Listen, I am your guide that is both far away and close¡­> . Although the letters still appeared illegible, Chang-Sun could understand the content from top to bottom. The scroll looked like a deity¡¯s message to their followers, but when he read between the lines to try to find the hidden meaning, he could tell the scroll contained all kinds of knowledge. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says he can¡¯t read the scroll, angrily mming the ground.] While the inquisitive J?rmungandr clicked his tongue in disappointment¡­ ¡®It¡¯s impossible to fully interpret because I don¡¯t have the previous three scrolls¡­ but I can make a rough guess.¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he quickly took in the scroll¡¯s knowledge, deciphering and analyzing it based on his basic knowledge of the Hohwan Mama. ~ [The hidden requirement ¡®Interpreting Letters¡¯ has been fulfilled.] [The hidden requirement ¡®Searching Information¡¯ has been fulfilled.] ¡­ [Sessfully deciphering all the knowledge!] [A Hidden Piece has been located! A new Quest to obtain it has been created!] [The Hidden Path in the Starlight] Type: Hidden. Exnation: While on your adventure, you sessfully unraveled part of the secret of the ¡®Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan¡¯, providing you with the most advanced knowledge about Hohwan Mama. You have also proven that you have a strong, sturdy mind and body that won¡¯t be easily infected by Hohwan Mama. However, the secret of the ¡®Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan¡¯ is much bigger and deeper than you expected. Divulge the secret, and you will have the power, knowledge, and starlight of the ¡®Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan¡¯, because you will be entitled to own everything. Requirement: The ¡®Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan¡¯ Decipherer. If you fail: Mind contamination. If you seed: The starlight of the . ¡®A Hidden Piece?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. [ept the Hidden Quest? Y/N] Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes when he saw the message before him. ¡®This was the Sword Sky Tiger¡¯s power.¡¯ He noticed thatpleting this Hidden Quest was required to acquire a bigger power than the Ghost Soldiers or the Gildal: the of the that the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] held. Although the Sword Sky Tiger Munseong was in the same environment as the other Ghost Soldiers, his power was somehow far superior to theirs, and Chang-Sun had been wondering why. This Hidden Quest answered Chang-Sun¡¯s question. Munseong had somehow reached the origin of the starlight, which was iparably better than the Ghost Soldiers and the Gildal¡¯s starlight, and acquired it. ¡®Executive Director Oh has just been scratching the surface.¡¯ Chang-Sun thought with certainty. Executive Director Oh had found the fourth cryptical book, but failed to be a true owner. Otherwise, he would have done more than just make the Gildal. ¡®Or he just left the scroll lying around on the altar.¡¯?Chang-Sun shrugged. Of course, he would have been very satisfied with himself for making very good use of the scroll. ¡®No, he might be anxious now because the scroll disappeared suddenly.¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ opens his eyes wide to see what choice you will make.] ¡®He let me take the scroll because he believed Executive Director Oh wouldn¡¯t be able to get much use out of it.¡¯?Chang-Sun assumed, thinking Heoju had uncharacteristically nned ahead in detail. Judging from how he was looking forward to the secret of the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan], Chang-Sun could be certain that there was definitely something to the books. Although he was given a choice whether or not to ept the quest, his mind had already been made up since the start. ¡°Gyeo-Ul.¡± Chang-Sun called out, breaking the silence. ¡°Yes, hyung-nim.¡± Gyeo-Ul replied, tensing up. ¡°From now on, never interfere no matter what happens. And don¡¯t let other people enter, either.¡± Chang-Sun instructed. ¡°What are you going to do¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul asked. ¡°You can do that for me, right?¡± Chang-Sun said, ignoring Gyeo-Ul¡¯s question. Gyeo-Ul¡¯s face hardened, and he nodded with a heavy heart. ¡°Yes, I can.¡± Right now, Chang-Sun needed to know if Gyeo-Ul could follow his orders, not understand the situation, so Gyeo-Ul didn¡¯t waste time pondering. ¡®Hyung-nim is a mysterious man, with secrets that I can¡¯t even begin to fathom¡­ This must be one of them.¡¯? No yer had even been able to think about curing Gyeo-Ul¡¯s half-spirit curse, but Chang-Sun had done it perfectly. Gyeo-Ul already considered Chang-Sun to be on a different tier from other human beings, so he wasn¡¯t nning on asking questions. If necessary, Chang-Sun would exin. Gyeo-Ul figured there was a reason Chang-Sun believed he didn¡¯t need to exin, and that now was not the time to doubt his n. ¡®That¡¯s what a real ¡®shadow¡¯ should do.¡¯?Gyeo-Ul believed. Chang-Sun had told Gyeo-Ul to be his shadow, so he decided to be the perfect shadow. Noticing Gyeo-Ul¡¯s determination, Chang-Sun faintly smiled and turned to look at the scroll again. The message offering the Hidden Quest was still floating above it. ¡®I¡¯m going to do it, but I can¡¯t tell what I am supposed to do from this exnation.¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, tilting his head. He was able to tell that he had to take some kind of test, but he wasn¡¯t sure what the test was about, which frustrated him a little. Still, he had made up his mind already, so he pressed ¡®Y¡¯. Woosh! A ck ray of light soared up from the scroll, blocking Chang-Sun¡¯s view. [You have epted the Hidden Quest!] [You have been invited to the Instance Dungeon toplete the quest.] [The Hohwan Mama is raging again!] [The Tiger Roar opens its mouth!] [The Tiger Chaos has been activated!] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ bestows upon you a bted gift, praying that you stay healthy!] [The Authority ¡®Unyielding Spirit¡¯ and the Authority ¡®Composed Spirit¡¯ have beenbined.] [An authority has been created.] ¡­¡­ Along with multiple messages¡­ [You have entered the Instance Dungeon ¡®Changgwi Cave¡¯.] ¡­Chang-Sun was greeted by a new world. Chapter 77: Star, The Changgwi Cave (2)

Chapter 77: Star, The Changgwi Cave (2)

[Commencing the Dungeon Quest!] [Quest theme: Survival and Conquest.] [You are currently under Hohwan Mama¡¯s severe curse. The curse will be activated every 24 hours and invite you to the hidden ne ¡®Changgwi¡¯s Cave¡¯. ] [The ¡®Changgwi Cave¡¯ is aplicatedbyrinth consisting of nine floors. Each floor is made up of different environments and cities, and the various kinds of Changgwis that are detained by the Howhan Mama reside within.] [All the Changgwis instinctively hate humans, and will kill humans using any means necessary and turn them into allies. Survive the iing wave of Changgwi attacks.] [In order topletely undo the Hohwan Mama¡¯s curse, you must conquer all nine floors.] [The , , , The sound of the [Zhan Lu Sword] breaking down into pieces loudly echoed throughout the ne. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ cries out, telling you to please stop!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ thinks you have your reasons and that a certain Celestial is acting pathetic.] ¡­ [The ¡®Baby ck Darkness Dragon¡¯ bes happy after eating good food!] [The ¡®Hungry¡¯ state of the ¡®Baby ck Darkness Dragon¡¯ has been removed.] [Its Fullness has increased by 10.] [Its Happiness has increased by 15.] [It has be slightly more loyal to you.] [The Affection of the ¡®Baby ck Darkness Dragon¡¯ has reached a certain level.] [The ¡®Baby ck Darkness Dragon¡¯ has epted you, who has given it tasty food, as its partner.] [Will you give it a ¡®Name¡¯?] ¡°Haha, the Dragon really likes it, but is that okay? That sword looks quite expensive.¡± Hyeon-Ryongughed, looking at Chang-Sun with amazement, but Chang-Sun just nodded since he didn¡¯t have any lingering feelings. Besides, Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure how to deal with the [Zhan Lu Sword] anyway, so it was more beneficial for him to feed the sword to the baby Dragon and raise its Affection toplete the quest faster. ¡®It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to be destroyedpletely.¡¯?Chang-Sun shrugged. Chang-Sun, who had been working on the Hidden Quest named ¡®Ou Yezi¡¯s Secret,¡¯ received no message that told him he had failed the quest. Hence, he was certain that he could still use the sword even if the baby Dragon digested it, although Chang-Sun still wasn¡¯t sure about its mechanisms. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll be able to use the [Zhan Lu Sword] that has been upgraded using another way.¡¯?Chang-Sun smiled faintly. Creak, creak. While the baby Dragon was enjoying the [Zhan Lu Sword], Chang-Sun patted the baby Dragon¡¯s head. It had been noisilyining and causing amotion, so it looked really cute now that it had quieted down. The nearby people also happily watched the Dragon because the sight was really therapeutic. ¡°What are you going to name the Dragon?¡± Hyeon-Ryong asked. Ever since the message about naming the baby Dragon showed up, Chang-Sun had already been pondering about it. He replied, ¡°I¡¯m thinking of ¡®Dragony.¡¯¡± ¡­ The business ss turned silent. With frozen faces, Hyeon-Ryeong and the nearby people looked at Chang-Sun. He felt the tension in the air and unwittingly trailed off. ¡°Or¡­¡± They stared intensely at him. ¡°Growly?¡± Chang-Sun asked. Chapter 151: Star, Cadmus (1)

Chapter 151: Star, Cadmus (1)

[Which name will you give the Baby ck Darkness Dragon, ¡®Dragony¡¯ or ¡®Growly¡¯?] ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Everyone looked at Chang-Sun to see if he was serious, but he remained nonchnt, unable toprehend what the problem was. Even Jaegal Hyeon-Ryong, who wasn¡¯t easily fazed, looked at Chang-Sun with a dumbstruck expression. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ covers his face with his tail, cringing hard at your abysmal naming ability.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ furtively looks away from you and, with a small voice, says that no one is perfect.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ tilts her head, wondering what was wrong because those names sound cute.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ advises her not to name her pets since her naming sense is just as bad as yours. ] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ springs up from her seat, saying that there is no owner in this world who cane up with pretty names like her!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ doubtfully asks her what kind of names she has given to her pets.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ proudly lists Chirpy, Meowy, Quacky, and Oinky.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ heaves a very long sigh upon realizing that there is someone worse than you.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ still doesn¡¯t understand what is wrong, so she tilts her head in confusion.] ¡°Oppa, you¡¯re¡­ not serious, are you?¡± Shin Eun-Seo asked in frustration, bing the first one to break the silence. How could Chang-Sun try to name this adorable baby Dragon with ridiculous names like Dragony and Growly?! The baby Dragon was currently so cute that any of those names would suit it, but it would grow up and be magnificent sooner orter. Hence, those names were too half-heartedly created to give to this baby Dragon. ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± Chang-Sun asked. However, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t seem to understand what he had done wrong. Those names were truly bizarre¡ªno, it was grotesquely unique. How should Eun-Seo exin this? The people turned their heads to look at Eun-Seo, hoping she would stop Chang-Sun. ¡°Oppa, don¡¯t you have a dog that you¡¯ve raised for a long time?¡± Eun-Seo said. Chang-Sun nodded. ¡°Then what¡¯s the dog¡¯s name?¡± Eun-Seo checked just in case. ¡°Jjong,¡± Chang-Sun answered. ¡°¡­ Well, that¡¯s a cute name for a dog. Who came up with the name? Did one of your family members named Jjong?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Chang-Sun said. He wasn¡¯t a fool, so he knew what Eun-Seo was trying to say. However, it was hard to understand how different the names ¡®Dragony¡¯ and ¡®Growly¡¯ were from the name ¡®Jjong¡¯ in his perspective ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it be good to ask for opinions from your family¡­!¡± Eun-Seo was about to continue, but she had to stop. The baby Dragon, who had been munching [Zhan Lu Sword] in Chang-Sun¡¯s arms, smacked the back of his hand with its tail. p! Wondering why the Dragon was suddenly acting like this, Chang-Sun looked down and saw the baby Dragon growling as it frowned. Krrr¡­! [The ¡®Baby ck Darkness Dragon¡¯ins that it does not like the name you came up with!] [Its Affection has decreased by 15.] [Its Happiness has decreased by 20.] [The ¡®Baby ck Darkness Dragon has be hostile to you.] It seemed the baby Dragon also didn¡¯t like the name. ¡°Look at the Dragon. It knows those names don¡¯t suit it. Change it,e on.¡± Eun-Seo stroked the Dragon¡¯s chin to pacify the annoyed baby Dragon. Feeling good, the baby Dragon fervently rubbed its face against Eun-Seo¡¯s hand, but its eyes were still focused on Chang-Sun, making him silently click his tongue. Although Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure why giving the Dragon a name was so tricky, it seemed he had to give it another name. ¡®What should I name him? What could work¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun momentarily pondered. The conceptualized a being and gave it an identity, so he had to find one that could meet their standards. ¡®There¡¯s a good one.¡¯? A name abruptly came across Chang-Sun¡¯s mind. He had stashed it away somewhere deep in his mind a very long time ago and had forgotten about it, but it was the name of someone whom he always quietly missed yet could never meet. ¡®Gramps,¡¯?Chang-Sun bitterly thought. ¡°Cadmus,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of naming this dragon Cadmus. How does that sound?¡± Chang-Sun inquired. ¡°Oh¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good one, isn¡¯t it?¡± As the people reacted quite well to the new name, Eun-Seo doubtfully looked at Chang-Sun.¡°Why did youe up with those names earlier when you cane up with such a good one, oppa? Were you just joking around earlier?¡± [Will you name the Dragon ¡®Cadmus¡¯?] Kiyooo! [The ¡®Baby ck Darkness Dragon¡¯ is contented with the name, which sounds really cool and magnificent!] [Its Affection has been regained.] [Its Happiness has been regained.] The baby Dragon happily resumed eating the [Zhan Lu Sword]. [You have named it ¡®Cadmus.¡¯] [Its Affection has increased by 30.] [Its Happiness has increased by 45.] [¡®Cadmus¡¯ has be your subordinate.] [A Soul Link has been connected.] [One of the Soul Link¡¯s terminals has been installed in the stigma, and the other in the heart of your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus.¡¯] [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ can now create .] [You can now partially hear the voice of ¡®Cadmus.¡¯ The higher its Affection is, the more you can hear its voice, and the more you can utilize.] [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ has acquired skills.] [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ has acquired the Skill ¡®Dragon Breath.¡¯] [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ has acquired the Skill ¡®Mana Heart.¡¯] [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus ¡®has acquired the Skill ¡®Mind Expansion.¡¯] ¡­ [The heart of your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ has begun to manufacture , which you can now partially receive through the Soul Link.] ¡­ [The ¡®stigma¡¯ has been converted intoa skill!] [Skill level has increased after acquiring more .] [Skill level has increased.] ¡­ [Stigma] A scar engraved on mortals who have acquired Divinity fragments. The Divinity inside the stigma requires extreme caution when used since it originates from a totally different source than mana. The poweres with the danger of it potentially going berserk, but controlling it will allow you to manifest power beyond the knowledge of ordinary mortals. Currently, you have the Celestial Fire of the ¡®Gemini¡¯ and the Darkness of the ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil.¡¯ ¡¤ Skill level: 3 ¡¤ Type: Authority. ¡¤ Effect: Own Divinity. Divinity Outburst. Chang-Sun could faintly sense Cadmus was happy through their link, making him feel good as well. He smiled as he patted Cadmus. Perhaps because they were both happy, he remembered a fond memory he had of the name¡¯s owner. ¡°Sun,¡± Gramps called. ¡°Why are you acting so serious, Gramps? It doesn¡¯t suit you,¡± Chang-Sunmented. ¡°¡­ You cocky bastard, I was trying to start a serious conversation for the first time in so long, but you¡¯re really making it hard.¡± Gramps clicked his tongue.? ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± Chang-Sun shook his head.? ¡°Anyway, why do you pretend to be even more serious over time?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Phew! My heart sinks whenever I think about leaving you behind someday.¡± Gramps sighed.? ¡°Why are you nning to go anywhere else in the first ce? Just keep living here with me. I don¡¯t have a family here, and you don¡¯t have one either. We¡¯re both lonely, so let¡¯s just live together,¡± Chang-Sun suggested. ¡°Seriously¡­ How can you always sound cocky every time you speak? It is really hard to like you.¡± Gramps narrowed his eyes.? ¡°So what do you want to say?¡± Chang-Sun asked. For some reason, Gramps looked happy yet bitter at the time. ¡°I wanted to tell you not to live the way I do. I couldn¡¯t live up to my name, but I hope you¡¯ll be able to.¡± Gramps looked at Chang-Sun with sadness in his eyes.? Chang-Sun onlyter found out about it, but the name ¡®Cadmus¡¯ originated from the hero from the ¡®Silver Generation,¡¯ which not many people in Arcadia could remember. Many Celestials loved him and received help from him, and he eventually became a king in the end. He even had a myth about killing an Evil Dragon and nting its teeth on the ground, creating Spartois. Regretting the fact that Gramps couldn¡¯t live up to his name, he told Chang-Sun he wished for him to live like Cadmus. Of course, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t even pretend to listen. Hero? It sounded nice, but he was far from being one. He was busy trying to survive every day back then. Regardless, the name had been passed down to his new subordinate. Since it had a myth that was rted to Dragons, Chang-Sun thought it suited the Dragon. Kiyooo! Cadmus¡¯ howling soothed Chang-Sun¡¯s heart for some reason. [Sessfullypleted the Subquest (Verification Test ¢ñ)!] [A new Subquest has been created.] [Verification Test ¢ò] Type: Subquest. Linked quest. Description: Upgrade your ¡®stigma¡¯ andplete the Inauspicious heart, which is based on Darkness, using the Darkness you receive from the messenger of the ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil.¡¯ Quest Failure Penalty: Scenario Quest Failure. Quest Reward: Subquest ¡®Verification Test II.¡¯ * * * ¡ºDear passengers, we are about tond, so please put on your seatbelts and put your seats and tables back up¡­¡» After flying for over twelve hours, the pilot finally announced that they were about tond. Storm Fist Gang Woo-Chan put on the seatbelt and gritted his teeth. He felt fine when they had just left Korea, but he became nervous as they approached France. ¡®I have to assist the three elders so they would feelfortable during this trip, and I also have to safely deliver the two letters in my pocket to their recipients.¡¯?Woo-Chan went through the list of things he had to do several times as soon as he arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Woo-Chan had a lot on his mind, and he obsessively thought about how he should make no mistakes and that things were going to be serious once he had delivered the letters. Woo-Chan didn¡¯t know what was in France, but he knew that clearing the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ in Nice was just an excuse. He had been ordered to actively assist the three Elders in finding something with Chang-Sun, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to obey that order if the Illuminati took action and Crna Ruka attacked them. Since he didn¡¯t want to die in vain if all hell broke loose, he had to pull himself together. ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡­ You better not me me, considering everything is your fault. You¡¯re the one who made so many enemies,¡¯ Woo-Chang thought, but he wasn¡¯t sure how he should solve the problem that he was going to have as soon as he arrived at the airport. ¡°Once you arrive at the airport, there will be many reporters. The news article titles will be somewhere along the line of¡­ the Korean and French governments have joined forces to clear the uncleared Dungeons. The French media is also going to publish simr articles, so make sure the interview goes smoothly,¡± Department Head Shim Geon-Ho exined. Geon-Ho had asked Woo-Chan to prioritize giving a proper interview to the French media. Since the official reason for their trip was to clear the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯, the White Tiger n had to ask the French media to cooperate. On top of that, this trip was about turning the ¡®Tyrant¡¯ into the White Tiger n¡¯s world-ss franchise yer. Hence, Woo-Chan had to make the interview happen as ordered even though he didn¡¯t really want to. To aplish his task, Woo-Chan had toe up with a way to persuade the three elders, who were absolutely going to dislike giving interviews. However, there was one person who caused Woo-Chan headaches the most. ¡®¡­ How should I know what that asshole is going to say in the interview?!¡¯?Woo-Chan fiercely gritted his teeth as he red at the back of Chang-Sun¡¯s head. Back when Tyrant Lee Chang-Sun was just a professional gamer, he was very famous for giving unimaginably arrogant interviews. Woo-Chan couldn¡¯t help but worry about the kind of bullcraps Chang-Sun was going to say. Chapter 152: Star, Cadmus (2)

Chapter 152: Star, Cadmus (2)

After getting their luggage, Shin Eun-Seo pulled out her sunsses and put them on. Woo Hye-Bin tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Why did you suddenly put on your sunsses, unnie?¡± Eun-Seo then looked into her pocket mirror and busily tidied up her hair, which had be a mess due to the long flight. ¡°I have to put this on to survive,¡± Eun-Seo replied. ¡°¡­?¡± Hye-Bin wasn¡¯t sure what Eun-Seo meant. ¡°You better tidy up yours too if you want to look good in photos,¡± Eun-Seo rmended. Hye-Bin really couldn¡¯t understand what Eun-Seo was talking about, so she just kept watching her with a confused look. * * * Charles de Gaulle Airport was located in Paris, France¡¯s capital city. Its arrival hall was packed with countless media staff¡ªcameramen were prepping their cameras, and the reporters and anchors were going through the list of questions they had to ask. Some were from the French public broadcasting station, but there were also some from trashy tabloid magazine agencies. There were even a couple of YouTubers taking videos with their smartphones. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time?¡± ¡°Yeah, their ne already arrived ording to the flight status board, so they¡¯re probably retrieving their luggage right now.¡± ¡°I wonder what kind of bullcrap he¡¯ll say to flip other people¡¯s lids.¡± Some fans held up iprehensibly cheesy banners, but people ignored them on purpose because the Tyrant fans were internationally notorious. They knew that if they ended up on the wrong side of the Tyrant fans, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in this arrival hall, let alone interview Chang-Sun. All these people didn¡¯t gather up today just because of the newspaper article that had been published this morning. Although it was about the French and Korean governments joining forces to clear the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯, the article wasn¡¯t really surprising since a lot of Dungeons had appeared in the current generation, so many governments often did that nowadays to clear some of them. They gathered here for another reason¡ªthe ¡®Tyrant¡¯ super rookie was going to visit Europe. The French were fanatical about the Tyrant just like everyone else. He used to be a world-ss professional gamer until he fell due to his decreased ability. However, he had be a rising sun in another industry, so everyone couldn¡¯t help admiring him. Despite everything that had already happened, the French still wanted to determine for themselves if the Tyrant was actually as skilled as the rumor said. Now that they had the chance to see his ability with their own eyes, they were bound to be intrigued. However, they were also displeased because a small eastern country that didn¡¯t even have a ¡®King-ss¡¯ yer darede forward and ¡®offer¡¯ help. When the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs allowed the White Tiger n members and Tyrant to enter France, the ministry members received a flood ofints. The Tyrant¡¯s visit to France surely caused a lot ofmotion in many ways. ¡°Huh? The door is o-opening!¡± ¡°They¡¯reing out!¡± ¡°Camera! Turn the camera on! Come on! Quick!¡± When the door to the arrival hall opened wide, the reporters on standby murmured among themselves. sh! sh! sh! Cameramen pointed their cameras toward the arrival hall and popped their shes up. Soon, Chang-Sun and other White Tiger n members came out, pulling their suitcases. Chang-Sun¡¯s noticeably slender figure and small face made it easy to recognize him, so the media staff could easily figure out which one was him even if he was wearing sunsses. Baek Gyeo-Ul and the other Team L members, who were following Chang-Sun, were wearing sunsses as well since they were used to this, but Woo Hye-Bin, who had covered her face with sunsses and hat just as Eun-Seo had advised, was bbergasted. Chang-Sun knew that this business trip was about ying the media, so he approached the media staff instead of passing them by, making many more cameramen pop their shes. Still, he remained expressionless since he was used to it. Kiyaak! However, Cadmus, who had been sleeping on top of Chang-Sun¡¯s head, woke up surprised when more shes popped. It moved to the back of his head. ¡°Mr. Lee Chang-Sun!¡± ¡°Can you tell me how you feel now that you have arrived in France?!¡± ¡°Can you give me ament about how you prepared to clear this Dungeon¡ª!¡± ¡°I¡¯m from NNBC¡ª!¡± The reporters busily threw in their questions in hopes of getting to interview Chang-Sun. Since they were all aware of the fact that Chang-Sun was a fluent English speaker, they asked their questions in English, but they all had the typical soft French ent. ¡°I¡¯ll only take one question from each of you. Yes, the gentleman with the sses.¡± Chang-Sun gestured at the man. ¡°I¡¯m Adrian Nadal from ! Can you tell me how you feel about your visit to France?¡± Adrian asked. ¡°I just woke up, so I don¡¯t really feel anything. Okay, thedy with red hair.¡± Chang-Sun gestured again. ¡°Uh¡ªhuh? Oh, I¡¯m A-Agnes from . Can you t-tell me why you¡¯ve chosen to clear these uncleared Dungeons?!¡± Anes shouted despite looking baffled. Agnes expected that Chang-Sun would at least say some pleasantries at the start of the interview like he was looking forward to seeing the pretty sceneries of France or was going to enjoy traveling in France. Hence, surprised by his answer, she couldn¡¯t help but stutter and have trouble asking her question. The answer she received wasn¡¯t really any different from Chang-Sun¡¯s answer to the previous question, either. ¡°I don¡¯t really have a reason, next.¡± Chang-Sun didn¡¯t even point anymore. ¡°Can you tell me three yers whom you look up to!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t pay attention to other yers, next.¡± Chang-Sun shook his head. ¡°Th-then can you tell me which high ranker you think is the s-strongest?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say because the only high-ranker I have ever met is my n leader.¡± Chang-Sun shrugged. ¡°You know, there is a ¡®king¡¯ in France. What¡¯s your opinion about him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have one because I don¡¯t know him.¡± Chang-Sun scratched the back of his head. ¡°You¡¯re called the super rookie, right? Are there any other rookies who catch your attention or whom you consider your rivals?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°Can you please just pick one¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re worse yers than me anyway, so why should I bother paying attention to them?¡± Chang-Sun said with an expressionless face. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± That meant the ¡®king¡¯ of France and the rookies were not good enough to catch his eye. Chang-Sun¡¯s every answer was very arrogant and filled with self-pride, making the media staff¡¯s jaws drop. For some reason, he had be much more arrogant than when he was still a professional gamer. The people were annoyed at this point. No matter what anyone said, France had many world-ss yers, so Chang-Sun¡¯s answers offended the French media staff¡¯s pride. ¡°During the interview Mr. Henri Bloque had several days ago, he said he wants to spar with you when you visit France. I want to know what you think about this, Mr. Lee Chang-Sun!¡± ¡°Henri?¡± Chang-Sun murmured. It was his first time hearing the name. The reporter who asked the question angrily shouted, ¡°Henri Bloque! He is the most talented rookie in France and is considered to be the next ¡®king¡¯! He recently cleared the ¡®Bone Dragon Habitat¡¯ and acquired a Bone Wyvern¡ª!¡± Chang-Sun tapped his left wrist, which meant the reporter should cut to the chase since he didn¡¯t have much time. The reporter reddened with humiliation. ¡°Arghh! I¡¯m saying I want to know how you feel about sparring with Mr. Bloque!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who he is, but he¡¯s wee to try, although I think he¡¯ll have to retire sooner if he does. I¡¯ll take onest question,¡± Chang-Sun nonchntly replied. At this point, Chang-Sun was provoking almost the whole of France. The reporter who was selected to ask thest question held down his anger. ¡°I¡¯m Camille nc of . The ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ has been France¡¯s problem for a long time, and from what I¡¯ve heard, you yourself chose to clear this Dungeon. Can you tell us if you have devised any special strategy to clear the Dungeon?¡± The media staff murmured among themselves out of anger, but they became silent after Camille¡¯s question. The ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ was to France what the ¡®Den of Evil Dragon¡¯ was to Korea. Even famous rankers who had tried to clear those Dungeons always failed, so the reporters couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the foreigners were going to clear it. But¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll just do it,¡± Chang-Sun answered concisely again. ¡°Let¡¯s end the interview here.¡± Without any lingering feelings, Chang-Sun left with his suitcase, and the cameramen annoyedly popped their shes. * * * The interview that Chang-Sun gave as soon as he arrived in France instantly spread throughout France, other European countries, and Korea after it had gotten tranted. Again, the most searched word list was filled with Chang-Sun-rted words, and everyone on the inte became busy talking about Chang-Sun. ¨DRoomManagerBot: He. Rocked. What else do I need to say?! Praise the Tyrant! Worship the Tyrant! Our Tyrannnttttt! The Tyrant is the best in the world!!!!!!!! ?We have another lunatic now. ?I do feel the same as him, but isn¡¯t he really crazy? How can he say that kind of joke in the middle of a foreign country? ?Why would you think he¡¯s joking? He¡¯s serious. . ?Seriously, the scariest part about the Tyrant is that he¡¯s not joking or trying to provoke anyone. He genuinely means what he says. It¡¯s crazy. ¨DBeforetheEndofCentury: Gosh, That had to have hurt the French people¡¯s ego A LOT. He might have hooligans after him soon. ?Forget about hooligans. He might get stabbed while walking down a street during the night. ?I don¡¯t think he would let someone stab him and walk free. ?Maybe they¡¯ll just make three or four buildings explode altogether to take him out. ?Are we going to see reports about fire in the middle of Paris soon? ¨DJISS: Wow! He¡¯s big-hearted. The Tyrant openly said he doesn¡¯t know who Henri is, but he still called the Tyrant his idol. ?I feel like he¡¯s being subtly sarcastic. Am I the only one who feels that way? ?He¡¯s not being subtle at all. ?Henri is famous for being a jerk, and Chang-Sun goaded him, so¡­ I think someone is going to be seriously hurt soon. The interview Chang-Sun had given instigated fervent reactions overall. Some liked that Chang-Sun acted like his usual self and said what he had to say without tiptoeing around anyone despite being in a foreign country. On the other hand, some expressed concerns, thinking Chang-Sun¡¯s too-arrogant interview could put Korea and France on bad terms. Although many Frenchmunities on the inte had several heated discussions, the interview didn¡¯t cause serious problems thanks to Joachim, who immediately gave an interview after Chang-Sun had left. ¨DPsypa: Praise Duke.Blue.Wolf. ?I think the Illuminati emissary fell head over heels when he came to recruit the Tyrant. ?I noticed the French media isn¡¯t making a big deal out of it anymore since the ¡®Duke-ss¡¯ yer stood up for him. ¨D#72699: But it¡¯s a bit strange, you know. ?What do you mean? ?The Tyrant¡¯s interview. He normally doesn¡¯t tiptoe around anyone, but he yed smart and stayed inside the line. However, it looked like he was intentionally pouring oil on the fire. Is he scheming something? ?No way, the Tyrant pulled the Tyrant. That¡¯s all. ?Is it? I feel like he¡¯s aiming to achieve something. The Tyrant is the type of person who uses his brain inbat. ?You¡¯re speaking nonsense. Wash your feet and sleep. * * * Thud! Constantine Brunit irritatedly mmed the desk, which had a pile of tabloid articles about Chang-Sun on top. He looked quite angry. ¡°This Asian is tantlying at us!¡± Constantine, who was also known as the Red Eagle or Red Eagle Duke, stood on the opposite side of Joachim, dividing up the Illuminati Senate into two major factions. He currently had his attention on Chang-Sun, who was visiting France. Even though the White Tiger n had publicly dered that Chang-Sun visited France to clear the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert,¡¯ Constantine believed Chang-Sun was in France to ¡®take over¡¯ the Illuminati after he had been coaxed by Joachim. Hence, to him, it seemed Chang-Sun was telling him and his Illuminati colleagues through this interview that they were a bunch of small fries who should just prepare to hand over their powers to Chang-Sun. Of course, Constantine had zero intention of handing over the Illuminati to an Asian whom he didn¡¯t even know well. After all, he personally thought he and his colleagues were the ones who knew the goddess¡¯ will the best. Peep! When Constantine pressed a button, his secretary, who was standing by outside, quietly entered Consantine¡¯s office. ¡°Yes, sir?¡± ¡°Louie is outside, right?¡± Constantine asked. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s waiting for you, sir.¡± The secretary nodded. ¡°Bring him inside this instant. It looks like I have to prepare for Kreuzzug.¡± Constantine gritted his teeth. Chapter 153: Star, Cadmus (3)

Chapter 153: Star, Cadmus (3)

¡°Urgh¡­! That crazy bastard!¡± Gang Woo-Chan gritted his teeth. After Chang-Sun¡¯s interview, Woo-Chan got out of the airport to avoid difficult interactions with the hostile media staff. If Joachim Wolff didn¡¯te forward and stood up for Chang-Sun, anything could have happened. However, the problem was that Jaegal Hyeon-Ryong and the other two elders had too much fun watching the interview. Hyeon-Ryong, in particr, showed deep interest in Chang-Sun, making Woo-Chan feel ominous. The more the three elders paid attention to Chang-Sun, the lower the probability of Woo-Chan¡¯s n seeding. ¡®I don¡¯t have a choice, though. The ball is already rolling,¡¯ Woo-Chan reassured himself several times as he secretly moved to the area Department Head Shim Geon-Ho had told him about. He furtively took a look around and noticed that the people in his vicinity didn¡¯t seem to care about him, who was an outsider. The ce that Geon-Ho had told him about was an old apartment that looked as if it was about to copse. It had several mailboxes on the wall for its residents, but they looked as if they hadn¡¯t been used in quite some time now because cobwebs were all over them. Among those boxes, Woo-Chan quietly put the two letters inside Unit 606¡¯s mailbox, which looked the rustiest, and left the area. Squeak! Shortly after Woo-Chan left, the apartment¡¯s front gate opened, and a Latino who didn¡¯t seem to belong in this slum walked out. He read the two letters in Unit 606¡¯s mailbox and went back inside. * * * Chang-Sun and the others immediately got on the limousine bus, which had been prepared for them, and headed to the hotel where they were supposed to be staying. ¡°Once we arrive at the hotel, check in first. Don¡¯t even think about going somewhere else! Come back to the lobby as soon as you finish unpacking in the room you¡¯re assigned to. We are going to have a short seminar and wee party with French ns¡­ Pay attention, all of you!¡± Woo-Chan shouted in anger. He was briefing about what to do as soon as the group arrived at the hotel, but Chang-Sun and the rest of the Team L members paid him zero attention. Starting this evening to the day they leave France, which was fifteen days away, their schedules were packed tight, so they couldn¡¯t make any mistakes. They weren¡¯t listening at all, but the evening weing party was an especially important event for the White Tiger n. While it was still about ¡®establishing a rtionship with the French ns,¡¯ which was the White Tiger n¡¯s official purpose for this business trip, the n members had to leave a strong impression on the other ns in this party since the White Tiger n was about to rise. . Although Chang-Sun and the Team L members were going to take charge of clearing the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert,¡¯ Woo-Chan was in charge ofmunicating with others. Since he was also an experienced member of the Future Strategy Department, he was confident that he could keep up with the schedule even though Chang-Sun considered him a small fry. Even so, the key members of this business trip were Chang-Sun and the Team L members. If they made mistakes, the whole business trip could be ruined, putting Woo-Chan on edge. That was why Woo-Chan yelled at them to pull themselves together. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chang-Sun, Baek Gyeo-Ul, Shin Eun-Seo, and Shin Geum-Gyu still didn¡¯t look at Woo-Chan. Even the girl named Woo Hye-Bin, the new Team L member and a mercenary, was looking elsewhere. Their reactions were understandable, though. Woo-Chan tantly showed hostility toward Chang-Sun before they left Korea, and since Team L was formed by Chang-Sun, they had no reason to act politely toward such a person. Nyom, nyom! Ever since they arrived at the airport, Chang-Sun had been feeding Cadmus something, and Gyeo-Ul had been so amazed by the first country he had ever visited that he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the window. ¡°Woah¡­!¡± Gyeo-Ul blurted out. They were also going to stay in a luxury hotel close to the Eiffel Tower during their stay in Paris. Hearing about being able to see the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower from their room made Eun-Seo and Hye-Bin feel as if they were just traveling, so they excitedly talked about where to go during the free time they were going to have at night. Geum-Gyu continued to focus on reading the mysteriously thick book that he had been reading since they were on the ne. From what Woo-Chan heard, Geum-Gyu was really into magic, so he began to study it from the very basics. As a result, he didn¡¯t hear what Woo-Chan was saying. ¡°Yan!¡± ¡°When are we going to arrive? I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°Wake me up when we get to the hotel.¡± Moreover, the three elders weren¡¯t people who should listen to Woo-Chan in the first ce. ¡°Arggghhh!¡± Woo-Chan briefly screamed without realizing it. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so he rubbed his temple really hard. Even then, no one cared. * * * [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ really likes the ¡®Winter King¡¯s Treasures¡¯!] [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ looks at his new gigantic food warehouse with sparkling eyes.] [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ is very happy to see all the tasty food.] [The Fullness of your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ has increased.] [The Affection of your Subordinate¡¯ Cadmus¡¯ has increased significantly.] ¡­ [The ¡®Inauspicious Heart¡¯ has been reinforced!] [Current progress: 6.7%] ¡®I¡¯m not sure if I should like this or not¡­¡¯ Chang-Sun wondered as he looked at Cadmus with mixed emotions. Even when they had already arrived at the hotel, Cadmus still had quite an appetite¡ª-no, it didn¡¯t stop eating. It probably felt full when it finished eating the [Zhan Lu Sword] since it slept for quite some time afterward, but its appetite had reached its zenith when they arrived at the airport. Chang-Sun had given Cadmus all the items he had in his inventory, but it seemed Cadmus was never going to be full. Among the items Chang-Sun had, he got several of them as Dungeon clear rewards. He would have earned at least a hundred million won if he had sold them, but they ended up inside Cadmus¡¯ stomach instead. Despite having already eaten so much, Cadmus continued to howl and expressed its annoyance by tapping Chang-Sun¡¯s head with its tail, asking for more food. Hence, Chang-Sun opened the [Winter King¡¯s Treasures], thinking it could be the answer. Ever since then, Cadmus had been ceaselessly chewing on something. Nyom, nyom¨D! Crack, crack! ¡®¡­ How can it make that sound with the [cier Helmet]?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Hugging a helmet that was way bigger and sturdier than itself like a dear treasure, Cadmus craned its neck and enjoyed the ¡®food.¡¯ The [cier Helmet] actually had one of the most impressive abilities among the treasures in the [Winter King¡¯s Treasures] and was the Fourth Yeti King¡¯s most prized treasure. Since it was made from [Thousand-Year Ice Crystals] and [Thousand-Year Cold Iron], it released visibly white, cold ice energy like an ice sculpture, creating a mystical atmosphere. Chang-Sun wanted to give it to Jin or his other subordinates, but the helmet didn¡¯t fit anyone, so he instead decided to store it in his inventory and give it to a future subordinate. However, it turned into a tasty treat after Cadmus got its paws on it. The helmet was so sturdy Chang-Sun thought it would remain scratchless under most circumstances. However, Cadmus easily took a big chunk out of the helmet with each bite, although. He wasn¡¯t sure how it was doing it. Whenever Cadmus found a part that was really hard to destroy, it used its [Dragon Breath] to melt that part down. ¡®From what I¡¯ve heard, even high-ranking Dragons can use [Dragon Breath]-type skills only after they learn how to control the natural elements that are in ordance to their wills¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun thought.? Of course, Cadmus¡¯ [Dragon Breath] was much weaker than those of high-ranking Dragons that Chang-Sun knew, but that didn¡¯t mean it could be taken lightly. After all, Cadmus released a little bit of every time it used the skill. No matter the target, could be used to melt, burn, and erase it,pletely ignoring attribute differences. A baby Dragon holding such a power¡­ was just as dangerous as a baby holding a knife, so Chang-Sun kept an eye on it. He did hear Cadmus was an Evil Dragon, and it really did seem totally different from ordinary Dragons. ¡®It also got bigger.¡¯?Chang-Sun noticed. Its height was now about two handspans¡ªno, four handspans. Although it wasn¡¯t much, Chang-Sun could actually see Cadmus growing up. Considering it had been less than twenty-four hours since its birth, its growth was remarkable. That seemed to be the reason Cadmus was eating so much, but Chang-Sun thought it could still be overdoing it. However, he wasn¡¯t suffering a loss¡ªno, he was actually benefiting a lot from it. ~ [Your Subordinate ¡®Camus¡¯ has consumed the ¡®cier Helmet¡¯!] [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ is digesting the ¡®cier Helmet¡¯!] [Absorbed 72 ice energy.] [Absorbed 51 iron energy.] ¡­ [Your ¡®Mana Heart¡¯ has been reinforced!] ¡­ [The Effect ¡®Heart Sharing¡¯ has been activated, reinforcing the ¡®Inauspicious Heart¡¯!] [The current progress: 7.1%] ¡®Feeding Cadmus good items like [cier Helmet] is surely helpful. My current progress with the [Inauspicious Heart] has even increased by 0.4 percent.¡¯ Chang-Sun smiled contentedly as he looked at the result. [Inauspicious Heart] was rted to the second quest that Mephistopheles had given after sending Cadmus. [Inauspicious Heart.] A bonus reward given by the Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil,¡¯ this heart is an energy organ that you will share with the ck Dragon Cadmus. It is capable of manufacturing , and the more developed it is, the more your stamina will increase, and the better you can resonate with your Stigma. The heart is currently iplete. Fully developing it is required to identify its abilities more urately. ¡¤ Skill level: ¨D ¡¤ Type: ¨D ¡¤ Effect: ¨D Right now, he couldn¡¯t tell what abilities the heart had, but its description made it obvious that it was iparably better than other skills. Chang-Sun paid special attention to two things its description disclosed: manufacturing , and¡­ ¡®Sharing the heart.¡¯?Chang-Sun faintly smiled. [Manufacturing Darkness] literally meant that the heart was going to be producing . From a broader perspective, it was basically creating divinity. Not only would he be able to activate the Inferno Sights, but he would also get to use various techniques simr to that of Mephistopheles. In short,pleting this quest would turn Chang-Sun into Mephistopheles¡¯ ¡®disciple.¡¯ On the other hand, [Heart Sharing] meant he and Cadmus were going to share the same heart, so Chang-Sun would gain a Dragon¡¯s immense stamina and maybe even Cadmus¡¯ . The high-ranking Dragons were known for their ability to use various magic spells and abilities. Considering how their wisdom originated from their hearts, it wasn¡¯t impossible. The heart was by no means ¡®inauspicious,¡¯ and it was definitely not an ordinary bonus reward. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ nervously chews on her fingernails as she watches youplete the heart little by little.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ looks at the Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ and clicks his tongue, saying she is doing it again.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ decides that she should pull out a new ¡®carrot¡¯!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ asks the Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ what she¡¯s trying to do this time.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ tenses up and looks at the Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt.¡¯] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ looks at her daughter, who has be a fool with eyes full of contempt.] ¡®I already gave everything that I needed right now from the [Winter King¡¯s Treasures] to Jin, so Cadmus emptying the warehouse isn¡¯t a problem¡­ I¡¯m curious about what will happen when I finish feeding Cadmus everything in it anyway,¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. As the [Inauspicious Heart] developed, he could feel his stamina increasing and his body improving significantly. Hence, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how far he would improve once he hadpleted it. ¡®Besides, I think I can use Cadmus¡¯ magic-rted abilities with runes¡­ Mephistopheles and I are definitely a good duo,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. ¡ºWhat¡¯s this? That¡¯s new.¡» Jin suddenly talked to Chang-Sun telepathically. A fog then appeared by Chang-Sun¡¯s side and took the form of a human. ¡¸Huh?¡¹ Jin looked at Cadmus with faint bewilderment. Although he didn¡¯t hesitate to act as he pleased even before Chang-Sun, Jin seemed so puzzled that he wasn¡¯t sure what to do. ¡®Come to think of it, Arcadia has a tradition about respecting Dragons,¡¯ Chang-Sun remembered. A number of empires and imperial families that made up the Arcadian civilizations considered Dragons as their ancestors or chose them as their symbols. Hence, Jin¡¯s reaction was understandable. Cadmus seemed to be paying zero attention to Jin, though, since it was busy searching for new food. ¡®It will be really fun to watch their interactions.¡¯ Having such thoughts, Chang-Sun asked Jin, ¡°Why did you suddenlye here by the way?¡± ¡¸That¡¯s¡­!¡¹ It seemed Jin had many questions on his mind, but he soon organized his thoughts. He frowned, still looking discontented for some reason, but he continued. ¡¸Do you remember when I told you that I was going to show you something after you get back?¡¹ ¡°Ah, the Ghost Devil Horses?¡± Chang-Sun nodded and asked back. Since they came across the Sheim Bloodline on the fifth floor of the Changgwi Cave, Jin had been devising a method to turn his subordinates into an elite army. That was why he had repeatedly talked about taming the Ghost Devil Horses. Thest time Chang-Sun was in the Changgwi Cave, Jin had pompously told Chang-Sun that he had something to show him, and it seemed Jin was going to show off his aplishment right now. Crossing his arms, Jin boastfully raised his chin. ¡¸While you were gone, Master, I¡¯ve been diligently making progress. It looks great now, and I have already done test runs.¡¹ ¡°Then¡­?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head. One end of Jin¡¯s lips curled up. ¡¸That¡¯s right, I have wiped out the Sheim Bloodline.¡¹ Chapter 154: Star, Cadmus (4)

Chapter 154: Star, Cadmus (4)

¡°Already?¡± Chang-Sun was quite surprised. Considering the Sheim Bloodline was pretty influential on the fifth floor of the Changgwi Cave, Jin defeated them absurdly quickly. ¡¸Hey, Master! What do you mean ¡®already¡¯?! Aren¡¯t you underestimating me too much? I¡¯m the first son and the heir of the great Prezia Family¡ª!¡¹ ¡°Cut that out and show me what you were going to show me. I have to go downstairs soon.¡± Chang-Sun crossed his arms. ¡¸... Shit, bragging to you is really hard.¡¹Jin grumbled, then roughly measured the size of Chang-Sun¡¯s room. ¡¸The room is pretty small, so I¡¯ll do the full demonstrationter. For now...¡¹ Jin flicked his fingers. ¡¸I¡¯ll show you mine first.¡¹ Woosh, woosh, woosh! A gray fog formed in the air and soon took the shape of a gigantic horse. Kiyoo? Finally sensing something was going on, Cadmus turned its head to look at Jin, then tilted it in confusion. A Ghost Devil Horse, which was nearly twice as big as ordinary horses, was standing beside Jin. Its body was made up of zing shadow energy, and fire came out of its nose every time it snorted. Wearing thick iron armor, the intimidating horse looked as if it was going to crush everything in its way. Chang-Sun had seen its kind while going up against the Winged Hussar soldiers, so he could confirm this horse could fight on equal grounds against the Yeti guards, who had fought viciously in ¡®Yeti Hill,¡¯ by itself. [Ice-Energy-Suffering Death Horse Lv.6] ¡®No, it looks a bit different. It seems to be wearing sturdier armor. Wait, did Jin use the [Cold Iron] in the [Winter King¡¯s Treasures]...?¡¯ Chang-Sun wondered. The Ghost Devil Horse was already terrifying, but it looked much more menacing with the [Cold Iron]¡¯s ice energy. It suited Jin the Frost Undead quite well. The [Winter King¡¯s Treasures] were helping him so much that he became indebted to the Winter King in many ways. Chang-Sun raised Cadmus with those treasures, and his subordinates were turning into elite soldiers because of them as well... ¡®But I¡¯m using up these treasures too quickly. At this rate, I¡¯ll probably empty it out soon... I should definitely get to opening up the ,¡¯ Chang-Sun decided. He had been hellbent on umting Merits because he had to use them to do something. ¡¸As you can see, I used the [Cold Iron] that you gave me for its armor. I used a certain ratio when I mixed it with the horse¡¯s original harness, so its quality improved a lot. I also seized the Sheim¡¯s hemomancy as I took them down, so I used it to improve the Ghost Devil Horses¡¯ overall power. It turns out that their hemomancy was tailored for taming monsters.¡¹ ¡°You even learned their hemomancy?¡± Chang-Sun asked in surprise. The bloodlines in the Changgwi Cave used different kinds of hemomancy that were unique to their n, so if Jin and his subordinates had learned the Sheim¡¯s, then it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say they became the Sheim Bloodline itself. ¡¸Well, it wasn¡¯t that difficult. If I conquer the rest of the bloodlines and master all their hemomancies, our power would also increase. Look forward to the results that that would bring.¡¹ Just as Chang-Sun had wanted, his secret weapons were bing stronger. ¡°How many horses have you trained?¡± ¡¸ Twenty-one.¡¹ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone as he imagined a cavalry unit of twenty-one soldiers riding on the ferocious Ghost Devil Horses. ¡°You¡¯ve tamed a lot.¡± ¡¸Hehe, every one of my subordinates has be an elite. What makes it even better is that I defeated over a thousand Gulgaks with just twenty-one soldiers. You should have seen the look on their faces, Master. Hehehehehe!¡¹ Chang-Sun continued to ask several other questions. He had to know the unit¡¯s overall power since he was going to use them in times of need. Jin¡¯s answers made Chang-Sun realize that Jin¡¯s army could be a good match with [Inauspicious Heart]. ¡®If I can also grant them ... how would the army turn out?¡¯ Chang-Sun wondered. Maybe he could do more and share the ¡®heart¡¯ itself with the whole army, spreading the blessing of the to everyone. It was impossible to do right now, but that would certainly make them ridiculously powerful. ¡®It may be possible someday,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, believing that his n wouldn¡¯t be impossible forever. Just as he had done until now, he was going to make his army stronger by conquering the rest of the Changgwi Cave. While doing so, he would find skilled boss monsters like Jin and the Elfin Root, resurrect them, and recruit them into his army. If he could gather up his old colleagues, who had died or had disappeared... ¡®Everything will really be different.¡¯ Chang-Sun faintly smiled. He also nned to increase the power of Baek Gyeo-Ul and the other Team L members and use them. ¡¸Anyhow, we¡¯re going to continue conquering the cave. Imagining sessfully defeating all the Gulgaks is really fun. I¡¯ll have to gather up all the left in this damned cave.¡¹ Jin smiled pompously. Just like Chang-Sun, he wasing up with his own ambitious ns. Every time Jin stroked the Ghost Devil Horse¡¯s chin, the horse felt good and lightly snorted out of sheer happiness. However, the Ghost Devil Horse suddenly looked at Chang-Sun with discontentment. ¡°...?¡± Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes, wondering why the horse was acting like this. Chang-Sun thought the horse did not like the fact that someone made its master look weak since horses had always been easily scared yet freaking prideful animals, and that didn¡¯t change even if the horse was an Undead. ¡¸Huhh? Why is it acting like this?¡¹ Baffled to see his horse about to pounce on Chang-Sun, Jin momentarily pondered what to do. It wasn¡¯t difficult to subdue it, but they were inside a hotel room. If he used the wrong skill, the entire room could be a mess, so he wasn¡¯t sure how to deal with the situation. Just as Jin was about to unsummon the horse, Cadmus suddenly shrieked. Kiyoo! ¡®Woah?¡¯ Chang-Sun and Jin¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Cadmus only cried once, but that was enough to surprise the Ghost Devil Horse¡ªno, it wasn¡¯t just surprised. It pompously raised its chin and pretended as if nothing happened, but it faintly looked terrified of the high-ranking Dragon Cadmus. The horse looked like prey that had met its predator. It was impossible for Ghost Devil Horses to defy Dragons due to their power differences, so it got instinctively frightened of Cadmus. Kiyoo! Kiyoo, kiyoo, kiyooooo! The more Cadmus shrieked, the timider the horse became. It even slowly stepped backward and quietly lowered its head as it nervously looked around the surroundings. ¡¸No way... is it using [Dragon Fear]? Or can it already use [Pressure]? That can¡¯t be! It¡¯s still a baby Dragon!¡¹ Jin screamed as he watched the horse and Cadmus. Although there was a big power difference between Undeads and Dragons, the Ghost Devil Horse that Jin had captured and tamed with difficulty was definitely not an ordinary Ghost Devil Horse. Even the Sheim Bloodline leader had trouble taming it, so it was actually illogical to just call it a ¡®horse.¡¯ Besides, this Ghost Devil Horse was just as much of a Gulgak as the Sheim Bloodline . Although it didn¡¯t look like a human, the horse was a ¡®king¡¯ who had conquered a part of the fifth floor and led an entire bloodline. Considering even Jin had to pull two consecutive all-nighters to subdue this horse... something crazy was happening right now. As the person who had to go through so much to make it bow down to him, Jin ought to be shocked. ¡°It¡¯s an Evil Dragon.¡± Chang-Sun patted Cadmus¡¯s head to praise it, and Cadmus smiled and pleasantly rubbed its head against Chang-Sun¡¯s hand. After noticing Cadmus loosen up, the Ghost Devil Horse furtively raised its head, but it had to m its head on the floor again. ¡¸Evil Dragon? But still...!¡¹ Jin let out a long sigh because it seemed he still had a long way to go to be equal to Chang-Sun. ¡°Ah, by the way, Jin. Do you have any subordinates who are skilled at using the Concealment Skill? One that would never be caught even while moving around in the midst of a crowd.¡± Chang-Sun asked, and Jin nodded. ¡¸I do. Why?¡¹ ¡°Once I go down to the banquet hallter, I need that subordinate to tail this person.¡± Chang-Sun handed Jin a photo. Jin tilted his head in confusion because it was the photo of a blue-eyed Caucasian woman, and the name ¡®Mireille Aliano¡¯ was written at the bottom. ¡¸Why are you tailing her? Are you trying to seduce her? You know that stalking is a crime, right...?¡¹ ¡°Stop the nonsense and make sure to keep your eyes on her,¡± Chang-Sun instructed. ¡¸Why? Who is she?¡¹ Jin stopped joking when he noticed Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes turn cold. ¡°She has the [Fifth Cryptical Book of Hsan].¡± ¡¸...!¡¹ * * * ¡°He¡¯s still not here yet, is he?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Woah! So he isn¡¯t just pretending to be a tyrant? He¡¯s a real freak!¡± A weing party for the White Tiger n yers was taking ce on the sixth floor of the R hotel, which was where the White Tiger n members were staying. This party had another purpose, however. Since the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ was a very notorious Dungeon, the French ns and White Tiger n had formed a punitive force under the pretext of the French ns being unable to let the White Tiger n¡ªa foreign n¡ªsolely take charge of clearing it. They nned to get to know each other through this party. Of course, the real reason was to see the ¡®Tyrant¡¯ Lee Chang-Sun, who was a world-ss celebrity and super rookie with SSS+++ Magic Grade, with their own eyes. However, Chang-Sun still hadn¡¯t shown up even though it had been hours since the weing party started. Even all his team members had already changed into formal clothes and were in the banquet hall. Baek Gyeo-Ul, who was known as the Tyrant¡¯s right-hand man or shadow, busily roamed around the buffet tables. Meat, fish... He shoved every dish into his mouth with sparkling eyes as if it was his first time eating such food. He looked impolite to the French people since they considered table manners important. Of course, some of the women liked Gyeo-Ul because he looked innocent and cute, but there were only a few of them. Some even came up to him and tantly provoked him, but Gyeo-Ul just blinked because he didn¡¯t understand what they were saying at all, making the French yers more frustrated. ¡°It has been ages since the seminar ended. How is he still not here? Did he use room service to eat separately or something?¡± ¡°Or maybe he bolted after hearing that Henri is here.¡± ¡°What do you think, Henri?¡± The most frustrated ones were Henri Bloque and his friends. Ever since Chang-Sun¡¯s interview at the airport turned the French media upside down, they had been waiting for Chang-Sun to show up. Henri was France¡¯s most prideful and best rookie and was expected to be France¡¯s next ¡®king¡¯ once the ¡®Immortal Overlord¡¯ Jacque Valentine had retired, so he couldn¡¯t believe the fact that a rookie who had just be a yer less than half a year ago looked down on him. However, despite his friends asking various questions, Henri remained silent and held his champagne ss. Since they knew that was how the prideful Henri acted when he was angry, they stopped asking questions and distanced themselves from him. They still watched him, though, and some even seemed worried about him. However, there were also people who had trouble holding back theirughter. Although they were Henri¡¯s so-called ¡®friends¡¯ and ¡®colleagues,¡¯ they all looked at him with various emotions. Some of them truly thought of him as their friend, but some people were jealous of him, who was always better than people of his age. Since Henri was arrogant, they couldn¡¯t help but gloat over how Chang-Sun looked down on him. ¡°But where is South Korea? It¡¯s my first time hearing about it. Is it the country with that fattie who always whines that he¡¯s going to fire nuclear missiles at the U.S.?¡± ¡°That¡¯s North Korea. South Korea is below it. Don¡¯t you know ¡®Oppa, gangnam style¡¯?¡± ¡°Ah, that one. Shit, how would I know that? It¡¯s freaking confusing.¡± ¡°Hehe, yeah, not knowing those monkeys makes sense, considering they don¡¯t even have a ¡®king¡¯.¡± ¡°Hey, watch your mouth. They might understand us, and you¡¯re being a racist. Have you forgotten how Laude got reprimandedst time?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already checked that those guys can¡¯t speak French.¡± ¡°What, already?¡± ¡°Kekeke! Of course, man. Do you think I would have spoken like that before checking that? So don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. Or are you going to rat me out?¡± ¡°No way, I¡¯ve actually been thinking the same.¡± ¡°Hehehe! We think alike, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°Anyhow, this party is turningme. We should beat those monkeys up so they won¡¯t act too cheeky anymore.¡± The French yers no longer hesitated to insult Korea. ¡°Hmm? It looks like someone¡¯sing.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but his team members are gathering up over there.¡± ¡°Wow! Is he finally here?¡± ¡°Is it like how the main character always appearsst? That¡¯s pathetic.¡± When Gyeo-Ul and the rest of Team L members gathered up near the banquet room¡¯s door, Henri and his friends turned their heads toward them. However, instead of Chang-Sun, something way bigger than most monsters entered the room. ¡°... A horse?¡± Something no one had expected to appear just galloped right in, causing everyone inside the banquet hall to gasp and stop what they were doing. Seemingly feeling that all of the people¡¯s attention was on it, the horse began to walk more pompously. ¡°No, that¡¯s a Ghost Devil Horse.¡± ¡°What kind of Ghost Devil Horse is that? I¡¯ve never seen anything like that... and its level seems to be high.¡± Mireille, the only summoner in Henri¡¯s group, became baffled, confusing the others even more. ¡®There is a monster that Mireille doesn¡¯t know?¡¯ ¡®That horse looks really strong...!¡¯ ¡®I haven¡¯t heard about the Tyrant being a summoner or tamer. Did he tame the horse with another method?¡¯ Although Mireille was overshadowed by Henri, she was quite a skilled and popr yer, so it was surprising for her to say that. The Ghost Devil Horse looked more menacing than most boss monsters in Dungeons. The yers in the banquet hall were called promising rookies, but even they weren¡¯t sure they could win against it in singlebat. ¡®It seems the rumor isn¡¯t entirely wrong.¡¯ Owning such a horse meant that Chang-Sun was quite skilled. Crack! Some quietly chuckled when they saw Henri trembling, cracks forming in his champagne ss. It looked like the staredown between Henri and Chang-Sun was going to be more interesting. Just then... Kiyoo! ¡°...?¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°...?¡± When Henri and his friends heard a high-toned voice echoing throughout the banquet hall, they all tilted their heads in confusion. It was too cute to havee from the Ghost Devil Horse. Busily and quickly pping its wings, a creaturended on top of the Ghost Devil Horse¡¯s head. ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®Hmmm...?¡¯ ¡®What? Why is it here?¡¯ ¡®No way, does that belong to Lee Chang-Sun too?¡¯ The people busily looked back and forth between the Ghost Devil Horse and the creature that flew in just now. ¡®Has Lee Chang-Sun really learned how to summon monsters as well? But even if he could somehow summon a Ghost Devil Horse, it should be impossible to tame a Dragon with his currently known ability.¡¯ The Tyrant was known as a close-quartersbat expert capable of handling various weapons, but he couldn¡¯t be that kind of expert if he had been such a skilled summoner. Even if he was an exceptionally skilled high ranker, it wasn¡¯t possible to be talented in many different areas. While the people were bewildered, some looked at the doll-like Cadmus with sparkling eyes. ¡®I-it¡¯s cute!¡¯ ¡®I want it!¡¯ Kiyoo, kiyoooo! The navy-blue baby Dragon, Cadmus, grinned when it noticed everyone¡¯s eyes were on it, then majestically roared while still on top of the horse¡¯s head. [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ majestically announces its appearance to mortals!] Chapter 155: Star, Cadmus (5)

Chapter 155: Star, Cadmus (5)

Disimer: The plot, characters, and opinions presented in this novel are purely fictional and do not represent the views of Wuxiaworld, our trantors, or partners. ¡®Oh my gosh, how can a reptile be that cute?¡¯ People just thought Cadmus was cute, which contradicted its intention, but some of them also looked at Cadmus and the horse with concern. The more Cadmus made cute sounds and pped its front paw, the more the Ghost Devil Horse¡¯s head shook. ¡®Huh¡­? Is that normal?¡¯ ¡®The Dragon could get quite dizzy.¡¯ ¡®No, maybe not¡­? The horse somehow seems to be more frightened¡­?¡¯ People noticed that the Ghost Devil Horse stopped behaving in an intimidating way at some point, began sweating hard, and constantly tiptoed around Cadmus, who was on its head. The horse seemed very anxious and worried that Cadmus was ufortable or would scold it. The sight was so amazing that it attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Meanwhile, the Team L members gathered around Chang-Sun. ¡°Hey, Mus! You¡¯re here!¡± Shin Eun-Seo spread her arms and delightedly approached Cadmus, who leaped off from the Ghost Devil Horse¡¯s head and jumped into Eun-Seo¡¯s arms. Kiyoo! ¡°A! You missed me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Eun-Seo patted Cadmus. Kiyoo! Kiyoo! Kiyoo! Cadmus fervently rubbed its head against Eun-Seo, then jumped into the arms of Woo Hye-Bin, who was standing beside Eun-Seo. During the momentary confusion, Hye-Bin bewilderedly caught Cadmus but soon rxed when it acted cute. ¡®The Dragon is male.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s definitely a male.¡¯ ¡®That Dragon may not be a Dragon.¡¯ The people watching the scene, especially the men, shook their heads. ¡°Mus?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head in confusion, looking at Eun-Seo, who was patting Cadmus¡¯ head. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the nickname I came up with. What do you think? Isn¡¯t it cute?¡± Eun-Seo smiled. ¡°Ah, well, hmm¡­¡± Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure how the nickname was different from ¡®Dragony¡¯ or ¡®Growly¡¯, but he didn¡¯t bother to mention it. ¡°Anyhow, who is this, oppa?¡± Eun-Seo pointed at the Ghost Devil Horse. Flick! By lightly flicking his fingers, Chang-Sun unsummoned the Ghost Devil Horse, making it dissipate into thin air. A ck shadow then briefly appeared near Henri¡¯s group, then disappearedpletely. ¡ºI¡¯ll be back.¡» [Jin¡¯s Subordinate ¡®Intermediate-ss Bak 4¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Close Surveince,¡¯ tailing the yer ¡®Mireille Aliano¡¯!] Chang-Sun brought the Ghost Devil Horse for a very simple reason: to attract the people¡¯s attention with it as he secretly sent out his subordinate. He saw the subordinate seeping into Mireille¡¯s shadow, so it was going to be on her tail at all times. ¡®I never thought the famous French summoner would have one of the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan].¡¯?Chang-Sun shrugged. He couldn¡¯t tell why Mireille had the [Fifth Cryptical Book of Hsan] yet and also didn¡¯t know if she still had it or had tried decrypting it. All Chang-Sun found out was that Jeong Yoo-Jin and the Highoff remnants secretly sent it to Mireille. Chang-Sun was nning to find out more by tracking down Yoo-Jin, but he couldn¡¯t due to the ¡®Bes¡¯s Tomb¡¯ incident. Hence, Chang-Sun had no choice but to look into it himself. ¡®I¡¯m d they took the bait.¡¯ Chang-Sun faintly smiled. At the airport, he had given the interview much more aggressively than usual to attract Mireille¡¯s attention. ¡®Fortunately, my name is not very known in France, and it would have been more strange if those belligerent yers didn¡¯t react after I provoked them this severely,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The French media had been frequentlyparing Chang-Sun to Henri, and Mireille always stayed by Henri¡¯s side like a shadow. Hence, Chang-Sun thought he could lure out Mireille if he provoked Henri. On top of that, the reporters mentioned Henri with perfect timing. It seemed Chang-Sun¡¯s ¡®fishing¡¯ had luckily been a sess. Henri and the French rookie yers were all busy ring at Chang-Sun. Considering they kept looking around him, it seemed they were waiting for him to be alone. ¡°I just brought the horse because I thought Cadmus would be bored on its own,¡± Chang-Sun replied to Eun-Seo, observing Henri¡¯s group¡ªMireille, to be exact¡ªas he used [Monster Excursion]. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re lying,¡± Eun-Seo said. ¡°¡­?¡± Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure what to say. ¡°There is no way you¡¯re that considerate of someone, oppa,¡± Eun-Seo said with certainty. Chang-Sun stayed silent. ¡°Hmm, you have another reason.¡± Eun-Seo gave Chang-Sun a doubtful look, making him chuckle dumbfoundedly and think Eun-Seo was sharp in a weird way. ¡°And when did you learn how to summon monsters?¡± Eun-Seo continued. ¡°A fighter who can summon¡­ It will be cool to see you riding a horse, though, oppa.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Chang-Sun scratched the back of his head. ¡°¡­?¡± Eun-Seo quietly listened. ¡°My ss is not a fighter-type.¡± Chang-Sun shrugged. ¡°Huh?¡± Eun-Seo, Hye-Bin, Shin Geum-Gyu, and Baek Gyeo-Ul nkly looked at Chang-Sun as he continued, ¡°I¡¯m a Rune Master, a wizard-type ss.¡± ¡°N-no way!¡± ¡°Wow, I should definitely kill myself¡­¡± The team members weren¡¯t sure how a wizard could fight better than most fighters, so they looked at Gyeo-Ul, wondering if Chang-Sun was joking. However, Gyeo-Ul mumbled, ¡°¡­I have seen him using runes.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The Team L members¡¯ eyes widened in despair. With the gap in their talents this big, they weren¡¯t sure what to say anymore. As someone who studied magic very diligently, Geum-Gyu was so shocked that he suddenly felt depressed. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ advises his subordinate that a sparrow should not try to keep up with a phoenix.] J?rmungandr consoled him in a not-so-helpful way. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun was a little dumbfounded. ¡®Did I say something wrong?¡¯ He just mentioned that toe up with a legitimate excuse to exin how he could control Cadmus and the Ghost Devil Horse, but it seemed his n backfired. While wondering how he should further exin, Jaegal Hyeon-Ryong and Gang Woo-Chan approached the Team L members. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good to see you! Cadmus is looking very happy. It finally became full after eating so much, huh?¡± Hyeon-Ryong brightly greeted Chang-Sun. Unlike Hyeon-Ryong, Woo-Chan didn¡¯t hesitate to reveal how discontented he was. Even the elders had arrived at the banquet hall on time, so how could the new employee show upst? Chang-Sun didn¡¯t even look at Woo-Chan, which only made him angrier. ¡°It eats a lot, so I¡¯m not sure when it¡¯ll be hungry again.¡± Chang-Sun shrugged. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s just how it is with Dragons, especially when they¡¯re young. They be hungry a second after they eat, so the Dragon owners always have trouble acquiring food.¡± Hyeon-Ryong chuckled. ¡®Seriously, who is he?¡¯?Chang-Sun unnoticeably narrowed his eyes. Judging from how Hyeon-Ryong had figured out that Cadmus was an Evil Dragon, he seemed to be aware of Dragons¡¯ habits very well. That was strange, though, considering there weren¡¯t many people who knew about Dragons even in Arcadia, where Dragons were worshiped. What did he mean when he said he had raised something simr to Dragons? ¡®Even among the Council of Elder members, he¡¯s the most mysterious one. He wasn¡¯t a popr first-generation yer, but he became famous after the Pohang incident,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure if Hyeon-Ryong knew what he was thinking since thetter just kept smiling. ¡°You didn¡¯t get to meet anyone due to yourte arrival, did you? Follow me, I¡¯ll introduce you to them.¡± * * * Following Hyeon-Ryong¡¯s lead, Chang-Sun exchanged greetings with important French people. ¡°So you¡¯re the Tyrant. Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Nics Fouquet from the ¡®Revenant.¡¯¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot from Wu Hou. I¡¯m Ludovico of the ¡®Ondo.¡¯¡± ¡°Grizman Adellie of the ¡®Youth Fountain.¡¯¡± The Revenant, Ondo, and Youth Fountain were all major French ns. They were like Korea¡¯s White Tiger n or Sword of Ohsung n. Moreover, the people Chang-Sun had just met were their executives, so he had also already heard of these rankers¡¯ names. The unfriendly man, Grizman Adellie, was a famous ranker who was also known as the ¡®Iron Mask.¡¯ Although used to be a demonic being, he became a ¡®demonic being hunter¡¯ after switching sides and atoning for his sins. ¡°Are you friends with them?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°I was a social butterfly back in the day.¡± Hyeon-Ryong smiled enigmatically, not telling Chang-Sun the full story. Either way, Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure why Hyeon-Ryong had been acting friendly and considerate of him ever since they had met at the Incheon Airport. ¡®I¡¯m sure he¡¯s nning something,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, deciding that he should keep an eye on Hyeon-Ryong since he surely had a n hidden just like Executive Director Oh. Shortly after, Chang-Sun reached his intended destination¡ªthe group of French rookie yers. ¡®Henri and Mireille.¡¯? ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Lee Chang-Sun. I¡¯m Henri. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± Henri smiled gently and held out his hand. Meanwhile, Mireille and other rookies took a step backward. ¡®He wants to mess with me.¡¯ Chang-Sun quietly chuckled, noticing that Henri¡¯s eyes were burning up with a desire to fight him. It looked as if Henri was trying to humiliate Chang-Sun for provoking him during the interview, but his method was so obvious that it was embarrassing to let him do it. However, Henri took Chang-Sun¡¯s chuckle as a smirk, so one of his eyebrows wriggled in annoyance. [The ¡®Deceased Dragon¡¯s Corpse Energy¡¯ is spreading everywhere!] [The Curse ¡®Violence¡¯ has been activated.] [The Curse ¡®Panic¡¯ has been activated.] ¡­ People¡¯s skin stung. When the nearby rookie yers noticed that the air around Henri had changed, they bewilderedly took an extra couple of steps backward. Only Hyeon-Ryong stood still and watched the two, wondering what they were going to do. ¡®I did hear that Henri controlled a Deceased Dragon, but is he really trying to intimidate me with it?¡¯?Chang-Sun observed. Although they called themselves ¡®Bone Dragons¡¯, Chang-Sun knew that they were low-ranking Undead Dragons like ¡®Undead Drakes.¡¯ Of course, they still shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly. Despite being a low-ranking Dragon, the fact that Henri could turn a Dragon into an Undead and control it meant Henri¡¯s willpower was that great. ¡®Well, that¡¯s pretty much all he can do, though.¡¯?Chang-Sun shrugged. [The Skill ¡®Kalokagathia¡¯ has been activated, making you immune to mental debuffs!] ¡°Yes, nice to meet you too,¡± Chang-Sun said. The moment Chang-Sun grabbed Henri¡¯s hand, Chang-Sun nullified and made the [Dead Dragon¡¯s Corpse Energy], which had been pressuring him, dissipate as if he was breaking a ss window. ng, ng! ¡°¡­!¡± Henri¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief and noticeably wobbled, unable to withstand the rebound. Still grabbing Chang-Sun¡¯s hand, his hand shook hard, and Henri¡¯s friends btedly froze up when they realized how serious the situation was. Rumble! The floor underneath the two lightly shook, and mana waves slowly spread out in a concentric circle. The yers from Revenant, Ondo, Youth Fountain¡­ Their staredown attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Most of them were yers, after all, so they couldn¡¯t help noticing. Besides, they had been wondering who would be stronger as the media called the two ¡®the rivalry of the century.¡¯ Some were having fun and looked forward to seeing the arrogant Henri crumpling up, making Henri¡¯s face redden. ¡®How dare a monkey do this¡­!¡¯?Henri gritted his teeth as his face hardened. In contrast to Henri, Chang-Sun was still expressionless. It was as if he was incapable of feeling pain. Henri definitely didn¡¯t think he was going to lose, so without considering any other possibilities, he only thought of a method to beat Chang-Sun up and humiliate him in front of all the people around them. Henri was going to be the next ¡®king¡¯ of France, so he should be at a much higher level than a yellow monkey from an unknown eastern country. ¡®How?!¡¯?Henri shouted internally. His hand hurt so much that he thought it was going to break. He even had to hold himself back from screaming. The capiries in his eyes popped and made his eyes bloodshot. ¡®How in the world¡­!¡¯ Henri couldn¡¯t understand what was happening right now. He was definitely trying his best, but he couldn¡¯t beat Chang-Sun. [The ¡®Deceased Dragon¡¯s Vigor¡¯ has been forcefully nullified!] [The activation of the Skill ¡®Deceased Dragon¡¯s Roar¡¯ has been forcefully canceled!] ¡­ ¡®How can he be this strong¡­!¡¯ Henri screamed in his thoughts. Their staredown intensified. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ instructs you to crush this arrogant greenhorn.] The mana wave intensified so much that even the server carrying food could feel it. Thinking hell would break loose if they did nothing, people tried to stop them, but they vividly heard Chang-Sun¡¯s quiet voice first. Chang-Sun¡¯s ent and pronunciation were really perfect, making people wonder if he was actually French. ¡°I have sharp hearing, so I happened to eavesdrop on a part of the conversation between you and your friends.¡± Chang-Sun activated [Tiger Kill] and mixed it with the from [Stigma], releasing ominous navy-blue energy. Pzzz¨D! [The Skill ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ and ¡®Stigma¡¯ mixed together, making you dominate the battlefield!] ¡°You called me and my colleagues yellow monkeys, so I would like an exnation about that,¡± Chang-Sun looked back and forth between Henri and the pale rookie yers standing behind him. They were all having trouble breathing with Chang-Sun¡¯s [Tiger Kill] weighing down on their souls. Woosh! At that moment, navy blue mes simr to Mephistopheles¡¯ zed up in Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes. [The ¡®Inferno Sights¡¯ have been activated, looking into ¡®death¡¯ inside your enemies!] Everyone who saw his Pale Eyes turned pale and felt the shadow of death grabbing their ankles. 1. Koreans say this a lot when they are so frustrated or don¡¯t want to deal with countless problems before them. They don¡¯t really mean it though. Chapter 156: Star, The Killer Overlord (1)

Chapter 156: Star, The Killer Overlord (1)

[You are sharing one of the abilities of your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ through the ¡®Inauspicious Heart¡¯!] [Dragons are very wise creatures, so they can understand all living and nonliving beings.] [You can now understand and speak all the existingnguages.] Cadmus made it possible for Chang-Sun to understand the conversation between Henri and his friends. He could have ignored it and let it pass by, but he would never forgive anyone who would dare hurt his team members¡¯ honor and pride. That was why Chang-Sun unsparingly used [Tiger Kill] and intimidated Henri and his friends, filling the banquet room with suffocating silence. Gulp! The sound of someone nervously swallowing their saliva loudly echoed throughout the room. Henri and the rookie yers weren¡¯t the only ones Chang-Sun had surprised. Most of the French yers in this room were also shocked. ¡®Lee Chang-Sun is capable of this much?¡¯ ¡®The rumors about the Tyrant are true¡­ No, they actually undervalue his ability.¡¯ ¡®I can see now how he cleared three Dungeons.¡¯ People were sweating hard, some of them looking at the staredown with sparkling eyes and some gritting their teeth upon realizing Chang-Sun was more skilled than they had thought. The question of how in the world they should report this fact to their superiors filled a few of the people¡¯s heads as well. On the other hand, most of the French yers had dropped their jaws. ¡®Those idiots¡­!¡¯ ¡®What have they done?!¡¯ It likely wouldn¡¯t have been a problem during the Age of Exploration, the time when imperialism still prevailed, but racist remarks were taboos in Western countries now. If someone officially raised an issue about this staredown, the French government wouldn¡¯t be able to interfere or cover it up since the Council was an international organization under the UN. Although the French media sugarcoated them as heroes, the French ns had already been having trouble dealing with the rookie yers because they were arrogant and selfish. No matter how hard they tried to change them, they remained uncontroble just because they had already gained fame and wealth at such young ages. The ns had somehow been able to sort things out before¡­ but not this time. A full-blown ident had taken ce. ¡®We have to do something about this!¡¯ ¡®If this incident leaks out to the public, my country¡¯s name will be in the gutter!¡¯ ¡®Shit! Why did this have to happen while those Germans are here¡­!¡¯ Bewildered and wondering what to do, the French n executives quickly exchanged nces. Their biggest problem was that Joachim and the people from the Illuminati¡¯s French headquarters were at this weing party, so this could turn into a serious international political issue. The executives had to sort this out. ¡®Do the Koreans¡­ know what¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¡®What are they thinking?¡¯ People furtively looked at the Korean yers, finding them just quietly looking at Chang-Sun and the French rookie yers. Hyeon-Ryong just watched the staredown with interest despite being able to speak French since he had no intention to interfere. Hence, the French n executives couldn¡¯t figure out what the Koreans yers were thinking. Did they not understand French or were they just watching how the situation was developing? However, Nics Fouquet of the Revenant knew Hyeon-Ryong spoke French. Hence, the Koreans could learn about the conversation anytime regardless. Thinking he should resolve this situation before Hyeon-Ryong intervened, Nics wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and approached Chang-Sun, speaking in French to sort things out before the Korean yers found out. ¡°It looked like Mr. Lee Chang-Sun misunderstood¡ª!¡± Nics said. ¡°I¡¯m asking Mr. Bloque and his friends, so why aren¡¯t you the one answering me, Mr. Bloque?¡± Chang-Sun interrupted, immediately stopping Nics from interfering. The Inferno Sights in his eyes grew bigger, showing Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t going to let it pass if Nics uttered nonsense. The Sights shocked Nics so hard the people watching couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom it. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Henri forced himself to speak, but his voice trembled, making him hate himself. Hence, he instead tried to escape from this indescribable unpleasantness somehow. [You have fallen prey to fear!] [You cannot escape the fear.] [You cannot escape the fear.] ¡­ Henri was so intimidated it was as if someone invisible was watching him from behind, yet it also somehow felt as if he was stranded on an ind. [You have entered the ¡®Panic¡¯ state.] [All Skill activations have been canceled.] [All Authority activations have been canceled.] It was Henri¡¯s first time feeling like this since he became a yer. Although he wanted to say something, he couldn¡¯t even look Chang-Sun in the eyes or breath properly because it felt like invisible hands were squeezing his lungs. It was as if the world around him was turning. He forcefully pulled himself together to get out of this situation, but his voice still noticeably trembled as he replied, ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ misunderstood.¡± Badump, badump, badump! Even saying a short sentence to Chang-Sun made Henri¡¯s heart race. It was so loud that he could vividly hear his blood circting inside his veins and feel his hand sweating while he was still in a handshake with Chang-Sun. ¡°I misunderstood?¡± Chang-Sun threw the question very nonchntly, so no one could tell how Chang-Sun felt right now. ¡°Th-th-that¡¯s right.¡± Henri nodded with difficulty. ¡°Is that so?¡± Chang-Sun silently looked at Henri for a while, then slowly let go of his hand. ¡°I¡¯m d I was wrong.¡± The [Tiger Kill] filling the banquet room disappeared as if it had never been there in the first ce, and the Inferno Sights in his eyes also disappeared at some point. Although the Team L members weren¡¯t sure what exactly was going on, they heaved a sigh of relief with the French yers. Badump! Badump! Badump!? However, Henri was still having trouble calming down his racing heart. * * * The weing party was ruined, so it didn''t take long for it toe to an end. After Henri nkly came outside and breathed in the cold wind, he finally pulled himself together. ¡®How dare¡­ that yellow monkey humiliate me like this?¡¯?Henri clenched his fists. After everything had been sorted out, Henri vividly felt the humiliation that hadn¡¯t coursed through him until now. The desire to kill Chang-Sun filled his head. ¡°Woah! Chang-Sun is savage. He looked like he killed at least several people. Is he a demonic being or something?¡± ¡°Are you okay, Henri?¡± ¡°You were really great. We couldn¡¯t even stand straight.¡± ¡°Right, right.¡± His friends followed and exaggeratedly consoled him, but he didn¡¯t miss how they were grinning. ¡®You all couldn¡¯t do anything either¡­! Just wait and see. I¡¯lle after you bastards after I teach Lee Chang-Sun a lesson,¡¯ Henri angrily thought. Fortunately, they were going to enter the Dungeon the day after tomorrow. Although Henri wasn¡¯t sure how Chang-Sun had intimidated him, Chang-Sun wouldn¡¯t be able to use his tricks anymore once they had entered. That was when Henri would have his revenge. Clenching his teeth in anger, Henri heard someone calling him from behind. ¡°Henri.¡± Mireille Aliano, Henri¡¯s closest colleague and fiancee, came up to him. ¡°What?¡± Henri curtly replied. ¡°Be care¡­ No, nothing.¡± Mireille was going to warn Henri to be careful but stopped when she saw his eyes burning with madness. No matter what she said right now, Henri would just think she was being sarcastic. ¡®He should be careful¡­!¡¯ Mireille couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous. After all, her dear summon had been whispering all sorts of warnings to her since a moment ago. ¡ºPlease r-run! Get away, get away, get away¡­ It¡¯s not toote¡­!¡» ¡®Who is he? What¡¯s making you react this way?¡¯?Mireille asked. . ¡ºDidn¡¯t you see his eyes? Didn¡¯t you? He¡¯s the same as me yet different. He can burn me up and absorb me. He¡¯ll kill you, me¡­.!¡» Her dear summon and Guardian, ¡®Wind-Hating Daughter,¡¯ wasn¡¯t good at speaking in humannguages, so their conversations usually weren¡¯t smooth. Nevertheless, she always acted arrogant, much like anyone who held divinity would¡­ However, she started acting like this the moment she saw the blue fires in Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes. It was as if they triggered her deep trauma. Mireille tried to console her Guardian somehow, but she couldn¡¯t pull herself together. Mireille¡¯s right hand faintly trembled, so she grabbed it with her left hand to stop the shaking. However, she wasn¡¯t the one trembling right now. It was her summon who held divinity, and it was out of fear of a mere mortal. ¡®Lee Chang-Sun, Lee Chang-Sun¡­¡¯ Mireille repeated. Since she had signed a contract with her summon, Mireille could also feel the fear of the ¡®Wind-Hating Daughter,¡¯ which made her tense up. She wanted to run away from Chang-Sun, just as her summon advised, but she couldn¡¯t because of the contract she signed with her n. Hence, she thought she should just avoid Chang-Sun once they had entered the Dungeon now that things had turned out this way. On the other hand, Henri, who was walking, stopped when he saw Nics, who was leaning against a wall with crossed arms as he looked at Henri. Nics was Henri¡¯s teacher in the Revenant n¡ª the n that had given Henri, an orphan, a chance, bing his home and cage. ¡°That wasn¡¯t like you.¡± Nics narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­ I wasn¡¯t feeling good.¡± Henri looked at the ground. ¡°If so, good.¡± Nics nodded. Tap, tap! Nics uncrossed his arms and tapped Henri¡¯s right shoulder a couple of times to cheer him up, but Henri just felt his heart bing heavy for some reason. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we made who you are now. If you waste our efforts, we will have no choice but to take the spotlight away from you,¡± Nichs said before he left. Henri clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails dug into his flesh. * * * [You have entered the Dungeon ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert.¡¯] [Commencing the Dungeon Quest!] [Quest Theme: Escape.] [A train that travels across the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ stops by the station every few days. Protect it from the many obstacles it will encounter, including monsters, and escape the stone desert.] [The train is divided into four sectors. The further to the front you go, the more survival tools and Hidden Pieces you will find. Use them wisely.] [Toplete the quest, every participant has been granted ess to their , , and .] ¡°Phew¡­! Fuck, I¡¯m here again.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t believe I have to go through this shit again. Why did I decide toe here again anyway? Nothing good wille out of this.¡± The yers loudlyined as soon as they entered the Dungeon. Some even frowned deeply without hesitation. Since the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ had been France¡¯s problem for quite some time now, many ns tried to clear it, but all of their attempts failed due to the Dungeon¡¯s unique environment. That was why most of the yers in the Dungeon right now had already experienced the same kind of failure and wereining because of it. If the White Tiger n didn¡¯t announce that they wanted to clear the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ and the French government didn¡¯t decide to send in French yers so they wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed by foreigners, they wouldn¡¯t have had to go through this trouble. ¡®Even if the Tyrant is stronger than we expected¡­¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s impossible to cross the stone desertpletely.¡¯ The one hundred and twenty yers who had been sent by the three major French ns¡ªthe Revenant, Ondo, and Youth Fountain¡ªkept an eye on Chang-Sun, who just stretched without paying attention to them. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ looks forward to seeing your performance because regions with rough environments tend to have new games to hunt.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ narrows his eyes, feeling as if this ce is familiar for some reason.] ¡®It¡¯s really hot. It¡¯s theplete opposite of thest Dungeon I was in,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ waspletely different from the cold ¡®Yeti Hill.¡¯ Its endlessly vast in¡¯s environment was so horrible that it was hard to even find a drop of water, and it had hungry monsters roaming all over it. The sunlight was scorchingly hot during the day, and its nights were bone-chillingly cold. Crossing the stone desert on foot was impossible, so people had to get on a train to escape it, just like in the Dungeon Quest description. Moreover, aside from the items on the train, it was very difficult to find food and water, so those who missed or fell off of it were as good as dead. Since this Dungeon¡¯s difficulty level was ridiculous, and it didn¡¯t even have valuable resources, the French government neglected the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ for a long time. ¡®That¡¯s not what makes this Dungeon valuable,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. ? He was the only one who knew the true value of this Dungeon. ¡°Have you heard of Surtr?¡± Thanatos asked.? ¡°Surtr¡­? Are you talking about the king of Muspelheim?¡± Chang-Sun stroked his chin.? ¡°Yes, the Fire Giant King Surtr.¡± Thanatos nodded.? ¡°Isn¡¯t he dead?¡± Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes.? ¡°He did die an eon ago.¡± Thanatos shrugged.? ¡°But?¡± Chang-Sun asked.? ¡°The ne that Surtur ruled and met with the is on Earth.¡± Thanatos smiled.? Chang-Sun was greatly surprised when he first heard about it from Thanatos. Surtr the Fire Giant King was a Celestial who was just as great as Minerva, and he ruled over the fire ne. He was known for having made countless universes copse. However, he was found dead one day. No one knew the cause of his death, so others just thought he had met his giant karma. Due to his death, Musphelheim, his territory, was met with . The ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ was Musphelheim¡¯s vestige. ¡°You said you¡¯re going to make your Eon Fire as big as possible to acquire Blood Lightning, didn¡¯t you? Then find the divine sword that Surtr used before he died. It will be a big help to you.¡± Thanatos advised.? Surtr had always carried a divine sword named Laevateinn, which had a legend about how only a Fire Giant King could own it. ¡°The secret to getting to ¡®Rhaegaren,¡¯ where the sword is stored, is in that train,¡± Thanatos exined. Chang-Sun nned to obtain Laevateinn. If he could use the sword with the Jigwi¡¯s Eon Fire, he would be able to make the fire as big as it could be. ¡®The Hidden Pieces to open Rhaegaren are hidden all over the train. I should prioritize finding all of them,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, looking at Henri and the other French volunteer yers. Mirelle looked unusually worried. ¡®Of course, I have to find the exact location of the [Fifth Cryptical Book of Hsan] before I do that.¡¯?Chang-Sun decided. While everyone focused onpleting the Dungeon Quest, Mireille would break away from the yers at some point. Chang-Sun would seize that opportunity. ¡ºI haven¡¯t found anything odd yet,¡»the subordinate whom Chang-Sun had instructed to tail Mireille reported. Chang-Sun silently nodded. ¡®Alright, keep watching her.¡¯ ¡ºYes, sir!¡»the subordinate answered. At the same time, Nics, who had volunteered to lead the yers, instructed, ¡°Then let¡¯s move.¡± The yers headed to the nearby train station, which was the eonly building in this deste stone desert. When they did, they saw a long, rusty railroadid before the station. It was the Dungeon¡¯s Safe Zone. The Dungeon Quest would start once they got on the train that arrived at regr intervals. ¡°Argh! The weather is horrible. I liked ¡®Yeti Hill¡¯ better¡­ Are you okay, oppa?¡± Shin Eun-Seo said, looking noticeably tired due to the iron armor she wore. Unfortunately, she needed it as the team¡¯s tank. Shin Geum-Gyu made his Magical Core levitate and created cold winds, but it was still hot for Eun-Seo. Even Woo Hye-Bin had taken off her leather armor and was fanning herself with her hand. Meanwhile, Baek Gyeo-Ul, who was soaked with sweat, looked at Chang-Sun in amazement. Chang-Sun nodded at Gyo-Ul to reassure him, then tried to instruct the team members to put on their defense gear even though it was difficult to do so. Due to the characteristic of ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯, monsters could attack them anytime. However, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t even finish what he was saying. The moment several French volunteer yers entered the station, Chang-Sun felt a shiver run down his spine. [The Authority ¡®Monster Excursion¡¯ has been activated, warning you of iing danger!] ¡°Look out! Put on your gear¡ª!¡± Chang-Sun shouted. Boom! Rumble, rumble¨D! An explosion big enough to brighten up the whole station took ce. Chapter 157: Star, The Killer Overlord (2)

Chapter 157: Star, The Killer Overlord (2)

Famous all around Eastern Europe, all the way to the Baltic Countries and Russia, Crna Ruka was known as the ck Hand or ¡®Unification or Death.¡¯ Its headquarters was located in Pnd, and although its members liked to say they had a long history and traditions since King Solomon was still alive when their n was formed, it was known as a secret criminal or assassin organization to civilians. In fact, the n quickly became influential in the criminal underworld when they made the ¡®Killer Overlord,¡¯ one of the Ten Overlords, their n leader. Assassination, drugs, moneylending¡­ Its n members did anything that was profitable even if the job was illegal, and it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that almost no one could defy them. Crna Ruka¡¯s proudest members were known as the ¡®Five Fingers.¡¯ Among them, Ring Finger leader ¡®Death Ring¡¯ Cansio and Little Finger leader ¡®Little Saintess¡¯ Kunegunda showed up in France. Looking at the burning station, the two exchanged a short conversation. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten about our assignments, right?¡± ¡°Who do you think I am? Just focus on your job and bring the ¡®Child of Prophecy.¡¯ I¡¯m honestly annoyed right now.¡± They were both wearing skull-shaped masks, so it was impossible to tell what they looked like. However, judging from their physiques and voices, Cansio seemed to be a man and Kunegunda a woman. Kunegunda appeared to be noticeably frustratedpared to Cansio, who was nonchnt. Her behavior was understandable, though, since her mission was rtively trivialpared to Cansio¡¯s, which was quite cool, even though they were both ¡®Fingers.¡¯ ¡®This is all because of Wojtek. How could he give me the bullshit order of chopping off a rookie¡¯s head?¡¯?Annoyed,?Kunegunda tapped her finger against her thigh. She received a very simple assassination order from the ¡®Thumb Finger.¡¯ Due to their n¡¯s nature, she had already assassinated quite a number of people¡ªmost of them socially renowned figures or talented rankers since their n revolved around anarchism. However, she was ordered to kill a mere rookie from a small eastern country this time, hurting her pride. Her target¡¯s name was Lee Chang-Sun or something. The rookie recently became quite popr, so even Kunegunda had heard of him, but that was all there was to it. Aside from his pretty face, nothing else about him intrigued her. She would much rather kidnap the ¡®Child of Prophecy,¡¯ which was Cansio¡¯s job. Since the n leader herself was interested in the child, it seemed Kunegunda could make the child a fine collection. ¡°You¡¯re not trying to defy the higher-ups¡¯ order, are you?¡± Cansio narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you crazy? I don¡¯t want to get my throat slit in the middle of a good night''s sleep. I definitely don¡¯t like my assignment, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to mess it up, so just mind your own business.¡± Kunegunda frowned. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Kaniso nodded, thinking he didn¡¯t have to worry anymore. Although Kunegunda was quite emotional for an assassin, she was just as talented as he was. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡± Cansio raised his hand high, and the space around them distorted. A group of assassins entered the burning station. Paah! [The n ¡®Crna Ruka¡¯ has begun their ambush!] * * * [The Authority ¡®Monster Excursion¡¯ has been activated, warning you of iing danger!] [A mysterious group has ambushed you.] [Quickly calcting the number of enemies.] [Quickly locating the enemies.] ¡­ [The ¡®Ice Coat¡¯ is shielding you from all heat!] ¡®Shit!¡¯ Chang-Sun gritted his teeth as he took off his coat. [Monster Excursion] had warned him, and his coat protected him, so he remained unscathed despite the rtively sudden explosion. Paah! The numerous runes drawn inside the coat shone brightly and wiggled as if they were alive. [Ice Coat] The coat that holds the Ice Crystal of the Frost Monarch, the Yeti primogenitor. Made by the heir of the legendary cksmith Ou Yezi, the coat is a great piece of defense equipment, but it still has room for improvement since it was not made by a professional tailor. ¡¤ Type: Defense Equipment. Coat. ¡¤ Effect: Lightweight. Body Temperature Control. Magic Barrier. The runes that Chang-Sun himself carved added the Effect [Magic Barrier] to the coat. He had tobine many advanced magic forms to aplish that, however, so he upgraded his skills to [Great-Level Rune Engraving] and [Great-Level Rune Creation] ¡®What happened to the others?¡¯?Chang-Sun looked around. The explosion caused the hot wind to spread clouds of dust everywhere, making it hard to get a clear view. The heat from the explosion made it even harder to tell what was happening. [The Skill ¡®Viper Eyes¡¯ has been activated, locating your party members!] [Party Member ¡®Baek Gyeo-Ul¡¯ activated the Skill ¡®Shadow Barrier¡¯ and safely escaped the st!] [Party Member ¡®Shin Eun-Seo¡¯ activated the Skill ¡®Shield Castle¡¯ and perfectly shielded the Party from the st!] [Party Member ¡®Shin Geum-Gyu¡¯ activated the Skill ¡®Ouroboros Structural Form¡¯ to form a magic barrier!] [Party Member ¡®Woo Hye-Bin¡¯ used the Artifact ¡®Storm Deity¡¯s Dagger¡¯ to create a gale and safely escape the st!] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is furious because the child she adores could have gotten hurt. She angrily yells which bastard did this!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ frowns because his priest could have gotten injured.] ¡­ Proving that Chang-Sun had chosen them for a reason, the Team L yers prevented sustaining serious damage, but in truth, they couldn¡¯t have done it without Chang-Sun¡¯s warning. ¡®What happened to Mireille?¡¯ Chang-Sun activated his Soul Link with his subordinate. ¡ºMaster, the enemies are going after Mireille! What should I do?¡» Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened because of his subordinate¡¯s response. Although he wasn¡¯t sure who ambushed the yers, their target was Mireille Aliano! ¡®These bastards¡­!¡¯?Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes. [The Title ¡®Jigwi Incarnation¡¯ has been activated!] Paah! Spreading the Jigwi¡¯s wings as wide as he could, Chang-Sun flew forward and sent telepathic messages to Gyeo-Ul and his team members. ¡ºI¡¯m not sure who they are, but we got ambushed! There are still survivors, but be careful when you save them! Gyeo-Ul, follow me.¡» Gyeo-Ul, who was under Chang-Sun¡¯s feet, nodded. He covered himself with shadow using [Shadow y], then seeped into Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow. Hye-Bin and the Shin siblings ran toward the burning training station. After locating his team members, Chang-Sun flew toward his subordinate and saw the ambushers quickly escaping the station. They had already captured Mireille. ¡ºDon¡¯t show yourself yet. Just keep me updated about their location,¡»Chang-Sun instructed. ¡ºYes, sir,¡»his subordinate replied. Using the Soul Link, Chang-Sun quickly glided down toward the ambushers. ¡®Fortunately, they still don¡¯t know about my subordinate that¡¯s in her shadow.¡¯ The ambushers were great at hiding themselves, enough for even Chang-Sun to not detect them sooner even though he had [Monster Excursion], but they hadn¡¯t noticed his subordinate that was tailing Mireille. It seemed Chang-Sun had to give more credit to his subordinates. [The Authority ¡®Monster Excursion¡¯ has been activated, warning you of iing danger!] Feeling something dangerousing above him, Chang-Sun quickly turned as he untied the whip around his right wrist and divided it into nine strands. Ting, ting, ting! Chang-Sun parried the very short iron arrows he sawing toward him with his whip. ¡°You sensed that? I guess the rumors didn¡¯t exaggerate your skills that much.¡± Wearing a ck mask, Kunegunda of the Crna Ruka chuckled and dropped before Chang-Sun. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ feels displeased about the appearance of the uninvited guest.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ is amazed by how you can make new enemies even in a foreign country.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ is looking forward to seeing your next fight.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ freaks out, wondering why her mother is here.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ says she wants to see the channel that her daughter is interested in.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ hops around in embarrassment, telling the Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ to not do that.] ¡­ Kunegunda looked at Chang-Sun with interest. ¡®He¡¯s actually good enough to be in my collection.¡¯ When she first attacked Chang-Sun, her n was to kill him as quickly as possible and return, but she had now changed her mind, deciding to have some fun. Although he was an Asian, she liked his pretty face. ¡®My Guardian also seems very interested in him for some reason.¡¯?Kunegunda shrugged. Swirl! Her train of thought was cut off when Chang-Sun swung his nine-tail whip toward her. Its tails tangled with each other until there were only three left. Chang-Sun then put a thinyer of Aura on the whip, making it look dangerous even for her. ng, ng, ng! Kunegunda pulled out daggers from her waist and immediately deflected Chang-Sun¡¯s whip. She quickly distanced herself from Chang-Sun to escape his attack range, but he quickly moved one of the whip¡¯s tails toward her ankle like a snake going after its prey. Noticing Chang-Sun''s attack toote, Kunegunda tried to kick the tail away. However, Chang-Sun changed the course of his attack again, avoiding her kick and sessfully wrapping the whip around her left ankle tightly. With Kunegunda temporarily restricted, Chang-Sun pulled her toward him and sprang forward to not miss his chance. Paah¨D! Chang-Sun pulled [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] from his back with his left hand. [The State ¡®Cruel Tiger¡¯ has been activated, manifesting the Additional Skill ¡®Cruel Tiger¡¯s Venomous Fang¡¯!] Chang-Sun usually distracted his opponent as much as he could using his whip and stabbed them as soon as he saw an opportunity. Swoosh¨D! ng! The sound of metals shing loudly echoed as the two slid by each other. Defying thew of inertia, Chang-Sun turned again. Pzzzz. The [Tiger Kill] around Chang-Sun took the shape of a tiger with its long fangs bared. ¡°You¡¯re actually quite good,¡± Kunegunda mumbled. With her index finger, she wiped the blood off the long wound on her neck. Her eyes were full of spite now. Chang-Sun scarred her dear skin, so she wasn¡¯t just going to make him into her collection now. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ reveals his hostility to the new enemy without hesitation!] Not caring what she thought, Chang-Sun fixed his grip on [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. His eyes turned sharp. After wrapping the whip around his wrist again, Chang-Sun pulled out the [Yuchang Sword] with his right hand. Although Heoju was belligerent, he was unusually hostile to Kunegunda¡ªno, her Guardian. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ warns the Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ not to mess with his subordinate.] [The Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ giggles and answers that he just followed his priests¡¯ pic.] ¡®I didn¡¯t expect Xue Yong?to show up here.¡¯ Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes. Chang-Sun knew Kunegunda¡¯s Guardian, Tranquil Star Xue Yong, quite well because he was actually one of the next deities that Chang-Sun was going to take care of once he had sealed Heoju. If the self-proimed heads of the were the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions, then the ¡®limbs¡¯ of their were the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and Seventy-two Earthly Fiends. Xue Yong was one of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, so he and Heoju were part of the same . However, they were not on good terms. Was it really a coincidence that Chang-Sun and Heoju suddenly ran into Xue Yong in a ce like this? [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ has be more hostile!] Heoju stayed on high alert around Xue Yong as if he was trying to prevent Xue Yong from finding something that he had hidden. ¡®Is Xue Yong here for the [Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan] too?¡¯?Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes. There was a high probability that he was right, considering they would have no other reason to bother kidnapping Mireille otherwise. ¡®That means Heoju has been hiding what he¡¯s doing with the [Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan] from the ¡­¡¯ Chang-Sun quickly analyzed the situation. ¡®If some Celestials have noticed what¡¯s going on and taken actions to check for themselves like Xue Yong¡­¡¯ An idea shed in Chang-Sun¡¯s head, and he quickly formted a n. Chang-Sun then unwittingly chuckled, finding his n quite impressive. If he could make Heoju and Xue Yong sh directly, Chang-Sun could put the into chaos and seal at least one of the two. 1. A fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great ssical Novels of Chinese literature. Chapter 158: Star, The Killer Overlord (3)

Chapter 158: Star, The Killer Overlord (3)

Chang-Sun naturally knew he shouldn¡¯t reveal his n, so he poised himself and tightly grabbed the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. No matter how good his n was, he first had to get rid of Kunegunda and save Mireille Aliano. ¡®Besides, there¡¯s definitely a reason why she¡¯s trying to kill me as well instead of just kidnapping Mireille. I have to find out about it,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought.? There was only one n that served Xue Yong, and that was the Crna Ruka. The rulers of the criminal world never moved unless they had received a request, and considering they were nowing after him, someone likelymissioned his assassination. ¡°Cadmus,¡± Chang-Sun called. Kiyoo? Cadmus, who was inside Chang-Sun¡¯s coat, stuck its head out. . ¡°Cover me.¡± Chang-Sun requested. Kiyooo! Understanding what Chang-Sun meant, Cadmus smiled and quietly howled. [The ¡®Inauspicious Heart¡¯ has been activated, partially sharing your manas.] [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Blood Fog¡¯!] Pzzzzzz¨D! A blood-red fog started to billow around Chang-Sun and Kunegunda, making the rxed Kunegunda tense up. ¡°¡­What?¡± The fog that had surely been summoned by Chang-Sun¡¯s baby Dragon looked so inauspicious and ominous that looking at it was enough to give people goosebumps. She momentarily thought the Dragon was going to spray poison, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. ¡®No way¡­ A Mind Pce? No, no way. It can¡¯t be.¡¯?Kunegunda shook her head, trying not to believe the possibility that had popped into her head. Mind Pces were one of the most advanced magic spells that could materialize one¡¯s imagination, but only rankers with superior knowledge of magic could do it. There was no way a mere baby Dragon could create it! Even if it could, her n would be at fault since they failed to properly analyze the target. However, Kunegunda¡¯s jaw soon dropped. [The Effect of the Skill ¡®Blood Fog¡¯ has forcefully deactivated the Skill ¡®Concealment¡¯!] [The yer has been exposed.] [The Effect of the Skill ¡®Blood Fog¡¯ has forcefully deactivated the Skill ¡®Concealment¡¯!] [The yer has been exposed.] [The Effect of the Skill ¡®Blood Fog¡¯ has forcefully deactivated the Skill ¡®Concealment¡¯!] ¡­ Using the Concealment Skill, the Little Finger assassins had hidden nearby and were waiting for Kunegunda¡¯s orders, but they got exposed when the blood-red fog became more vivid. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on¡­?¡± ¡°What¡­?!¡± Realizing that their Concealment Skill had been deactivated against their will, the assassins tried to activate it again, but every time they did, it was canceled by force. At that moment, Kunegunda and the Little Finger assassins realized that this ominous fog was a trap made for them. [Blood Fog] A basic magic spell of the prideful ¡®Baby ck Darkness Dragon.¡¯ It creates a blood-like fog around the targeted area, isting the area from the outside world. It then buffs allies and debuffs enemies within it. Skill level: 1 ? Effect: Materialize Imagination. Block View. Iste Foes from Friends. Chang-Sun, who was in the middle of the [Blood Fog],manded, ¡°Howl and roar.¡± Ooong, ooong¨D! His two daggers were unsealed, spreading divine and demonic energies like a storm. Chang-Sun also activated his stigma, mixing into those energies. Woosh! Navy blue mes lit up in Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes as several intense mana waves spread like ripples, making the ground tremble. Rumble¡­! [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ puts on his sses in an attempt to take a closer look at the new magic spell that your Dragon has cast.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ clicks his tongue, unable toprehend how a baby Dragon can cast magic so precisely.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ grumbles as his head starts to ache because you and the incidents you¡¯re involved in have so many suspicious aspects.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ furtively asks the Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ if the baby Dragon¡¯s ability is that good.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯¡¯ looks at her with contempt and shakes his head, saying the Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ cannot tell because she did not study enough.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ nods in agreement.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ jumps around in anger, saying she studied a lot.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ looks away.] ¡­ Paah¨D! Chang-Sun sprang forward again. He was now iparably faster than when he and Kunegunda first exchanged attacks, so Kunegunda couldn¡¯t help but flinch as she lifted up her daggers. ng! ¡®When did he¡­?¡¯?Kunegunda wondered, feeling a shiver running down her spine. Chang-Sun approached her so fast that even she couldn¡¯t even feel it. If not for her skill [Supersense], which she had acquired by sparring with the Killer Overlord regrly, her head could have already been cut off since she couldn¡¯t have blocked Chang-Sun¡¯s attack. However, Chang-Sun¡¯s attack pushing her back shocked her the most. [The State ¡®Cruel Tiger¡¯ has been changed into the State ¡®Jackal Tiger,¡¯ activating the Additional Skill ¡®Jackal Tiger Hacks¡¯!] Swish, swoosh, swish¨D! After pushing her back, Chang-Sun spun and quickly swung [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], which he was now holding in a reverse grip. Aiming for Kunegunda¡¯s waist, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] overwhelmed her with its storm-like gust of demonic energy. Kunegunda managed to quickly parry Chang-Sun¡¯s attack with her daggers at the cost of having to take a few steps back, but as she did, Chang-Sun swung the [Yuchang Sword]. ng, ng, ng! Kunegunda could only deflect Chang-Sun¡¯s offensive as she continued to lose ground. She specialized in hiding and tailing a target, and she was confident that she could chop off a high-ranker¡¯s head if she used those specialties to the fullest. However, that also meant she was at a disadvantage in head-on singlebat. Paah! Perhaps because of that, the [Yuchang Sword] sessfully cut Kunegunda¡¯s right shoulder with its sharp de, tearing through her ck clothes and causing her blood to stter in the air. Woosh! The fire enveloping the sword grew and rose to the sky, instantly evaporating her blood as it left a severe burn on her. ¡®Shit¡­!¡¯ Kunegunda gritted her teeth. She managed to put out the fire using the blessing that her Guardian had given her, but the toxin creeping inside her continued to slow her down. [The has mixed with the Skill ¡®Blood Toxin,¡¯ amplifying the Skill¡¯s power!] ¡­ [The toxin has paralyzed your target, incapacitating her movements and senses.] [The toxin is preventing your target from using her mana properly.] ¡­ Kunegunda gave Chang-Sun a death re with her bloodshot eyes. She no longer found him intriguing or worthy enough to be a part of her collections because the son of a bitch wounded her beautiful body. What made matters worse was that no matter how hard she tried to distance herself from Chang-Sun, he easily closed in on her and nullified her Concealment Skill whenever she attempted to activate it. On top of that, Chang-Sun¡¯s toxin paralyzed and poisoned her, so she was now having more and more difficulty moving as she pleased. ¡®I detoxified myself. I definitely did, so why am I not feeling better!¡¯?Kunegunda shouted in her thoughts. The ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ had given the Crna Ruka¡¯s assassins, who made up the greatest portion of the n, the passive skill [Malignity Dposition. It made them immune to any kind of toxins, so the assassins had been freely using all kinds of toxins¡ªeven those lethal enough to hurt them as they pulled it out to use it. After all, they could just detoxify all of it. However... [Skill activation has been canceled!] [Skill activation has been canceled!] ¡­ ¡­ Toxin mixed with divinity was truly scary. Mixed with , Chang-Sun¡¯s [Blood Toxin] easily nullified even [Maglinity Dposition]. However, what frightened Kunegunda the most was Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes, which were shining in navy blue light. Every time she looked at them, her heart sank and pounded. They made her feel as if he could see through not only her thoughts but also her feelings. Kunegunda bit her lower lip upon realizing that every living being with a soul would have the same reaction. ¡®Who in the world is he?!¡¯ She was an assassin. That practically made her the Grim Reaper, sending her targets to the other world. However, she got scared when she tried to assassinate Chang-Sun. ¡®This is ridiculous!¡¯ ¡°What are you all doing?! Kill that bastard!¡± Kunegunda shrieked in a desperate attempt to escape the fear she was feeling right now. Just before she did, Chang-Sun cut right below her eyes. She could feel the [Blood Toxin] paralyzing her face now since she could no longer move one side of it. It was as if the blood-red fog that surrounded her was sucking all her blood. Paah¨D! Even though their Concealment Skill kept getting canceled whenever they tried to activate it, the Little Finger assassins followed Kunegunda¡¯s order in an attempt to quickly achieve their goal of getting rid of Chang-Sun. Leaving multiple afterimages, they moved like rays of light as they flung themselves at Chang-Sun. The sight would¡¯ve made others fear them. nngg! However, the rays of light were stopped halfway. ¡¸Hey, hey! How dare you go after him when we¡¯re right here?! I haven¡¯t even gotten to slit his throat yet, so don¡¯t cut in line!¡¹ Just as those rays of light stopped, the nearby space slowly distorted. Jin Prezia, the Elfin Root, and other subordinates appeared, exuding thick ghost energy. Pzzz¨D! Albeit with difficulty, the assassinsnded on the ground on their feet. However, their eyes lost focus as they stood up. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± The beings that appeared to protect Chang-Sun looked too surreal. Their gray ghost energy spread sideways like fog, revealing their sharp ghastly light. Before the assassins were twenty soldiers on Ghost Devil Horses, which were so pale they were like corpses that had died long ago. The soldiers were armed to the teeth, wearing ice-cold te armor and helmets. They were so menacing and bone-chillingly ominous that the inauspicious [Blood Fog] mixed in with their ensemble really well. The assassins unwittingly took several steps away from them. When Jin¡¯s Ghost Devil Horse neighed roughly, the horse exhaled ghost energy, which then mixed with the fog and spread in every direction. ¡¸Spare no one!¡¹ Holding the [Frost King¡¯s Greatsword] in one hand and reins in the other, Jin yelled and kicked the Ghost Devil Horse¡¯s side with the heel of his foot. In response, the Ghost Devil Horse roughly neighed and charged forward. The loud clopping sounds instilled the fear of death into the assassins like a tsunami. ¡°R-retreat!¡± o, the Little Finger vice-leader, tried to flee, thinking the Little Finger assassins should never go up against the beings that showed up. Although Kunegunda had ordered them to fight, that didn¡¯t matter now. They were called ¡®Unification or Death,¡¯ but that meant nothing in the presence of ¡®real¡¯ death. In that sense, they were like a candle before the sun. However, the assassins soon realized that they were already inside an iron cage¡ªthe [Blood Fog]. Chang-Sun had revealed his secret weapons¡ªJin and his other subordinates¡ªto silence them for good. Neigh! Smash, smash, smash¨D! sh, sh! ¡°Arggh!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill¡ªUrgh!¡± ¡°Ahhhh!¡± A one-sided massacre unfolded. It could have been a little less of an annihtion if they pulled themselves together and got into formation to fight against the ghost army, but that was impossible with the assassins so dispirited. Several assassins were simultaneously skewered to death every time the ghost army soldiers thrust their spears. Meanwhile, Jin¡¯s ice storm swept away and killed nearly half of the assassins. Since they had been conquering the fifth floor of the Changgwi Cave part by part, they often battled with Gulgaks and had be much more skilled. Currently, they were iparably better than most yers. On top of that, the assassins were only as half as good as they normally were because they couldn¡¯t use their Concealment Skill due to the [Blood Fog]. As a result, they became very easy prey for Jin and the other subordinates. The more of her men died, the more difficult it became for Kunegunda to hold back her fear. ¡®Who¡­ who did I pick a fight with?¡¯ All Kunegunda could do was tremble since the toxin paralyzed her to the point where she couldn¡¯t even step back anymore. [The ¡®Inferno Sights¡¯ illuminate death!] Soon, the only things Kunegunda could see were the navy blue fires in Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes. Smack! Chapter 159: Star, The Killer Overlord (4)

Chapter 159: Star, The Killer Overlord (4)

¡¸What do you think? They¡¯re quite useful, aren¡¯t they?¡¹ Jin Prezia pompously bragged, still riding on his Ghost Devil Horse. His armor was shining in gray silver when he appeared, but it was now smeared with blood due to the many people he had killed. The triumphant Ghost Devil Horse also now looked down on the ground because of Cadmus, who was grandiloquently craning its neck as it sat on Chang-Sun¡¯s shoulder. After a silent nod, Chang-Sun scanned the ghost army. Although he had seen themst night in the Changgwi Cave, Jin and his other subordinates had basically be invincible now that they had begun to master the Gulgak hemomancy. ¡®They¡¯re like the Gildals of the White Tiger n,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. It was safe to say that Jin, their leader, was as good as a Bihyeong. Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t help chuckling because it looked as if Jin wanted to be praised by him. Although Chang-Sun was looking up at Jin because he was riding the Ghost Devil Horse, Jin seemed to be the one looking up at Chang-Sun for some reason. ¡¸What? You aren¡¯t seriously going to say it¡¯s only natural for us to be able to do at least this much, are you?¡¹Jin asked. Chang-Sun shrugged. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve spent all that time fighting in the Changgwi Cave, so yeah. Improve a little more.¡± ¡¸Hey! That¡¯s not fair¡ª!¡¹ Jin got cut off when Chang-Sun lightly waved his hand to unsummon Jin, returning him and his other subordinates to the Changgwi Cave. ¡ºArgh! Is it that difficult for you to praise someone?!¡» However, Jin just continued to grumble through their Soul Link. Paying him no attention, Chang-Sun approached Kunegunda, who had fallen to the ground. ¡°Kill¡­me¡­! Please¡­!¡± she muttered. Kunegunda¡¯s every limb had already been crushed, so all she could do was tremble in ce. Fear had gotten a hold of her after she had gotten exposed to the Inferno Sights up until now. On top of that, the [Blood Toxin] paralyzed her every nerve, so she couldn¡¯t even think properly anymore, meaning Chang-Sun didn¡¯t have to bother taking her out. [The Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ looks at you with discontentment.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ warns the Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ to get lost since his subordinate is iparably stronger than the Celestial¡¯s.] [The Celestial ¡®Bick Sick Bug¡¯ ignores the warning of the Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ and just looks at you with bizarre curiosity.] ¡®He took the bait,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, noticing Xue Yong showed great interest in him. The thought of their priests and clerics only as tools to get wealth and glory, and just like any Celestials of this , Xue Yong didn¡¯t really care about Kunegunda, one of his high-ranking priests, even though she was dying. Instead, he was showing great interest in Chang-Sun due to that amazing battle. ¡®I don¡¯t have a Guardian, but I do have a strong, secret army, so he probably thinks I alone am enough to significantly increase his influence.¡¯ Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes. It seemed Xue Yong also had a rough idea about what was happening in regard to the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]. He would be hitting the jackpot if he could have at least one of the cryptical books, giving him more reason to be interested in Chang-Sun. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ growls, saying that if the Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ continues to invade his territory, he will consider it as a deration of war.] [The Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ asks how can a yer without a Guardian be the subordinate of the Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger.¡¯] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ bristles and puts his tail up!] [The Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ scowls at the Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger.¡¯] [The violent staredown between the two Celestials is disrupting the Channeling connection!] ¡­ [The several Celestials are watching the staredown between the two Celestials with deep interest!] [The Twenty-Eight Mansion have dered that they will stay neutral.] [The Three Enclosures have dered that they do not care.] ¡­ ¡®¡¯It would be beneficial for me if Xue Yong continues to keep Heoju in check,¡±?Chang-Sun thought. Heoju didn¡¯t hesitate to reveal how much he wanted to have him, so if Chang-Sun kept instigating Heoju, he could potentially extort several items and even drive a small wedge among the Celestials. Hence, Chang-Sun nned to maximize this opportunity. ¡®I¡¯ll make a Celestial plummet to the ground.¡¯?Chang-Sun crookedly smiled as he saw his n progressing smoothly. sh! He fiercely swung the [Yuchang Sword]. Kunegunda¡¯s head powerlessly dropped to the ground and rolled sideways. [The Authority ''Soul Exploitation¡¯ has been activated, sessfully acquiring the ashes of the yer using the fire in the Purgatory Brazier.] [5% of your stamina has been regained.] ¡­ Watching Kunegunda¡¯s soul melting down in the Purgatory Brazier¡¯s fire, Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone coldly. ¡®The Crna?Ruka wanted to do two things: assassinate me and kidnap Mireille Aliano, whom they think is the child of the prophecy that they have to capture ording to Xue Yong¡¯s prophecy.¡¯ Interestingly enough, there were two parties that requested his assassination, not just one. Gang Woo-Chan was the first to make the request, but he was just Department Shim Geon-Ho or Director Kim Yeon-Seung¡¯s minion. Hence, he could easily find the link between Geon-Ho and Director Kim once he had grilled Woo-Chan. That aside, the identity of the other group surprised Chang-Sun. ¡®The Illuminati tried to mess with me, huh?¡¯?Chang-Sun smiled crookedly. Chang-Sun had already refused Joachim Wolff¡¯s offer, so there was only one reason why the Illuminati wanted to assassinate him. ¡®There is a faction inside the Illuminati that isn¡¯t on good terms with Joachim. Were they the ones who ordered the hit?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Perhaps they took action out of worry that Chang-Sun would take over the Illuminati, but he would still have zero intention to lead them even if they showered him with gold¡­ Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t just sit on his hands now that they had tried to mess with him. ¡®People usually want to do it more if someone tells them to not do it.¡¯?Chang-Sun shrugged. No matter how rationally Chang-Sun usually moved, he was fundamentally a fiend who resisted harder the more anyone tried to contain him. Wondering how he should deal with the Illuminati, Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes turned cold. * * * [The Skill ¡®Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been activated, manifesting the Skill ¡®Lightness¡¯!] Swoosh¨D! Considering his Soul Link with his subordinate that was tailing Mireille was getting weaker, It seemed Kunegunda and her assassins managed to stall him for quite some time. Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes ¡®They¡¯ve gotten pretty far.¡¯?Chang-Sun clicked his tongue. The assassins that kidnapped Mireille had run off to an isted area that had a big, impressive palm tree. It was pretty far from the Safe Zone. [You have found the Comfort Zone ¡®Oasis¡¯!] The oasis seemed to be their rendezvous point. The terrain of the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ wasn¡¯t entirely rough. Even though they were very rare, the Dungeon had oases where the yers could rest if they missed the train or got left behind. ¡®For now¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun manifested a different skill using [Windstalking Tiger] to approach the assassins more carefully. [The manifested Skill ¡®Lightness¡¯ has changed into the Skill ¡®Concealment¡¯!] The air current around Chang-Sun changed, and he disappeared into the thin air. Although he could just barge in, he had to rescue Mireille. He had to be as quiet as possible to avoid them using her as a hostage. Luckily, the assassins that had gathered up around the oasis didn¡¯t sense Chang-Sun until he had approached them close enough. There were nine assassins in total, all wearing ck clothes. The man who seemed to be their leader was talking to his subordinate that had kidnapped and was carrying the unconscious Mireille on his back. ¡°How is the target?¡± the leader asked. ¡°I drugged her, so she¡¯s asleep and luckily uninjured,¡± the subordinate reported. ¡°Did anyone follow you?¡± the leader narrowed his eyes. ¡°The Revenant n¡¯s Henri Bloque and Nics Fouquet persistently chased us, but we sessfully threw them off.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± the leader crossed his arms. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± the subordinate confidently nodded. ¡°Is that so?¡± Cansio''s eyes, their leader, turned cold when his subordinate answered confidently. ¡°Who is that behind you, then?¡± ¡°What¡­?!¡± His subordinate¡¯s eyes widened as he urgently turned. Woosh! [A firestorm rages!] From out of nowhere, an enormous Eon Fire ignited and, like wildfire, spread throughout the oasis. ¡°Argggh!¡± ¡°Urgggh! S-save me!¡± The fire was so hot and intense that the pond that made up the oasis instantly evaporated and the palm tree caught on fire, eventually ending up copsing sideways. Thud¡­! The assassins naturally couldn¡¯t survive the fire. Meanwhile, crossing through it, Chang-Sun held out his hand and tried to snatch Mireille Aliano, but Cansio was quicker. He pulled out his rapier and aimed for Chang-Sun¡¯s wrist. At that moment, Chang-Sun wondered if he should retreat or take the risk and try to take Mireille anyway. Quickly making a decision, he pulled his hand out. Swoosh! Cansio narrowly missed Chang-Sun¡¯s right arm and ended up stabbing the air, creating a sharp gust of wind. Chang-Sun could see Cansio¡¯s ck Aura quietly dissipating. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t have ended well if I took the risk,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Considering only an expert swordsman that had [Sword Mastery] could create Aura de, an assassin that could use Aura was absurd. It seemed he was iparably stronger than Kunegunda, whom Chang-Sun recently went up against. ¡®I might have to try my best here,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, pulling out the [Yuchang Sword]. As the sword¡¯s divine energy spread like a storm, Chang-Sun conjured the navy blue Aura de, which was mixed with and was much more vivid and sharper than Cansio¡¯s. Cansio¡¯s eyes lost focus when he noticed it, but he was determined not to lose. He poised himself and fiercely swung his sword. Unlike Kunegunda, he was great at controlling his emotions. ng, ng, ng! In a sh, Chang-Sun and Cansio exchanged a dozen attacks. Paah¨D! Holding [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] in a reverse grip, Chang-Sun fiercely swung the dagger with his left hand and closed in on Cansio. Being an unusually skilled swordsman for an assassin didn¡¯t really matter that much. He was still no match for Chang-Sun. sh¨D! Ssh! Cansio¡¯s left arm flew away, sttering a fountain of blood in the air. Despite losing a limb, Cansio just gritted his teeth and held out his right hand toward Chang-Sun, seemingly eager to keep going. Aiming for Chang-Sun¡¯s face, Cansio fired the three daggers installed inside his sleeve. Swish, swoosh, swish! Chang-Sun easily dodged all the daggers with a slight tilt of his head. Since he used to have the [King of All Weapons] trait, it would take a fighting deity or warring deity to beat him in close-quartersbat. [The State ¡®Cruel Tiger¡¯ has been activated, activating the Additional Skill ¡®Cruel TIger¡¯s Venomous Fang¡¯!] nning to put an end to this fight, Chang-Sun swung the [Yuchang Sword] diagonally toward Cansio¡¯s throat. Swoosh! With the sword right before Cansio¡¯s neck, he no longer had any means to dodge or block it. Chang-Sun was about to finish Cansio for good with his Aura de, but thetter suddenly disappeared. Although he didn¡¯t use the Concealment Skill or swiftly dodged the attack, Cansiopletely disappeared as if he used Blink or outright teleported. [An invisible enemy has targeted you!] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is warning you of iing danger!] [The Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ is looking forward to seeing your reaction!] ¡°¡­!¡± Chang-Sun swiftly turned sideways as soon as he read the message that popped before him. Swinging the [Yuchang Sword] at where Cansio used to be, mes dropped and exploded along with the sword¡¯s divine energy, creating a firestorm. Boom¨D! The ¡®invisible enemy¡¯ that had targeted Chang-Sun extracted Cansio from this fight and leaped backward, greatly distancing themself from Chang-Sun. Boom, boom¨D! Woosh, woosh, woosh! The firestorm chaotically raged and turned the ruins of the oasis upside down, spreading the heated air outward. Woosh, tap! Amid the heated air, the ¡®invisible enemy¡¯ appeared from the sky. She somersaulted andnded on the charred palm tree. [The Authority ¡®Monster Excursion¡¯ has been activated, strongly warning you to get out of this ce.] [Warning! You are now on the verge of death!] [Warning! Death is approaching!] [Warning!] ¡­ Although Chang-Sun was using the Inferno Sights at its maximum output, he still felt a shiver run down his spine when he saw the enemy. As if she was squeezing his heart, he felt suffocated. ¡®She¡¯s dangerous.¡¯?Chang-Sun instinctively felt how dangerous the enemy was. It would be very difficult to defeat the enemy before him with his current abilities. Considering he currently felt the same way as he did when he couldn¡¯t win against Sword Sky Tiger Munseong, his current enemy had to have reached the highest level a human could reach. The world called such people Overlords. ¡°Huh, you avoided [Single Red Dot].¡± The enemy smiled, looking at Chang-Sun. ¡°Hmm, you probably know who I am by now. When I heard you killed Hong Gi-Nam, I thought you were just an ordinary rookie, but that¡¯s certainly not the case. Considering you killed Kunegunda and almost killed Cansio¡­ You must have been hiding your skills, huh?¡± As the woman chuckled pleasantly, Chang-Sun noticed she wasn¡¯t wearing a mask, unlike the other assassins. It was as if it didn¡¯t matter if others found out who she was. ¡°Or¡­¡± Although her smile was gentle, her eyes were shining like that of a predator¡¯s. ¡°... you swiftly became so much stronger after you killed Hong Gi-Nam. Whatever the case is, you¡¯re truly remarkable.¡± The original owner of the skill [Single Red Dot], leader of the Crna Ruka¡ªCzestochowa the Killer Overlord had appeared. 1. Bihyeong is the leader of all ghosts in Korean mythology because he was conceived when the deceased Shi king made love to Bihyeong¡¯s mother. The king wanted her as his concubine when he was still alive, but Bihyeong¡¯s mother refused because she had a husband at the time. Hence, the Shi king visited Bihyeong¡¯s mother after her husband passed away. Chapter 160: Star, The Killer Overlord (5)

Chapter: 160: Star, The Killer Overlord (5)

Rumble¡­! While Chang-Sun was going up against the Killer Overlord Czestochowa, the other yers had been fighting the Crna Ruka assassins. Although the sudden terror attack shocked them, the yers quickly regained theirposure and fought back, proving that they were veterans. The Team L members had also joined in on the fight and helped the yers, turning the tides of the battle. [The yer ¡®Shin Geum-Gyu¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Ouroboros Festival,¡¯ blessing the Party Members!] [The yer ¡¯Shin Eun-Seo¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Shield Attack,¡¯ pushing away the enemies!] [The yer ¡®Woo Hye-Bin¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Storm Deity¡¯s Summon,¡¯ allowing her to fight brilliantly!] ¡­ Using the Magical Core, Geum-Gyu quickly extinguished the fire. At the same time, Eun-Seo and Hye-Bin quickly took out the assassins one by one. ¡°Shit¡­!¡± ¡°Where in the world did theye from?¡± ¡°The Crna Ruka! Those sons of bitches!¡± Boom, boom, boom! Woosh, woosh, woosh¨D! However, the yers were worried about the people who got caught up in the explosion at the train station. They had to find and rescue any survivors quickly, so their inability to do so made them frustrated. Joachim Wolff¡¯s eyes zed up with anger. ¡®Constantine! How dare you cross this line!¡¯ Joachim had a rough idea of who was behind this ambush. It had to be the Red Eagle Constantine Brunit, who often gotpared to Joachim in many ways and practically had the Illuminati Senate in his hands. Their goddess emphasized not only bravery and victory but also civilization and benevolence. Nevertheless, Constantine was an obsessive fanatic who thought having victories and marching forward as the goddess¡¯ soldiers were the only ways to spread the goddess¡¯ doctrines. In fact, Constantine had won many wars and had proven his value, which was how he acquired his high-ranking position. It was also the reason why the current Illuminati had be more popr as a Raid Team than a religious order However, Constantine didn¡¯t hesitate to use any kind of method or conspire if it meant achieving victory. That was why he was acquainted with the Killer Overlord. Hence, Joachim thought it was Constantine who had requested the Crna Ruka to ambush the yers at the station¡ªno, no one else could have done this. Constantine himself wouldn¡¯t even hide it. He didn¡¯t care how badly the French yers would be affected during the ambush. What mattered to him was increasing the number of the goddess¡¯ followers, not what happened to the people in the secr world. For that reason, Joachim nned to find Constantine as soon as he finished dealing with this terror attack, but he also couldn¡¯t help but think that making Chang-Sun the Illuminati n leader was his calling and a work the goddess herself had given him. After all, Constantine and the other Senators were this afraid of Chang-Sun. ¡®Goddess, please give me the courage to go through hardships and the power to punish the enemies that try to twist your teachings,¡¯ Joachim prayed to the ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl,¡¯ who recently stopped giving oracles or messages, as he activated [Werewolf Transformation]. Paah! Howl¨D! [The Divine Creature ¡®Blue Wolf¡¯ loudly roars!] Meanwhile, a several-meter-tall Bone Dragon walked around the endless fire and scoured the area, trying to find something instead of focusing on the battle. The Dragon wasn¡¯t a ¡®real¡¯ Bone Dragon since it was fundamentally just a Skeleton Dragon made by assembling the bones of a low-level Dragon. To be more precise, the Dragon was more like a Skull Lindwyrm since it didn¡¯t even have proper wings yet. ¡°Mireille! Where are you? Mireille! Argggh!¡± Henri Bloque was pulling his hair as he sat on top of his Skeleton Dragon¡®s head because Mireille was kidnapped right before his eyes just a minute ago. He desperately tried to go after her, but all he could do was watch the kidnappers take her away because more opponents suddenly showed up and stopped him. ¡°Mireille¡­!¡± Henri bit his lower lip. He was an immigrant and an orphan, so he didn¡¯t many friends before. Hence, to him, Mireille was his first friend and a treasure he wouldn¡¯t trade for anything else in the world. The thought of how he should get Mireille back filled his head as the anxiety made his eyes bloodshot. Thump, thump, thump¡­! While the Skeleton Dragon walked around, the ground fiercely shook. Choo, choo¨D! From afar, a metal lump quickly moved in the direction of the yers, releasing fumes as it made a clinking sound. [The Train ¡®ANG¡¯ has appeared!] [All the yers who will carry out the Dungeon Quest are advised to move to the station and board the train.] It was the desert train that the yers had to board to clear the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert.¡¯ * * * The Crna Ruka assassins¡¯ code names ironically all originated from Eastern European patron saints. Cansio was named after Saint Joannes Cantius, who taught bibliology and saved the poor. Kunegunda¡¯s name was from Saintess Kunegunda, who was born as the Hungarian King¡¯s niece, became the Polish queen, and protected her people from the Tatarians, who invaded Pnd. The Killer Overlord¡¯s codename ¡®Czestochowa¡¯ was from the castle that stored the holy icon known as ¡®ck Madonna.¡¯ The Overlord was notorious for calling herself a ¡®madonna that leads people to peaceful deaths,¡¯ and she was currently living up to her notoriety as she smiled benevolently at Chang-Sun. However, Czestochowa was a demon in Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes, which still had the Inferno Sights that could see through the true nature of everything in this world. Perhaps he was feeling this way because of the dozens of ¡®masks¡¯ behind her. Pzzzz¨D! [The ¡®Laughing Demon Face¡¯ is looking at you with happiness!] [The ¡®Crying Demon Face¡¯ is looking at you with sadness!] [The ¡®Sulking Demon Face¡¯ is looking at you with jealousy!] ¡­ From underneath Czestochowa¡¯s feet, ck smokes rose high up in the sky and mixed together. They took the shape of dozens of distorted demonic faces, each with a different kind of expression and looking down at Chang-Sun from every direction. Every mask looked so alive that Chang-Sun felt as if he was standing before dozens of people¡ªno, it felt like dozens of people were inside the individual named Killer Overlord Czestochowa. She was using [Demon Face], Xue Yong¡¯s trait and authority. Whenever Xue Yong fought in a battle, he constantly wore different masks simr to the ones before Chang-Sun. He also used all kinds of skills, ensuring he would win no matter who he was up against. Bian Lian was one of Xue Yong¡¯s proud . Back when Chang-Sun was still the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ Xue Yong had given him trouble with his Bian Lian techniques, and it looked like Czestochowa, Xue Yong¡¯s apostle, could freely use that authority. [The Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ is very curious about what you will do now that you have run into his apostle!] Xue Yong seemed to be having a lot of fun right now while watching Chang-Sun, who had messed with the ¡®Gemini.¡¯ He even wondered what Chang-Sun¡¯s next move was going to be. [The State ¡®Cruel Tiger¡¯ has been changed into the State ¡®Strict Tiger¡¯, enhancing your ability to think!] ¡®Should I summon my subordinates? Would I be able to win if I outnumber her?¡¯ Chang-Sun wondered how he could kill the Killer Overlord. Using up all the divinity in his stigma, drawing up the energies of the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] to the fullest, attacking her together with his subordinates¡­ He considered every possibility, reaching one conclusion: he would lose no matter what he did. ¡®So she¡¯s an ¡®Overlord¡¯, huh?¡¯ Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes. He believed that if he fought with his subordinates, he would somehow be able to take on a ¡®Duke-ss¡¯ high-ranker like Joachim, but it seemed he still wasn¡¯t strong enough to go up against an ¡®Overlord,¡¯ the highest level that a human could reach. ¡®I definitely need Laevateinn to at least have a chance of fighting on equal grounds.¡¯ Chang-Sun rationally analyzed his ability. ¡®And if I want to fight her alone, then I should get first. ¡¯ He would have to clear his three targeted Dungeons as quickly as possible before he could stand up against such an opponent. Hence, he decided against summoning his subordinates since that would just reveal one of his secrets to someone he couldn¡¯t silence for good yet. As the fire around Chang-Sun subsided, he uncrossed his arms and lowered the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Kiyoo? Just like Chang-Sun, Cadmus had been ring at the Killer Overlord. However, it tilted its head in confusion as it looked at Chang-Sun. In anyone¡¯s eyes, it looked as if Chang-Sun no longer wanted to fight. Hence, Czestochowa confusedly asked, ¡°Oh, my. You aren¡¯t giving up already, are you?¡± Czestochowa came here because her Guardian had urged her to while she was feeling bored. Thinking she would be able to have an interesting fight, she got fired up, so she ought to feel disappointed by how Chang-Sun behaved. However, although it hadn¡¯t been long since Czestochowa had met Chang-Sun, he didn¡¯t seem to be the type of a person who would give up because he was going to lose anyway. Hence, she thought that Chang-Sun hade up with a countermeasure. Was Czestochowa¡¯s observation wrong? ¡°I don¡¯t have to be the one to fight you.¡± Chang-Sun shrugged. ¡°Hmm? Do you mean someone else is here?¡± Czestochowa dramatically blinked like an actress. Chang-Sun just looked up instead of answering Czestochowa. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time for you toe out now? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already noticed it, but Mireille Aliano has the cryptical book, and they have taken her.¡± Thinking it wouldn¡¯t be fun to leave Chang-Sun alone anymore, Czestochowa reached out her hand to grab one of the [Demon Faces] in the air as she asked, ¡°Who are you talking¡ª!¡± She abruptly stopped, however, because the moment Chang-Sun finished speaking, someone dropped from the sky, their sleeves loudly fluttering in the air. The scene made Czestochowa¡¯s already big eyes bigger. Since It had already been over ten years since she had earned the title of an ¡®Overlord,¡¯ she thought no one would be able to sneak under her radar, but someone else was really in their vicinity, just like Chang-Sun said. It didn¡¯t matter if she had let her guard down. She still found it hard to believe. However, someone was more surprised than Czestochowa: the sses-wearing old man who had shown up after deactivating his Concealment Skill¡ªJaegal Hyeon-Ryong. His eyes gleamed as he fixed his sses. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± * * * Hyeon-Ryong couldn¡¯t understand what was going on right now. ¡®Seriously, how did he find me?¡¯ After the terror attack in the station, Hyeon-Ryong realized Chang-Sun suddenly disappeared, so he immediately began to chase after him. ¡®I can¡¯t tell how he killed Kunegunda either even if I consider all kinds of possibilities.¡¯?Hyeon-Ryong narrowed his eyes. By the time he found Chang-Sun, he had already taken out all the Little Finger assassins and was confronting Cansio, so Hyeon-Ryong couldn¡¯t help wondering what trick Chang-Sun used. Of course, if Hyeon-Ryong considered the fact that Chang-Sun had be stronger absurdly fast, Chang-Sun taking on Kunegunda sounded usible, but the problem was that she wasn¡¯t alone. She had dozens of the best assassins in the world with her, so even a high-ranker would¡¯ve had to risk dying if they tried to take on all of them at once, making Hyeon-Ryong even more surprised. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t seem to have be a high-ranker yet, though. After all, if he had be one, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed obedient to Executive Director Oh. Rather, he would¡¯ve already taken over the Future Strategy Department. ¡®The aura around him is also¡­¡¯ Hyeon-Ryong¡¯s eyes momentarily shone in gold as he used [Fiery Eyes of Truth]. Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t fool one of the greatest fighting deities, but Hyeon-Ryong couldn¡¯t just conclude that Chang-Sun was just lucky since he sensed [Seclusion Art]. Although Chang-Sun had intrigued him ever since Cadmus had born, Hyeon-Ryong now became iparably more fascinated with Chang-Sun than before. However, as if there was nothing to be surprised about, Chang-Sun calmly replied, ¡°Well, that¡¯s a given.¡± Hyeon-Ryong¡¯s eyes slightly widened as he repeated, ¡°It¡¯s a given?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chang-Sun nodded. ¡°You would think I would go where the cryptical book is.¡± ¡°What? Ha! Hahahaha!¡± Hyeon-Ryong chuckled dumbfoundedly and soon burst intoughter. He didn¡¯t think Chang-Sun would find out he was tailing him because of such a simple reason. ¡°What a great insight you got!¡± When hisughter died down, his eyes were still burning with madness because of the [Fiery Eyes of Truth]. ¡°Executive Director Oh guaranteed me that I¡¯ll witness many interesting things if I keep my eyes on you. I understand him now!¡± Curling up one end of his mouth, Hyeon-Ryong asked, ¡°So what do I have to do now?¡± ¡°I need you to buy me time until I rescue Mireille,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°You¡¯re making that sound really easy even though it isn¡¯t. We¡¯re standing before the Killer Overlord, and you want me to stop her?¡± Hyeon-Ryong chuckled. ¡°You can, can¡¯t you?¡± Chang-Sun shrugged, rendering Hyeon-Ryong speechless. In all his life as an old monster of the Council of Elders, no hoobaes ever talked this assuringly to him. Not even Executive Director Oh could. However, Chang-Sun seemed to believe that Hyeon-Ryong was more than capable of dealing with the Killer Overlord. It was almost as if Chang-Sun was aware of some of his secrets. Moreover, he looked as if he didn¡¯t care even if Hyeon-Ryong couldn¡¯t. After all, he had implied that Hyeon-Ryong wouldn¡¯t be able to find the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] otherwise. Chang-Sun¡¯s reaction sparked Hyeon-Ryong¡¯s twisted desire to win. Although he felt as if this young man was toying with him, Hyeon-Ryong strangely didn¡¯t feel displeased by it. ¡®If he¡¯s this quick-witted, he has probably noticed who my Guardian is,¡¯?Hyeon-Ryong thought. ¡°Well, I¡¯m speechless,¡± Hyeon-Ryong mumbled as he opened his hands wide and turned them upward. Woosh! Golden light gathered up above his hands, and a long staff appeared. It was the [Ruyi Jingu Bang], which was the relic and authority that the Evil Wu Hou Jaegal got after he became an apostle of a certain fighting deity. Lightly swinging it, Hyeon-Ryong straightened his posture and exhaled deeply. ¡°Phew¡­!¡± Pzzz¨D! Opaque steam came out of his mouth, spread everywhere, and made Hyeon-Ryong look like he was riding on a cloud¡ªsuch was the effect of the Authority named [Nimbus]. As Hyeon-Ryong used [Fiery Eyes of Truth], [Ruyi Jingu Bang], [Nimbus] altogether, he revealed the presence of a great being. [The Celestial ¡®Ill-Tempered Buddha with Golden Eyes¡¯ opens his eyes!] A golden storm spread across thend as the apostle of the Fighting Buddha ¡®Monkey King¡¯ Sun Wukong unleashed his suppressed power. Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! 1. An ancient Chinese dramatic art. They change from one mask to another almost instantaneously. Chapter 161: Star, The Killer Overlord (6)

Chapter 161: Star, The Killer Overlord (6)

Through the novel¡¶Journey to the West¡·, which used to be passed down from person to person under the name of ¡¶The Legend of the Tang Dynasty Monk¡·, Sun Wukong became popr. Considering Celestials¡¯ power originated from mortals¡¯ faith, Sun Wukong was one of the most powerful Celestials. Even in the myth, it was mentioned that he was born with extraordinary power, making him as powerful as the Great Jade Emperor. Although hemitted many sins, he became a Buddha after atoning for his sins. Since he had heard about the famous Celestial¡¯s story as well, Chang-Sun was greatly surprised to learn Su Wukong had a subordinate¡ªno, an apostle from Earth. He already knew that Jaegal Hyeon-Ryong was not an ordinary man even by the Council of Elders¡¯ standards, but he didn¡¯t expect his Guardian would be Sun Wukong¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ looks at his subordinate with contentment!] ¡®I don¡¯t know why Sun Wukong¡¯s apostle is acting as Heoju¡¯s subordinate, but one thing?is sure.¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes quietly shone as he looked at Hyeon-Ryong¡¯s back. ¡®He¡¯s definitely not weaker than an Overlord.¡¯ Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t certain if Czestochowa was aware of that, however. Czestochowa uncrossed her arms and dumbfoundedly chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re going to do what with me?¡± Hyeon-Ryong¡¯s aura was unexpectedly extraordinary, making her raise one of her eyebrows. However, she was confident that she could take care of one old Korean man, so she reached out for the nearest mask among the dozens that were floating in the air. ¡°Oh, my! Unlike this old man, who can hear just fine, it seems you already have trouble hearing despite your young age. That¡¯s a pity. Wait, are you using that thing called earphones or something? I have heard about young people whose hearing deteriorated after listening to loud music all day,¡± Hyeon-Ryong randomly gave a long talk. ¡°What are you talking about, you old man¡­!¡± Czestochowa frowned. Click! Just like the ancient Chinese mask dramas, Czestochowa put on a ck [Demon Face], and her dark eyes zed up like fire. At the same time, Hyeon-Ryong flung himself at Czestochowa, riding on [Nimbus]. . ¡ºNow!¡» Paah! Chang-Sun yelled through the Soul Link. As soon as he did, the space behind the assassin carrying Mireille Aliano abruptly distorted, and his subordinate in her shadow appeared. Reaching out its hand, it cut off the assassin¡¯s head with its sword. It then soared into the sky and caught Mireille before she fell to the ground. ¡°When did¡ª!¡± Czestochowa¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting that another being aside from Hyeoon-Ryong could sneak under her radar. Although she was nning to throw her dagger at Hyeon-Ryong, she quickly turned and threw it at Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinate instead. Swoosh¨D! Czestochowa used her signature skill [Single Red Dot], which put a ¡®red dot¡¯ on the enemies¡¯ forehead with a single strike. Before it could even get the chance to counterattack, the subordinate¡¯s head was instantly blown away. [Jin¡¯s Subordinate ¡®Intermediate-Level Bak¡¯ has died!] As if expecting that to happen, Baek Gyeo-Ul leaped out of Mireille¡¯s shadow and prevented Czestochowa and the nearby assassins from immediately retrieving her. [The yer ¡®Baek Gyeo-Ul¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Shadow Steps¡¯!] Paah! Holding Mireille in his arms, Gyeo-Ul covered himself with shadows and tried to flee from the fight. ¡°Those bastards!¡± Czestochowa roared in anger, having consecutively fallen into Chang-Sun¡¯s traps. She used to be curious about Chang-Sun, but he just annoyed her now. From her perspective, she could make fun of someone else, but they should never humiliate her. [The ¡®Angry Demon Face¡¯ roars in anger!] She activated [Single Red Dot] again to kill Gyeo-Ul, her anger powering her up since she was wearing the ¡®Angry Demon Face.¡¯ [Demon Face] originated from the skill user¡¯s hidden personas, so putting on one of the masks made them feel the same emotion as the mask disyed. Unlike her [Single Red Dot] earlier, which was quiet and sharp, her attack now was as violent as a turbulent wave. Swoosh¨D! ng! However, Hyeon-Ryong closed in and fiercely swung the [Ruyi Jingu Bang] at her, stopping her [Single Red Dot] and deflecting the daggers upward. Hyeon-Ryong then turned and pointed the [Ruyi Jingu Bang] at Czestochowa. ¡°Get lost, you crazy old man!¡± Czestochowa angrily shouted with so much mana that the people felt as if the Dungeon was going to crumble down. Rumble! ¡°You have really bad hearing, huh?¡± Hyeon-Ryong was still smiling lightly. ¡°Did you not hear what that young man said? He asked me to stop you.¡± Beyond the ¡®Angry Demon Face¡¯ mask, Hyeon-Ryong could see her frowning. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can still keep up with that bullshit six feet under!¡± she yelled. Boom! Hyeon-Ryong and Czestochowa¡¯s sh began. [The Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ is furious due to the sudden interference!] [The Celestial ¡®Ill-Tempered Buddha with Golden Eyes¡¯ giggles, sarcastically encouraging the Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ to get past his apostle if he can!] * * * [The Skill ¡®Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been activated, manifesting the Skill ¡®Lightness¡¯!] As soon as Chang-Sun saw Hyeon-Ryong and Czestochowa¡¯s battle begin, he immediately took Mireille and fled with Gyeo-Ul. While they were running to the station, Gyeo-Ul activated [Shadow y] and linked himself with Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow. He then fought off Cansio and the Ring Finger assassins. [The yer ¡®Baek Gyeo-Ul¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Shadow Tsunami¡¯!] Swoosh, swish, swoosh! Whenever Gyeo-Ul fiercely swung the ck Dragon Fang, several-meter-tall shadows would rise and spread all over the ce, preventing Cansio and the assassins from approaching him, Chang-Sun, and Mireille. That didn¡¯t mean fending them off was a piece of cake, however. Woof, woof! Grrrr! ¡®Hellhounds, huh? They have all kinds of bothersome tricks!¡¯ Chang-Sun frowned as he nced at the hounds that were hellbent on chasing after him and his group. Blindly obeying their masters¡¯ orders, the hounds never failed to find and persistently chase after Chang-Sun regardless of how hard he tried to throw them off or hide somewhere. Although Gyeo-Ul didn¡¯t say anything, he was constantly taking damage due to the Hellhounds¡¯ tenacious attacks and the assassins¡¯ thrown weapons. The best way to take care of this was to summon his subordinates and eliminate all of them, but he couldn¡¯t. Not only did he have no time to summon them, but Hyeon-Ryong was also close by. [The desert train ¡®ANG¡¯ has arrived at the ¡®Stone Desert¡¯ station!] [The passengers are advised to board the train now. The train will depart to the next station in five minutes.] Once the desert train departed the station, there was no telling when the next train would show up. They could be waiting for hours or months if they missed this train. Hence, Chang-Sun had no time to fight his current opponents. ¡®I already have Mireille, so I¡¯ll be able to get the [Fifth Cryptical Book of Hsan] soon. I won¡¯t be able to get Laevateinn, though.¡¯ Chang-Sun already knew the exact location of Laevateinn. The first station the desert train would stop at after the Safe Zone was the ¡®Boiling Hell¡¯ station. A hidden underground Dungeon was below it. ¡®Should I let Gyeo-Ul take Mireille away or¡­?¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes turned cold. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ advises you to abandon that cumbersome burden and get what you need.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ fervently nods, saying that the Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ finally got something right for the first time in a long time.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ clicks her tongue for being so frustrated that she badly wants to see a good payback.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ screams when her mother appeared out of nowhere.] Celestials normally didn¡¯t value mortals who didn¡¯t intrigue them, so they naturally advised Chang-Sun to just get the [Fifth Cryptical Book of Hsan] and leave Mireille behind. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ slylyughs, having an idea why you¡¯re not abandoning her.] However, J?rmungandr seemed to notice why Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t following the Celestials¡¯ advice. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ asks the Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ if he really knew.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ answers that it¡¯s most likely because you are worried about how a certain Celestial would react even though they haven¡¯t been able to meet hertely.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ grumbles and asks you why you¡¯re trying to be on good terms with a Celestial from the hypocritic Absolute Good faction. She rmends you juste and join the Absolute Evil faction.] ¡®Do they have to talk like that?¡¯?Chang-Sun read the messages, finding them unpleasant, but J?rmungandar technically wasn¡¯t wrong. His every action was going to be his achievement, so if Chang-Sun deserted Mireille and only took the cryptical book, there was a high possibility that Minerva would be disappointed once she was done with her war against the ¡®Gemini.¡¯ Chang-Sun hadn¡¯t gotten many items from her yet, so he would be suffering a loss if that happened. It wasn¡¯t good to restrict himself too much for that reason, however, so he wasn¡¯t above abandoning Mireille if she kept being a burden. ¡®Where in the world is the cryptical book?¡¯ Chang-Sun wondered. He tried to use [Monster Excursion] to look for it in Mireille¡¯s belongings, but he couldn¡¯t find anything. Chang-Sun frowned, thinking the Highoff remnants had fooled him. ¡®I¡¯m sure she has the cryptical book, though. Xue Yong is interested in her, after all.¡¯?Chang-Sun busily considered a variety of possibilities. ¡°Hmm¡­!¡± Mireille slightly flinched in Chang-Sun¡¯s arms and forced herself to open her eyes. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± Chang-Sun asked, bringing Mireille back to reality. Mireille hurriedly opened her eyes. ¡°Y-you¡¯re¡­?¡± She instantly recognized Chang-Sun, then realized what was going on when she saw the assassins in their pursuit. Thinking it was rather fortunate that she opened her eyes now, Chang-Sun immediately inquired, ¡°I¡¯ll cut to the chase due to our situation. Why do the Crna Ruka assassins want you?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure¡­!¡± Mireille murmured. ¡°Think hard. There has to be a reason why they¡¯re hellbent on getting you.¡± Chang-Sun nced back at the assassins. Mireille opened and closed her mouth several times but didn¡¯t really say anything. Rather, she just looked as if she had many things on her mind. However, when she saw Chang-Sun¡¯s cold eyes, she shut her mouth tight, realizing that Chang-Sun would immediately toss her to those assassins if she didn¡¯t give him a proper answer. She wasn¡¯t sure how in the world Chang-Sun saved her. She hadn¡¯t even known him for a long time. Nevertheless, she was certain that he was more than capable of abandoning her. ¡°Wait, is Father¡­?¡± Mireille mumbled in disbelief, reaching a conclusion. ¡®Father?¡¯?Chang-Sun momentarily raised one of his eyebrows, which Mireille missed. Trembling like a baby bird shaking from the cold, she bit her lower lip and determinedly said, ¡°My father is an archaeologist. Two years ago, I followed him to an unknown ancient ruin and got a¡­ ring.¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened, instinctively feeling that he was about to get his answer. ¡°I heard a voice back then. That was how I met with my Guardian and became a summoner despite having zero innate talent ¡± Mireille shrugged. Using [Monster Excursion], Chang-Sun quickly observed Mireille and found an old, ordinary-looking iron ring on her right index finger. He wasn¡¯t sure if they were letters or symbols, but some iprehensible things were neatly engraved on the ring. ¡°However, Father suddenly started to act hostile toward me and believes that I stole his dear treasure¡­ He even tried to kill me.¡± Mireille bitterly exined. ¡®He got affected by [Mama],¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. [Mama] was an evil energy that could easily be found in the Changgwi Cave, where Chang-Sun ended up after decrypting the [Fourth Cryptical Book]. Ordinary people were bound to go mad if exposed to it. Even Jin, the heir of the Prezia family, gave in to the pressuring evil energy in the Changgwi Cave. ¡°And Henri saved me afterward¡­¡± Mireille started her sad little story. However, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t pay any attention anymore because that often happened in nes where Dungeons opened up. Her story could honestly be summarized as Henri and her relying on each other since they had no one else to rely on. ¡°Can you give that ring to me?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Pardon?¡± Mireille said. ¡°If they¡¯re really after that ring, then the only way to lose them is to get rid of it,¡± Chang-Sun exined. ¡°No-no, this is the relic that connects me and my Guardian!¡± Mireille desperately argued. Mireille acquired the shecked through the ring, so she naturally didn¡¯t want to give it up. Moreover, considering she had been trying really hard to keep it out of her own father¡¯s hands, it was to be expected that she wouldn¡¯t want to give it to Chang-Sun, whom she barely knew. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t think he could easily persuade her into giving him the ring either, though. Woosh! [The ¡®Inferno Sights¡¯ have opened up!] The moment Chang-Sun ignited the navy-blue fires in his eyes by activating his [Stigma], Mireille stiffened up like a log. Beyond his deep eyes, Mireille could see a swamp of death encouraging her toe. ¡°If so, then I will have no choice but to leave you behind,¡± Chang-Sun concisely dered. ¡°¡­!¡± Mireille bit her lower lip. ¡°What are you going to do? Will you give me the ring?¡± Chang-Sun asked. The Inferno Sights made Mireille panic. She could feel her mind going nk as she turned pale and grew silent. ¡ºMireille! Pull yourself together, Mireille!¡» Mireille¡¯s summon and Guardian ¡®Wind-Hating Daughter¡¯ screamed several times, but Mireille couldn¡¯t escape from the fear of death. ¡ºWho in the world is he¡­!¡» The ¡®Wind-Hating Daughter¡¯ held her breath as she looked at Chang-Sun, but she couldn¡¯t say anything since she knew Chang-Sun was holding . ¡°I¡¯ll return it to you once we have thrown them off,¡± Chang-Sun continued. Hearing that, Mireille finally took off her ring, her hand still trembling, and handed it over to Chang-Sun as if she had been bewitched. ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the trainter.¡± Chang-Sun nodded, then called, ¡°Gyeo-Ul.¡± Following Chang-Sun¡¯s order, Gyeo-Ul took Mireille from Chang-Sun and prepared to run away with her in his arms. Although Gyeo-Ul had pulled his ck helmet over his face, Chang-Sun could sense how worried he was. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll join you soon.¡± Chang-Sun reassured Gyeo-Ul. ¡°¡­ Okay, hyung,¡± Gyeo-Ul concisely replied as he held Mireille in his arms and sprang forward. Choo, choo, choo! From afar, the desert train honked and prepared to depart, puffing out arge cloud of smoke. [The given time limit has been reached.] [The desert train ¡®ANG¡¯ is now departing!] Looking at Gyeo-Ul running as quickly as possible toward the desert train as he held Mireille in his arms, Chang-Sun turned in the opposite direction. Paah¨D! Instead of going after Gyeo-Ul, Cansio and the Ring Finger assassins simultaneously pounced at Chang-Sun, realizing the iron ring that Chang-Sun had acquired was their target. ¡°Kill him!¡± Cansio urgently shouted. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ bursts intoughter as he looks at the new cryptical book that fell into his arms!] ¡°You¡¯re all toote.¡± Chang-Sun shoved the iron ring into his right index finger. The ring fit Mireille¡¯s finger perfectly, but it was too small for Chang-Sun. However, it soon automatically became bigger to fit into his index finger. At the same time, the [Peter¡¯s Key] that Chang-Sun hung around his neck trembled. Ooong, ooong¡ª! Click! It sounded like cogs were meshing together. [ has been imbued into the ¡®unidentifiable ring¡¯!] ¡­ [The decryption process is nowplete.] ¡­ [The locking device has been deactivated.] [The locking device has been deactivated.] ¡­ [You have acquired the ¡®Fifth Cryptical Book of Hsan¡¯!] Woosh, swoosh, swish! With Chang-Sun in the center, a gigantic storm raged and devoured Cansio and the assassins. Chapter 162: Star, Level 50 (1)

Chapter 162: Star, Level 50 (1)

[You have entered the Instance Dungeon ¡®Wind Hell.¡¯] Woosh, woosh, woosh! ¡®Where are we¡­!¡¯ The sudden storm made Cansio and the Ring Finger assassins look around their surroundings in confusion, but they couldn¡¯t even open their eyes properly, and it was very difficult for them to stand still. The assassins with insufficient mana had already been blown away to a ce where Cansio couldn¡¯t even detect their presence anymore. All they remembered was getting caught up in the storm that Chang-Sun created when they all pounced on him to kill him, so they couldn¡¯t understand how they suddenly ended up in an Instance Dungeon. Although Dual Dungeons¡ªa Dungeon inside a Dungeon¡ªwere asionally found, they were rare since they were mostly created for a Hidden Quest. Hence, Cansio couldn¡¯t help but be dumbfounded. ¡®¡­ Did he unlock the Child of the Prophecy¡¯s secret?¡¯ Cansio naturally reached one conclusion: Chang-Sun pulled a trick. ¡®Even the n leader can¡¯t do that yet, so how can Lee Chang-Sun?¡¯ It hadn¡¯t been long since Cansio and the other Crna Ruka assassins found out about the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]¡ªno, they didn¡¯t even know why it was called that. They were simply following their Guardian¡¯s prophecy, which was about a child carrying a special object that they had to retrieve. That was why the Crna Ruka members called Mireille Alinao the ¡®Child of Prophecy.¡¯ After a long pursuit, they discovered that she always carried something with her since she became a popr summoner two years ago. The n members also knew that a certain Korean n had started to pursue the Child of Prophecy. Cansio was aware that Mireille¡¯s secret was the iron ring, but he didn¡¯t go after it to decrypt its secret. From what he had heard, even Mireille couldn¡¯t use the ring¡¯s power to the fullest and yet could control a very exceptional summon. Hence, the Crna Ruka members required her knowledge to learn as much of the ring¡¯s secret as they could. However, it looked like Cansio was wrong¡ªno, he had actually already been wondering why the White Tiger n suddenly made a fuss and wanted to visit France. Considering one of their members immediately came to rescue Mireille, the White Tiger n had probably always wanted her and knew how to decrypt the ring. If so, then it was Cansio and his people¡¯s fault for letting the ring end up in Chang-Sun¡¯s hands. Or maybe¡­ ¡®The White Tiger n created Lee Chang-Sun as their secret weapon using those cryptical books or something¡­!¡¯?Cansio thought. Although Chang-Sun didn¡¯t intentionally mislead Cansio, it was only natural for him to reach that conclusion since nobody could have expected that Chang-Sun nned all this. Regardless of their current circumstances, if Chang-Sun had truly decrypted the cryptical book, Cansio had to report this to their n leader. However, he didn¡¯t know how to get out of this Dungeon. The Dungeon Quest¡¯s description normally popped up as soon as an Instance Dungeon opened up¡­ but they received no message. Woo¨D! Woooo¨D! Wooooo¨D! The only things Cansio could hear were loud winds and horrible ghosts wailing from every direction. The endlessly blowing gusts of wind prevented him from seeing anything, much less guessing Lee Chang-Sun¡¯s location. Did he lock them up here and run off somewhere? Woosh! Soon after, yellow stars jeweled the ceiling of the space one after another. Although the sight was beautiful, it was also suffocating for some reason. [You have found the ¡®Forgotten Starlight¡¯!] [The Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ marvels as he watches the old ¡®Starlight,¡¯ which disappeared, through his subordinate¡¯s eyes.] [The Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ smacks his lips, thinking he can shine as brightly as the Twenty-Eight Mansions if he swallows all that ¡®Starlight.¡¯] [The Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ reveals his desire regarding the Instance Dungeon¡¯s¡­] The ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ continued to send messages about how beautiful the was, but Cansio and the Ring Finger assassins had all gone pale. Celestials spoke to mortals by sending them messages or oracles instead of personally showing up before them. After all, they could kill the mortals just by standing next to them. Due to the difference in their sses, Celestials subconsciously pressured and intimidated the mortals. In fact, in the presence of Celestials, even ¡®Dukes¡¯ and ¡®Overlords¡¯ would swiftly perish like the mes of a candle in the middle of a storm. Cansio and his people could feel one of those divine beings closing in on them. [The Dungeon owner opens her eyes.] [The Eon Wind ising!] Boom, boom, boom¨D! Unable to withstand the pressure, the assassins eventually exploded one by one like fireworks. Although some of them could be considered rankers in the outside world, none of them were exemptions. ¡°N¡ª!¡± Cansio managed to hold on a little longer, but he also got pulverized before he could finish what he was about to say. [The Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ discontentedly clicks his tongue, wondering why all his subordinates are weak.] As soon as Xue Yong frowned¡­ [The Boss Monster ¡®Wind-Hating Daughter¡¯ has appeared!] A long line was drawn in the sky, connecting the stars until it took the shape of a woman in the middle of a tornado. * * * [Commencing the Dungeon Quest!] [Quest theme: Survival and Hunt.] [You are currently under the Hohwan Mama¡¯s powerful curse. The curse will activate every 72 hours, inviting you to the hidden ne ¡®Wind Hell.¡¯ ] [¡®Wind Hell¡¯ was created right after the Big Bang, but all that remains in this ne is the that was created over time. Run away as far as possible from her for a set amount of time every day and survive.] [The Dungeon owner has to be taken out topletely undo the Hohwan Mama¡¯s curse. Several weapons are hidden all over this Dungeon. Find and utilize them as you hunt down the Dungeon owner.] [You will have ess to your , , , the Tyrant fan? More importantly, how can youpare him to a King-ss yer? A Dungeon that had remained uncleared for forty years finally being cleared was certainly monumental, but the French government and international Council weren¡¯t exactly delighted. The media started to act cautiously as a result, but even that wasn¡¯t enough to calm down the uproar caused by the Tyrant. ¡°Where is Lee Chang-Sun heading next?¡± The Hellfire Club in Ennd. ¡°The Tyrant was supposed to get on a ne to the U.S., but he just took a ne to Frankfurt, Germany. Find out why! Come on!¡± The Vikings in the Scandinavian Penins, northern Europe. ¡°I heard the Blue Wolf Duke is with him. Find out if the Illuminati is involved!¡± The famous Thule Society in Germany, although it was less popr than the Illuminati. ¡°How can there be so many talented yers in Korea when theirnd is that small?! Find out every detail!¡± Even the Green Gang and Heaven and Earth Society of China, which were very far from Chang-Sun¡¯s current location, quickly started investigating what happened. Things were turning out the way Chang-Sun wanted before he left for France, and just like everyone, America reacted the same. ¡°The White Tiger n trained a very interesting yer. I thought he was just a rookie, but he¡¯s a dragon¡ªno, a tiger.¡± The Gold Overlord Crimson Bromwell felt contended after reading his secretary¡¯s reports in his office. He stood up from his seat, his hands sped behind his back. The sunlight shining through the window felt warmer today for some reason, and the dozens of factories along the horizon also seemed to be running harder than before. ¡°I didn¡¯t give much thought to it when ¡®that¡¯ first reacted, but I think I can tell the reason now. There is definitely something about him.¡± Smirking, Crimson looked at the scroll on his desk. Pzzz. ck ink was randomly moving around in the wide-open scroll, sending a clear message. ¡ªPlease don¡¯te. Crimson¡¯s smile deepened. * * * Although Chang-Sun was found not guilty, the French couldn¡¯t wee Chang-Sun and the Team L members because they were rted to the terrorist attacks and many incidents. Hence, they had to leave immediately after the French government officials said thank you. Having spent a long time in the Dungeon, the Team L members were currently wounded and fatigued. They were in dire need of rest, but they were forced to continue their travel, making them furious. Fortunately, Chang-Sun gave each of them a [Large Healing Potion], which cost over a hundred million won per bottle, and Cadmus healed them with its magic, healing most of their wounds. However, the potions and Cadmus¡¯ magic couldn¡¯t elevate their mental fatigue, leaving them quite tired. To make matters worse, they still couldn¡¯t let their guard down after all that had happened due to an uninvited guest. The Immortal Lord Jacque Valentine hade to see the Team L members at Charles de Gaulle Airport. ¡°Got something to say?¡± Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes at Jacque. Simon grumbled that Jacque was an eyesore, and Cadmus became vignt. Chang-Sun had no reason to pick a fight with Jacque, though. Besides, he had to be in America in five days. Considering he had to take care of the Illuminati and turn Joachim into Minerva¡¯s apostle first, Chang-Sun was on a tight schedule. Chang-Sun wouldn¡¯t bring Jacque harm unless thetter picked a fight first. However, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t help feeling irritated because Jacque kept following the Team L members even though Chang-Sun had already talked to the French officials and gotten to the airport. Jacque was observing Chang-Sun¡¯s every movement, making him feel as if Jacque wanted something. However, he couldn¡¯t tell what it was since Jacque wasn¡¯t talking. ¡°Many people are curious about you,¡± Jacque said curtly and unsociably after Chang-Sun put his suitcase on a conveyor belt. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about humans.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Chang-Sun pointed to the sky with his index finger. ¡°You meant them, didn¡¯t you?¡± [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ is observing you.] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ is observing you.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯...] [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯...] [The Celestial ¡®Aquarius¡¯...] ¡­ [A total of 309 Celestials are currently showing deep interest in you, saying that they are preparing an offer to make you their apostle or give you an equally high position!] ¡®The number increased by over fifty.¡¯ Chang-Sun observed. The Celestials interested in him numbered around two hundred and fifty Celestials yesterday, which meant they had increased by over fifty in less than a day. They were all offering Chang-Sun the seat of their apostles or subordinates. Moreover, that number was still increasing. [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ offers you the seat of his highest subordinate, persuading you that your abilities and his Authorities will be a good match.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt'' hops around in anger, saying those flies keep seducing you, whom she called dibs.] [The Celestial ''World-Encircling Serpent'' shakes his head, asking the Celestial ''A Good Season to Hunt'' how she can still believe you are hers.] ¡­ [The Society watches you.] [The Society doubts you.] ¡°Those Celestials want to observe you properly,¡± Jacque said. ¡°Aren''t they watching me now?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°They want you to test your skills, to be precise.¡± The Celestials wanted to see how much stronger Chang-Sun had be now that he had acquired Surtr''s power. Jacque''s eyes turned cold. ¡°If you say yes, they''ll immediately dispatch their apostles to spar with you.¡± 1. It means angel in Hebrew 2. An ancient Korean kingdom. 3. The name has been used by several exclusive, high-society clubs. 4. The German ultist and V?lkisch group. There are many conspiracy theories that this society was rted to Nazi Germany 5. It¡¯s also known as Hongmen and Tiandihui. The Green Gang and Heaven and Earth Society were some of the Triad¡¯s foundations. These organizations and the Triad didn¡¯t always use to be criminal organizations. Rather, their original goal was just to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty. Chapter 204: Star, The Immortal Overlord (4)

Chapter 204: Star, The Immortal Overlord (4)

Ding! [A Sudden Quest (Celestials¡¯ Curiosity) has been created.] [Celestials¡¯ Curiosity] Type: Sudden. Description: Numerous star signs in the high sky are busying themselves talking about the rumors revolving around you. You were at the center of the ongoing dispute between the ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ and ¡®Gemini,¡¯ and you have inherited , which was considered an old myth even among Celestials. The news that you have not chosen a Guardian has also spread, making many Celestials covet you. However, some Celestials still belittle you, saying that the rumors and assessments of you are exaggerated. Those who want you as an apostle or a subordinate wish to know the full extent of your ability. The ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn,¡¯ the Guardian of the yer Jacque Valentine, volunteered to be a mediator and is now making a proposal to you through Jacque Valentine. If you take this test, many Celestials will shower you with their blessings just like before, and rejecting it will shower you with curses. Objectives: 1. Spar against several Celestials¡¯ apostles in the special ce made by Jacque Valentine. 2. Win by surviving until the end or getting high marks. Prerequisite: ¨D Duration: Until one survivor remains. Reward: ??? ¡°Spar, huh?¡± Chang-Sun chuckled dryly, looking at the quest description. The man behind the Revenant n¡¯s Guardian, ¡®Thousand-Legged Monster,¡¯ gave the quest himself, but he should have offered a carrot and tried to coax Chang-Sun if he wanted to make this work. Unfortunately, the quest description was basically ckmail. Considering Celestials still treated Chang-Sun like this even though he had ascended the throne of , he could clearly tell what Celestials thought about mortals. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ pulls out her hair, saying that too many Celestials are fighting over you.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ shakes his head in disbelief, saying that it is about time for the Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ to get used to this.] Thinking the quest was just a waste of his time, Chang-Sun was going to reject the quest, but¡­ ¡®Wait, I might get more out of this if I y it right.¡¯ Several ns quickly shed across his mind. ¡®It¡¯s trivial, but it¡¯ll still be enough to cause more trouble and conflict within .¡¯ Although Chang-Sun didn¡¯t mean for it to happen, he was already involved in the conflict between Minerva and ¡®Gemini,¡¯ and he could probably use it to create a bigger conflict. Besides, Celestials could be described as generous figures who granted mortals¡¯ every wish. They were just so prideful that they always tried to retaliate if they didn¡¯t get what they wanted. ¡°Okay, fine, I get the sparring part, but how will they send their apostles? They¡¯ll have to endure quite the causality,¡± Chang-Sun asked. Jacque stared at Chang-Sun without answering him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I see you don¡¯t know anything about us,¡± Jacque concluded. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Do you know that we Revenant n yers control a variety of monsters?¡± Jacque asked. Chang-Sun remembered Henri Bosque controlling a Bone Dragon and Mireille Aliano having a contract with Armand, the ¡®Wind-Hating Daughter.¡¯ Just like the two, the other Revenant n yers had their own summons or controlled a monster. Jacque¡¯s was the Manticore. Their one difference from ordinary summoners was that they could merge with their summons as if they had always been one. In other words, Jacque was the Manticore, and the Manticore was Jacque. ¡°So?¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°All of those are possible thanks to my Guardian¡¯s various abilities, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Chang-Sun quietly clicked his tongue. ¡®Satan would surely know many tricks.¡¯ Jacque¡¯s Guardian ¡¯Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ was Satan, the strongest demon king. Satan ruled over Ira of the Seven Deadly Sins and owned of and had an army of countless fallen angels. Hence, just like Jacque had said, Satan could use various skills and methods to bypass thew of causality. ¡®Peter?the Apostle¡¯s descendant is protected by Satan¡­ Well, I guess it isn¡¯t that strange. He was also Simon Magus¡¯ student, after all,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Perhaps Jacque was the best apostle for Satan, considering he had learned various kinds of magic. ¡®Satan was also with before joining the opposition.¡¯? In fact, it was an underestimation to say that Satan switched sides. Back then, Satan had been popr and had high enough divine essence and rank to be the next leader of the Absolute Good faction. However, he lost in the power struggle. Hence, he switched sides with the angels who followed him and created . However, Satan was still looking for an opportunity to be the leader of , iming that the position had always been his. ¡°He must have received a lot ofmissions, huh?¡± Chang-Sun assumed. ¡°Magic, especially unorthodox ones, requires a lot of resources,¡± Jacque answered, thinking there was nothing to hide. ¡°What do I get if I ept this quest?¡± [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ finds it unpleasant that you dared ask for a reward.] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ narrows his eyes.] ¡­ [The Celestials who decided to send their subordinates or apostles for this quest re at you for daring to ask for a reward.] ¡°They aren¡¯t taking your question very well,¡± Jacque summarized. The Celestials¡¯ reaction was always predictable. Thinking there were no simpler beings, Chang-Sun crossed his arms as if he could just reject this quest. ¡°They can just not send their people if they don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Jacque pondered for a moment. Jacque wasn¡¯t the type to express himself very well, making it difficult to read what was going on in his mind. However, Chang-Sun could at least sense Jacque was trying to help him for some reason, which was why he was intentionally dying his response. ¡®The bigger this sparring gets, the moremission he will gain. He doesn¡¯t look like it, but he¡¯s quite the merchant,¡¯?Chang-Sun observed. Most Celestials were still angry, though, saying that Chang-Sun was arrogant and didn¡¯t know his ce. However¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ bursts intoughter and says that you definitely have a Giant¡¯s gut. He adds that he will give you one of his horns as a reward if you defeat his apostle.] ¡­ it all changed when one of them dered to give Chang-Sun a reward, just like he had asked. [The Celestial ¡®Aquarius¡¯ nods as he listens to the Celestial ¡®Taurus.¡¯ He says that he will give you a small shot ss as a reward.] [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ says she will give you the brand new hair loss cure he recently developed if youe in fifth ce.] [The Celestial ¡®Singing Storm¡¯...] [The Celestial¡­] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ asks you if you would like her mr since you already have her snaggletooth.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ shouts in surprise, asking her mother why she is suddenly joining in this.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ deres that she is following her heart.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ hops around in anger, telling her mother not to do that.] ¡­ ¡®Bel-Marduk¡¯s horn, and Tiamat¡¯s mr¡­ These two will be quite useful. Choi Bu-Yong would like it,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. [Reward list] 1. A giant bull¡¯s horn. (¡®Taurus¡¯) 2. A shot ss with moonlight. (¡®Aquarius¡¯) 3. A hair loss cure. (¡®gue Monarch¡¯) ¡­ [Total rewards offered: 287.] Stroking his chin, Chang-Sun looked through the list of the Celestials¡¯ rewards. Some items caught his eye and made the quest seem worth his time. Kiyoooo! Cadmus, who remained vignt around Jacque, became delighted. Perhaps it was thinking it would get more food. ¡°Are those enough rewards?¡± Jacque asked. ¡°Okay, fine.¡± [You have epted the quest.] [Defeat the apostles sent by the Celestials participating in this quest and emerge victorious.] ¡°I¡¯ll make a barrier now¡ª¡± ¡° I¡¯m busy right now. Let me finish my business in Germany first,¡± Chang-Sun interrupted. ¡°¡­ What?¡± Jacque nkly stared at Chang-Sun as he stopped crafting the hand seal of a barrier. This was the first time the emotionless Jacque looked noticeably baffled. ¡°The description said nothing about when I should start or a time limit,¡± Chang-Sun reminded him. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡ª!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do the quest once I¡¯m done with my business in Germany,¡± Chang-Sun added. ¡°But the Celestials will¡ª¡± ¡°They can just quit if they can¡¯t wait,¡± Chang-Sun interrupted again. ¡°¡­!¡± Jacque¡¯s eyes lost focus. No one had ever reacted the way Chang-Sun did after making a promise with Celestials. [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ widens his eyes, unable to believe what he just heard.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ frustratedly asks how long she should wait.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ bursts intoughter and says he knew it. He adds that it seems you sly snake got the better of all these Celestials.] The unexpected turn of events angered the Celestials, but as always, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t even blink. [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ chuckles dumbfoundedly, saying that your temper reminds him of someone.] ¡°¡­ Will you do the quest right after you¡¯re done with your business in Germany?¡± Jacque asked quietly. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee anything. If I stay in Germany for too long, then I will have to return to America immediately. However, I have to go through a tight schedule there too,¡± Chang-Sun said with a shrug as if he had no other choice. At that moment, Jacque realized that although he had been nning to use Chang-Sun as a way to replenish his own fund, which had recently been depleted due to magic experiments, he ended up under Chang-Sun¡¯s hands instead. ¡°However, I can probably get things done quicker with your help.¡± Chang-Sun smiled faintly. Jacque realized this was what Chang-Sun wanted from the start. Thinking he would get enved by Chang-Sun until the end of this quest, he bitterly smiled. ¡°¡­ How can I help?¡± ¡°Can the Revenant n dere war on the Illuminati?¡± Chang-Sun requested. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to, but that means my business will be taken care of much, muchter,¡± Chang-Sun added. Jacque¡¯s bitter smile deepened, unable to believe that this was what Chang-Sun needed his help on. Besides, Chang-Sun was almost ckmailing him, not forcing him. * * * ¡°¡­ What? Repeat that report." Constantine Brunnit, the ¡®Red Eagle Duke¡¯ and the popr Illuminati Senator, shut his eyes. ¡°Just a moment ago¡­ we received a deration of war from the Revenant n,¡± his secretary timidly repeated. ¡°Those crazy fucks!¡± Constantine¡¯s face reddened as he mmed his desk. Thud! A deration of war! The medieval age and the age of imperialism, which was when people fired guns as soon as they had the chance, were long gone. Hence, the Revenant n wouldn¡¯t really start a war right now. However, there was no telling what would happen within Dungeons, wherews weren¡¯t as effective as they were in the outside world. Many ns had actually perished because they lost their yers in wars like this. ¡®If only that bastard Louis didn¡¯t mess with them!¡¯?Constantine thought angrily. Constantine¡¯s biggest mistake was that he trusted Louis Braille, the inquisitor, too much. No matter how fanatic one was, there was still a line one shouldn¡¯t cross. Moreover, Louismitted a terrorist attack without hiding his identity at all. Hence, it didn¡¯te as a surprise that everyone was trying to brand the Illuminati as a terrorist organization. ¡®If that¡¯s how he was going to do the mission, he shouldn¡¯t have let himself get caught!¡¯ Of course, Louis likely did try to cover up the attack by making everything seem as if the French volunteer yers were killed during a monster wave and also attempted to eliminate Chang-Sun¡­ Nevertheless, all the truth had already been revealed. The French foreign office had officially filed aint to the German government, making thetter furious. They even mobilized the police and conducted arge-scale search and seizure on the Illuminati this morning. Many of the people who were suspected to be behind Louis had already been arrested, making it only a matter of time before one of them mentioned Constantine. Of course, the Illuminati announced their statement of regret and drew a line between the Illuminati and Louis by saying that this incident was carried out by Louis alone. Constantine also tied up all loose ends that could be linked back to him. Nevertheless, Constantine¡¯s influence within the n would still decrease drastically for a while. To make things worse, the Revenant n dered war on the Illuminati. The Ondo and Youth Fountain ns also joined in on the deration, which meant the Illuminati would have to fight the entirety of France. If they tried to fight the Illuminati as if their lives depended on it¡­ Constantine couldn¡¯t even imagine how great the damage they¡¯d sustain would be. The German government would never try to interfere in this war, so Constantine knew he shouldn¡¯t expect them to help. It was the same for the southern European countries where the Illuminati usually operated. ¡°And¡­¡± the secretary trailed off. ¡°What now?!¡± Constantine¡¯s eyes were zing up with anger. ¡°The B-Blue Wolf Duke has called a senator m-meeting¡­ and the agenda is about removing you from your seat¡­¡± ¡°Arggghhhh!¡± Enraged, Constantine overturned his desk sideway. Crash. The invaluable artifacts on it were shattered into pieces. ¡°I, Constantine Brunnit, devoted fifty years of my life to this n and went through hell countless times to spread the goddess¡¯ doctrines! And this is how they repay me?! Those bastards!¡± Rumble¡­! Constantine¡¯s office shook hard as he raged. His eyes had be bloodshot. ¡°Summon the ck Eagles! Now!¡± Constantine shouted. The ck Eagles referred to the hardliner Illuminati senators and believers that personally followed Constantine. ¡°Are you¡­ nning¡­¡± Unable to bring himself to ask Constantine if he nned to start a coup, the secretary just held his tongue. However, the secretary¡¯s behavior only made Constantine more furious. ¡°I¡¯ll decide whether or not I¡¯ll start a coup only after everyone has gathered, so get moving!¡± ¡°Huh? Y-yes, sir!¡± the secretary answered and fled out of Constantine¡¯s office. Constantine gritted his teeth as he watched his secretary. ¡°Never! You¡¯ll never bring me down, Joachim!¡± * * * Chang-Sun, Joachim, Jacque, and the Team L members exited the arrival hall of Frankfurt Airport. Having been practically dragged to Germany because of the quest, Jacque was still sullen. In contrast, Joachim was uncharacteristically tense, though he did manage to conceal his nervousness by wearing sunsses. He was here to take over the Illuminati just like what Chang-Sun had decided, so his heart was bound to be heavy. If this attempt went south, the Illuminati would be torn apart or, even worse, a civil war could break out. Joachim had a lot on his mind. ¡°Then¡­ Mr. Lee, will you head straight to the headquarters?¡± Joachim asked, still unaware of what Chang-Sun was nning. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they were going to march straight to the headquarters. Chang-Sun shook his head. ¡°I have to drop by somewhere.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­? Where?¡± Joachim asked again, wondering if Chang-Sun knew anyone in Germany. Chang-Sun smirked. ¡°The Crna Ruka¡¯s office.¡± The Crna Ruka was the Killer Overlord Czestochowa¡¯s criminal organization, which was moremonly known as ck Hand in Korea. ¡°¡­!¡± Joachim and the Team L members¡¯ eyes widened. They didn¡¯t expect to hear the name of that n now. Even Jacque seemed surprised. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with their remnants first,¡± Chang-Sun said. 1. It means wrath in Latin. 2. It¡¯s an epic written by John Milton about Satan tempting Adam and Eve and getting them banished from the Garden of Eden. Chapter 205: Star, the Illuminati (1)

Chapter 205: Star, the Illuminati (1)

¡°So you just want me to act as an intermediary? Well, that¡¯s a piece of cake. In fact, many of my guys would love to meet you, so don¡¯t worry. Yes, yes.¡± Choi Hyeong-Gil said, looking more delighted than ever for having received a call from Chang-Sun. ¡°If you need anything else, please don¡¯t hesitate to call me or the Gold Cloud. Yes, take care. ¡± Hyeong-Gil even bowed at a 90-degree angle as if Chang-Sun was right in front of him. When he raised his head again, he looked like apletely different man than before he got the call. ¡°Did something good happen?¡± Choi Bu-Yong asked quietly. He had been eavesdropping on his cousin¡¯s phone call while pounding on metal. Since he lost his eyes, his sense of hearing had heightened significantly, allowing him to tell how happier Hyeong-Gil became. This was no different from when Chang-Sun had brought him a bunch of [Cold Iron] and [Frost Monarch¡¯s Breaths]. ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Hyeong-Gil suddenlyughed like a viin in a movie. Bu-Yong raised one of his eyebrows. His cousin used tough like that before he yed pranks. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s with thatugh?¡± ¡°Well, should I tell you or not?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t y tough. I know you¡¯re curious. ¡± Hyeong-Gil twirled around Bu-Yong as he grinned, making Bu-Yong¡¯s eyebrow rise higher than before. ¡°You want to know, don¡¯t you? Right? You want to know! You have been dying to hear news about Mr. Lee Chang-Sun, haven¡¯t you?¡± ng! ng! ang! Pretending not to hear Hyeong-Gil, Bu-Yong continued to hammer the metal without saying anything. However, Hyeong-Gil didn¡¯t miss how Bu-Yong¡¯s casting became a lot colder than before. ¡°What could it be? What would make a man who hadn¡¯t called for almost a month suddenly call me instead of you, hyung? Huh? Huh?¡± Hyeong-Gil said mischievously. aang! The pounding sounds should echo at regr intervals, but they suddenly changed, which meant Bu-Yong was bing emotional. Hyeong-Gil could tell Bu-Yong¡¯s irritation was zing up inside him like the fire in the Divine Fire Furnace. it was time to pour oil on Bu-Yong¡¯s fire. ¡°Huhhhhh?¡± Hyeong Gil tilted his head dramatically as the finishing touch to making Bu-Yong furious. Bu-Yong swung his hammer at Hyeong-Gil¡¯s face. ¡°Eeekk!¡± Hyeong-Gil shrieked. Crash, crash, crash¡­. The hammer passed by where Hyeong-Gil¡¯s head had been just a moment ago and ended up crashing into a wall. It then dropped on the floor, creating smashing sounds. If Hyeong-Gil hadn¡¯t fallen backward in surprise, his face or skull would have been dented or cracked. ¡°Tsk. I missed.¡± Hyeong-Gil clicked his tongue. ¡°Are you crazy, hyung?! You almost killed me!¡± Hyeong-Gil shouted. ¡°It¡¯s okay. My furnace is hot enough to melt a corpse without leaving a trace.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I was talking about.¡± ¡°Stay still. I won¡¯t miss this time.¡± ¡°Ah, alright, alright! I¡¯ll tell you!¡± Hyeong-Gil groaned. Bu-Yong stopped picking up another hammer on the floor and quietly stared at Hyeong-Gil. Although Bu-Yong had his eyes closed, it seemed as if he was still staring at Hyeong-Gil. ¡®Is he really blind?¡¯?Hyeong-Gil wondered. Bu-Yong had spent such a long time as a cksmith that he had gained a bulky figure. He was also covered with tattoos, making him sometimes look scary even when he wasn¡¯t doing anything. When he picked up a hammer, he looked as scary as a jopok. On the other hand, Hyeong-Gil felt a bit annoyed with Bu-Yong. Hyeong-Gil had known Bu-Yong longer than Chang-Sun, but Hyeong-Gil could tell Bu-Yong cared about Chang-Sun more even though they had met only half a year ago. ¡®If he¡¯s worried, he should¡¯ve just said so. Gosh, he¡¯s as stubborn as a mule.¡¯ Even since Lee Chang-Sun left for France, Bu-Yong had been wondering and worrying about Chang-Sun¡¯s well-being. When the world and Korean media were thrown into a frenzy about Chang-Sun clearing the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert,¡¯ Bu-Yong¡¯s first question to Hyeong-Gil, who knew the full story, was whether or not Chang-Sun was injured. When Hyeong-Gil pointed it out, Bu-Yong just said it was because he still had many weapons to deliver to Chang-Sun¡­ Who would believe that? Considering Chang-Sun had be such a big influence in Bu-Yon¡¯s life, who had shut himself off in his own little world, Chang-Sun definitely had something that others didn¡¯t have. ¡®Well, either way, he¡¯s really something.¡¯ Hyeong-Gil considered meeting and making a deal with Chang-Sun as one of his greatest achievements this year. ¡®He would surely be a King-ss yer within this year, and he won¡¯t just be any ordinary king. He would be as skilled as the Immortal Overlord or Warrior Overlord! Korea will be hisnd.¡¯ Chaos was bound to follow the appearance of a new person with absolute power, but depending on one¡¯s decision, it could either be an opportunity or a crisis. Hyeong-Gil believed this chaos to be an opportunity, so he decided to grant Chang-Sun¡¯s request, even if it meant he would have to suffer a great loss right now. ¡°Your husband¡­¡± Hyeong-Gil said. Bu-Yong held up his hammer in the air, preparing to throw it at Hyeong-Gil if he continued this nonsense. Clearing his throat, Hyeong-Gil changed the topic. ¡°Mr. Chang-Sun asked me to act as an intermediary, so I offered to introduce him to an expert guide.¡± ¡°An intermediary?¡± Bu-Yong repeated. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°With whom?¡± Hyeong-Gil wondered if he could tell Bu-Yong about it. Although Chang-Sun didn¡¯t say anything, his request sounded very important. On the other hand, Bu-Yong¡¯s expression was turning as grim as a grim reaper. Hence, Hyeong-Gil realized that today would be his death anniversary if he kept it a secret from Bu-Yong. ¡°H-he wanted me to introduce him to the Crna Ruka if the n had a branch in Germany,¡± Hyeong-Gil stuttered. ¡°¡­ ck Hand? Why?¡± Bu-Yong asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess he has to make a request.¡± Bu-Yong grew quiet, trying to guess Chang-Sun¡¯s n. As Hyeong-Gil looked at Bu-Yong, Hyeong-Gil shook his head in disbelief since he couldn¡¯t tell what Bu-Yong would create after he was done mulling over his thoughts. ¡®He¡¯s a really devoted wife,¡¯?Hyeong-Gil thought.? * * * ¡°Hello, I¡¯m sent by Mr. Choi. My name is Marcel Diesel. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± A 190-centimeter-tall man bowed and handed Chang-Sun his business card. Just like his introduction, his English business card was also concise¡ªMarcel Diesel. Dunkel Wolken Meer. Dunke Wolken Meer meant a ck sea of clouds. It seemed to be the name of apany. ¡°You aren¡¯t from the Gold Cloudpany, are you?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°I and Mr. Choi aren¡¯t in the samepany, but we¡¯re good drinking buddies from a club. Well, we do work together from time to time.¡± ¡°When you say club, you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, I got so excited that my tongue slipped. I can¡¯t believe I met the famous Tyrant, Blue Wolf Duke, and the Immortal Overlord in one ce¡­¡± Marcel grinned. Although Germans were known for being expressionless, Marcel kept smiling. ¡°There is a small club made by people who run small businesses like me and Mr. Choi.¡± Chang-Sun nodded, remembering Hyeong-Gil mentioning the secret worldwidework amongpanies who dealt with byproducts from Dungeons. There wasn¡¯t a name for thework yet, but major ns and criminal underworld were also part of it. ¡°But¡­ from what I heard, you wish to visit that ce.¡± Marcel paused, stealing a nce at other people in Chang-Sun¡¯s group. The Team L members aside, Joachim and Jacque were also here. Marcel thought he could be making a mistake if he brought it up directly in this ce. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, so please continue,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°¡­ Mmmm, as you may already know, that ce is quite dangerous, but it¡¯s not just because it¡¯s the territory of a criminal organization. We¡¯ve been hearing several rumors about ittely.¡± Chang-Sun smirked as he assumed, ¡°They have divided against themselves, haven¡¯t they?.¡± ¡°How¡­ did you¡­?¡± ¡°The rumor of the Killer Overlord¡¯s sudden disappearance must have spread too,¡± CHang-Sun continued. ¡°¡­ You knew about the rumor?¡± Chang-Sun shook his head. ¡°Not really. I just made an assumption because I killed the Killer Overlord.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Marcel¡¯s eyes widened, not expecting such an answer. ¡®So it¡¯s true. The Killer Overlord didmit a terrorist attack in a Dungeon,¡¯?Marcel thought. Dunkel Wolken Meer, Marcel¡¯spany, wasn¡¯t an ordinary tradingpany. It was more like a broker agency that worked as a mediator between thew-abiding society and the criminal underworld. Hence, Marcel¡¯spany asionally did business with the Crna Ruka and was up to date with intelligence. That was how Marcel quickly learned about the intelligence that the Crna Ruka had recently shut down their operations and had divided among themselves. He had also heard that Killer Overlord Czestochowa had gone missing since she had headed to the ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ for her assassination mission. On top of that, the EU Council recently became busy, and the French government was now openly pressuring the German Government. Taking all those into consideration, Marcel assumed something likely happened. In fact, the German Council was already mopping up the Crna Ruka branches in Germany, during which they found traces of disputes among the Crna Ruka members. Still, Marcel never considered the possibility of the Killer Overlord, one of the Ten Overlords, being killed. Hence, in an attempt to find out what exactly happened, he epted Hyeong-Gil¡¯s request. However, Czestochowa actually died! Marcel wasn¡¯t the only one in shock. Joachim, Jacque, Woo Hye-Bin, and the other Team L members who were listening to Hye-Bin¡¯s trantion, were stunned. Due to their encounter with Louis Braille, the team members hadn¡¯t even heard about Czestochowa. ¡°Will this be enough as evidence?¡± Chang-Sun pulled out a dagger from his inventory and held it up. Marcel groaned when he saw the Crna Ruka¡¯s symbol, which looked like someone stamped their hand after putting ck ink over it¡ªin the corner of the dagger. Czestochowa was the only person who carried a dagger that had a hand with all five fingers extended engraved on it. ¡°Ha¡­!¡± All Marcel could do was gasp. ¡°All criminal organizations ultimately behave the same way. When led by a leader with absolute power, they obey blindly. The moment that leader disappears, they¡¯ll start backstabbing each other,¡± Chang-Sun said. Marcel was rendered speechless, but he was also busy making calctions in his head. Due to his instinct as a merchant, he was trying to determine the best decision he should make to gain the most profits from this incident. ¡®Even the Crna Ruka assumes that the Killer Overlord disappeared, so there is a high possibility that they don¡¯t know the Killer Overlord is dead. Since the French and German governments are pressuring the Illuminati, the n would try to eliminate the Crna Ruka using any means necessary¡­ If the Tyrant steps in while there¡¯s mayhem everywhere¡­¡¯?Marcel assessed the situation. Although most ns followed this principle as well, the criminal organizations¡¯ main principle was ¡®the strongest takes everything.¡¯ ¡®Europe is already a mess, but it¡¯s only going to get worse from here.¡¯ The most important part was that Chang-Sun had killed Czestochowa, which meant he was skilled enough to do so. ¡®The old ¡®king¡¯ is dead, and the new ¡®king¡¯ is born. This is a chance I can never miss! I should join his side before this fact bes known to the public!¡¯ In Marcel¡¯s eyes, instead of an investment opportunity, Chang-Sun now looked like a wealth deity who made his followers rich. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll guide you to the promised location. I also heard that the person they had sent already arrived. My car isn¡¯t far away from here, so please follow me.¡± Marcel led the way, calming down his throbbing heart. * * * ¡°Is Czestochowa really dead?¡± Jacque asked Chang-Sun. Just like Chang-Sun had requested, Jacque had dered war on the Illuminati as the Revenant n Leader and evene to Germany with Chang-Sun to keep pressuring the Illuminati. However, Chang-Sun suddenly mentioned the Crna Ruka instead of heading to the Illuminati right away, making Jacque wonder why. As it turned out, Chang-Sun had a perfectly good reason. He was trying to take over both the Crna Ruka, one of the biggest ns in Eastern Europe, and the Illuminati, the symbol of Southern Europe! ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe it. Besides, I never told you to,¡± Chang-Sun answered curtly, making his remark about Czestochowa even more believable to Jacque. Chang-Sun¡¯s aura was certainly not like a rookie''s. He was at least as skilled as Jacque himself, which made him more curious than uneasy. What in the world had Chang-Sun done to be strong this quickly? ¡°You were polite,¡± Jacque said. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Why are you rude to me? You don¡¯t even know how old I am,¡± Jacque continued. ¡°You started it first, so why can¡¯t I do it too?¡± Chang-Sun reminded him. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Since Jacque talked casually and brusquely to the other Overlords and retired first-generation yers, he never expected to hear such an answer. Finally realizing something was wrong with his way of talking, Jacque pondered for a moment, then nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Jacque didn¡¯t insist on making Chang-Sun act more polite because he was older. Instead, Jacque admitted Chang-Sun was right, making thetter chuckle. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s Satan¡¯s apostle, but he¡¯s surely weird,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ picks his ear with his pinky, thinking someone is badmouthing him.] * * * ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Marcel parked his van in front of an ordinary European-style mansion located on the main street many people walked by. It was hard to assume that the mansion was a notorious criminal organization¡¯s office just from its appearance. ¡°Gyeo-Ul, follow me. Everyone else, wait for me here,¡± Chang-Sun instructed. The Team L members nodded. Marcel opened the van¡¯s door, and Chang-Sun and Baek Gyeo-Ul slowly got off. As soon as they were out, they immediately felt sharp stares from every direction. ¡°I don¡¯t like how they¡¯re looking at me. Gyeo-Ul.¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± Gyeo-Ul leaned forward. ¡°Get rid of them,¡± Chang-Sun said. Paah! [The yer ¡®Baek Gyeo-Ul¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Shadow y¡¯!] Gyeo-Ul disappeared into the underground. 1. It¡¯s the name for the Korean mafia. Although it hasn¡¯t been proven, they¡¯re rumored to use knives or hammers as their main weapons. Chapter 206: Star, the Illuminati (2)

Chapter 206: Star, the Illuminati (2)

The drawing of a ck hand, the Crna Ruka¡¯s symbol, dangled on the wall as if it would fall any minute, seemingly resembling the situation of Wojtek and the two other people in the room. Excluding Czestochowa, the Thumb Finger assassin, ¡®Inverted Cross¡¯ Wojtek, was known to be the strongest assassin in the Crna Ruka. ¡®For fuck¡¯s sake.¡¯?Wojtek grunted. ¡®Red Yoke¡¯ Hyacinth, ¡®Barbaric Martyr¡¯ Vitus, and Wojtek were ring at each other as if they would attack one another as soon as they had a chance. Looking at the two, Wojtek fidgeted with the dagger in his right sleeve. Although they had done staredowns, they had never revealed their animosity openly until several days ago. The bloody internal disputes that had taken ce over the past several days had caused them to burn bridges. Hence, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if they dered now that they would leave the organization with their share of the n¡¯s assets. However, they couldn¡¯t proceed with it because Czestochowa had been granting them very special powers, and, above all else, they were scared. After all, she could still be alive and was just watching them from afar. Czestochowa! To Wojtek, Hyacinth, and Vitus¡¯, she wasn¡¯t the type to die this easily. Despite being almost ny years old, she was still obsessed with power and beauty. As a king, she ruled the criminal underworld across the globe and, using her youthful appearance, garnered numerous lovers. They couldn¡¯t believe that she had died, but if she really had, then anyone in the criminal underworld would dream of bing the next ruler. The three people in this room were all more than capable enough to self-proim themselves as Czestochowa¡¯s heir. However, they were met with an unexpected variable that made it difficult to make a move immediately. To top it all off, Marcel Diesel, known as the ¡®Merchant of Death¡¯ in the criminal underworld, had delivered to them a message from the Tyrant. They gathered in this room despite the severe bad blood among them because of that very message. ¨DDon¡¯t you want to retrieve your lost Authorities? Wojtek was taken aback when he first heard the message. The Tyrant knew their exact situation¡ªthe Crna Ruka members who followed the Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ were losing the Authority and Skills that they had received. Up until recently, the Crna Ruka¡¯s Guardian had been giving them his blessing of darkness. However, around the time they lostmunication with Czestochowa and the rumor of her death spread, they stopped feeling their Guardian¡¯s . It was as if he had disappearedpletely. To make things worse, the more they used their Authorities and Skills, the more drastically their attacks¡¯ damage decreased. It made them wonder if they could now only use their Authorities and Skills a limited number of times. Wojtek and the other leaders felt as if their brains were going to explode. The French and German governments were already pressuring the n, so they had to quickly decide who would be the next n leader. However, considering their Authorities and Skills were weakening, the n would self-destruct at this rate. As they dealt with multiple problems at once, Chang-Sun asked them to gather up if they wanted to regain their powers. If an ordinary person had sent that message, they would have ignored or even plotted the person¡¯s assassination out of annoyance, but¡­ ¡®He could be the Killer Overlord¡¯s killer,¡¯?Wojtek thought. Even though Czestochowa had taken Cansio and Kunegunda to assassinate Chang-Sun, she had still gone missing. It made no sense to even consider the rookie Tyrant could defeat the Killer Overlord, but Chang-Sun definitely had something to do with the Killer Overlord¡¯s disappearance. There was a chance he used a special skill or put a curse on her. Either way, the Crna Ruka assassins had to find out how Chang-Sun was involved in all this and what his secret was. ¡®If I could do as I pleased, I would have just kidnapped and threatened Lee Chang-Sun¡­ but I can¡¯t. That¡¯s the problem.¡¯ Hijacking the ne to Germany that Chang-Sun was on, sending assassins to Korea to hold Chang-Sun¡¯s family members hostage¡­ Wojtek considered various options when he received the message, but he never said any of them out loud. It was best to keep such secrets to himself. If Hyacinth and Vitus found out about the secrets Wojtek knew, they would no longer be secrets, and he could lose the throne right in front of him. After pondering for some time, Wojtek reached one conclusion. ¡®It¡¯s highly possible that we¡¯re all plotting the same thing.¡¯ In that case, things could beplicated. Chang-Sun could notice that something was wrong and team up with the other assassins, making the three¡¯s situation worse. The fact that they didn¡¯t know the full extent of the Tyrant¡¯s ability also bugged them like hell, so Wojtek had only one option. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I have to protect my enemy from other bastards to find out his secret..!¡¯ Wojtek, Hyacinth, and Vitus now had to feign obedience and gain Chang-Sun¡¯s favor, which was unbelievable for them. After all, they had spent their entire lives squeezing ordinary people dry and threatening them. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t be able to try any of my ns since the Immortal Overlord is with him. Shit! What the hell is going on?!¡¯ Not being able to tell how the Tyrant and Immortal Overlord were linked together made Wojtek¡¯s heart even heavier. ¡®Wait¡­ did he n this from the start?¡¯ Wojtek had a feeling that he could be right. During his investigation of the Tyrant, he discovered that although the Tyrant seemed reckless, every movement was calcted. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having a lot on their minds, Wojtek, Hyacinth, and Vitus tiptoed around each other as they waited for Chang-Sun to arrive. Boom! The front gate of the mansion, which the Crna Ruka had been using as a safe house for quite a long time now, burst open. The three assassins sitting by the table in the second-floor hall simultaneously turned their heads toward themotion, finding Chang-Sun walking through the foyer and the rising clouds of dust. He looked at the three assassins, having already detected them. However, they couldn¡¯t even say hello to Chang-Sun. Baek Gyeo-Ul, who was walking behind Chang-Sun, threw some things that he had been dragging inside the mansion. The moment the three assassins realized what those ¡®some things¡¯ were, they froze up. ¡°I can see the Index Finger butcherers.¡± ¡°Ha! I can see your people too, Middle Finger. How are you going to exin that?¡± ¡°Even the Thumb Finger assassins¡­ Huh! Ha!¡± Wojtek, Hyacinth, and Vitus criticized each other, but their hands were all faintly trembling. To monitor Chang-Sun and his group, the three assassins had secretly nted their people around the mansion. However, their men were now all rolling on the ground, tied up like criminals. The sight was hard to believe, considering every single one of them was a high-ranking assassin in the Crna Ruka. Although their Skills¡¯ damage had decreased since their Guardian disappeared, they were still skilled assassins. What made the leaders even more baffled was that their men were subdued by someone who seemed to be Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinate. They couldn¡¯t help but find the situation odd. Meanwhile, after looking at the three assassins with his arms crossed, Chang-Sun suddenly leaped high and disappeared. A momentter, he showed up on top of the three assassins¡¯ table. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Unable to even follow Chang-Sun¡¯s movements, Wojtek, Hyacinth, and Vitus sensed a crisis was imminent. Although they used to think that Czestochowa could still be alive and just hiding somewhere, they realized at that moment that Chang-Sun, a person they couldn¡¯t even begin to understand, had truly killed their leader. Moreover, they couldn¡¯t help but consider him as the reason behind their Guardian¡¯s disappearance too. [You have activated the Skill ¡®Tiger Kill,¡¯ dominating the area!] The three assassins straightened their postures, but they couldn¡¯t move anymore because they felt as if they were inside a giant tiger¡¯s mouth. ¡®The safe house¡­ is under his dominance!¡¯ Wojtek held his breath as sweat trickled down his back. How could Chang-Sun just make a space his own with his presence alone? The only reason Wojtek had asked to meet Chang-Sun in the safe house was that he believed he and the other assassins could fight back here if their meeting went south. After all, this was their home ground¡­ However, the assassins couldn¡¯t even think about moving right now. That wasn¡¯t all. Pzzz¨D! Chang-Sun swung his hand in the air. ck fog rose up from the ground and turned into a curtain that disyed four masks. [You have activated the Authority ¡®Demon Face,¡¯ listing your masks!] The three assassins were rendered speechless when they saw Chang-Sun¡¯s lion, wolf, swan, and lizard masks, all of which had different expressions. Czestochowa¡¯s [Demon Faces] were looking at them! Chang-Sun had fewer masks than Czestochowa, but his masks exuded more profound and dreary energy. They even seemed to be stronger than the [Contorted Doggaebi Face], which Czestochowa had bragged about a lot. The three assassins had always wanted the masks, but they had never been able to get one despite how desperately they desired them. On the other hand, Chang-Sun had four of them. ¡°You all know what these are, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, you would. I¡¯m using your Guardian¡¯s Authority,¡± Chang-Sun said. The three assassins kept their silence, not knowing what Chang-Sun would say next. Smirking, he continued, ¡°I¡¯m willing to give you a mask if you want. Wearing it will restore your weakening Authorities and restore your Skills. Your subordinates will regain their powers too.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Wojtek, Hyacinth, and Vitus quickly exchanged nces. Although quite surprised, they were already busy making calctions in their minds. The next leader of the Crna Ruka would be decided depending on Chang-Sun¡¯s terms. On the three assassins¡¯ behalf, Wojtek asked, ¡°What do you want? If you want us to swear our loyalty to you instead of Czestochowa¡ª!¡± ¡°You think I¡¯d believe criminals¡¯ loyalty pledges? You would backstab each other as soon as you see an opportunity, would you not?¡± Chang-Sun asked sarcastically. ¡°Still, you would want something from us,¡± Wojtek said. ¡°I want two things.¡± Chang-Sun raised two fingers. The three assassins turned their heads and looked at them. ¡°First, I want the identity of the Korean who requested to assassinate me.¡± ¡°We¡¯re criminals, but we can¡¯t give you the identity of our cli¡ª!¡± ¡°Then you can leave,¡± Chang-Sun interrupted. Vitus, who had a means ofmunication with the White Tiger n, tried to refute Chang-Sun¡¯s demand, but he instantly shut his mouth. Wojtek and Hyacinth smirked at Vitus since the lesspetition there was, the merrier it was for them. ¡°My other term is¡­¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone coldly as he folded thest finger. ¡°... Assassinate the important figures who follow the Illuminati¡¯s Red Eagle Duke.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Are you asking us to fight a war against the Illuminati¡ª!¡± ¡°Who said anything about war? I told you to just eliminate people on the Red Eagle Duke¡¯s side. I¡¯ll give one of my masks to whoever has the most kills.¡± ¡°O-outrageous¡­!¡± Wojtek trembled profusely. Even though Chang-Sun had told them to only assassinate the people on the Red Eagle Duke¡¯s side, they would be burning bridges with the Illuminati if they did what Chang-Sun asked. The technique of ¡®borrowing a knife to kill a person¡¯ from the East crossed Wojtek¡¯s mind. However, it didn¡¯t mean Wojtek could turn down Chang-Sun¡¯s request. yers without an Authority or Skill were considered F-ss and were thought of as trash. In short, they would have to retire if they didn¡¯t do what Chang-Sun said. Besides, the Crna Ruka assassins had many enemies. What would those people do if they were to retire? Just imagining it was enough to send shivers down the three assassins¡¯ spines. It would be the best-case scenario if they could have peaceful deaths, but it was highly possible that they would be sold off to an ind after they were skinned alive or taken by ck wizards to use as experiment materials. ¡°The choice is yours. I¡¯ll give you¡­ It¡¯ll be difficult to keep track of body counts if I give you too much time, so you have until midnight. That should be enough, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± Chang-Sun stroked his chin. The three assassins instinctively looked at their wristwatch. It was 11:13 am right now, which meant they had a little bit over 12 hours before midnight. Although the assassins wanted to protest how they were supposed to assassinate someone within this time frame¡­ ¡°What are you doing? Get moving,¡± Chang-Sun said coldly, tilting his head. The three assassins hurriedly ran in the opposite direction without saying anything else. A war between the Crna Ruka and Illuminati¡ªno, between the Crna Ruka and Constantine¡¯s faction was about to take ce. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ stares at you quietly, thinking you smell like him.] Chang-Sun intentionally ignored Satan¡¯s intense staring. 1. He¡¯s a Polish priest and missionary who focused on reforming women''s monasteries in Pnd. 2. He is a Christian martyr from Sicily. Not much is known about him. His known biography ispletely fictional, a legend. 3. It¡¯s a popr idiom in East Asia. It¡¯s simr to the phrase ¡®someone else does their dirty work.¡¯ Chapter 207: Star, the Illuminati (3)

Chapter 207: Star, the Illuminati (3)

Standing in a meeting room where only several people showed up, the ¡®Red Eagle Duke¡¯ Constantine Brunnit had to squeeze his brain, trying to find solutions for the reports that were pouring in via text messages from a moment ago. ¡¸An oil truck ran into Daniel¡¯s car! Fire has engulfed the area!¡¹ ¡¸Dietrich Schumacher was suddenly found dead in his study! There are signs of him ingesting a lethal poison!¡¹ ¡¸We lost contact with Lenny. He seems to have gone missing¡­¡¹ ¡¸Walter dered he¡¯ll leave our faction, saying he doesn¡¯t want to end up dead like the rest. He¡¯s terrified.¡¹ Some of the ck Eagles, Constantine¡¯s followers in the Illuminati, had gotten into idents on their way to the meeting. Anyone could tell that they were no ordinary idents. The people behind the idents were targeting the Illuminati¡ªConstantine¡¯s followers, to be exact. The problem was that Constantine couldn¡¯t do anything about it. If these idents took ce several days ago, Constantine would have been able to mobilize not only the Illuminati but also the German Council to apprehend the people responsible. One order from him would have made his numerous subordinates do whatever it took to get the job done. Now, however, almost nobody obediently followed his orders. Most of his subordinates ignored his order or calls, and the few subordinates who stayed loyal to Constantine became noticeably dispirited after ¡®idents¡¯ continuously urred. ¡®Crna Ruka¡­! How dare those fuckers betray me?! I¡¯ve been giving them so much until now!¡¯?Constantine thought in anger. He knew that the Crna Ruka was behind these idents. No other criminal organization was audacious and skilled enough to assassinate people in broad daylight. It seemed they had decided to me everything on Constantine after the n was driven into a corner due to the current incident. Constantine didn¡¯t believe the rumor about the Killer Overlord getting killed by the Tyrant in the Dungeon, but he now thought it could be true. ¡°Red Eagle Duke!¡± ¡°People are in chaos! Please make a decision now!¡± ¡°Too many people have dered they¡¯ll be leaving the ck Eagles. You have to decide now!¡± No matter what the truth was, all that mattered right now was that Constantine¡¯s power within the Illuminati was weakening. Even right now, the people who used to just tiptoe around him now threatened him toe up with a solution. Moreover, Joachim was already on his way to the main meeting room with the Tyrant and Immortal Overlord. The White Wolves, Joachim¡¯s followers, were already high-spirited and were taking over the Illuminati Senate, and, to make things worse, the senators who always imed to be neutral and the Illuminati¡¯s sub-organizations were turning their backs on the ck Eagles. As soon as Joachim arrived at the Senate meeting room, proposed his agenda, and pounded the gavel a couple of times, Constantine would be removed from his seat immediately. Constantine had to find a solution before it happened. ¡°Red Eagle Duke!¡± ¡°Please decide¡­!¡± However, he came up with nothing. It was as if he was standing on the edge of the cliff. * * * Although the Illuminati headquarters was on the outskirts, it was not far from Frankfurt. It only took a little over an hour to reach it, but those traveling to it by car would have to detour to get there. Hence, Chang-Sun and his group decided to take the train instead. As a result, they ended up having several unexpected meetings. ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Paul Grant of the Hellfire Club. I know it¡¯s rude, but I¡¯m here to invite you to Ennd.¡± The Hellfire Club was the biggest n in Ennd and Irnd. Most of its members were from high society, making them politically influential in Ennd, Europe, and North America. Moreover, after their n leader, Paul Grant was the most famous man within the Hellfire Club. The ¡®Cursed Baron¡¯ Paul Grant had been conferred knighthood from the royal family of Ennd and was a Duke-ss high ranker. To top it all off, he was expected to be the next Overlord. Although Chang-Sun didn¡¯t answer him, Paul amicably continued, ¡°I heard you hate formality and beating around the bush, so I¡¯ll cut to the chase. Mr. Lee Chang-Sun, if you¡¯re willing to join the Hellfire Club, you¡¯ll immediately be granted British citizenship and be conferred knighthood from the royal family.¡± Although the Hellfire Club was known to be very arrogant, they seemed eager to recruit Chang-Sun, surprising the Team L members. Joachim Wolff, who had been getting more nervous and tense the closer they were to the Illuminati headquarters, became displeased with Paul, who was shamelessly trying to recruit Chang-Sun even though Joachim was right in front of him. Joachim couldn¡¯t help chuckling dryly after he saw how highly the Hellfire Club valued Chang-Sun. Many countries¡¯ intelligence agencies seemed to have found out that Chang-Sun had defeated the Killer Overlord. ¡°In addition to that, the Mage Overlord, my n leader, is showing great interest in you, so if you want, you¡¯ll have the chance to be his student,¡± Paul continued. ¡®¡­ No, I guess they don¡¯t know about that yet.¡¯ Joachim bit his lip, trying to hold back hisughter. Recruiting Chang-Sun would¡¯ve still been a long shot even if the Hellfire Club promised Chang-Sun a seat equal to the Mage Overlord¡¯s, much less his student. Considering their offer, the n seemed to consider Chang-Sun lesser than a King-ss yer. On top of that, Paul, who delivered the proposal, looked at Chang-Sun as if he would never be able to decline such an offer. Naturally, it would be illogical to think that Chang-Sun and the Mage Overlord were on the same level. Just like the Immortal Overlord, the Mage Overlord was considered to be one of the strongest yers in Europe. In fact, the Mage Overlord was Ennd¡¯s franchise yer. Nevertheless, Joachim found everything funny since he knew what had happened to the Killer Overlord after belittling Chang-Sun. ¡®Even right now, ns are already eager to recruit him¡­ If his true skills are revealed, then Europe¡ªno, the entire world will be turned upside down.¡¯ And that moment wasing soon¡­ Joachim¡¯s heart raced, feeling as if he could already see it. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for your call.¡± Paul left his business card in front of Chang-Sun and stood up from his seat. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t hesitate to reveal how much he didn¡¯t care, but Paul just quietly chuckled, thinking Chang-Sun was ying hardball to get a better offer. After Paul left, more people came to scout Chang-Sun. After some time¡­ ¡°¡­ Gyeo-Ul,¡± Chang-Sun said quietly. ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± ¡°Block the entrance.¡± As ordered, Gyeo-Ul spread his shadow and covered the entire trainpartment. Thepartment they were in was thest one, and the Illuminati and the Revenant n rented the entirety of it. Hence, they didn¡¯t have to worry about blocking the other passengers¡¯ way. ¡®Wow¡­! He¡¯s so cool.¡¯ ¡®Skills are definitely a must.¡¯ ¡®That is my oppa. So many people said hi, but he never batted an eye. He definitely doesn¡¯t give a shit about anything.¡¯ Woo Hye-Bin, Shin Geum-Gyu, and Shin Eun-Seo looked at Chang-Sun in amazement. Although many people had tried to scout Chang-Sun before, the offers he received now were on totally different levels. The seat of the Mage Overlord¡¯s student, tens of billions of wons for transfer fee¡­ every offer was jaw-droppingly shocking. Even famous ns like the Vikings and Green Gang made an offer, but Chang-Sun still didn¡¯t care. All he did was admire the scenery outside the window, not even ncing at the pile of business cards on the table. Pzz¨D! Woosh! A me suddenly sparked from the business card pile and burned it to ashes, which then disappeared. * * * Not all of Chang-Sun¡¯s guests were friendly. ¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s cumbersome.¡± ¡°Why are you acting so sensitive? He¡¯s trying to act cool here.¡± The curtain of shadow that had been blocking the entrance of Chang-Sun¡¯spartment was suddenly forced open, making Gyeo-Ul frown. Two men covered in tattoos walked inside with all sorts of piercings dangling on their ears and necks. They looked, talked, and behaved the same as if they were identical twins, but they had one distinct characteristic¡ªethnicity. One was a South African wearing white clothes, and the other was a Caucasian with blond hair and blue eyes wearing ck clothes. [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ reveals his incisors, smiling wickedly at you!] ¡°No way¡­?¡± ¡°Monochrome Horses?¡± Eun-Seo and Geum-Gyu froze up, recognizing the two men. The Shin siblings had learned about them during the White Tiger n¡¯s new employee training. Also known as ¡®ck and White Devils¡¯ overseas, these men were criminals wanted worldwide formitting all sorts of terrorist attacks and crimes together. In fact, these demonic beings were so evil that Interpol put their names on the red notice. They mostly operated around Afghanistan these days, but they suddenly showed up in Germany during broad daylight! It was practically suicide because aside from Jacque Valentine and Joachim, the executives from various ns were on this train to recruit Chang-Sun. As a matter of fact, Jacque, who had his eyes shut and remained quiet since the train departed, opened his eyes slightly, suddenly sensing stinging demonic energy. However, all he did was smirk. ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ was one of the Celestials who had requested Satan to conduct an investigation about Chang-Sun, but it seemed the Celestial couldn¡¯t wait anymore since Chang-Sun had dyed carrying out the quest. Hence, he dispatched his apostles. [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ roars at the star who broke the promise and approached you first!] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ narrows his eyes!] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ threatens the Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ that she will bite his head off if he does not withdraw his apostles!] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ snorts as he watches the Celestialsining.] [All the Celestials warn the Celestials who areining that they are willing to go to war with anyone who continues to suppress their member!] Celestials never knew how to wait. Compared to humans, they basically lived forever, but they had zero patience, especially when it came to mortals. Jacque had stood down when Chang-Sun had ckmailed him, but he had been wondering how Chang-Sun would deal with the Celestials¡¯ resistance. Once irritated, there was no telling what kind of tantrum they would throw. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ feels unpleasant for ignoring him as a mediator but whispers to his apostle that this will be a good preview to the sparring.] Jacque nodded in agreement after reading the Guardian¡¯s message. ¡®How can they be this predictable?¡¯ Chang-Sun chuckled, looking at the Monochrome Horses, who were right in front of him. ¡°How dare.¡± ¡°Youugh at us?¡± In contrast, the Monochrome Horses frowned deeply. [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ bristles up his fur, not liking how confident you are.] The ¡®Rat Star¡¯ Bai Sheng was a sly and quick-witted monster deity who used to be a rat with fur made of fire, just like his divine name ¡®Fire Rat.¡¯ He always acted violently around those weaker than him, so whenever the Celestials started something, he would always put his nose into them if they looked easy. ¡®Xue Yong went missing right after he met me, so they¡¯re trying to find out what happened and want to lure out anyone who could be protecting me in secret like Mephistopheles,¡¯?Chang-Sun assumed. Bai Sheng was one of the weakest Celestials in , so that could be why the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansion sent Bai Sheng. It didn¡¯t matter if he died or not. Without knowing that, Bai Sheng had been tempted by the fact that he could im Xue Yong¡¯s assets. ¡®From what I remember, he¡¯s on¡­ Tian Shi Yuan¡¯s side.¡¯ Tian Shi Yuan was one of the Three Enclosures, and he had the most followers. Innately vicious and tenacious, he often made Chang-Sun go through troubles. [The Celestial ¡® Cmity Tiger¡¯ bares his fangs, asking why the Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ is messing with his subordinate!] [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ tells the Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ to stay out of this since it was decided by the Society ¡®Purple Star Astrology.¡¯] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is taken aback.] [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ shouts that the Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ should stop pretending you are his subordinate when you are not. ] ¡­ [All the Celestials agree with the Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight.¡¯] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ advises you to be his subordinate!] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ yells that he cannot protect you from these Celestials if you do not be his!] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯...] ¡­ Heoju was trying to protect Chang-Sun from the Celestials¡¯ threat for some reason. It seemed Heoju wasn¡¯t aware about the ¡¯s n. [A Sudden Quest(World Net) has been created!] [World Net] Type: Sudden. Description: Many Celestials of the , the great Society of , searched for the ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯, who has gone missing, everywhere. Finding no traces of the Celestial, they began to pay attention to you instead, the one who met the ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ right before he went missing, thinking other Celestials could have been involved. To verify this, they tried to test you with the ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ as the mediator, but they concluded that you are hiding something when you postponed the test. Hence, they have now decided to take matters into their own hands. Many of the Celestials¡¯ subordinates have besieged the train to capture you, including the two yers who got in yourpartment. Escape their sturdy blockade. Objective: 1. Escape from the siege. 2. Eliminate the leader or throw your pursuers off the track. Prerequisite: ¨D Time limit: ¨D Reward: ??? Looking at the quest window, Chang-Sun coldly smiled. ¡®I¡¯ll be able to seal quite many Celestials.¡¯ 1. It¡¯s a legendary creature that appears in Chinese mythology. It¡¯s known to live inside a volcano or the Kunlun Mountains. Pouring water over it when it¡¯s outside the fire it lives in would kill it instantly. 2. Just like Xue Yong, Bai Sheng is from the Chinese novel named Water Margin. He and Xue Yong are part of the 108 heroes that appear in the novel. Chapter 208: Star, the Illuminati (4)

Chapter 208: Star, the Illuminati (4)

Although the Celestials¡¯ subordinates were closing in on the train, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t really worry because he had seen thising. Several hours ago, Chang-Sun¡¯s Changgwi Cave curse had activated like usual on the ne from France to Frankfurt, Germany. That was when he had run into an unexpected guest. ¡°Long time no see, special-rank reaper.¡± Special-rank reaper was just a temporary title Thanatos gave Chang-Sun so he could operate more easily. Aside from sealing Celestials, Chang-Sun had no other powers, so no one called him by that title even in the . The only exception was Yool, the top-rank reaper who found Chang-Sun wandering around River Styx and led him to Thanatos. Yool himself descended to the Changgwi Cave, but, of course, he couldn¡¯t use his avatar. Hence, he used one of Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinates as a medium. ¡°I heard the air in Saha World is quite different from the ... but I guess that¡¯s not necessarily true,¡± Yool said. Although Yool was using a different body, the look on his face and his way of talking was the same. ¡°Can you just show up like this? Many people are probably watching from above,¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°It¡¯s fine. They can¡¯t perceive me with their eyes, but I only have limited time here,¡± Yool answered. Chang-Sun and Yool were far away from the battlefield where Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinates were busy ¡®cleaning.¡¯ It seemed Yool had created a barrier around the area to prevent anyone from watching them. [The server¡¯s connection is getting disrupted due to an unknown cause.] [Please wait for a moment.] ¡­ [The promises to the Celestials, who areining, that the connection will be restored quickly.] ¡®They must have done something with the too. Well, yeah, disrupting the Channeling for several minutes will be enough to stop anyone from watching me,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. The wouldn¡¯t be able to do this often, but it was the best way for the to contact Chang-Sun without raising ¡¯s suspicion. Of course, the would have to offer a lot to the in return. ¡°So I¡¯ll leave right away after I deliver a?few things,¡± Yool said. ¡°What are they?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Yool pulled out a scroll from his inner pocket. Chang-Sun quickly skimmed through the scroll, and his face darkened. Criminal name: The Tranquil Star Xue Yong. Faction: Purple Star Astrology. Committed crime: Vition of the Oath. Description: The following criminal vited the primordial oath made by the and and tried to wake up ¡®Nyx¡¯¡­ The detailed report about Xue Yong, who had be a , contained his crimes that were revealed during the interrogation. With this report, Thanatos would probably give Xue Yong¡¯s sentence in detail. However, the problem was what was written at the bottom part of the scroll. Below is the series of questions between the interrogator and the criminal. Q. Aside from your vition of the Oath, the investigators in the bureau are investigating what happened after the fall of the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯. A. Will my sentence be reduced if I cooperate? I¡¯ll tell you everything If you want, so please¡­ Q. I can¡¯t guarantee anything, but I¡¯ll persuade the judge to reduce your sentence as much as possible. A. After the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ went through the , was in chaos¡­ After the , the divine ss of the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ was revoked, and he plummeted from the sky. To save Chang-Sun, Kali, Xerxes, and his old colleagues went to war against . Chang-Sun didn¡¯t know how exactly the war broke out. The only traces that he could find were Baek Gyeo-Ul and the Elfin Root, Xerxes¡¯ son and Kali¡¯s apostle respectively. Chang-Sun had asked the to find out what exactly happened, but the incidents regarding Kali and Xerxes took ce in , which meant the couldn¡¯t look into the matter. However, Chang-Sun could now find out what happened. Although Xue Yong was one of the star signs, he didn¡¯t have the guts to withstand the pressure and fear from the . The most terrifying thing for a brilliantly shining star was plummeting from the very sky they resided in. Not realizing his hands were faintly trembling, Chang-Sun put all his attention to the interrogation report. A. Xerxes, Kali, and Richardus made aint over the hasty , so the and Celestials joined forces and drove them out¡­ ¡°Ah, ah¡­! I¡¯m sorry! If only I had been stronger¡­! If only I had kept my eyes on you, this wouldn¡¯t have happened! Are you hurt? Do y-you want me to help you walk?¡±? Xerxes had always been serious and too good for his own sake. His colleagues often grumbled that even a con man would be able to take his soul. He also had shallow tears, which bewildered Chang-Sun quite a lot. Chang-Sun and his colleagues fought a monster called Leviathan once, which lived in the ocean of the deep . Although only asionally, whenever it raised its head, it would devour a ne. It was so powerful that Chang-Sun was injured during the fight, yet it was Xerxes who cried his eyes out afterward. Most of Chang-Sun¡¯s colleagues agreed that they weren¡¯t ready to take on the Leviathan and should take their time in hunting the monster¡­ However, instead of listening to them, Chang-Sun pounced at the Leviathan out of curiosity about how strong it was. If it hadn''t been for Chang-Sun¡¯s colleagues, he would have sustained severe injuries. His divine ss could have been damaged or the Leviathan could have devoured him. Although it was Chang-Sun¡¯s fault that he and his colleagues were put in danger out of sheer greed, Xerxes apologized instead of ming him, saying that he failed to follow him as his shadow. That was who Xerxes was. ¡°It¡¯s this reckless simpleton who should apologize, so why are you weeping?¡± On the other hand, Kali was cynical. Whenever Xerxes cried, she would look at him in disbelief and say, ¡°What should I do with this pushover?¡± She fought with Chang-Sun the most because of his belligerence. However, although she would bring it upter for months, she never hesitated to fight the most dangerous opponents whenever battles broke out. She was the one person Chang-Sun could always trust to have his back when they were surrounded by enemies. ¡°How should I know? He¡¯s always crying. Still, isn¡¯t it good to see how he cares for his friend?¡± ¡°¡­ So why are you crying too?¡± Kali asked in disbelief.? ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m crying?! I¡¯m sweating through my eyes, that¡¯s all!¡±? ¡°You looked really touched, hmm!¡± Kali said.? ¡°No! I¡¯m Richardus Khan the Warrior! The fourth generation descendant of Khan, the great lion. How can a descendant of a lion cry?!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ whatever you say.¡± Kali lost the will to continue this conversation.? Richardus always called himself a warrior or a lion. Although he looked bulky and formidable, he only ever looked like that during battles. Outsidebat, Richardus was the most sentimental and romantic of all. And he loved arts. Friendship, loyalty, love¡­ those kinds of words were his favorite, and he kept his life full of those. ¡°You guys are too noisy. Let me get some sleep¡­ Why do you all have so much energy? Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re all young.¡± ¡®The Thousand-Year Slumbering Dragon.¡¯?Chang-Sun closed his eyes. Crom Cruach had lived for as long as ancient Celestials, so she always nodded off when they were not fighting. Although she imed that she had to replenish her stamina through sleeping due to her old age, from the others¡¯ perspective, she just seemed to love sleeping. Still, she was the group¡¯s oldest sister. Whenever battles would tire out Chang-Sun¡¯s group, she would take care of them. Whenever Chang-Sun felt homesick, Crom quietly listened to his story and gave him advice. Even after Chang-Sun¡¯s , Crom continued to be the group¡¯s oldest sister. The and Celestials joined forces and set up traps to kill Xerxes, Kali, and Richardus in an attempt to get rid of anything rted to Chang-Sun. To make aint about how Chang-Sun¡¯s was unfair, the three Celestials visited the courtroom, but that was when the Celestials from two ambushed them. It was Crom who saved the three Celestials. If she didn¡¯t block the numerous Celestials¡¯ and sacrificed herself, it would have been impossible for all three Celestials to escape. Unable to keep reading the report, Chang-Sun shut his eyes. However, he had already skimmed through it, the paragraphs from the report quickly shing across his mind. After Crom plummeted, all three Celestials escaped. The and , which basically ruled , had decided to cooperate on eliminating the survivors, so fighting them would have been suicide. Even Crom had told the three Celestials to run. Until the very end, Kali yelled that she would stay and fight together, but Crom insisted, telling Kali to escape and find a way to fight back. Be a resistance fighter, leave ... Crom told Kali she could use any method necessary, but she had to give up and escape first. And¡­ ¡°Twilight.¡± Crom said one more thing. ¡°You have to wake up Twilight again.¡± Kali nodded and promised Crom that she woulde back soon. However, they both knew that Kali wouldn¡¯t be able to keep her promise. Kali fled and tried to find a way to revive Chang-Sun just like Crom had told her to. However, Kali failed to carry out her n to create a resistance movement. No one was sure how they found out, but the and Celestials raided Kali¡¯s hideout. During the battle, Kali eventually passed away, and her subordinates scattered. After some time, the Elfin Root met Chang-Sun. Xerxes died as well¡ªno, he became literally so ragged and fell so hard that he was no better than a Celestial who plummeted. Xerxes had always been parasitic on Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow, so he was especially vulnerable to . Eventually, he ended up on Earth. ¡®He knows¡­ I¡¯m from Earth. He was looking for me,¡¯?Chang-Sun realized. However, their timelines didn¡¯t intersect. The timeflows of Arcadia, where Chang-Sun¡¯s colleagues were, and Earth were the pr opposite of one another. On top of that, Thanatos had rewound the ¡®small wheel,¡¯ messing up the entire time order. As a result, Xerxes fell deep into an abyss before he could meet Chang-Sun, leaving only his personality named Bardiya behind. On the other hand, Richardus was¡­ ¡®Even Xue Yong doesn¡¯t know Richardus¡¯ location.¡¯ The and had tenaciously searched for Richardus, but he had sessfully vanished. ording to Xue Yong, the manhunt for Richardus was still ongoing, so he could be preparing something else from somewhere. Chang-Sun could only hope so. After reading through the report, Chang-Sun crumpled up the scroll and quietly closed his eyes. ¡®¡­So Tian Shi Yuan is still looking for Richardus.¡¯ Thest part of Xue Yong¡¯s confession was about the manhunt for Richardus. Tian Shi Yuan, the leader of and one of Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions, was leading the search and recently found a trace. Amid Chang-Sun¡¯s silence, Yool slowly said, ¡°The King of the Underworld asked me to deliver this message to you, special-rank reaper.¡± ¡°¡­ What did he say?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°¡®I know we haven¡¯t even properly begun, but I hope this gift can relieve your pent-up anger at least a little bit.¡¯ He also added, ¡®I don¡¯t know about you, but I consider you my friend, not just a business partner, so I wish your heart won¡¯t get wounded anymore. ¡¯¡± Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t say anything, so he just chuckled. It was kind of funny to imagine Thanatos saying those cringy words with sincerity, but he was still grateful for Thanatos¡¯ constion. ¡°Talking like this any further won¡¯t do us any good. I¡¯ll contact youter.¡± Thanatos told him those words after sealing Xue Yong. It seemed this was what he meant. ¡°So you also know how to do that,¡± Yool said. Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure what Yool meant until he realized he had be slightly teary. Chang-Sun turned his head slightly to the side and wiped his eyes. Once he had calmed down, he turned back to look at Yool. ¡°He also asked me to tell you this as well.¡± Yool looked serious again. Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes also turned sharp, thinking this could be the reason why Yool hade here despite the risks. ¡°After you finished the sealing process, he noticed that the Celestials are acting suspicious,¡± Yool continued. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°They¡¯re observing your every movement ever since they concluded that you¡¯re involved in Xue Yong¡¯s disappearance. They have also asked the and for your information.¡± Chang-Sun grinned. ¡°They want to know if someone is backing me up or if I¡¯m connected to a Celestial.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Naturally, we have already taken care of everything rted to you, so there is no danger of getting caught.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°When you postponed taking the test proposed by Satan, it seems they concluded that you¡¯re hiding something after all. They want to provoke you now to get some reactions,¡± Yool said. ¡°They would face consequences due to thew of causality, but they still wish to mess with me?¡± ¡°They even sent a document about it to the , so you better be careful. And about [Execution Sword]¡ª¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m not stupid. I won¡¯t just pull it out without thinking it through,¡± Chang-Sun interrupted. The [Execution Sword] was the King of the Underworld¡¯s authority and relic. Although Chang-Sun had earned the right to seal Celestials on Thanatos¡¯ behalf, a catastrophe could ur if someone snatched the [Execution Sword] away from him. and . Sky and ground. ¡®Eros¡¯ and ¡®Nyx.¡¯ The border between these areas could crumble down. That was why Chang-Sun had to be really careful in using it. ¡°I know it wouldn¡¯t be an issue for you, but I thought I should remind you anyway.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Yool nodded. ¡°Keep in mind that you¡¯re the special-rank reaper and the emissary of the , so your safety equals the safety of the .¡± As his eyes gleamed, Yool paused for a moment. He was slowly exiting from the subordinate he had descended in. ¡°... And also the safety of the King of the Underworld, your friend, and my master.¡± Looking at Yool, who was disappearing, Chang-Sun threw his final question, ¡°I¡¯ll do that, but I have one question.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said the Celestials are going to form a siege to capture me. Who will be leading them?¡± * * * Focusing on the present, Chang-Sun looked at the message that popped up before him. [The Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ looks at you with suspicion!] Tian Shi Yuan, the Celestial who had killed his old colleagues and even put Richardus in danger, was currently watching Chang-Sun. 1. This deity is actually a ¡®he¡¯ in the actual mythology, but it¡¯s a ¡®she¡¯ in this novel. The deity is an ancient fertility deity from Irish mythology. Chapter 209: Star, the Illuminati (5)

Chapter 209: Star, the Illuminati (5)

¡®He¡¯s busy,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Tian Shi Yuan was a hardliner Celestial within the . Compared to Zi Wei Yuan and Tai Wei Yuan, the two other Three Enclosures, Tian Shi Yuan often operated in public. That was how he garnered the biggest number of subordinates and soldiers among the Three Enclosures. Most of the notorious incidents in that were known to have been done by the Celestials happened under Tian Shi Yuan¡¯s orders. This one was no different. Zi Wei Yuan and Tai Wei Yuan showed no reactions, and even the Twenty-Eight Mansions stayed quiet. It was just Tian Shi Yuan. Following his lead, Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends watched Chang-Sun as well. Yool had warned Chang-Sun that if he used [Execution Sword] right now, the Celestials would notice what the was up to something and discover that the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ had resurrected. Yool had also advised Chang-Sun to prepare for their siege without attracting too much attention since doing so would be dangerous for Chang-Sun and the hadn¡¯t finished their preparations to fight . Chang-Sun was well aware of those facts. ¡®But I can¡¯t just let them all go like this.¡¯? From Chang-Sun¡¯s perspective, the people besieging him right now were all fishes jumping into a. The was a very big in , so many other and Celestials followed it. The followers of those small fries were the ones involved in this. ¡®If only I can capture Tian Shi Yuan here.¡¯ Upon the [Execution Sword]¡¯s activation, Chang-Sun¡¯s mind pce was used as a courtroom, and the Celestial caught by it was forced to go through a trial using a yer and their Channelings as mediums. Depending on how he used it, Chang-Sun thought he could make Tian Shi Yuan stand trial if he could capture one of his followers. ¡®Even if things don¡¯t go ording to the n, it¡¯ll still be worth it if I can just get rid some of Tian Shi Yuan¡¯s subordinates.¡¯ Chang-Sun licked his parched lips, feeling his greed grow. ¡®The problem is how I can blindfold these Celestials.¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ says that he will make a formalint about thister, but for now, he wonders how you will ovee this obstacle.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ advises you to take her hand if you want to escape from the danger.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ promises you that if you swear to be his subordinate, he will not only forgive what you have done with the Celestial ¡®Gemini¡¯ but also protect you from the Society ¡®Purple Star Astrology.¡¯] ¡­ [A significant number of Celestials have offered to be your shield.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ pulls her hair out, saying that too many Celestials are interested in you.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ments that it is about time the Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ gets used to it.] Fearing the , some Celestials backed off. However, some Celestials offered their protection instead, pretending to be generous. ¡®Taurus¡¯ and ¡®Aquarius¡¯ even offered Chang-Sun to join the . Jacque Valentine, who was sitting across from Chang-Sun, seemed willing to help Chang-Sun if he needed it, but the cost of his help would surely be high. Satan didn¡¯t do charity, and the same applied to the Celestials of the executives at the other trainpartments. Although theyined about the tyranny of the , no one tried to stop what it was trying to do. Things could have been different if Chang-Sun were their subordinate, but he had nothing to do with them. Likewise, the Celestials and the yers who followed theirmands had no reason to go through the trouble ofing into political conflict with the . In fact, some Celestials could think this was for the better. From the beginning, they had been trying to test Chang-Sun through Satan¡¯s trial, but they didn¡¯t have to go through the trouble if the Celestials did it for them. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is gritting his teeth because his is forcing him to make a decision. He looks at you with love and hatred.] ¡®Well, if they want to know that badly¡­¡¯ Chang-Sun naturally had no intention to stand down from this fight. Why would he miss such a good opportunity? No, even if it wasn¡¯t, he would never run away from a fight. ¡®... then I¡¯ll show them.¡¯ Chang-Sun smiled faintly. ¡°Hey.¡± The ¡®ck Horse¡¯ Shaka approached Chang-Sun, still frowning deeply. Shaka had always found joy in instilling fear into people, so he didn¡¯t like Chang-Sun ignoring him. The more Shaka crumpled up his face, the more the tribal tattoos covering half his face distorted and made him look more menacing. [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ smacks his lips, wondering which part of you would be the tastiest!] ¡°Team L,¡± Chang-Sun said. While observing the situation in fear of the train overturning because of the conflict between Chang-Sun and Shaka, Woo Hye-Bin, Shin Eun-Seo, and Shin Geum-Gyu turned their heads toward Chang-Sun¡¯s call. ¡°Huh? Yes!¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Protect the train and safely escort Joachim to the headquarters. Gyeo-Ul and I will be leaving for a bit. We¡¯ll join you in the headquarterster.¡± The Team L members refrained from asking any questions when they saw Shaka grabbing Chang-Sun¡¯s shoulder in annoyance. Shaka didn¡¯t understand Korean at all. ¡°What are you talking about, you bastard? You badmouthed me just now, didn¡¯t you? Or are you so scared that you don¡¯t know what to do¡­ Arghhh!¡± Shaka screamed. He tried to drag Chang-Sun out, but he felt pain in his right shoulder instead. His whole right arm had been ripped off, causing his blood to stter everywhere! Jacque¡¯s eyes widened. He didn¡¯t expect Chang-Sun to begin the battle inside the train, which was filled with many other passengers. Joachim Wolff was about to stand up instinctively when the ¡®White Horse¡¯ Troy fiercely swung his spear at Chang-Sun [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ is furious because you hurt his first apostle!] Chang-Sun grabbed Troy¡¯s spear with his right hand, starting a contest of strength. ¡®Idiot!¡¯ Troy smirked at Chang-Sun. Although Troy didn¡¯t know how in the world Chang-Sun had cut off Shaka¡¯s arm, Troy believed it was stupid of Chang-Sun to try subduing him with brute strength alone. Troy was born strong and had consumed several elixirs to increase his physical strength, so he thought his Strength stat point right now should be as high as a ¡®King-ss¡¯ yer. Chang-Sun could have been showing a performance brilliant enough to put the ¡®What?!¡¯ Troy thought in surprise. Despite being the one wielding the spear, he was getting pulled toward Chang-Sun. No matter how hard Troy tried to pull his weapon away and even though Chang-Sun was at a disadvantage since he was sitting down, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t budge. Yes, Troy wasn¡¯t aware that Chang-Sun was a Giant, not an ordinary human. Humans could never defeat a Giant in a test of strength, especially considering the Giant in question was the Giant King. Boom! Chang-Sun pulled the spear toward him and swung it against the window, throwing Troy out of the train. [The Title ¡®Jigwi Giant Incarnation¡¯ has been applied, spreading your wings wide!] Unfolding his wings, which were made out of purple lightning energy, Chang-Sun flew out of the destroyed window. As he did, Baek Gyeo-Ul seeped into Chang-Sun¡¯s shadow. ¡°Ah, fuck! Stop!¡± Shaka immediately followed Chang-Sun despite the pain he was in, his bloodshot eyes filled with fury. He wanted to rip Chang-Sun into shreds, but the moment Shaka jumped out of the train¡­ ¡°Idiot.¡± Chang-Sun smirked at Shaka. Shaka gasped and hurriedly turned his head upward. He thought Chang-Sun had left the train and headed elsewhere, but Chang-Sun was just sitting on the train roof, watching Shaka with cold eyes. ¡®It was a trap!¡¯?were thest thoughts Shaka had before he died. [The Skill ¡®ming Lightning Bolt¡¯ has been activated!] Lightning energy was the resulting light energy from the collision between a positive charge and a descending negative charge. Using that mechanism, Chang-Sun thought he could increase his skill¡¯s damage output. Chang-Sun drew up yang energy in his right hand and yin energy in his left hand. He then pped loudly once. p. Purple lightning sparks fiercely flew up. As thunder muffled Chang-Sun¡¯s p, a lightning bolt struck Shaka, ending him. Seemingly connecting the sky and the ground, the long lightning bolt not only instantly smashed Shaka¡¯s head but also turned him into a lump of coal. Troy, who had finally pulled himself together from the shock of getting thrown outside, turned pale. ¡°Shaka!¡± Shaka and Troy had different birthdays, parents, birthces, ethnicities, and principles. However, Troy always thought of Shaka as his twin brother, and it was the same for Shaka. They even had stic surgery to have the same appearance and size. Moreover, their way of talking, personality, skill trees¡­ By making everything the same, they moved as if they were one person even when they weremitting crimes or making love. However, Troy¡¯s twin brother had just been brutally killed right before him, putting him through worse pain than his heart getting ripped out. However, before he could recover from the shock, Chang-Sun showed up in front of him. Smiling coldly just like when he killed Shaka, Chang-Sun said, ¡°You¡¯ll meet your idiotic friend soon, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Chang-Sun fiercely swung the [Yuchang Sword] in his right hand, drawing an arc in the air with the white sacred light mixed with purple lightning energy and divine energy. [The Skill ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s First w¡¯ has been activated!] sh. A pool of blinding light burst as Troy was pushed away, his blood spilling. Albeit with difficulty, Troy sessfully managed to deflect Chang-Sun¡¯s attack. However, he still looked the same as Shaka, who was helplessly lying on the ground. [The Skill ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s Second w¡¯ has been activated!] This time, Chang-Sun mixed and demonic energy using [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Completely different from the sacred light from before, the dark light struck the top of Troy¡¯s head. It was still light, but it devoured everything rather than brightening up the world. . Boom! From the top of his head to his groin, a red vertical line was drawn over Troy. Ssh.? Bleeding profusely, Troy was cut in half and helplessly fell down on the ground. Over the past decades, these two demonic beings had made a fool out of the Council and Interpol, but they died in Chang-Sun¡¯s hands before they could even do anything. [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ is stunned by his apostles¡¯ death!] [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ hates you even more now.] [The Celestials narrow their eyes upon witnessing your fight.] The [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] were creating Double Sword Resonance. Straightening his grip on them, Chang-Sun detected the presence of people closing in on him. [The Authority ¡®Monster Excursion¡¯ has been activated, detecting the enemies who wish to kill you!] [The Authority ¡®Mamushi Eye¡¯ has been activated, showing the detected enemies¡¯ locations!] Heoju¡¯s [Monster Excursion] and J?rmungandr¡¯s [Mamushi Eye] were a very good match. [Mamushi Eye] Mamushi is a snake cruel enough to eat its own mother. Just like the snake, you¡¯ll be on high alert and gain a perfect all-around guard, allowing you to sessfully run from your enemy or devour your prey in a sh. ¡¤ Skill level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Active. Authority. ¡¤ Effect: Vantage Point Detection. Enemy Detection. Marking Weakness. With those two Authorities, Chang-Sun would never miss his enemies, no matter how well they had hidden. ¡®Within a one-kilometer radius, there are¡­ around thirty people,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. There were quite many of them, but that didn¡¯t mean the fight would be difficult. However, the problem was that they were in the real world, not a Dungeon that disappeared once a yer had cleared it. Although Chang-Sun was just defending himself, killing so many people at once would still be dangerous. Shaka and Troy were just wanted criminals around the world, so Chang-Sun would actually receive rewards for killing them, not reprimanded. ¡®They¡¯re different since many of them wouldn¡¯t be demonic beings. They just have the Celestials as their Guardians.¡¯? Considering Chang-Sun had to subdue most of them, he was left with only one method. ¡®Break through the barricade with overwhelming power.¡¯ Chang-Sun clicked his tongue, putting on the iron mask on his waist. Click¨D! At the same time, he began to synchronize with Simon Magus, increasing his cognitive ability so he could calcte quicker. ¡¸Hehehe¡­ this is my chance to read [Prti¡¯s Spellbook] again.¡¹ Along with Simon''sugh, Chang-Sun heard the sound of pages turning. [The second chapter of ¡®Prti¡¯s Spellbook¡¯ has opened!] The first chapter was radi¨¢t?o. By maximizing the lethality of lightning energy, Chang-Sun could make his vicinity more advantageous for his allies. Meanwhile, the next chapter was¡­ [The second chapter ¡®D¨ªg?ro Ignis¡¯ has been applied, overloading your mana to enhance your physical abilities!] ¡­ about gathering lightning energy. Constantly releasing lighting energy exhausted and wasted a lot of Chang-Sun¡¯s mana, so although it was fine in short battles, it was dangerous to use lightning energy during longbat. However, if he could circte a massive amount of lightning energy inside him, then Chang-Sun would be able to use lightning energy more efficiently. It could also sharpen his nervous system and reinforce him. Cells, neurons, synapses, and every part of the human body functioned through electrical stimtions. On top of that, Chang-Sun had the characteristic of an elemental spirit, so it was naturally more important to him. That was why it was named D¨ªg?ro Ignis, which meant splitting lightning energy. Pzzz¨D! Purple lightning energy engulfed Chang-Sun, and his skin turned pale. Even his hair color turned silvery white. Navy-blue mes lit up more ferociously than ever behind the iron mask he wore. [Your ¡®Ferocious Heart¡¯ is racing after embracing an immense amount of lightning energy!] Badump, badump, badump¨D! Chang-Sun¡¯s heart raced and his blood quickly circted just like when he resonated with Surtr¡¯s heart. The massive amount of lightning energy inside his blood upgraded his physical senses, body, and power more than ever. Right now, Chang-Sun felt as if he had be a lightning deity who threw lightning bolts indiscriminately. Boom! Swoosh¨D! Springing forward, Chang-Sun turned into a purple lightning bolt and darted toward the siege. He could detect Tian Shi Yuan¡¯s presence beyond the ce he was trying to reach. 1. The reason why this story exists is that its hanja is š¢Ä¸Éß(A snake kills mother), but it¡¯s not actually true. A mamushi is ovoviviparous. After giving birth, the snake be so tired that it rarely moves. While in that state, the baby mamushis crawl around their mother, making the people walking by misunderstand that the mother mamushi is dead. Chapter 210: Star, the Illuminati (6)

Chapter 210: Star, the Illuminati (6)

Known to be nearly or even as skilled as a King-ss yer, the Nine Evils gave up their humanity and turned into demonic beings. Each one of them was considered a walking disaster that even governments around the globe were reluctant to start a conflict with. The Killer Overlord Czestochowa used to be one of those Evils. Another member of the Nine Evils was Nadine Azram, a Lebanese man who seemed to be in his fifties and had tanned skin. He also had a bounty of over ten billion won on his head, but he moved so much like a ghost that despite the Council¡¯s tenacious manhunt, he remained unapprehended. Now, however, that same man had shown himself in Germany. He bit on his cigar in annoyance as he observed the situation at the foot of the hill. The yers who participated in the quest [World Net] were moving quickly. ¡°It¡¯s quite chilly today,¡± Nadine mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s a good day to shove a small fry into the North Sea.¡± The Council didn¡¯t have much influence over the Middle East and South African regions, so Nadine would usually have been wandering around those areas. Nevertheless, he was here in Germany today despite all the risks because of the prophecy he received from the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan,¡¯ his Guardian. ¡¸My son, who follows me while embracing . Listen, there is an evil force in yournd that dares defy my teachings. Find and punish them on my behalf. Prove that you are my son, my most exceptional first son.¡¹ The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ called his followers his sons and daughters. When a follower was bestowed with the seat of a priest, they would be known as an exceptional son or a splendid daughter. Among the followers, Nadine was a very exceptional son, which meant he was a high-ranking priest in the religious order that believed in ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ However, there was a problem. ¡®No one can lead his sons and daughters,¡¯?Nadine thought. ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ was a Celestial with a very divine ss, so ordinary yers couldn¡¯t even think about having him as their Guardian. Despite not being very popr, he had many followers. In fact, most demonic beings had ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ as their Guardians. The ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ was the Guardian of Czestochowa, who used to be known as the Killer Overlord and one of the Nine Evils. However, even the ¡®Big Sick Bag¡¯ was part of the , which was led by ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ In other words, he held a rank lower than ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ Nevertheless, Czestochowa was the one who became an Overlord, not Nadine, because of his rank. Czestochowa used to be an apostle, while Nadine was just a mere priest. Hence, there was a limit to the Authorities that Nadine could have. Moreover, he was less politically influential than her even though he was just as skilled. That was mainly due to the other arrogant Overlords who dered that a mere priest couldn¡¯t be considered equal to them. Since he wasn¡¯t his Guardian¡¯s apostle yet, his rank turned into an inferiorityplex. Anyone who would point out his rank would be tortured horrifically and shoved into a drum can, which he would then throw into the center of the Pacific Ocean. However, ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ had suddenly given a prophecy where Nadine was called his Guardian¡¯s first child, among other things. Everyone knew that ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ called his apostle his ¡®first child.¡¯ Of course, Nadine wasn¡¯t the only one who had received the prophecy, so the demonic beings that had spread all around the world gathered up in Germany. It was easy to get on the Council¡¯s radar if this many demonic beings moved at once, but bing the apostle of ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ was worth the risk. Nadine even postponed the important business he had to take care of in Mexico and smuggled himself into Europe because of his other mission: kill the priest of the ¡®Goddess of Massacre and Destruction,¡¯ whom he had never even heard about. Of course, he was certain that he would be the First Son of ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ ¡°To have a proper bet, I have to rig the bet in a way that would make it favorable to me before I start,¡± Nadine said. Even before the quest window of [World Net] popped up, Nadine had already finished negotiating with a number of people. The Monochrome Horses, the apostles of the ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight.¡¯ Jeff Mustafa, the apostle of the ¡®Screeching Woman.¡¯ Kan Berisha, the Big Pipe of the ¡®Iron-Pipe-ying Sage.¡¯ Nasser Rica, the Colorful Silk of the ¡®Mysterious Silk-Wrapped Man¡¯. Nadine formed a pact with several of the Celestials¡¯ apostles. If he sessfully became the apostle of ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ by capturing Chang-Sun, he would give them a huge share of his religious order¡¯s assets. ¡®The Doom Breaker is here too.¡¯ Three of the Nine Evils were in the ¡ªCzestochowa, Nadine, and Sikario, who was moremonly known as the Doom Breaker. While Czestochowa specialized in terrorist attacks and assassinations, Sikario mainly dealt with drugs and assaults using his past experience of working in a South American cartel. Sikario was also participating in this quest. He and Nadine wished to be known as an Overlord like Czestochowa, so they agreed to work together to aim for perfection and promised to have half of Chang-Sun¡¯s head each. Aside from these apostles, Nadine¡¯s subordinates, whom he had been training in secret, were also on the move. Likewise, Sikario was also leading his people to hunt Chang-Sun. ¡®I don¡¯t know if the rumor of Lee Chang-Sun killing Czestochowa is true, but it doesn¡¯t matter. He won¡¯t be able to escape this siege.¡¯?Nadine chuckled. From the French intelligence agency, one of Nadine¡¯s subordinates had brought him information about Chang-Sun killing the Killer Overlord and disying strength equal to that of the Immortal Overlord. No matter how hard Nadine thought about it, it was nonsense. ¡°Killing the Killer Overlord, my ass.¡± Nadine shook his head, still biting the cigar. And even if the information his subordinates brought him was real, it still wouldn¡¯t matter. After all, in the center of the [World Net] was a big trap Chang-Sun had no idea about. ¡°There will be no need for you all to step in, so just stand there and watch.¡± Nadine nced somewhere and turned in the opposite direction, thick cigar smoke spreading out from his mouth. [The Subordinate ¡®Peculiar Warring Deity¡¯ is watching you.] [The Subordinate ¡®Brave Mutant General¡¯ clicks his tongue, saying you will suffer if things do not go ording to n.] ¡­ [The Subordinates of the Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ are protecting you!] Four faint several-meter-tall shadows appeared behind Nadine and disappeared. The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ himself had sent his subjects for Nadine. ¡°I hope Sikario brings the package as soon as possible¡­¡± Nadine muttered to himself. He obviously believed he would sessfullyplete this task. ¡®I¡¯ll get this job done first, then capture the priest of the ¡®Goddess of Massacre and Destruction¡¯ or something. I heard that one is a female elf¡­ hehe! I¡¯ll finally get to have some fun after so long.¡¯ * * * Meanwhile, Sikario led the people who made up the firstyer of the siege. However, contrary to Nadine¡¯s expectations, Sikario screamed, in great shock, ¡°¡­ Unbelievable!¡± Sikario was thrilled until less than half an hour ago, thinking he would capture and bring Chang-Sun to his Guardian in no time. Nadine was idiotically nning on using Sikario as his pawn, so Sikario nned to backstab Nadine and have Chang-Sun¡¯s head all to himself, ultimately hoarding all the quest rewards as well. However, it didn¡¯t take long for Sikario to realize how wrong he was. Rumble¨D! Boom, boom, boom! ¡°Arghhh!¡± ¡°Get out of¡ª!¡± ¡°Shit! Move out of the way! Let my pants go!¡± ¡°Bring me with you, please! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± ¡°Let me go!¡± Whenever purple sparks flew up in the air, earsplitting explosions shook the ground as if a cannon had been fired. Although thunder should echo in the sky, it was reverberating across the ground, making them feel as if their ears were literally going to split. Moreover, lightning crashed non-stop, not just once, so even the ones without PTSD got traumatized. When the lightning bombardment stopped, the area reeked with the thick smell of blood and something burning. If it had just been any other lightning, Sikario would have snorted, saying that it was all sh and no substance¡ªno, all the other yers forming the siege would have reacted the same way since most of them were wanted demonic beings. Their guts were iparably bigger than civilians¡¯. However, Chang-Sun¡¯s lightning was powerful¡ªno, destructive. With a simple vertical swing of his sword, he created tsunamis out of lightning bolts and swept the ground with it, instantly turning over a dozen yers into lumps of coal. The yers activated their shy skills and cast their most powerful defense magic spells, but every time purple lightning bolts struck the ground, their attacks were nullified and their barriers were shattered. Those in the area where the bolts struck were pulverized without a trace, be it humans, trees, or boulders. Moreover, the lightning tsunami ttened the nearby hills, leaving only scorch marks behind as evidence that a lightning bolt had struck it. Such a sight was bound to destroy anyone¡¯s morale. [The Skill ¡®ming Lightning Bolt¡¯ has been activated. Your divine and demonic energies are increasing its damage!] A siege? A human barricade? Outnumbering the opponent? Those strategies could have worked against some people. However, using them against someone with overwhelming power was no different from putting one¡¯s head in a guillotine and begging to be killed. In Sikario¡¯s eyes, Chang-Sun was a Giant holding up the de of that guillotine. In fact, a purple Giant was actually standing behind Chang-Sun, swinging its sword whenever Chang-Sun swung his. It got rid of everything standing in their way, leaving no path unscathed. ¡°When¡­ will he run out of mana? And what is up with his uracy?¡± Sikario pulled on his hair. He wasn¡¯t sure if the Giant was Chang-Sun¡¯s summon or Guardian, but Chang-Sun was repeatedly using such destructive kills while maintaining the Giant¡¯s form. Taking those into consideration, his mana was bound to be depleted soon. However, although Sikari wasn¡¯t sure if Chang-Sun was just faking it, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t look tired at all. Moreover, although he boasted immense damage output, his attacks shouldn¡¯t be hitting as strong or should even bepletely missing the enemies standing far away from him! [The Authority ¡®Mamushi Eye¡¯ has been activated, locating the enemies.] [The Authority ¡®Perfect Marksmanship¡¯ has been activated, sessfully striking the located enemies.] Distance didn¡¯t prove to be a problem for Chang-Sun to defeat everyone, though. As a result, the yers stopped the siege and fled as fast as they could, leaving too many weapons behind. However, the part that terrified Sikario the most was that¡­ ¡°Save¡­ me¡­!¡± ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t leave me¡­!¡± the Destructive lightning bolts sweeping through the ground killed almost no one¡ªno, perhaps everyone was still alive even though they had lost their limbs or sustained burns all over themselves. That was what made it difficult to think they were truly alive. Sikario assumed that Chang-Sun was trying to avoid getting arrested for murder. ording to the internationalw of yers, whether or not a yer killed another was a definitive factor in deciding if their actions were acts of self-defense. Under normal circumstances, Sikario would have thought Chang-Sun was acting too stupid and said that he was acting soft because he was scared of what the others thought. However, although it seemed Chang-Sun was definitely worried about internationalw, he seemed to have a bigger picture in mind. [Fear is spreading across the battlefield!] Instilling fear among the yers¡­ The earsplitting thunder, blinding light, and thick burning smell were definitely horrible, but the people screaming in pain and despair were in a state where death seemed to be a more peaceful ending. The sight ought to be horrifying. To make things worse, they all used to be colleagues whoughed, chatted, and got drunk together until reality stopped showing them mercy. They were demonic beings, but they still cared for one another. [The Celestial ¡®Screeching Woman¡¯ screams because her followers are dropping like flies!] [The Celestial ¡®Iron-Pipe-ying Sage¡¯ ys a intive tune with his iron pipe.] [The Celestial ¡®Silk-Wrapped Mysterious Man¡¯ is shaking in anger.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ bes furious and asks why there are only idiots around here!] [The Celestial ¡®Impetuous Dragon Horse General¡¯ urges his apostle!] ¡®Fuck!¡¯?Sikario cursed. The request of his Guardian, who always bestowed him with great power, made his heart race. Sikario found joy in tormenting the weak, so thest thing he wanted to do was voluntarily walk into hellfire. His iron mask, blue eyes, white hair, lightning energy, Giant¡­ Everything about Chang-Sun petrified Sikario. [The Celestial ¡®Impetuous Dragon Horse General¡¯ threatens you that he will revoke your apostle status if you don¡¯t follow his order!] [You are not actively undertaking the quest right now.] [Undertake the quest.] [Undertake the quest.] ¡­ [If you fail the quest, you will lose your apostle status and your Guardian¡¯s blessings.] Sikario¡¯s Guardian was basically asking him to shove his head into a guillotine. Unfortunately, he had no other options. He would be lucky if he just lost his apostle status after running away from here. What would happen if he had to retire as a yer? His enemies woulde at him like hyenas. Bing a demonic being meant living life on the edge. In the end, Sikario slowly pulled out his kukri and calmed his breathing, telling himself that even if Chang-Sun had an infinite amount of mana, he would have be tired after fighting against that many people. Paah¨D! Sikario sprinted toward Chang-Sun, looking nervous. [The yer ¡®Sikario Escobar¡¯ has died!] A short message soon popped up. [The [World Net] is quickly crumbling down!] [The Celestial ¡®Impetuous Dragon Horse General¡¯ is in great shock upon witnessing how his apostle lost his head with a single strike.] [The Celestial ¡®Screeching Woman¡¯ screams due to the battle¡¯s unexpected turn.] [The Celestial ¡®Iron-Pipe-ying Sage¡¯ ys a funeral march.] ¡­ [The star signs became silent.] [Several Celestials who have been watching the situation are in shock.] [The employees are rewriting the assessment report about the yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun.¡¯] ¡­ [ is in shock!] 1. It¡¯s like a curved machete/dagger. It¡¯s the national weapon of Nepal. Chapter 211: Star, the Illuminati (7)

Chapter 211: Star, the Illuminati (7)

¡°R-run!¡± After Sikario got killed, the yers hurriedly fled without caring about the World Net. Within seconds, the siege crumbled down. ¡®D¨ªg?ro Ignis¡­ It¡¯s way better than I expected,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought.? The others likely didn¡¯t notice due to Chang-Sun¡¯s iron mask, but he was smiling whilst using D¨ªg?ro Ignis. Although he wasn¡¯t using it as well as he hoped, he could still utilize it quite proficiently. It was safe to assume that he was now at the level of Ghost Spear, which was his nickname before he had and earned the divine name of ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ ¡®My nervous system has been upgraded. I like how I can now control every cell in my body.¡¯ Chang-Sun became so sturdy that a sword wouldn¡¯t be able to leave even a scratch on him, but he could move way faster and deliver a lot more destructive blows than before. Even Chang-Sun was amazed by the change. Besides, D¨ªg?ro Ignis also enhanced his thinking ability, intuition, and judgment. It artificially put him in Samadhi to give him absolute concentration on this battle. ¡®I understand now why he said I have to umte this much lightning energy to obtain .¡¯ The purpose of was to tweak one¡¯s nervous system and allow them to utilize their talent and potential to the limit while retaining control over their body. ¡°You¡¯re just going to use lightning energy to smash and crash stuff? You¡¯re one confident idiot,¡± the Fourth Elder said.? ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± Chang-Sun mumbled.? ¡°What is?¡± ¡°The One-horned Tribe only knows how to fight, so it¡¯s a bit odd to hear that from one of its members.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re not wrong, but¡­ Anyhow! That¡¯s not the only way you should use your lightning energy, okay?¡± The Fourth Elder, who had taught Chang-Sun the method to get , told him that he would quickly be fatigued if he only dispersed lightning energy. ¡°Embrace it,¡± the Fourth Elder continued.? ¡°How? It¡¯s too strong. I¡¯ll die if I make a mistake,¡± Chang-Sun asked.? ¡°In my tribe, one¡¯s body is considered a small universe. Have you heard about how your brain¡¯s neuralwork resembles the universe¡¯s interster system?¡± ¡°I thought that was pseudoscience.¡± ¡°You and your mouth¡­ It¡¯s more than that. Your head is the sky, your feet are the ground, and your spine is the pir of those two. Likewise, your body is a pathway between the sky and the ground. The human body also has three hundred and sixty acupuncture points, just like the number of days that makes up a year. Your five viceras symbolize the five elements of the universe, and your six entrails serve as the six meridians. With those two¡­¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°¡­ In other words, your body is bigger, wider, and can embrace many things since it¡¯s a small universe.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°The idiots who don¡¯t know anything say bullcrap about how one¡¯s body is a prison for their soul and that they should through spiritual growth. But what can someone do if they can¡¯t even control their own body properly?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened. The Fourth Elder¡¯s remark shocked Chang-Sun. At some point, the people who wished to achieve and would start neglecting physical training and focus on developing their souls. Before this conversation, Chang-Sun had also thought and done the same thing. While going through battle after battle, Chang-Sun had always pondered about how he should train physically and what would be the most efficient way to utilize his mana, but he had only focused on increasing his ss after his . However, the Fourth Elder coldly said that it was wrong. ¡°A neural system needs electric impulses to work, and the same goes for cells and brains, which means you can do a lot more if you can control these electrical impulses.¡± The Fourth Elder grinned.? ¡°¡­ You¡¯re telling me to use lightning energy as a method to control my body?¡± Chang-Sun summarized.? ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Using lightning energy, put every cell in your body under your control. What do you think would happen if you can also control the electrical impulses going to your brain?¡± ¡°Gosh¡­¡± ¡°Body, mana, thinking ability¡­ you can control everything in ordance with your will. Talent? Potential? Limit? Why do they matter when you can control yourself?¡± The first and most important factor in self-cultivation was havingplete control over oneself. The concept of oneself not only included one¡¯s soul and mind but also one¡¯s body.? ¡°Then you¡¯ll be able to utilize your mind, qi, and body as you please. From that moment¡­¡±? ¡°No human can beat me,¡± Chang-Sun interrupted.? ¡°Bingo.¡± Even after achieving , Celestials cultivated themselves to haveplete control over their body, mind, and qi. During their training, they naturally learned to control their mana andplete their skills. However, the Fourth Elder had told Chang-Sun to reach that level while he was still a mortal since that was the only way to learn the basics of . That was why Chang-Sun created . Aside from increasing his damage output, it allowed him to control his body and strike his enemies more efficiently. In addition, he had toplete himself. Pzz, pzzz! Rumble¨D! [The yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ is dominating the battlefield!] It looked as if no one could go up against Chang-Sun, who was indiscriminately emitting purple lightning sparks. [Many Celestials wonder about your identity greatly!] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ watches you silently, his hands faintly trembling.] Heoju seemed to be confused in many ways, maybe because Chang-Sun reminded him of some old memories as Chang-Sun had nned. [61% of the ¡®World Net¡¯ members have been incapacitated.] [12% of the ¡®World Net¡¯ members are shaken up.] [23% of the ¡®World Net¡¯ members attempt to flee.] Despite how much havoc Chang-Sun had wreaked, he still had trouble controlling the adrenaline that was rushing in every corner of his body, so he wanted to keep chasing them¡­ However, he couldn¡¯t because it looked like the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ wasn¡¯t the only one who was waiting for him from afar. Of course, he couldn¡¯t let the other people go. ¡®I pulled out my ¡®sword¡¯, so I better use it to the fullest to crush their spirits so much that they¡¯ll never be able to hold up their heads high in my direction.¡¯ [The ¡®Changgwi Cave¡¯ has opened!] Shadow spread behind Chang-Sun like an ocean wave, and dozens of will o¡¯ wisps appeared. Like people¡¯s breath in winter, the ferocious Undead Army soldiers released gray ghost energy as they sat on Ghost Devil Horses. Due to his progress in his conquest of the Changgwi Cave, Chang-Sun now had around fifty subordinates. ¡¸We await yourmand,¡¹Jin said. Chang-Sun instructed, ¡°Kill them all.¡± ¡¸Yes, master!¡¹ At Jin¡¯s shout, the Undead Army soldiers marched. Roarrr! [Your Subordinate ¡®Sinmara¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Giant¡¯s Roar,¡¯ decreasing the enemies¡¯ morale drastically!] Chang-Sun took over the battlefield in a sh. * * * ¡®Huh¡­!¡¯?Baek Gyeo-Ul was rendered speechless. He already knew how great Chang-Sun¡¯s ability was, but he never expected Chang-Sun would dominate the battlefield like this. The yer that had died just now was Sikario, known to be one of the Nine Evils and to be as skilled as a King-ss yer. He was even arrogantly nicknamed Doom Breaker, which showed that predestined fates meant nothing to him. Even so, the renowned yers were powerless before Chang-Sun¡¯s sword. ¡¸Kill them all!¡¹ In contrast, Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinates were now the ones hunting down the enemies, so they weren¡¯t going to miss this chance. Acting as a vanguard, Jin Prezia issued orders, and dozens of Undead Army soldiers charged, riding their Ghost Devil Horses. [The Authority ¡®Demon Face¡¯ has been activated, bestowing the masks to your subordinates!] Chang-Sun¡¯s executive subordinates grabbed masks assigned to them before they used their reins. [Your Subordinate ¡®Jin Prezia¡¯ has worn the ¡®Lion Demon Face,¡¯ increasing his Strength and Agility significantly!] The first one to wear the mask was Jin. As he had already experienced the effect of [Demon Face], he had no hesitation in wearing it. Click¨D! [The ice attribute of your Subordinate ¡®Jin Prezia¡¯ has been enhanced.] [Your Subordinate ¡®Jin Prezia¡¯ has acquired the immortality attribute.] [The Synchronization rate of your Subordinate ¡®Jin Prezia¡¯ with you, his king, has increased!] ¡¸Yes, yes!¡¹ [Lion Demon Face] fit Jin so perfectly that it was as if it had always been his face in the first ce. The mask used to look sad, seemingly about to cry any minute, but it now looked very angry. Jin¡¯s eyes, as ferocious as a lion, the king of the jungle, could be seen through its two eyeholes. Pzzzz¨D! Ooo¨D! Ooooo¨D! Jin kept emitting ghost energy as he rode his horse forward, but when his ice attribute was enhanced, the energy became more ominous. intive ghost wails echoed as if Jin was carrying a ghost on his back. Jin infused a considerable amount of his ice and ghost energies into the [Frost King¡¯s Greatsword], slowly covering it in ice. Craack¨D! [Your Subordinate ¡®Jin Prezia¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Frozen Realm¡¯!] In seconds, Jin caught up to a group of yers and fiercely swung the [Frost King¡¯s Greatsword] at them. Seeing the gigantic greatsword right in front of his eyes, Beppetto, the Crocodile Tear n leader, turned pale. ¡°N-no¡­! When Beppetto received the quest from the , he giggled and just thought it would be a good way to earn some money. He didn¡¯t expect to regret epting it. The fact that his greed to be famous after killing the Tyrant turned into his demise made him want to turn back time. Beppetto¡¯s twenty subordinates. who had followed him as they giggled, felt the same. However, before they could even pray for their wishes toe true, an ice tsunami had already swept them away and trapped them in sturdy ice, immortalizing their shocked and terrified expressions. Woosh¨D!? Crack, crack! ¡°Arghh! Arggghh!¡± ¡°How can such a summon¡­!¡± ¡°D-don¡¯te¡­!¡± The yers who encountered Jin all fell into shock. Where did Chang-Sun get such a summon? No, can he even be called a summon? Jin¡¯s aura was so overwhelming that he seemed capable of defeating most high-rankers, and he was also as intelligent as a human! The yers could now tell for certain that Chang-Sun was already a King-ss yer. Nevertheless, they still couldn¡¯t fathom how Chang-Sun could control such summons when he himself had such a highbat power. It was a well-known fact that a monster summoner or an elemental-spirit summoner couldn¡¯t be powerful in physicalbat. However,pletely nullifying what the yers knew, Chang-Sun showed otherwise. To make things worse, Chang-Sun seemed to have no intention to hide his abilities anymore. nggg! Raising hell among the yers, JIn¡¯s eyes gleamed in excitement when his [Frost King¡¯s Greatsword] was blocked for the first time. Thinking he had finally met a worthy opponent, he grinned. ¡¸Oh! You stopped me?¡¹ ¡°How dare¡­ a summon beat my n members?¡± [The Celestial ¡®Screeching Woman¡¯ screams at her apostle to kill that ominous summon this instant!] Just like Xue Yong, the ¡®Music Star¡¯ Yue He was one of the great Celestial of the and was one of Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends. When she revealed her animosity, Jeff Mustafa, her apostle, did the same. Jeff was less popr than the Crna Ruka, but he mainly operated in Albania and led a n that was quite famous in the criminal underworld. Unfortunately for him, that very n had nearly been annihted here. Although Chang-Sun just threw some lightning bolts, and Jin, his summon, swung his sword indiscriminately, it was more than enough. ¡¸Calling me a summon makes me feel very displeased. You¡¯re degrading me too much.¡¹ Jin was full of pride and self-love, so he Jeff¡¯s remark dumbfounded him. ¡¸I¡¯m the direct heir of the Prezia family, Arcadia¡¯s prestigious noble family, and¡­¡¹ Jin paused for a moment. This was not the time to mention the name of ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ the great Celestial who had created countless even in Arcadia. Until Chang-Sun could rise again, Jin would stay by his side as his first subordinate. ¡¸.. the first sword of a fiend who will make you meet your doom.¡¹ Wearing the [Lion Demon Face], Jin¡¯s eyes shone more brilliantly than ever. ¡¸I¡¯ll make you regret your rash remark.¡¹ ng, ng, ng! [Your Subordinate ¡®Jin Prezia¡¯ is fighting against the yer ¡®Jeff Mustafa¡¯!] While Jin was going up against Jeff¡­ [Your Subordinate ¡®Elfin Root¡¯ has worn the ¡®Wolf Demon Face,¡¯ drastically increasing its Agility and Intelligence!] [The tree attribute of your Subordinate ¡®Elfin Root¡¯ has been enhanced.] ¡­ [The Synchronization rate of your Subordinate ¡®Elfin Root¡¯ with you, its king, has increased!] [Your Subordinate ¡®Sinmara¡¯ has worn the ¡®Lizard Demon Face¡¯!] ¡­ The Elfin put on the beaming [Wolf Demon Face], and Sinmara used the high-spirited [Lizard Demon Face]. Click¨D! With the clicking sounds of the masks¡­ Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! Their ghost energies amplified, and they blew in every direction, striking the barricade. [Achievement unlocked!] ¡°An army of soldiers wearing demon faces¡± Reward: Synchronization rate +5%. Create solidarity. Amplifying ghost energy. 1. Yue He is also from the novel Water Margin and is actually a man, but he¡¯s a she in this novel. Chapter 212: Star, the Illuminati (8)

Chapter 212: Star, the Illuminati (8)

Wolves were agile and slyly intelligent, making them a great match for the [Goddess Crown], which significantly strengthened one¡¯s mind. Using these two, the Elfin Root fought against Kan Berisha, the fastest yer among the key yers that made up the siege. Swoosh¨D! Swish, swish! ¡°Keugh¡­!¡± Kan was busy deflecting the Elfin¡¯s attacks, which were tenaciously aimed at human vital points like his face, sr plexus, temples, and armpits. Just like his Guardian, he mainly used sound waves from afar to attack, so he was especially vulnerable to the Elfin, who was a great hand-to-hand fighter. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t havee here if I knew things would turn out this way!¡¯?Kan thought. The only reason Kan hade to this ce was to get the trophies that the Tyrant Lee Chang-Sun would have. The ¡®Wuthering Stone Desert¡¯ had been uncleared for dozens of years, so Chang-Sun had likely gotten a myriad of rewards after clearing it. Fighting Chang-Sun one-on-one posed big risks, so Kan joined forces with Nadine Azram instead and hid among the yers who made up the siege. Who would have thought that the siege would be destroyed this easily? The Elfin Root, who showed up before Kan, was such a skilled fighter that Kan had trouble keeping up with it despite being a renowned demonic being. Kan deflected its attack outward, but it immediately changed its attack¡¯s course like a river, now aiming for his lower body. By distancing himself, Kan tried to activate [Sonic Wave], but the Elfin just calmly dodged his attack andunched a counterattack from his blindspot. The Elfin moved more like a dancer than a martial artist. The Elfin¡¯s attacks flowed naturally and peacefully, yet they remained sharp and urate. Kan shivered in fear. He had seen this kind of movement before. ¡®Wait, are they rted to the Tyrant in some way¡­?¡¯?Kan wondered. If so, then he could never take the Elfin lightly. From what he had heard, Lee Chang-Sun would head straight to the U.S. after his business in Germany. If he was formting a n in secret¡­ then an unexpected incident could take ce. [The Celestial ¡®Iron-Pipe-ying Sage¡¯ yells at his apostle furiously, asking why he cannot beat a Celestial¡¯s subordinate who has lost its !] However, Kan couldn¡¯t keep analyzing the situation with his Guardian yelling at him to put his heart into the fight. Kan honestly found it unfair. ¡®I¡¯m not losing because I want to¡­! Shit!¡¯ Kan also didn¡¯t want to lose to a mere summon, but what was he supposed to do? He couldn¡¯t get rid of the Elfin to the side no matter how hard he tried to. Whenever the Elfin saw a chance, it made vines spring out from the ground to tie his feet, restricting his movements. Such a technique reminded Kan of ¡®them,¡¯ whom he had run into in the past. ¡°How can you keep using simr skills as those weird Elf bastards¡­!¡± Kan gritted his teeth. The Elfin¡¯s eyes turned cold, the word ¡®simr skill¡¯ ringing around its ears. ¡¸Elf?¡¹it asked. ¡°Yeah! Those ghost-like bastards with pretty faces and big ears¡­! They also used trees like you do! Do you know those Elves?¡± ¡¸Where are they?¡¹ ¡°How should I know!¡± Kan forced himself to reply, making the Elfin more anxious since it could find out what happened to its colleagues. ¡¸Then¡­¡¹ However, the Elfin knew it shouldn¡¯t lose itsposure, so it just pushed Kan away and distanced itself as it tried to calm itself down. Inhaling and exhaling, the Elfin fixed its grip on its wooden staff and straightened its posture. It had regained itsposurepletely, and its eyes were sharper than ever. ¡¸... You would have seen this too.¡¹ [Your Subordinate ¡®Elfin Root¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Dancing Leaf des¡¯!] Boom! Paah¨D! The Elfin mmed the end of its wooden staff against the ground, causing winds to blow leaves off the ground. Imbued with the Elfin¡¯s mana, each leaf stiffened like a sharp-edged sword. Only those blessed by both the great nature and goddess could use materials in nature as weapons. Likewise, only Kali¡¯s high-ranking priests could use the [Dancing Leaf des]. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¨D! The hardened leaves danced in the wind and wed at Kan. The attacks were initially bearable, but over time, the des began to seem like a storm, making it difficult for him to hold out any further. The des and dust made it hard to see up ahead, and the strong wind prevented him from even standing straight. Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­!? Boom! Boom! Boom! The Elfin sprang forward again, its wooden staff emitting explosive sounds with each thrust. Kan felt as if he was taking on ten Elfins at once as he dealt with its wooden staff attacks and leaf des, which wereing at him from every direction. [A whirlwind is restricting the yer ¡®Kan Berisha¡¯!] Kan had experienced simr attacks before in the Rocky Mountains, which was located in the southwest region of the U.S. The region was mostly made up of barren deserts, but it still had mountains standing tall. On top of those mountains was a gueri resistance army, the leader of which used simr skills as the Elfin. Grasses, trees, vines¡­ They even had the same attributes. The gueri army soldiers fought back hard, but the kept giving quests to yers, regrly sending punitive expeditions against the gueri resistance army. The soldiers were beautiful and had sharp ears like Elves in myth, so the yers that had participated in these expeditions called them that. The yers sold any soldiers they had captured alive. ¡¸You¡¯ve definitely seen this skill.¡¹ Elfin didn¡¯t miss how shaken up Kan was. Thinking it could finally find out what happened to its colleagues, the Elfin attacked Kan with much more ferocity than before. [The whirlwind has changed to a storm!] Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡ª! Kan¡¯s armor was torn, and blood dripped from his wounds. When the leaf des stopped attacking Kan, he clenched his jaw. Fortunately, his wounds weren¡¯t serious, so he could counterattack. However, before he could, he was forced to stop moving. For some reason, he felt as if the world was spinning. [The yer ¡®Kan Berisha¡¯ has entered the ¡®Poisoned¡¯ state!] The Leaf des were poisoned! The Elfin and the Elves in the Rocky Mountains seemed to have one definitive difference. Kan frantically tried to circte his mana when he realized that, but it was already toote. Ssh¨D! Kan coughed blood like a fountain. As the world around him seemed to be crumbling down, thest thing Kan saw was the Elfin, who was pointing its wooden staff at him emotionlessly. ¡¸Start talking if you don¡¯t want to die.¡¹ ¡°¡­!¡± [The yer ¡®Kan Berisha¡¯ has been subdued!] * * * [The ¡®World Net¡¯ is getting destroyed very quickly. 81%... 82%¡­ 95%¡­] [91% of the ¡®World Net¡¯ has been destroyed.] ¡°N-no¡­!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t kill¡ª!¡± After several hours, the siege had been destroyed. [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat in Broad Daylight¡¯ shouts in fury!] [The Celestial ¡®Screeching Woman¡¯ looks at hermander, asking for his help to save her dying apostle.] [The Celestial ¡®Iron-Pipe-ying Sage¡¯ stops ying his pipe.] [The Celestial ¡®Mysterious Silk-Wrapped Man¡¯ stares at a certain Celestial.] [The Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ frowns!] ¡®I¡¯m¡­ as good as dead,¡¯?Nadine instinctively realized when he saw his Guardian¡¯s response. There was no way Nadine would walk out of this alive. The yers lost so devastatingly that Nadine felt empty. He ended up in this mess even before he and the other yers could put Chang-Sun in danger at least once. Sikario, whom Nadine had believed to be useful, had been killed, and all the other apostles had either been subdued or critically wounded. Many Celestials were yelling at Nadine to save their apostles. The only way that gave Nadine a small chance of surviving was to wait for Chang-Sun¡¯s mana to be depleted. Nadine wasn¡¯t sure if Chang-Sun was just a really good bluffer, but the problem was that Chang-Sun showed no signs of his mana even dwindling. ¡®How can he be a King-ss yer and have such powerful summons at the same time? What in the world is his ss?¡¯?Nadine wondered. He was also a veteran yer, so he was quite familiar with how the yer system worked. However, he couldn¡¯t begin to fathom what Chang-Sun¡¯s ss or his skill tree was like. He had no Guardian, so how could Chang-Sun be strong that quickly? Was having a Guardian made one weaker? All kinds of questions kept popping up in his head because of his desire to escape from reality, but he soon had to focus on it instead. [97% of the ¡®World Net¡¯ has been destroyed.] [A considerable number of the ¡®World Net¡¯ members have fled or been rendered incapacitated.] [The yer ¡®Nadine Azram¡¯ has failed the quest.] [Applying quest failure penalties.] ¡­ ¡¸It¡¯s too boring. They don¡¯t even have the will to fight. We won¡¯t use these small fries even as storage guards in .¡¹ Sinmara, the over-five-meter giant wearing the [Lizard Demon Face], showed up at the center of the siege and threw something before Nadine. Thump¨D! It was a human that had been turned into a bloody pulp, preventing him from even identifying the human. [The Celestial ¡®Silk-Wrapped Mysterious Man¡¯ cries out in despair, looking at his apostle who has be a wreck!] Nasser Rica was also a renowned demonic being, but even he didn¡¯tst long in a fight against Sinmara. Her abilities had been downgraded after bing Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinate, but she was still the queen and the best warrior of . The only thing Nadine could do was open and close his mouth. His mind had nked out, rendering him speechless. The had been defeated by one mortal, not a Celestial. Tap¨D! Nadine shook like an aspen leaf. Meanwhile, Baek Gyeo-Ul, who was wearing shadow armor, stood in front of Nadine and pointed the ck Dragon Fang at his neck. Gyeo-Ul didn¡¯t ask Nadine out loud whether or not he would surrender, however, since the spear pointed at his neck should be enough to deliver that message. Pzzzz¨D! The Undead Army soldiers, who had finished taking care of all the remnants, soon approached from every direction, looking like the victors in this fight. Their ghost energies agglomerated on top of their heads and fluttered like a g. Tap¨D! Tap¨D! Chang-Sun quietly appeared and looked at Nadine¡ªno, the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan,¡¯ who would be behind him. [The Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ frowns upon seeing an arrogant mortal holding up his head!] ¡®You¡¯re still the same.¡¯?Chang-Sun smirked, reading the message. Yes, that was more like the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ he knew, but on the other hand, Chang-Sun thought this was good. If the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ behaved differently than before, Chang-Sun would have be very disappointed. [The Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ thinks you¡¯re being rude.] [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ holds his breath, ncing back and forth between you and the Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯] Heoju was the only one who was very tense. [The Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ is descending!] Nadine suddenly froze up like a sculpture. After trembling profusely, the air around Nadine grew heavy. Paah¨D! At the same time, sacred light shone on Nadine¡¯s back, an indication of a Celestial descending on the Saha World using their follower¡¯s body. Celestials couldn¡¯t easily do such a feat due to thew of causality. ¡ºYou¡¯re one arrogant mortal,¡»Nadine said slowly, but the voice wasn¡¯t his. It was resonant and had the power to make anyone nearby instinctively bow. Only the beings who had been watching all creations for eternity could have such a voice. The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ concluded that Chang-Sun was arrogant since he was still holding his head up high instead of bowing even after realizing that the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ was watching him. A human shouldn¡¯t do that. ¡ºBut I think you¡¯re worth it, so I¡¯ll let this slide,¡»The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ continued pretentiously, pretending to be a generous Celestial even though he didn¡¯t actually mean it. ¡ºNow I understand why the ¡®Gemini,¡¯ ¡®Taurus,¡¯ ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon,¡¯ and¡­ the Pale Star are paying attention to you.¡» ¡®He¡¯s scared of Mephistopheles,¡¯?Chang-Sun assumed. Considering the personality of the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan,¡¯ he would want to have his revenge against Chang-Sun for humiliating him, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to attack Chang-Sun out of fear of going through the same thing as the ¡®Gemini.¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ watches the situation in silence.] ¡®He failed to test me and also couldn¡¯t figure out why Xue Yong suddenly disappeared, but it wouldn¡¯t look good if he took matters into his own hands¡­ However, the Celestials like Yue He and Ma Lin?keep?pestering him to do something. He probably has a lot on his mind.¡¯? Chang-Sun was almost certain that the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ was still pondering if he should somehow restore the barricade named World Net or something and capture Chang-Sun or if he should stand down. This could be a good opportunity for Chang-Sun. [Many of the Celestials are ring at you!] Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°After you finished the sealing process, the King of the Underworld noticed that the Celestials are acting suspicious.¡± Yool¡¯s warning fromst night shed across Chang-Sun¡¯s mind. ¡°Keep in mind that you¡¯re the special-rank reaper and the emissary of the , so your safety equals the safety of the and the King of the Underworld, your friend, and my master.¡± Using Yool as the messenger, Thanatos told Chang-Sun to not use [Execution Sword] recklessly. ¡°I know. I¡¯m not stupid. I won¡¯t just pull it out without thinking it through.¡±? Chang-Sun reassured Yool, who was concerned, but Chang-Sun didn¡¯t mean he would never use the [Execution Sword]. The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ was right in front of Chang-Sun, and Bai Sheng, Yue He, Ma Lin, and Yan Shun?was nearby, which meant five members were in this area. To top it all off, one of them was the leader. Many Celestials were certainly watching Chang-Sun right now, but he couldn¡¯t miss this golden opportunity. ¡®If people watching me is a problem, then I can just be inconspicuous.¡¯ Reaching a decision, Chang-Sun infused his energy into the iron mask. ¡®Simon.¡¯ ¡¸Haha, it¡¯s finally my turn to work. What is your order?¡¹Simon Magus asked as he chuckled. Chang-Sun asked, ¡®Do you know how to open a warp gate?¡¯ ¡¸Teleportation? Yeah, where do you want to go?¡¹ Simonughed confidently. Wearing the iron mask, Chang-Sun crookedly smiled. ¡®The Owl¡¯s Nest.¡¯ ¡¸¡­ Wait, what?¡¹ Simon was rendered speechless upon realizing what Chang-Sun¡¯s n was. There was only one divine ground named ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest,¡¯ and it belonged to the Illuminati¡¯s Guardian. ¡®The owl and some people have recently gotten on bad terms. Don¡¯t you think those Celestials would be a good match for them?¡¯ 1. Another character from Water Margin. 2. Another character from the novel Water Margin. Chapter 213: Star, the Illuminati (9)

Chapter 213: Star, the Illuminati (9)

Two Zodiacs recently showed interest in Chang-Sun¡ªthe ¡®Taurus¡¯ and ¡®Aquarius.¡¯ They had offered Chang-Sun the seat of their apostle and had been the first ones to participate in Jacque Valentine and Satan¡¯s quest. However, other Zodiacs were already paying attention to Chang-Sun before they did. The ¡®Gemini,¡¯ Castor and Pollux, had tried to get Chang-Sun by force, but Mephistopheles forced them to stand down. Hence, to somehow release their anger, they started a fight against Minerva instead. Since the conflict between the ¡®Gemini¡¯ and Minerva could escte into a war between their , tensiony between and . Meanwhile, the ¡®Gemini¡¯ and Minerva were still fighting so hard that they couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to Chang-Sun anymore. However, to turn the Illuminati into his ally, Chang-Sun had to meet Minerva again. Fortunately, he had acquired a fine bait known as the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ If Chang-Sun could drop the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ and his subordinates in the camp of the ¡®Gemini¡¯ and create chaos on the battlefield, Chang-Sun would be able to move more freely. ¡®The and are already on bad terms, so there is no way the ¡®Gemini¡¯, who¡¯s probably full of spite right now, would just leave them be. The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ is also prideful, which means he¡¯ll probably try to subdue the ¡®Gemini¡¯ before anything else no matter how confused he bes,¡¯ Chang-Sun quickly formted a n in his head. ¡®Once the other Celestials in focus on their battle, I¡¯ll be able to move in secret.¡¯ Being able to move in a ce where many beings were watching would be the perfect time to use the [Execution Sword] without anyone noticing. ¡®I¡¯ll be able to negotiate with Minerva afterward.¡¯? Chang-Sun would certainly benefit from this if everything were to go ording to n, but there was no telling if he could actually seal the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ Even as the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ he couldn¡¯t guarantee his victory against the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions. In fact, he ultimately lost against them. To make things worse, Chang-Sun still had a long way to go in recovering his ss. There was a high chance he would lose even if he used the [Execution Sword]. If the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ managed to flee afterward, Chang-Sun¡¯s true identity could be revealed, which would lead to the worst-case scenario. Moreover, the could also interfere. However, despite all the risks, Chang-Sun concluded that he should still capture the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ using any means necessary. ¡®Richardus¡­ I have to find him.¡¯ Having found out that the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ was chasing after Richardus, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t just let this opportunity go to waste. Moreover, the Elfin Root had just sent him a report through a telepathic message, preventing anyone from noticing. ¡ºI think I found other Branches.¡» Kali¡¯s priests called themselves Branches. ¡ºHow?¡»Chang-Sun asked. ¡ºSomeone I fought earlier recognized my skills and mentioned Elves. He also mentioned something about¡­ envement.¡» Elfin sounded quite mncholic. There were many kinds of Elves. The ones who served Kali as their Guardian were known to be beautiful and nature-friendly. Even in Arcadia, some hunters specifically targeted those Elves¡­ ¡®They do the same thing here, huh?¡¯ It was truly disgusting. Maybe humans were the same in every ne, or perhaps only the subordinates of the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ acted this way. Either way, that just gave Chang-Sun one more reason to do whatever it would take to capture the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ If Kali¡¯s other priests were on Earth and had formed a resistance, then Chang-Sun had to gather them up. ¡ºWhere are they?¡»Chang-Sun asked. ¡ºWhen I interrogated him, he said they are in the Rocky Mountains in America.¡» ¡ºRocky?¡» Chang-Sun¡¯s expression subtly changed. From Canada to America, the enormous mountain range covered the western region of North America. Numerous Dungeons were hidden in that mountain range, which was why the Jaynix and other U.S. ns often operated around it. After announcing their MOU with the Jaynix n, the White Tiger n dered that they would try clearing the Dungeons in the Rocky Mountains too, which was the terrain Kali¡¯s priests used for gueri warfare. Considering the White Tiger n was also a minion of the , could the White Tiger n¡¯s next move just be a coincidence? ¡®No way.¡¯ Chang-Sun had a feeling he was missing the bigger picture. Hence, even if it meant having to take a gamble, he had to capture the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ here to achieve his goal. Chang-Sun¡¯s n rendered Simon Magus speechless. It took quite a while before he regained hisposure. nkly, he mumbled,¡¸Seriously¡­ you¡¯re too good ating up with ridiculous ns.¡¹ Simon thought ending up as a mask became inevitable the moment he tried to pull the wool over the eyes of this lunatic. However, he was thrilled as well, thinking this would be fun. Simon used to be a demon king, so getting to screw those arrogant over delighted him very much. ¡¸Okay, fine, but we have a problem.¡¹ Still, he couldn¡¯t just start immediately. ¡¸The ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯ is a great Celestial¡¯s divine ground¡­ It¡¯s bound to be somewhere very high in this universe. How will you get its coordinates and open it up?¡¹ A divine ground was basically a Celestial¡¯s mind pce that had been permanently materialized, so it could be considered a ne. Considering it was impossible to determine the location of a giant lump floating around the vast universe, a mere mortal couldn¡¯t possibly hope to get the coordinates to a divine ground. Such a feat was even impossible for a demon king who was also a demigod that had mastered magic and Gnosticism. Even if Simon could find its coordinates, how was he supposed to open it up? He could create a pathway, but opening up a gate required the owner¡¯s permission. Simon warned Chang-Sun not to take this matter lightly. ¡®Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll tell you the coordinates, so all you have to do is install a gate. I¡¯ll open it up.¡¯ Chang-Sun didn¡¯t seem the least bit worried, though. He had already been to the ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯ before, so it was easy for him to find its coordinates. He also had no problem opening up the warp gate since he had a ¡®master key.¡¯ ¡¸¡­ Well, do as you wish,¡¹Simon reluctantly replied. He was still unaware of how Chang-Sun would solve the problem at hand, but he concluded anyway that his crazy master had a solution that would surpass his expectations. ¡®How long will it take you to install the gate?¡¯ ¡¸Hmph! Who do you think I am?¡¹ The iron mask trembled faintly, looking as if it wasughing wickedly even though it was just a mask. ¡¸I can open it up right now. Just tell me the coordinates.¡¹ Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! Having studied [Prti¡¯s Spellbook] over the past several days, Simon umted more knowledge than he had for hundreds of years. When Simon used and detoured through the outskirts of the dimension, installing a warp gate became a piece of cake. The air around Chang-Sun shook, and the iron mask subtly gleamed. * * * ¡ºI¡¯ll make you an offer, arrogant child,¡» the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ spoke using Nadine Azram¡¯s body, making Chang-Sun snap back to the situation he was in. Right now, the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ was having a severe internal conflict. ¡ºFather, please give me a chance.¡» ¡ºPlease allow me to take the life of that mortal who dares to stay arrogant before you, Father. ¡» ¡ºNo, let me handle him, please.¡» His four children yelled pleas at him. Sent down by the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ to the Saha World for the World Net quest, his sons and daughters seemed especially eager to fight Chang-Sun. The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ also considered his Celestial subordinates as his children. Among them, the ones who had been bestowed with the title of mander,¡¯ like the four before him, were the most special ones. Bo Du Army>, which served the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan,¡¯ Bo Du was the tenth-strongest and was known for his absolute loyalty to the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ ¡ºFather, I have a bad feeling about this mortal. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s involved in Xue Yong¡¯s disappearance somehow. Everything about him is suspicious, so you shouldn¡¯t recruit him,¡»Bo Du pleaded desperately. Looking at Chang-Sun made him feel uneasy for some reason. Although Bo Du was sure that Chang-Sun was hiding something¡­ he couldn¡¯t tell what it was exactly. All he knew was that Chang-Sun instinctively got on his nerves. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m looking at Twilight¡­¡¯?Bo Du narrowed his eyes. That was why he suggested several times that the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ should kill Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun was a bad seed that should not be left alone. Although Chang-Sun was a mortal, Bo Du had a feeling that he and the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ could fall into a trap if they forced Chang-Sun to tell them what he knew. The other children wanted to punish Chang-Sun for disrespecting their father, but Bo Du was saying that they should get rid of the potential threatpletely. However¡­ ¡ºIt¡¯s okay. No matter how hard that pathetic mortal tries, he won¡¯t be able to leave a scratch on me. The great will of the absolute evil¡­ the Pale Star¡­ I don¡¯t know what his n is, but it¡¯ll be fine as long as I don¡¯t harm that mortal, so don¡¯t worry, everyone.¡» The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ rejected his children¡¯s opinion. He didn¡¯t like Chang-Sun either, but he concluded that Chang-Sun was invaluable and thought he could just figure out Chang-Sun¡¯s secretter. For now, he wanted to recruit him for his talent. Since early times, the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ had never hesitated to recruit talented people after he concluded that they had potential, no matter how much they had challenged him or left a bad impression on him. Moreover, once he had taken them under his wings, he always gave them absolute trust. When the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ killed Bo Du¡¯s family, Bo Du hid his identity and became his son. However, Bo Du became so mesmerized by him that he gave up on his revenge. He could still remember what the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ had said when he confessed the truth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my son. I can¡¯t even begin to fathom how many hardships you¡¯ve gone through or how much love you¡¯ll no longer receive because of me. I know I can never make up for it, but I will still try my best.¡± Afterward, the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ visited the graves of Bo Du¡¯s parents and bowed as he apologized¡­ In fact, the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ also made the controversial ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ his son when he first joined the , although he disowned him soon after. Bo Du tried to dissuade the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ several times, but he insisted on making Chang-Sun his son. Hence, Bo Du eventually gave up, but he still red at Chang-Sun, who made him feel uneasy. ¡ºJoin me¡ªno, us. I promise to give you things beyond your wildest imagination. You¡¯ll be able to transcend and be a god, and I¡¯ll even train you myself so you can be a part of the .¡» The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ himself promised Chang-Sun that he would be his patron and use his talent for the . The offer was such an honor for a mere mortal that no mortal would¡¯ve been able to turn it down. However, Chang-Sun just smiled crookedly and remained silent. ¡®How dare he¡­!¡¯ Bo Du felt displeased. He secretly thought of the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ as the most powerful Celestial within the , so he believed Chang-Sun should be punished immediately for disrespecting the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ angrily asks the Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ to let him gnaw at you!] [The Celestial ¡®Screeching Woman¡¯ yells that the Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ should get rid of you quickly!] [The Celestial ¡®Iron-Pipe-ying Sage¡¯ mumbles that he is ready to y a requiem!] ¡­ Many of the Celestials that had to watch Chang-Sun annihte their apostles were furiously requesting the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ to kill him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you know this,¡± Chang-Sun broke his silence. Although still annoyed at Chang-Sun, a shiver ran down Bo Du¡¯s spine. ¡°But you already told me that long ago,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡ºHmmm¡­? I already told you this?¡» Nadine tilted his head in confusion. The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ was really confused. Did he already meet Chang-Sun in person before? As far as he remembered, he definitely hadn¡¯t. He only learned of the yer Lee Chang-Sun¡¯s existence while hunting Kali¡¯s old priests. Chang-Sun was the one who had recruited Kali¡¯s priest that had dared attack the ¡®Gemini,¡¯ after all. The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ eventually found out that Chang-Sun could be involved in Xue Yong¡¯s disappearance, which was why he initiated this World Net quest. The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ usually took on the job of eliminating potential threats to the or turning anyone with talent into his child. That was also why he descended. He had no previous encounter with Chang-Sun, yet much to his confusion, Chang-Sun imed otherwise. ¡°You told me toe into your arms and be your son, offering me to treat me like your real son, but¡­¡± Paaah¡­! At that moment, in the form of ck fog swirled around Chang-Sun and slowly drew an enormous door underneath the ground where Chang-Sun was standing. On top of the door was an owl sitting on a book. It was , the symbol of the Illuminati and Minerva. Rumble¨D! The passageway to the great Celestial was created, making the nearby area shake. [The coordinates have been set.] [A door has shown up!] Having no time to warn his father to be careful, Bo Du threw himself at Nadine, whom the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ descended in. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but he had a strong feeling that he and the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ shouldn¡¯t involve themselves in what Chang-Sun was trying to do right now. ¡°It was all bullshit. You pretended to understand everything, but you just needed a useful tool.¡± Chang-Sun locked eyes with Bo Du, who was standing between him and the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ Chang-Sun knew Bo Du very well. From his perspective, Bo Du was an idiot who had no idea that the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ was just using him. All the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ had done was drop a few crocodile tears in front of the graves of Bo Du¡¯s parents, yet that was enough to make the idiot prepared to give the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ everything. It was for the better, though. In total, four of the Seventy-Two Fiends and one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits were present right now. With Chang-Sun¡¯s fish now full, he pulled out [Peter¡¯s Key] and inserted it into the ground without hesitation as soon as the warp gate waspleted underneath his feet. Clunk! ¡¸Ah¡­ I understand now!¡¹Simon eximed upon finally realizing Chang-Sun¡¯s n. With Peter the Apostle¡¯s relic, anything in this world could be opened! The moment Chang-Sun turned [Peter¡¯s Key], his vicinity shook even harder, and the sound of gears meshing together echoed. [Unlocking the door.] [The door has been forced open.] [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ takes a look around the surroundings in surprise.] [The Celestial ¡®Screeching Woman¡¯ screams that something is wrong.] ¡­ ¡ºWhat are you doing?!¡» The face of the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ darkened as he felt extraordinary energy, which had been spreading around them ever since the warp gate opened up. [The area has been overwritten by the Divine Ground ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯!] The nearby surroundings changedpletely. An enormous hand, way bigger than most humans, fell on top of Nadine as if someone was swatting away a fly. [The Celestial ¡®Geminus¡¯ wants to kick out a vermin that suddenly intruded on his territory!] The warp gate at the side of the ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯ opened up right in front of the ¡®Geminus¡¯ Castor, who was busy wreaking havoc. Boom! 1. It¡¯s the eastern constetion that is part of Tian Shi Yuan. It¡¯s known as Textile Ruler in English./ref], one of the Thirteen Commanders, yelled the loudest. The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ had hundreds ofmanders, but the Thirteen Commanders were considered the best. Moreover, even in the Chapter 214: Star, the Illuminati (10) [Your Subordinate ¡®Peculiar Warring Deity¡¯ has descended!] With his enormous hand, Castor tried to attack Nadine Astram. However, he was stopped before he could. Bo Du had broken thew of causality and descended to protect Nadine. ¡°No one can harm Father!¡± he shouted. [An uninvited Celestial has intruded in the Divine Ground ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯!] Wearing armor that appeared to be made from refined jewels, Bo Du spread his divine power like raging ocean waves. ¡®Is it the or bastards that are behind this?!¡¯?Bo Du wondered, his expression crumpling up. . The subordinates of the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan,¡¯ including Bo Du, had already concluded that a giant in , like and , was backing Chang-Sun up. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for a mere mortal to be stronger this quickly. Considering Chang-Sun had even figured out the secret rted to and taken over its throne, they believed someone was helping Chang-Sun and that he refused to pick a Guardian because he had other ns. If Chang-Sun had truly been scheming to attract the Celestials¡¯ attention and bite their necks off, then everything made sense. Heoju and Xue Yong actually showed interest in Chang-Sun, and the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ and other Celestials ended up in a weird divine ground! ¡®He¡¯s revealing his hidden fangs now!¡¯ This ce served as the ¡®Gemini¡¯ and Minerva¡¯s battlefield, so Bo Du wasn¡¯t exactly certain who was behind Chang-Sun. He assumed that was behind all this, but it was still possible for to drop the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ and the others in the center of the ¡®Gemini¡¯ camp to instigate a conflict between the and . The problem was that the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ and others had been warped to the area too easily, which was impossible since doing so required the permission of the ¡®Gemini.¡¯ Hence, Bo Du concluded that was responsible for everything. After all, it had been fighting the for the throne of for quite some time now. Although Chang-Sun didn¡¯t mislead them into such a conclusion, Bo Du already believed it to be true. [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ widens his eyes in surprise because a divine ground suddenly showed up.] [The Celestial ¡®Aquarius¡¯ chuckles quietly, having fun.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ughs dumbfoundedly, saying that the quest has reached a whole new level.] ¡­ [Many Celestials watching the situation are confused!] [The Celestials that like entertainment are having fun, not minding how things turned out.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is not sure what is going on, but she is still having fun. She looks forward to seeing a new brilliant firework!] ¡­ The Zodiacs of the weren¡¯t sure what was going on, but Bo Du thought they were just faking it. ¡°Get back!¡± Bo Du swung his guandao, which he had been using to block Castor¡¯s hand with difficulty. Since the ¡®Geminus¡¯ was one of the Zodiacs, it couldn¡¯t have been easy to stop Castor through sheer force, but Bo Du was known to be the strongest subordinate of the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ Hence, he didn¡¯t even look fazed in the slightest. Not long after their sh, he called the othermanders he had brought with him. ¡°Hyool! Nam! Yang!¡± [Your Subordinate ¡®Brave Mutant General¡¯ has descended!] [Your Subordinate ¡®Rampaging Monster¡¯ has descended!] [Your Subordinate ¡®Blindfolded Divine General¡¯ has descended!] Paah! Paah! Paah! The threemanders, who had been preparing to descend into the Saha World just like Bo Du, turned into rays of light and climbed up Castor¡¯s arm. ¡ºArrogant¡­!¡» Castor¡¯s eyes zed up with anger. He was already quite furious prior to the new Celestials¡¯ arrival because his battle against Minerva wassting longer than he originally anticipated. In fact, he and Pollux had even nned a full-scale assault to conquer ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯st night. As nned, Castor was bombarding Minerva and the others with attacks when the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ and the other Celestials suddenly showed up at their camp, surprising Castor. Castor wondered how to make sense of the situation. Did the Celestials end up here after getting lost? Or did Minerva join forces with the and ambush the ¡®Gemini¡¯? Of course, Castor couldn¡¯t help but think it was thetter. After all, there was no way for him to know that the other Celestials intruded in their camp through an outrageous master key named [Peter¡¯s Key]. Castor wasn¡¯t sure what these Celestials were up to, but he decided to subdue these arrogant Celestials first and make them talk. Since he was detecting the divine power of the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ behind these flies, he couldn¡¯t take these Celestials lightly. Rumble, rumble¡­! Woosh, woosh, woosh! [The starlights of the ¡®Geminus¡¯ and the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ are shing!] The unexpected battle between the and had begun. * * * ¡°Ohh¡­. Ohhh!!!¡± ¡°That¡¯s our boss! You could have told us you were nning something like that!¡± ¡°I know, right?! I was seriously starting to wonder if this ce was going to be my grave!¡± Meanwhile, the ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯ members were praising Minerva because the ¡®Gemini¡¯ and their army, which had beenunching a full-scale attack, suddenly fell into chaos. Minerva was a warring deity that symbolized wisdom and strategy, so it was only natural for her subordinates to believe that she hade up with a brilliant solution to turn the tide of the battle. However, Minerva, the one getting praised, was baffled. ¡®What in the world is going on¡­? Why did the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ suddenly appear over there?¡¯?Minerva wondered. The battle between Minerva and the ¡®Gemini¡¯ had recently reached a stalemate, making it really difficult to determine a victor despite their tremendous casualties. The only reason it hadn¡¯t turned into a full-scale war yet was that and had implicitly concluded that this battle was a private conflict between the two Celestials. However, they were in such a tense situation right now that it wouldn¡¯t be odd if things escted into a war. Well aware of that, the ¡®Gemini¡¯ were trying to conquer ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯ as soon as possible. That was also why Minerva fiercely resisted. Beyond their expectations, however, their battle took an unexpected turn out of nowhere. It made Minerva feel relieved, but she was still confused. ¡°When did you ally with the ?¡± Serena asked, looking at Minerva as if she was omnipotent. For a moment, Minerva felt guilty, but thinking a Celestial should know how to act shamelessly from time to time, she was about to answer, ¡°Well, of course¡­!¡± ¡°Of course¡­?¡± Serena paid attention with sparkling eyes, looking forward to hearing Minerva¡¯s cool story. However, Minerva suddenly turned her head in the other direction as if sensing something. Serena also turned her head, wondering what Minerva saw. ¡°¡­ Chang-Sun?¡± Serena muttered. Minerva and Serena found Lee Chang-Sun, whom they had never expected to meet here. Amid the battlefield where Castor, Bo Du, and the others were shing intensely, Chang-Sun was skillfully hiding. Serena wasn¡¯t sure what in the world happened to him, but she was surprised by how Chang-Sun¡¯s ss had be iparably higher than several months ago. The more surprising part was that Chang-Sun knew exactly where Serena and Minerva were. He was even looking back at them even though they were so far away that no mortal would be able to locate them. Serena realized that Chang-Sun was behind everything happening right now. Although she wasn¡¯t sure how Chang-Sun had done it, he definitely did the ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯ members a huge favor. Just then, they noticed Chang-Sun moving his lips. ¨DAre you okay? He was asking them if they were fine. ¡°Gosh, that arrogant¡­!¡± Serena suddenly choked up. She cussed, but she didn¡¯t mean it. She was actually grateful to Chang-Sun for not forgetting about them and admired his courage to voluntarily enter this dangerous ce. Chang-Sun could have been killed any minute thest time he was in ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest,¡¯ so Serena had assumed that he wouldn¡¯t want to recall any memories rted to this ce. Looking at Chang-Sun, Minerva nodded and smiled contentedly to reassure him. The person whom she had assessed to have the potential of bing a hero had grown up very upright. ¨DI¡¯ll take care of an urgent business first before visiting you again to pay my respects. Minerva tilted her head in confusion, wondering what Chang-Sun meant by urgent business, but he had already leaped into the chaotic battlefield and disappeared. What was Chang-Sun trying to do in a ce where so many Celestials were fighting each other? Feeling worried, Minerva and Serena ran to the rampart; Minerva was even ready to pull out her Owl¡¯s Wings. Oooong¨D! However, they felt an unexpected energy wave shaking the divine ground. It was mixed with hot winds and strong divine power. ¡®This is¡­!¡¯ Minerva¡¯s eyes widened. Something was about to happen. * * * ¡°Everyone, scatter,¡± Chang-Sun said as he darted forward. He ordered the Undead Army soldiers to spread in every direction to cause more chaos in the fight between the ¡®Gemini¡¯ and ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ The Elfin Root was the most eager to create chaos. The ¡®Gemini,¡¯ Castor and Pollux, were the ones who killed Kali, and the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ was putting its siblings in danger. Hence, nothing could make the Elfin happier than causing more damage to their current opponents. [The Skill ¡®Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been activated, manifesting the Skill ¡®Concealment¡¯!] Chang-Sun cautiously disappeared into the wind to close in on the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ as quietly as possible. ¡®I can only activate the [Execution Sword] once or twice¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The ability to seal a Celestial wasn¡¯t the scariest part of the [Execution Sword]. It was its ability to temporarily return Chang-Sun¡¯s divine ss in his prime. Hence, he had to ensure he would make no mistake in hunting and slitting the throat of the despicable ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ demands an exnation for what you are trying to do.] Heoju shouted at Chang-Sun with anger. He was feeling anxious because Chang-Sun, whom he had secretly favored, kept getting involved in incidents like Xue Yong¡¯s disappearance and the current chaos. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ orders you to answer him right now!] Of course, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t reply. Now wasn¡¯t the time for that, after all, and there was no need to ingratiate with Heoju anymore. He could take away the Authorities and the Skills that he had given as bonus rewards, but Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t worried. After all, he already had many skills that could substitute Heoju¡¯s skills. Besides, Chang-Sun could just buy them through the if he really needed them. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ grits his teeth as you continue to ignore him.] Paaah¨D! Riding the wind, Chang-Sun headed to the center of the battlefield where numerous Celestials were fighting. He truly looked like a tiger flying in the sky. Chapter 215: Star, the Owl (1)

Chapter 215: Star, the Owl (1)

The battle intensified far more than Chang-Sun had originally nned. [The Celestials who couldn¡¯t sit on the fence anymore have simultaneously descended or incarnated.] Once Bo Du and the othermanders began to fight Castor, the other Celestials that had been dragged into the divine ground concluded that they couldn¡¯t sit still anymore either. Wickedness was in their nature, so if it hadn¡¯t been for thew of causality, they would have already wreaked havoc and let their temper run wild. However, thew of causality no longer applied once they had entered Minerva¡¯s divine ground, which meant they didn¡¯t have to hold themselves back anymore. [The Celestial ¡®Fire Rat Under Broad Daylight¡¯ has descended!] [The Celestial ¡®Screeching Woman¡¯ has incarnated!] [The Celestial ¡®Iron-Pipe-ying Sage¡¯ has incarnated!] [The Celestial ¡®Silk-Wrapped Mysterious Man¡¯ has incarnated!] Bai Sheng, Yue He, Ma Lin, and Yan Shun were part of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, who were evil beings that hurt or killed humans. Most of these Earthly Fiends were great monsters or demonic creatures that found enlightenment and transcended as monster deities. Breaking the barrier, Bai Sheng trespassed and descended on the divine ground himself. Meanwhile, the other three Celestials unlocked their divine essence using their apostles, who were still alive. The apostles could fail to withstand the Celestials¡¯ powers and die, but they were just tools for these monster deities anyway. Besides, the deities already nned to discard them since Chang-Sun had defeated them, so the deities didn¡¯t worry or hesitate in using them. ¡ºHahahaha! Everything is in chaos. Chaos! That human! Those and Celestials! I want to burn them all to death!¡» ¡ºI¡¯ll kill them all. I¡¯ll kill them all!¡» ¡ºMany souls will wander after they die. I haveposed a great requiem for this kind of moment. Do you want to listen to it?¡» ¡ºYour¡­ or¡­der¡­¡» Just like their divine names, all the deities looked bizarre. They were busy screaming at the top of their lungs even though no one was listening to them, causing their divine essences to create several shockwaves. Bai Sheng was a several-meter-tall rat monster with two heads, bulging incisors, and fur zing up like broad daylight. He was looking for an opponent to immediately pounce at. Yue He was a woman wearing ragged clothes. Her long hair covered most of her face, but one of her eyes asionally came into view. It was bloodshot, however, making her look anxious. Whenever she screamed, ghost energy undted around her. Unlike those two, Ma Lin didn¡¯t look like the typical monster deity. He wore neat clothes that made him look like a wise sage and held a long iron pipe. Meanwhile, Yan Shun was wrapped in high-grade silk, so it was hard to see his face or describe his physique. [The Celestial ¡®Impetuous Dragon Horse General¡¯ has descended!] Sikario Escobar¡¯s Guardian showed up a momentter. He was a general that rode an enormous Dragon Horse, which released thick smoke every time it neighed. His helmet, decorated with a peacock feather at the top, covered almost his entire face, making him look like a legendary general. His name was Suo Chao, the Flight Star of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits. Just like their name, these spirits had heavenly and exceptional . Suo Chao was also a demonic deity that had a history of destroying several nes on his own. ¡ºIdiots! You all should be on your way to capture Lee Chang-Sun. Why are you goofing around?!¡» Pulling his Dragon Horse¡¯s reins, Suo Chao roared as he focused on capturing Chang-Sun rather than fighting the ¡®Gemini.¡¯ Although the idiotic Earthly Fiend monster deities were having fun, thinking they could finally cause chaos, Suo Chao believed the situation kept taking odd turns. ¡®Bo Du seems to believe that the Celestials are behind Lee Chang-Sun¡­ but something is strange! Someone is probably trying to get us to self-destruct!¡¯?Suo Chao thought. He nned to track down and subdue Chang-Sun as soon as possible, then interrogate him to find out if was behind everything. From his perspective, it was odd for to instigate a fight against the since was already busy fighting other like . Fortunately, the four monster deities suppressed their instincts and followed Suo Chao¡¯s order, taking a look around their surroundings to find Chang-Sun. Within the , Heavenly Spirit demon deities were ranked higher than Earthly Fiend monster deities, so they naturally followed him. However, his order didn¡¯t work on them for that long. Boom! Bai Sheng, a Fire Rat, was tracking Chang-Sun¡¯s scent with his nose on the ground when a huge ball of fire dropped on top of his head. ¡ºArghhh! Arghh! Who! Who dares¡­!¡» Bai Sheng shrieked as he turned his head toward where the fireball hade from, only to see Suo Chao swinging his guandao toward him. Screaming, the surprised Bai Sheng shut his eyes. ng! Suo Chao¡¯s guandao narrowly passed by Bai Sheng and shed into something hard. ¡°I see the also has powerfulbatants.¡± Hearing a voice, Bai Sheng finally opened his eyes. Before him was a man with a very high divine ss. He was smiling coldly. Bai Sheng identified him as Pollux, the Beta Star of the ¡®Gemini.¡¯ Pollux didn¡¯t care about Bai Sheng though. Rather, he seemed to have a deep desire to defeat Suo Chao, who dared block his attack. Today was supposed to be the day Pollux finally chopped off Minerva¡¯s neck, so he had no intention of letting these uninvited Celestials leave unscathed. Looking tense, Suo Chao fixed the grip on his guandao and instructed his Dragon Horse to march with his reins. A thunderous sound from the collision soon echoed throughout the battlefield. Rumble, rumble! [The starlight is filling up the ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯!] * * * [The Celestial ¡®Iron-Pipe-ying Sage¡¯ has activated the Authority ¡°Acoustomigration¡¯¡¯!] Even Celestials had difficulty utilizing sounds. Depending on the method, it could be used tomit mass destruction within a certain radius, one that was indiscriminate of allies or foes. Sound required air to exist, but a monster deity like Ma Lin could easily ovee that problem. Moreover, by scattering his divine power using Supervibrations, he could also deliver powerful attacks instead of just damaging his opponents¡¯ eardrums. ¡°Arghhh!¡± ¡°Ahhh! My ears! My earssss¡­!¡± ¡°What is this?!¡± The soldiers screamed in pain. Using that opening, Yue He, Yan Shun, and the other monster deities began to move. Paah¨D! Using the Concealment Skill, Chang-Sun made his way through the battlefield. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for the Celestials not to notice that Chang-Sun was using the Concealment Skill. After all, he was still just a mortal. However, the Celestials¡¯ sudden appearance engulfed the battlefield in chaos, leaving the Celestials no time to wonder where one vermin was heading. Hence, Chang-Sun could move more freely. Passing by numerous Celestials¡¯ storm-like aura, he sessfully approached the ¡®TIan Shi Yuan.¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ cannot believe that you have sessfully created such mayhem.] [The Celestial ¡®Aquarius¡¯ wonders what your next move is.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ watches the situation, resting her chin in her hand.] ¡­ Only a few Celestials were still watching Chang-Sun tenaciously, but that didn¡¯t mean he could leave them be. ¡®I could call Herald to make things easier, but I¡¯ll have to give a lot to the ... It¡¯s a good thing I got this beforehand,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. [You have opened the ¡®store window.¡¯ What do you want to buy?] ¡®Channeling Jammer.¡¯ [You have purchased a ¡®Channeling Jammer¡¯ for 300,000 Karmas.] Chang-Sun quietly clicked his tongue. The artifact was disposable, yet it still cost 300,000 Karmas. Still, it was certainly effective. [You have used the purchased artifact, disrupting this channel¡¯s connection for 30 minutes!] [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ is surprised by the sudden disruption in the channel!] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ yells at the , telling them to do their jobs right.] [The employees announce that it is unfair to me them.] ¡®The message said thirty minutes, but once the employees start fixing the connection, it¡¯ll be restored in ten minutes at most.¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone coldly. ¡®I¡¯ll capture him within that time.¡¯ [The Skill ¡®Concealment¡¯ has been deactivated!] ¡°¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯¡± Chang-Sun revealed himself as he approached Nadine Azram, whom the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ descended into. The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ seemed to be nning to sit this battle out. Instead of incarnating or descending on the divine ground with his own avatar, he just watched the fighting. When Chang-Sun called his divine name, the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ turned his head as if he knew Chang-Sun was going toe to him. In contrast to when Chang-Sun had opened up a warp gate to the ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest,¡¯ the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ now had a calm and emotionless gaze, nearly making him look frightening. ¡ºYou¡¯re here.¡» His current behavior was understandable, considering Chang-Sun¡¯s remark before the Celestials had ended up here kept bugging him. ¡ºYou said that I offered you to be my son before. I want to hear more about it.¡» ¡°If so, sure,¡± Chang-Sun replied. Still wearing the iron mask, Inferno Sights lit up in Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes. Clunk! It sounded as if gears were meshing together somewhere. ¡°I, Lee Chang-Sun, will now begin the sealing process of the criminal ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ as the special-rank reaper,¡± Chang-Sun announced. [The Authority ¡®Execution Sword¡¯ has been activated!] Creakk¨D! The world around Chang-Sun and Nadine changed again. [Bestowing your energy.] [Beginning to materialize.] [Your mind pce has been created!] ¡­ [Your power as the special-rank reaper has been applied, adding the property of the to your mind pce!] [The courtroom has opened.] [The defendant Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ has been forced to reveal himself!] A dry wind blew where Nadine had been, and a man showed up behind him. Wearing a golden royal robe, he looked like an ancient emperor. A crown covered with jewels rested on top of his hair, which was braided with a high updo. Although he looked human, he was more wicked and ominous than a monster deity. ¡®The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan,¡¯¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. His true name remained unknown. In fact, almost nobody knew what he had created or what divine rank he had before he had made the with the ¡®Tai Wei Yuan¡¯ and ¡®Zi Wei Yuan.¡¯ However, Chang-Sun knew the ¡®Tai Wei Yuan¡¯ and ¡®Zi Wei Yuan¡¯ called the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ the Emperor¡¯s Seat, which was also the name of a constetion. ¡º¡­ So this was what happened.¡» Paying no attention to Nadine, who flopped down on the ground in shock, the Emperor¡¯s Seat looked a bit surprised as he looked at his sleeves. Up until a moment ago, he was sitting on his throne and watching the Saha World, but he was suddenly dragged here. However, several things shocked the Emperor¡¯s Seat more than that. The first was that he was very familiar with the new divine ground he had been dragged into. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t recognize the ¡®Twilight-Setting Battlefield.¡¯ ¡ºThe , huh?¡» The second was the energy of death in this divine ground. Not even Celestials could easily meddle with life and death, yet this ce smelled thickly of death¡­ If so, then Chang-Sun had be part of the . ¡ºYou have be a hound for a truly nasty ce, my son.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat turned his head to Chang-Sun, who had regained his divine ss as the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ Xue Yong¡¯s disappearance had been a mystery until now, but the Emperor¡¯s Seat finally understood what happened. If Chang-Sun was the Twilight that the Emperor¡¯s Seat knew and was receiving help, then he was certainly more than capable of defeating Xue Yong with ease. [The hidden Divine Name ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ has been partially revealed!] Holding [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and the [Yuchang Sword], Chang-Sun frowned. The word ¡®son¡¯ was getting on his nerves. Chapter 216: Star, the Owl (2)

Chapter 216: Star, the Owl (2)

¡°You¡¯re the famous Twilight.¡± ~ There was a time before Chang-Sun met Xerxes, Kali, and his other colleagues that he fought alone as the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ That was when he joined the . He joined without any specific reason, not because he liked the ideology of the or believed the sweet offer it made.? Chang-Sun was full of self-loathing at the time. Having lost his lover and achieving somehow, he swung his spear indiscriminately. His life had neither destination nor goal, and he had no awareness of what he was doing. There was no way he could find ¡®himself¡¯ in that kind of life, so his condition was understandable.? At some point, he even lost his desire to return home. Having his revenge seemed so impossible that he wanted to give up, thinking no one would worry even if he disappeared anyway. Chang-Sun joined the since it was known to be a for fiends like him, and that was where he met the Emperor¡¯s Seat. ¡°You look simr to the children in this ce¡­ Maybe I¡¯m mistaken.¡± While nkly strolling, Chang-Sun ran into a middle-aged man. Unfitting his fancy appearance, he tended to a small flowerbed as if he didn¡¯t mind fertilizer ruining his silk clothes.? ? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my face?¡± Chang-Sun asked with hostility. ¡°As you can see, all the children here are wildflowers. They sprouted randomly on the streets but got kicked and stomped all over. They could have been uprooted anytime, so I moved and nted them here instead.¡± ? Chang-Sun found out about thister, but the Emperor¡¯s Seat called his children wildflowers. For different reasons, they all wanted to bloom beautifully, but the world¡¯s rough storm wounded them so hard that they couldn¡¯t recover on their own. The Emperor¡¯s Seat personally took those beings under his wings and nourished them, bing their fence and flowerbed so they could bloom fully again.? ? ¡°In my own way, I tried to heal these flowers¡¯ wounds, but it didn¡¯t really work as I hoped it would. Still, they¡¯re with people like them, so they eventually grew up together and cheered for each other, gaining strength.¡± ? The Emperor¡¯s Seat lightly stroked a small petal, looking at Chang-Sun. ? ¡°Many children in this ce are like you, so I hope your wound could get better at least a little bit here.¡±? If the Emperor¡¯s Seat had pathetically sympathized with Chang-Sun by saying he understood him or his pain, Chang-Sun would have immediately pounced at the Emperor¡¯s Seat in anger, telling him not to spout nonsense. However, the Emperor¡¯s Seat just told him that he hoped the could provide Chang-Sun a small constion, so Chang-Sun just listened, unable to say anything. ¡®Back then...¡¯ The Emperor¡¯s Seat looked the same as before. Despite his fancy appearance, he looked gentle, and his smile made him seem innocent. However, Chang-Sun knew that the nature of a ruthless ruler was hidden inside the Emperor¡¯s Seat. [Human Face]? [Demon Face]? The Emperor¡¯s Seat had something far more powerful than those. His [Smile] had made countless people kneel and lower themselves in defeat. ¡®I should have killed him back then.¡¯ Chang-Sun gritted his teeth behind his iron mask. His Inferno Sights zed up. His purple lighting became dozens of times stronger due to the divine ss of the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ ¡ºSo you still hate me very much. Is it because of what happened back then? Hmm¡­! I know we can¡¯t just smile and have a joyful reunion, but I didn¡¯t expect we would be fighting with so much intensity. ¡» ¡°You and I don¡¯t share nostalgic memories,¡± Chang-Sun said firmly. Although it was just for a very short moment, he did feel close to the Emperor¡¯s Seat. Chang-Sun never called him father, but he always called Chang-Sun son without hesitation. If only ¡®that¡¯ didn¡¯t happen, Chang-Sun could have been captivated by the Emperor¡¯s Seat and called him father. ¡°I have a question,¡± Chang-Sun said, not wanting to talk about what happened in the past. Besides, he had to get a piece of information out of the Emperor¡¯s seat. ¡ºWhat is it?¡»the Emperor¡¯s Seat asked gently, like a father talking to his son, but it sounded disgusting to Chang-Sun. ¡°Richardus and Kail.¡± ¡ºAh, those friends of yours,¡»the Emperor¡¯s Seat now spoke as if they were his son¡¯s adorable friends. ¡ºYou won¡¯t believe me no matter what I tell you about Richardus.¡» Not understanding what the part he wouldn¡¯t believe the Emperor¡¯s Seat, Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes without saying anything. The Emperor¡¯s Seat continued,¡ºI do have several things to tell you about Kali. It seems you have found out that her priests are on Earth¡­ Do you know they are there to find you?¡» ¡°And?¡± ¡ºSo you already know. Hmm, then I wonder what can surprise my adorable son¡­¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat pondered for a while and soon grinned, having remembered something. ¡ºHow about the fact that one of Kali¡¯s priests got blessed by ¡®Aquarius¡¯?¡» ¡°¡­ What?¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened. The ''Gemini,¡¯ Kali¡¯s killers, were part of the Zodiacs. Yet despite ¡®Aquarius¡¯ belonging to the same as the ¡®Gemini,¡¯ Kali¡¯s priest still joined the side of ¡®Aquarius¡¯...? Chang-Sun was about to ask about it further when his divine ground suddenly shook and two beings showed up on the Emperor¡¯s Seat¡¯s nks, disrupting his ns. ¡ºI knew there was more to you, but I¡­ didn¡¯t expect you, a mortal named Lee Chang-Sun, would be the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯¡» [The Celestial ¡®Impetuous Dragon Horse General¡¯ has appeared!] On the left side of the Emperor¡¯s Seat, Suo Chao showed up with his Dragon Horse, its hooves ttering. The eyeholes of his great helm showed eyes filled with shock. He probably thought someone else was supporting Chang-Sun. Hence, it naturally surprised him when he found out that Chang-Sun himself was the one who harmed Xue Yong. ¡ºFather. Please, please don¡¯t take the risk of acting as bait yourself next time. Your safety means everyone else¡¯s safety.¡» [The Subordinate ¡®Peculiar Warring Deity¡¯ has appeared!] Furious because the Emperor¡¯s Seat ended up on this divine ground, Bo Du walked out and stood to the right of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. Although the Emperor¡¯s Seat had sessfully lured Chang-Sun into revealing who was supporting him, he could have gotten seriously hurt. The ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯! They couldn¡¯t take him lightly. A fiend¡ªno, the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ had been close to bing a Fiend Star. He used to be as famous as the Zodiacs and as notorious as the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions. ¡°It was a trap?¡± Chang-Sun smirked, looking at Suo Chao and Bo Du. It seemed the had set up a trap for Chang-Sun, just like how he had lured them into the ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest.¡¯ ¡ºI came to the conclusion that no matter who¡¯s supporting you, they¡¯re bound to show up if I reveal myself, but¡­ it was a half-sess.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat smiled bitterly. He thought he could capture the person responsible alive by luring them out and making Celestials like Suo Chao descend. In fact, bringing one Heavenly Spirit, four Earthly FIends, and three of hismanders could have been too cautious of him. The Emperor¡¯s Seat literally created a that spread all over the world by deploying apostles and followers across thends and the Celestials to the skies. However, Chang-Sun turned it upside down and nullified every trap that they had prepared in advance by bringing them all to the ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest,¡¯ where the ¡®Gemini¡¯ were also present. One silver lining was that Suo Chao and Texile Ruler had moved as soon as Chang-Sun had activated the [Execution Sword], allowing them to enter the divine ground. Of course, the Celestials outside were in critical danger now that Suo Chao and Bo Du had left the frontlines. After all, it was impossible for only four Earthly Fiends to hold off both Castor and Pollux. However, the Emperor¡¯s Seat wasn¡¯t that worried since the Seven Stars Azure Dragon, the constetion that protected the eastern sky of the , would have descended on Suo Chao and Bo Du¡¯s behalf. With their cintamani, which could summon storms and rains, and strong fangs that could bite through stars, the Azure Dragon would be more than capable of fighting the ¡®Gemini.¡¯ ¡ºTwilight, you always surpass our expectations.¡» However, the Emperor¡¯s Seat didn¡¯t seem to mind that the traps he had tried really hard to make had been rendered useless¡ªno, he was actually having fun. ¡ºSo I¡¯ll ask you. Why don¡¯t you take my hand again? Come back to me. Be my first son and heir.¡» . Surprised, Suo Chao stopped fixing the grip on his guandao and turned to look at the Emperor¡¯s Seat. Bo Du, the son of the Emperor¡¯s Seat, did the same. They knew how outrageous the offer was, but they couldn¡¯t stop him since they knew he meant it and there was no way to dissuade him when he was acting like this. Pzzzzzzz! ¡°First son?¡± The purple lightning sparks flying around Chang-Sun intensified. ¡°Go back to the moon and spout your fucking bullcrap there.¡± Boom! Chang-Sun sprang forward, cutting through the air. Swoosh¨D! Chang-Sun, enveloped by an intimidating aura, moved so fast that he was leaving sonic booms in his tracks. He didn¡¯t really care that the Emperor¡¯s Seat brought Bo Du and Suo Chao into his divine ground. Although they did make it trickier to deal with the Emperor¡¯s Seat, he had already made preparations for this scenario. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have pulled out the [Execution Sword] in the first ce. ng! The first one to stand between Chang-Sun and the Emperor¡¯s Seat was Suo Chao. Chang-Sun¡¯s [Yuchang Sword] and Suo Chao¡¯s guandao shed fiercely. Suo Chao looked to be at an advantage because he was riding on a Dragon Horse, making it appear as if he had the upper hand in this battle of strength. Seemingly detecting its owner¡¯s desire to win, the Dragon Horse neighed loudly. ¡ºCome to think of it, I never got the chance to fight you properly, Twilight. That has always been my biggest regret.¡» Suo Chao¡¯s eyes gleamed. He was a Celestial who became a general because he was devoted to improving himself as a warrior, making it inevitable for him to have the desire to fight the fiend named ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ Few were as skilled as the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ and Suo Chao back then, but he couldn¡¯t fight Chang-Sun because he was on the front line of the battle against the , and Chang-Sun was in the middle of the war against the . Suo Chao had always found it a shame. Fighting idiots who still thought this universe belonged to them wasn¡¯t fun, so Suo Chao couldn¡¯t stop thinking about fighting the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ to determine who was stronger. Fortunately, although it came when he least expected it, he finally had an opportunity to have the battle of his dreams, so how could he not be happy? ¡ºAfter I beat you, the other demonic deities in won¡¯t have a problem crowning me as the strong¡ª!¡» Interrupting Suo Chao, Chang-Sun said, ¡°Get out of my way.¡± [The third chapter of ¡®Prti¡¯s Spellbook¡¯ has been unlocked!] Chang-Sun could hear the sound of pages turning inside his head. If he couldn¡¯t subdue these two Celestials with the second chapter of [Prti¡¯s Spellbook], then he just had to open the third chapter. ¡®I don¡¯t have much time left. I have to exponentially increase mybat power and overpower them,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. [The third chapter ¡®Dr?c¨­n¨ªg?na Mon¨®l?num¡¯ has been applied, making your core evolve!] The next chapter of D¨ªg?ro Ignis was Dr?c¨­n¨ªg?na Mon¨®l?num, a Dragon¡¯s bead that held lightning power that could destroy worlds. The lightning energy that Chang-Sun embraced quickly circted around his [Integrated Magic Circuit] and agglomerated with every part of him, forming a maic field¡ªa property of maic energy. Chang-Sun forcefully spun the maic field, causing more lightning energy to gather,press, and condense around him. The agglomerates of lightning energy then connected with each other like a spider and, one by one, merged with the main core in Chang-Sun¡¯s heart¡­ It didn¡¯t take long for it to turn into a sphere. A bead had been created¡ªone that held so much lightning power that no one could tell how much lightning power it had. The purple bead shone radiantly, seemingly about to burst any minute. If Chang-Sun didn¡¯t handle it with caution, it would actually explode. Although lightning energy had the characteristic to cohere, it also had a tendency to expand outward. Whirl! Chang-Sun spun the lightning power bead like a top. Using the centrifugal force, he then directed the lightning energy, which kept trying to spread in every direction, to circte around and maintain the sphere. The quicker the sphere spun, the more pressure it received, swiftly increasing the lightning energy¡¯s power and making it easier to control the sphere! The sphere eventually heated up so much that it was as if it had be another sun. This truly seemed to be how a cintamani, a Dragon¡¯s bead that could summon storms and winds and drop lightning bolts, was made. By spinning the sphere as quickly as possible, Chang-Sun continued adding more explosive power to it. If the D¨ªg?ro Ignis chapter¡¯s goal was to gainplete control over one¡¯s body, the Dr?c¨­n¨ªg?na Mon¨®l?num goal was to activate one¡¯s explosive power using lightning energy. Adding the divine power and divine essence of the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ to the calction, Chang-Sun¡¯s power level became indescribable. Ooooong! Howling loudly, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] exploded when imbued with purple lightning energy and white sacred light, creating a huge pir that stretched from the ground to the sky. Boom. The attack was certainly destructive. It shattered Suo Chao¡¯s guandao and sent its fragments flying all over the ce. Suo Chao hurriedly pulled out the giant axe that he had been carrying¡ªa relic named [Jin Can Axe]¡ªand swung it horizontally. ng, ng, ng¨D! Unlike what happened to Suo Chao¡¯s gundao, the collision didn¡¯t shatter the [Jin Can Axe] instantly. However, Chang-Sun¡¯s attacks kept scratching it. Every time he hacked down at Suo Chao using [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], which held ck demonic energy, Suo Chao gritted his teeth as he tried to defend himself. As the two fought, Bo Du thrust his spear toward Chang-Sun¡¯s blind spot. At the same time, the Emperor¡¯s Seat moved in and fiercely swung his arm at Chang-Sun. His sleeve swayed, sounding like a g fluttering in the wind. Three against one. Three demonic deities and one fiend had engaged in a bloody life-or-death battle. 1. It¡¯s a magical jewel that can make anyone¡¯s wishe true. In Korean novels, it¡¯s often depicted as a jewel that an imoogi(a Korean serpent) needs to be a dragon. 2. There is a story about the Three Enclosures that the moon is where gods lived. Moon is a popr habitat for gods. Chapter 217: Star, the Owl (3)

Chapter 217: Star, the Owl (3)

[The Constetion ¡®Azure Dragon¡¯ fiercely swings its tail!] Roooarrr¨D! Every time the tall Dragon howled, soldiers near it exploded, unable to withstand the Supervibration. From the dark skies, countless lightning bolts struck the ground, wreaking havoc in the ¡®Gemini¡¯ camp, and strong gusts of wind unbnced the survivors who tried to retaliate. The Azure Dragon, which was in the center of the ¡®Gemini¡¯ camp, was untouchable. The ¡®Horn Mansion¡¯ Mokgyo, ¡®Neck Mansion¡¯ Geumyong, ¡®Root Mansion¡¯ Toehak, ¡®Room Mansion¡¯ Ilto, ¡®Heart Mansion¡¯ Wolho, ¡®Tail Mansion¡¯ Hwahao, and ¡®Winnowing Basket Mansion¡¯ Supyo¡­ The seven stars that symbolized the eastern sky of the were just mere monster and demonic deities when they were apart, but they could merge into the Azure Dragon¡ªa great demonic deity that could destroy realms. Even though this area was under the control of Minerva and the ¡®Gemini,¡¯ the Dragon broke everyw of divine power whenever it turned, giving Castor and Pollux troubleing up with countermeasures. ¡º ! Do you truly want to have a war against us?! Is that what you want?!¡»Pollux roared. ¡°Serena,¡± Minerva quietly called, observing the state of the battle. When Serena cautiously approached her and bowed, she continued, ¡°Take charge for a moment.¡± ¡°Are you going to backstab the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t just sit by, can I?¡± Even if the tide of the battle now favored Minerva because the Celestials appeared, she was never the type to just sit on her hands and observe the uninvited guests who suddenly barged into her divine ground. Besides, it seemed Suo Chao and Textile Rule had stopped rampaging and suddenly vanished because of Chang-Sun. After a short moment, Minerva concluded Chang-Sun had set up a trap for the Emperor¡¯s Seat, who had done the same for Chang-Sun¡­ If so, then she only had one choice to make. ¡®Chang-Sun, you would tell me to win the war first now that things have turned out this way¡­ you really know nothing about me if you think I¡¯ll just walk away after benefiting from the situation,¡¯?Minerva thought. As a Celestial, she protected and blessed all heroes. Hence, she would help Chang-Sun as well. Thump! Minerva mmed the ground with the end of her spear, causing sacred light to rise from underneath her feet and spread to her either side. It was as if an owl had just spread its wings wide to rise from being curled up in its nest for a long time. Paaah¨D! [The owl is spreading her wings!] Minerva began to move. * * * Boom! Rumble¨D! The palm of the Emperor¡¯s Seat narrowly missed Chang-Sun¡¯s cheek. Powerful and intimidating, the attack made the air where the Emperor¡¯s Seat had hit shake profusely, leaving behind strong winds and a visible crack in the space. Despite regaining his divine ss as the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ his head would have been smashed If that attack had hit him. Nevertheless, he just narrowed his eyes. ¡®Too weak.¡¯ The Emperor¡¯s Seat was the ruler of the , which was one of the biggest in right now, so he ought to be powerful enough to destroy several gxies if he forgot to control his breathing. However, that was impossible with his current power level¡­ ¡®Did something happen to him?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. The Emperor¡¯s Seat could call himself a and y father and child with his many children because he had the power to. Even the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ in his prime couldn¡¯t guarantee his victory against the Emperor¡¯s Seat¡ªno, the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ would have certainly lost. That was why Chang-Sun opened the chapter of Dr?c¨­n¨ªg?na Mon¨®l?num in [Prti¡¯s Spellbook]. ng, ng, ng! Chang-Sun stopped analyzing the situation when Suo Chao swung the [Jin Can Axe] horizontally toward him. Crack. Chang-Sun could see the [Jin Can Axe] leaving cracks in the air. ¡®Come to think of it, Suo Chao¡¯s relic had the power to destroy literally everything it touched,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The ¡¯s monster and demonic deities were born as Aberrations, so their relics were often totally different from ordinary relics. They either looked unique or were part of the owner even if they seemed ordinary. The [Jin Can Axe] was thetter. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that it held Suo Chao¡¯s every power. After all, it decreased the durability of everything it touched to almost zero, no matter how great the blessings bestowed upon it were. Anything the [Jin Can Axe] touched once would be half-destroyed. Touched twice, and it would bepletely shattered. Well aware of that, he used the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] to fight but not directly block the [Jin Can Axe]. After indirectly deflecting the attack as much as he could by hitting the handle of the [Jin Can Axe], Chang-Sun tried to stab Suo Chao¡¯s stomach. Just like before, Chang-Sun pulled [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] toward him and slightly turned to the side to avoid the [Jin Can Axe]. At the same time, he swung the [Yuchang Sword] diagonally. With a sh of sacred light, a storm was created. [The Skill ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s First w¡¯ has been activated!] Swoosh! Feeling the w reaching for his neck, Suo Chao hurriedly retreated backward, causing the attack to just narrowly scratch the underside of Suo Chao¡¯s great helm. Not missing the chance, Chang-Sun tried to activate the second w using [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], but Bo Du attacked first, aiming for Chang-Sun¡¯s heart. Bo Du was using a relic named [Storm Spear], which was known to create a strong storm every time he thrust it. The thought of how dangerous it would be to directly block the attack shed through Chang-Sun¡¯s mind. However, Bo Du was too close to him right now, and it was already toote to withdraw his weapon. ¡®In that case¡­¡¯? [The Skill ¡®Stomp¡¯ has been activated!] [The ground has been turned upside down.] Boom! Using the skill he had bought to acquire Richardus¡¯ Authorities, [Sea Change] and [Mountain-Crushing Supremacy], Chang-Sun mmed the ground with his foot, causing the ground underneath him to sink deep. At the same time, thend in front of Chang-Sun rose up, creating a high wall¡ªno, a hill between Chang-Sun and Bo Du. [Sea Change], which artificially changedndscapes, had been partially applied. Although Chang-Sun had definitely activated [Stomp], it had been upgraded in ordance with his current divine ss. ¡ºIt¡¯s meaningless!¡»Bo Du shouted. Rumble¨D! A storm crashed into and destroyed Chang-Sun¡¯s earthen wall. Bo Du smirked at him for trying to block his attack with such a pathetic wall, thinking even the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ had lost his edge after plummeting. Chang-Sun would likely naturally yield if Bo Du showed him the power of [Storm Spear] a few more times, so Bo Du just broke through the rain of pebbles and dust to keep pressuring him. However, Chang-Sun was nowhere to be found. ¡®Where did he go¡­?¡¯?Bo Du wondered, his eyes widening. ¡ºBo Du! Behind you!¡»the Emperor¡¯s Seat shouted, but it was already toote. When Bo Du frantically turned around, he saw Chang-Sun, whose eyes had be sharper, ovepping andunching the [ck Mountain King¡¯s Second w] and the [ck Mountain King¡¯s Third w] at him. Chang-Sun was so swift that Bo Du failed to detect his movements despite Bo Du¡¯s sharpened senses. However, showing no signs of surprise, Bo Du spun like a top. Drawing an arc, Bo Du aimed for Chang-Sun¡¯s heart using [Storm Spear]. ng! The [Yuchang Sword] blocked off Bo Du¡¯s [Storm Spear]. The collision between the spearhead and the de made the storm scatter, its aftereffect spreading in every direction and wing at everything nearby, and purple lightning energy soar into the sky. Their fight was no different from natural disasters crashing into each other, a sight that could only be found in myths. If they were on Earth, they would have already reduced several cities to dust with ease. Nevertheless, Chang-Sun just calmly yet quickly swung [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. [The Skills ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s Fourth w¡¯ and ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s Fifth w¡¯ have been activated!] [The attack has reached the level of Authority.] Aside from allowing Chang-Sun tounch Crushing Blows endlessly, the biggest advantage of the [ck Mountain King¡¯s ws] was that its damage exponentially increased. When Chang-Sun activated the [ck Mountain King¡¯s Fifth w], it became as destructive as an Authority. Bo Du swiftly raised the end of his [Storm Spear] to distance himself from Chang-Sun, but the moment the [ck Mountain King¡¯s Fourth w] smashed the [Strom Spear]¡¯s handle, the impact pushed away Bo Du. Bo Du skidded to a stop, leaving two deep furrows in his tracks. His mind had nked out, seemingly having sustained a concussion. The world around him spun, making him feel so nauseous that it became difficult to breathe. Bo Du was stunned, finally realizing he was wrong. Since the attack was powerful enough to impact his divine ss¡­ The ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ didn¡¯t weaken at all after he plummeted. Rather, he made his skill tree more diverse and powerful as he attempted to rise again. The Lee Chang-Sun in this ce was already way stronger than the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ in his prime! Chang-Sun could only use this amount of power while the [Execution Sword] was activated. However, if he could achieve and again and regain his divine ss¡­ Bo Du couldn¡¯t begin to fathom how much more sinister this fiend, who was already shining ominously, would be. Despite being in a state of momentary panic, Bo Du regained hisposure, albeit with difficulty. However, just as he did, the [ck Mountain King¡¯s Fifth w] struck his head. Left by the old false deity, who had lost everything because of Heoju, this Authority proved very destructive. It didn¡¯t just shatter the [Storm Spear], which was basically Bo Du¡¯s everything. It was also about to rip him into pieces. ¡ºGet a hold of yourself, son!¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat hurriedly pulled Bo Du away by his nape and abruptly showed up where Bo Du had been. He then folded all his fingers halfway and concentrated his power in the center of his palm, using [White Hit] to immediately counter the iing [ck Mountain King¡¯s Fifth w]. The attack likely looked simple, but it was surely effective. Even Chang-Sun or the Fourth Elder, a member of the One-Horned Tribe, admitted that the Emperor¡¯s Seat was an exceptional martial artist. Boom! The [ck Mountain King¡¯s Fifth w] dissipated in the air, but even the Emperor¡¯s Seat couldn¡¯tpletely nullify it. The w¡¯s fragments ragged his sleeve. Almost as if a tiger had wed him, deep wounds covered him from his fingertips to his elbow. ¡º¡­ It seems you resent me more than I thought, my son.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat sighed, frowning slightly. He and the two Celestials only exchanged several attacks with Chang-Sun, but he could already tell Chang-Sun had excruciatingly tried to prepare for this moment. It saddened him. The Emperor¡¯s Seat genuinely wanted to make Chang-Sun his first son. ¡®If we only didn¡¯t misunderstand each other back then¡­!¡¯?The Emperor¡¯s Seat thought bitterly. No matter how much the Emperor¡¯s Seat regretted it now, nothing would change, but he couldn¡¯t help but still find it sad. Thinking he should straighten everything out, the Emperor¡¯s Seat decided to subdue Chang-Sun first. After cutting off the chain of the that was shackling Chang-Sun, he would clear up the misunderstanding between them. Of course, considering the personality of the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ the Emperor¡¯s Seat knew that he would never listen. Rather, he would just growl at the Emperor¡¯s Seat and tell the Emperor¡¯s Seat to kill him. The ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ would never yield even if his life was at stake. Nevertheless, the Emperor¡¯s Seat wouldn¡¯t let Chang-Sun go this time. He would try really hard to persuade him. Even if Chang-Sun never changed his mind, the Emperor¡¯s Seat would keep trying until he did. Swoosh¨D! The Emperor¡¯s Seat could see Bo Du, who had narrowly escaped death, moving again as he gritted his teeth. Judging from the anger zing up in his eyes, he seemed to be trying to have payback for the humiliation he had just suffered. Suo Chao also rode his Dragon Horse toward Chang-Sun, swinging his [Jin Can Axe]. ¡ºThen, as your father, I should do my du¡ª!¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat drew up all his divine power to activate his Authority. However, he abruptly stopped when he felt a shiver run down his spine. The intuition of beings like the Emperor¡¯s Seat was no different from prophecies. Just as he had expected¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ has descended after receiving the divine ground owner¡¯s permission!] A spatial gap suddenly opened right in front of the Emperor¡¯s Seat, and a goddess shining in golden light appeared. She was wearing ancient bronze armor, holding [Pas] the divine spear in her left hand and [Aegis] the unbreakable shield in her left. ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll be fighting me.¡± Minerva smiled faintly. Whirl! Minerva turned and thrust [Pas] toward the Emperor¡¯s Seat. The end of the golden light, shining radiantly, dissipated in the air, just like an owl pping its wings. [The ¡®Divine Punishment of Promachos¡¯ has descended!] ¡ºNo¡­!¡» sh! Rumble¨D! The Emperor¡¯s Seat quickly redirected his [White Hit] from Chang-Sun to Minerva. Changing the course of attack midway significantly decreased its damage. Failing to break through the [Divine Punishment of Promachus]pletely, a pool of light blinded the Emperor¡¯s Seat. However, before hepletely lost his sight, thest thing he saw was Chang-Sun smiling at him. ¡ºNo¡­!¡»The Emperor¡¯s Seat tried to scream, but a thunderous sound muffled him. Minerva alsopletely blocked his view, so he couldn¡¯t do anything. Swoosh¨D! At that moment, Chang-Sun headed toward Bo Du and Suo Chao, who were bothing at him. However, there was one thing different about him. Click¨D! Just as when Chang-Sun had forced a warp gate open, he had inserted a golden key in [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. [¡®Peter¡¯s Key¡¯ has unlocked all the seals of ¡®Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth.¡¯] [The dormant power inside ¡®Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth¡¯ is awakening.] [The Evil Dragon has been unleashed!] Chapter 218: Star, the Owl (4)

Chapter 218: Star, the Owl (4)

Staring at [Peter¡¯s Key], Chang-Sun began to wonder. Since this golden key had the power to unlock, it could probably open the seal of an artifact or awaken the dormant power of an unsealed artifact. When the thought hit him, the three swords¡ªthe [Yuchang Sword], [Zhan Lu Sword], and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]¡ªcaught his eyes. ¡®I can unlock more of the [Yuchang Sword] and [Zhan Lu Sword]¡¯s abilities when I acquire more of Ou Yezi¡¯s divine swords, which means they still have dormant power inside them,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Using the Trait [Sword Forest], Chang-Sun had already unsealed the two swords, but it wasn¡¯t enough. He could talk to the swords, but due to his low ss, he couldn¡¯t use them to their full potential. However, the idea of temporarily fully awakening the swords shed across his mind, but he naturally couldn¡¯t try it right away. The [Yuchang Sword] and [Zhan Lu Sword] were both splendid weapons that many Celestials wanted for themselves, and he couldn¡¯t deal with those Celestials in his current state. If he would experiment with the swords, he had to try it when the [Execution Sword] was active since that would give him back his divine ss as the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯. ¡®The same goes for [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth].¡¯? While the [Yuchang Sword] and [Zhan Lu Sword] were ssified as divine swords, Taotie the Devil cksmith created [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] under Tiamat¡¯s request. The sword was so ferocious that it could even devour its owner. Tiamat, its original owner, was one of the most powerful Celestials in the Absolute Evil faction, and Taotie likely even upgraded the material into a sharper weapon. Hence, Chang-Sun never acted greedy whenever he used [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Although the sword usually acted like a child who was quick to sulk, it could change suddenly and try to eat Chang-Sun. That was also the reason why Chang-Sun hadn¡¯t tried to talk to [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] despite getting the [Sword Forest]. Now, however, Chang-Sunpletely awakened [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Upon the [Execution Sword]¡¯s activation and the Dr?c¨­n¨ªg?na Mon¨®l?num¡¯spletion, hisbat power reached its peak. If he awakened [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] by force now, the impact would be indescribable! Of course, all these were just Chang-Sun¡¯s hypotheses. He hadn¡¯t tried it yet and didn¡¯t know what kind of consequences were waiting for him. It would be odder to assume there would be no consequence to forcefully awakening such an exceptional sword. He could probably only use the sword for a certain duration or it could require something before it could be used. Awakening the sword in such a critical moment was a gamble, but Chang-Sun didn¡¯t care. He trusted his instincts. * * * And Chang-Suns¡¯ instinct proved right. When Minerva appeared, she immobilized the Emperor¡¯s Seat. At the same time, Bo Du and Suo Chao charged toward Chang-Sun. He smiled coldly in response, having been waiting for this moment. After thrusting the [Yuchang Sword] into the ground, Chang-Sun inserted [Peter¡¯s Key] in [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletoot]. Although it had no keyhole, Chang-Sun could put the key deep into the sword as if they were a set item from the start. Grrrrr. As soon as Chang-Sun heard a click, he felt something growling through the key. It was as if an untamed beast was living inside the sword. ¡®The sword is feeling it too,¡¯?Chang-Sun assumed. The beast slowly stood up, having noticed that the fence keeping it imprisoned was opening up. Furious, it was ready to dart outside. Hence, as soon as Chang-Sunpletely rotated [Peter¡¯s Key], it swiftly burst out running. The power of an Evil Dragon had been unleashed. [The Evil Dragon¡¯s fangs have appeared.] [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] transformed once more. Up until now, the sword just had an ordinary shape, so Chang-Sun could use it alongside other swords. However, its size had now doubled, and its gray de dripped ck demonic energy. It appeared to be an embodiment of the word ¡®brutal¡¯ and was simr to a Dragon¡¯s fang¡ªno, a snaggletooth. Yes, it was a snaggletooth of an immeasurably enormous Dragon. [¡®Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth¡¯ haspletely awakened!] [Due to many conditions, including the relic¡¯s durability and the owner¡¯s Traits, ¡®Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth¡¯ will stay awakened for only a certain amount of time.] [20 seconds remaining.] [Demonic energy and lightning energy have mixed with the Evil Dragon¡¯s energy, taking a new form!] Chang-Sun fiercely swung the snaggletooth in a diagonal line, causing the air to heat up so much it turned into white steam. As soon as demonic energy and lightning energy mixed with the steam, an explosion took ce. It was as if a furious legendary Dragon had unleashed its breath at their enemies. [A Dragon Breath has been fired!] Since ancient times, the Evil Dragon had made countless civilizations meet with her [Dragon Breath]. The moment her breath hit the world, a ck tsunami struck the ¡®Twilight-Setting Battlefield.¡¯ ¡®Hup!¡¯?Chang-Sun quietly grunted. The power of [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] was so great that he had to use all his mana. His core, Dr?c¨­n¨ªg?na Mon¨®l?num, spun wildly and overheated, creating more lightning energy to help control himself. ¡¸¡­ My master really doesn¡¯t hesitate to do something ridiculous! Bwahaha! An Evil Dragon Breath!¡¹ At that moment, Simon Magus stepped in. Up until now, he had been working as a supplementary device for Chang-Sun to activate his Skills and Authorities, but Simon noticed that his time hade. [A verse of ¡®Bes¡¯s Poem¡¯ has been applied: ¡°Having reached the verdict to erase her enemies, the king¡¯s dignity became so great that it shook the skies and thends and split the sea in half.¡± ] Paah! energy swiftly gathered up behind Chang-Sun and transformed into a Giant. As supporting Chang-Sun, Inferno Sights lit up in the Giant¡¯s eyes as it nted its feet firmly on the ground. It infused Chang-Sun with a tremendous amount of power, allowing him to endure the activation of [Bes¡¯s Poem]. ¡ºThis is¡­!¡» Suo Chao was the first one to get struck. He nned to charge toward and kill Chang-Sun with hisnce, urging his Dragon Horse to run faster. However, Suo Chao wasn¡¯t capable enough to survive Tiamat¡¯s [Dragon Breath]. No matter how brilliantly a star shone, their light was bound to fade when faced against the [Dragon Breath] of the Evil Dragon who covered everything with darkness. Suo Chao could only scream as he turned into nothing, but even that waspletely muffled by the darkness. [You have sessfully eliminated the Celestial ¡®Impetuous Dragon Horse General¡¯!] [Sessfully sealing the Celestial.] [You have unlocked the additional achievement of killing a Celestial.] ¡®¡­ All I did was awaken the sword, yet its power level immediately reached¡­ ridiculous heights.¡¯?Chang-Sun clicked his tongue, having witnessed how Suo Chao was killed without leaving a single trace. He expected [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] would be stronger, but not to this extent. However, he should have seen thising. After all, Tiamat could even consider waging a war against the ¡®Taurus,¡¯ who was known to be the strongest Zodiac. ¡®But Pablisag gave it to a human who isn¡¯t even her apostle. Tiamat probably worries about her too-boisterous daughter a lot.¡¯?Chang-Sun expressed his gratitude to Pabilsag, who wasn¡¯t here right now, and turned [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] in the other direction. Ten seconds now remained. [A verse of ¡®Bes¡¯s Poem¡¯ has been applied: ¡°When the king decided to march, all the enemies blocking her path for over a thousand years swiftly disbanded.¡±] Rumble! Perhaps because he had alreadyunched a powerful attack, the next one was iparably weaker, but it still couldn¡¯t be taken lightly. It tore apart the lower body of Bo Du, who had managed to avoid the first [Dragon Breath] with difficulty. ¡ºNo¡­! I should protect Father¡­!¡» Bo Du crawled as hard as he could. Rather than focusing on killing Chang-Sun, he knew he shouldn¡¯t let such an attack hit the Emperor¡¯s Seat. However, Bo Du was given no space to worry about the safety of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. Click¨D! After [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], the [Yuchang Sword] was now about to fully awaken. Chang-Sun turned the golden key once again. [All the seals of the ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯ have been undone.] [The dormant power of the ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯ is awakening. It will stay awakened for only 30 seconds.] [Synchronizing with the sword!] Chang-Sun used a different method to utilize the [Yuchang Sword]. While he focused on releasing energy with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], Chang-Sun chose to synchronize with the numerous memories that the [Yuchang Sword] held. Paah¨D! Chang-Sun sprang forward, bing an assassin. Most owners of the [Yuchang Sword] were assassins since the sword specialized in ambushes and assassinations. The sword had the Attribute of blood and fire for a reason. Stab! Before Bo Du could even realize that Chang-Sun had made a move, the tip of the [Yuchang Sword] had already pierced his forehead. The first two [Dragon Breaths] had already critically injured Bo Du, so he could no longer stop any attempts to assassinate him. Bo Du¡¯s helmet split in half and dropped to the ground, revealing a red dot on his forehead. ¡ºSon!¡» Bo Du heard the Emperor¡¯s Seat crying out from somewhere. ¡ºFa¡­ther¡­!¡» Bo Du wanted to turn his head toward the Emperor¡¯s Seat, but like an ink drop in water, the red dot on his forehead quickly became bigger. His head soon exploded. [You have sessfully eliminated the Subordinate ¡®Peculiar Warring Deity¡¯!] [You have sessfully sealed a Celestial.] [The Authority ¡®Storm Era¡¯ has been activated, causing a gust of wind to envelop you!] ¡ºI can¡¯t believe this¡­!¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat couldn¡¯t pull himself together. With two Celestials having been instantly sealed, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had been too naive. Instead of killing Chang-Sun, the Emperor¡¯s Seat had tried to capture and persuade him, which was probably the cause of this horrendous catastrophe. The Emperor¡¯s Seat had never expected Chang-Sun would be this thoroughly prepared to hunt him. If only I participated more actively in the battle¡­!¡¯ However, the Emperor¡¯s Seat regretted things far toote. Right now, he was up against Minerva, the great Celestial not even the ¡®Gemini¡¯ could outdo. Paah! Chang-Sun showed up behind the Emperor¡¯s Seat. [The Authority ¡®Despising Weakness¡¯ has been activated, increasing the damage of your attacks by 200%!] [Storm Era] and [Despising Weakness] were both part of the , the five Authorities that symbolized the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ Using [Storm Era], Chang-Sun gathered up an immense amount of wind and released it together with his ultimate technique, [Despising Weakness], to finish his enemy. However, this was a risky move. If he failed tounch this attack, he would be incapacitated and without protection for at least five seconds due to the depleted mana. Nevertheless, Chang-Sun could benefit more from using his Authorities this way. In fact, he had sent many Celestials plummeting with this method. ¡ºKeugh¡­!¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat knew what Chang-Sun, who was attacking him, was currently thinking. Hence, he drew up as much of his divine power as he could. The [Yuchang Sword]¡¯s assassination specialty, the [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]¡¯s destructive blows, the ultimate techniques of the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯... Chang-Sun had essentially revealed the full extent of his power for this moment, so the Emperor¡¯s Seat would be as good as dead if he couldn¡¯t deflect Chang-Sun¡¯s attack right now. ¡ºI have no other choice. There were so many things I wanted to talk about with you¡­ but I can¡¯t just sit by if you¡¯re going this far.¡» As the royal robe of the Emperor¡¯s Seat fluttered loudly, a Five-wed Dragon slowly turned and leaped out from the patch embroidered on the robe. Five-wed Dragons were known to be auspicious creatures, but this Five-wed Dragon, which was glowing in red, was totally different from ordinary Five-wed Dragons. It was the [Scarlet Jiaolong], was a relic and the favorite ride of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. The [Scarlet Jiaolong] was a great demonic creature that normally lived in the royal robe of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. It only ever appeared whenever its owner was in danger. With a furious look, [Scarlet Jiaolong] rose up, clearly wanting to take its anger out on someone. Rumble! . The [Scarlet Jiaolong] coiled around the Emperor¡¯s Seat and exhaled loudly, causing mes to rise up and stop Chang-Sun from approaching its owner. It even nullified the ultimate attack that Chang-Sun hadunched by crossing the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Boom! Rumble, rumble! Chang-Sun was pushed back quite a distance. Meanwhile, the [Scarlet Jiaolong] screamed in pain, having sustained a serious injury. Grrr! Half of the royal robe of the Emperor¡¯s Seat had been burned away. ¡ºIt seems this is the end of you and me.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat was still certain of his victory. Chang-Sun¡¯s ultimate attack had failed, and Chang-Sun could no longer draw out power from the two swords. Considering the size of Chang-Sun¡¯s storm-like sacred light and the amount of his demonic energy were decreasing, the Emperor¡¯s Seat assumed that Chang-Sun had time restrictions in using the full potential of the two swords. Chang-Sun¡¯s mana would have been almost depleted too. In contrast, the Emperor¡¯s Seat managed to save up his energy thanks to Suo Chao and Bo Du. If only the Emperor¡¯s Seat could defeat Minerva¡­! ¡º¡­ When did you¡­?¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat abruptly stopped analyzing the situation. His left chest had been stabbed with a sword. Ooong, ooong! The sword seemed to be screaming, telling the Emperor¡¯s Seat that it was here. The [Zhan Lu Sword], which had only appeared now, had also been fully awakened, showing off its dignity. ¡°It¡¯s said that the [Zhan Lu Sword] is the sword of monarchs¡­ So I was wondering if it would work. Fortunately, it did,¡± Chang-Sun said calmly. [The power of the ¡®Zhan Lu Sword¡¯ is restricting the soul of the Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯!] ¡ºYou used [Despising Weakness]... to make me pull out the [Scarlet Jiaolong]...?¡» Chang-Sun replied, ¡°I needed it out of the picture to capture you.¡± ¡ºI¡­ have truly lost¡­¡»the Emperor¡¯s Seat muttered nkly. Clunk. Whirl! At the same time, ck holes formed around the Emperor¡¯s Seat, and Divine Steel chains jumped out of them. ¡ºLook who is here to grace us with his presence.¡» A spatial gap then opened in the air, revealing one of Thanatos¡¯ eyes. [The ¡®eye in the darkness¡¯ has opened!] Trantor¡¯s Thoughts A Five-wed Dragon doesn¡¯t exactly exist in mythology, but in the past, the clothes of royal family members and civil servants in Korea were decorated with embroidered patches. These embroidered patches also showed people¡¯s ranks. During the Joseon Dynasty, only a king and a queen could have a five-wed dragon embroidered patch on their royal robe. 1. A type of dragon that appears in Chinese mythology. It¡¯s basically a scaled dragon that doesn¡¯t have horns. Chapter 219: Star, the Owl (5)

Chapter 219: Star, the Owl (5)

[Your HP has decreased below 10%. You are advised to take a break.] [Your Mana has decreased below 6%. Depleting your Mana will risk you getting infected with the Demonization Syndrome.] ¡­¡­ [You have entered the ¡®Brink of Death¡¯ state!] ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Chang-Sun panted hard, soaked in enough sweat to drench his coat. He wanted to lie down¡ªno, he wanted to faint if he could do as he pleased because of how fatigued he was. Such a response was only natural, however, since his HP, Mana, and mental stamina had almost reached zero. His radiantly shining Dr?c¨­n¨ªg?na Mon¨®l?num was also gone now. He had unsealed three relics and fought three Celestials in a row, one of which was the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan,¡¯ who was notorious even in . The [Execution Sword] alone was already difficult to use for prolonged periods with Chang-Sun¡¯s current ss. His ss, which he had built with difficulty, could destabilize. The possibility of that happening was increasing right now. He had to drop everything and rest. However, he showed superhuman resolve instead and remained standing. Still having unanswered questions, Chang-Sun tried to watch the conversation between Thanatos and the Emperor¡¯s Seat. ¡®Is he?really the?Emperor¡¯s Seat?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. That question had already crossed his mind when he had first exchanged blows with the Emperor¡¯s Seat. ¡®His attacks were too weak.¡¯ Chang-Sun knew the Emperor¡¯s Seat very well. They used to be so close that he almost called him father before. However, the Emperor¡¯s Seat that Chang-Sun knew was an absolutely powerful Celestial. He had the strength, prestige, and abilities to live up to his title as the leader of the . Chang-Sun even thought that the Emperor¡¯s Seat could be an Emperor-level being, which he had only heard about in legends, with more Faith. The Emperor¡¯s Seat that Chang-Sun had fought just now was nowhere near that level. Although Chang-Sun had trouble winning, the Emperor¡¯s Seat couldn¡¯t overwhelm him. He was way weaker than Chang-Sun expected. Whirl¨D! Clink, clink! As Chang-Sun wallowed in his thoughts, the pulleys quickly turned, and the Divine Steel chains from the tied up the hands and feet of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. [The Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ has been arrested!] Creak! The pulleys beyond the hole turned in the opposite direction, tightening the Divine Steel chains around the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ The more the chains tightened, the more the [Zhan Lu Sword], which was still in the chest of the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan,¡¯ shook. The Emperor¡¯s Seat had now beenpletely subdued, but instead of getting dispirited, he still held up his head high. It seemed he was calmly epting the situation. ¡ºThe and the King of the Underworld¡­ Only the likes of the King of the Underworld could certainly take the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ under his wings. Hahaha, I appear to have been defeated for a reason.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat burst intoughter even though he was about to be sealed. Even though he was the one who had set up a trap for Chang-Sun, he was the one who ended up being devastatingly defeated. It would¡¯ve only been natural for him to get mad. However, he looked refreshed instead. The Emperor¡¯s Seat thought his defeat was not unnatural. The ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ who not only harbored a deep grudge against the but also knew it better than anyone else, had taken the matter into his own hands, and the King of the Underworld backed him up. ¡ºYour divine ss has been extremely worn out. Is it because of the recent conflict within the ?¡» Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened at Thanatos¡¯ remark. ¡®His divine ss has worn out?¡¯? Chang-Sun paid more attention to the conversation. This was his first time hearing about a conflict as well. ¡ºHmm? You know about it? I did hear a rumor that the has spies all over ... I guess the rumor was true.¡» Although the Emperor¡¯s Seat was under restrictions, he remained rxed and calm. It was as if he had given up. ¡ºThat¡¯s not important. What matters right now is that one of the Three Enclosures of the sustained an injury grave enough to damage his divine ss. He then overdid himself and got captured by the .¡» ¡ºAh, let me correct one thing. I¡¯m no longer one of the Three Enclosures.¡» ¡ºYou nitpick on my every word and try to weasel your way out of this.¡» Unable to stop himself, Chang-Sun interrupted, ¡°Wait! I would like an exnation about what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡ºIt¡¯s exactly what you heard. A big conflict started within the that weakened his divine ss to the point where he no longer held enough power to be one of the Three Enclosures. Because of that, he was kicked out of the .¡» ¡°¡­ What?¡± Chang-Sun muttered in disbelief. ¡ºTwilight, the reason the Emperor¡¯s Seat was hellbent on chasing down your old colleagues was to gather and restore his damaged divine ss. The Tian Shi Yuan Army soldiers are currently divided among themselves. Some are following the lead of the Emperor¡¯s Seat, and some have turned their back on him.¡» ¡°¡­!¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s face darkened, finding the story quite shocking. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this earlier?¡± Although he currently held the rank of a reaper, he and the King of the Underworld were equal in the deal they made, so he couldn¡¯t help but find it unpleasant that Thanatos could be controlling the information that Chang-Sun received and bossing him around. After all, that meant Thanatos just considered Chang-Sun as his hound. ¡º¡­ I only found out about this recently. While interrogating Xue Yong, I noticed that something didn''t add up, so I reached a conclusion based on the reports of our spies in . No, this wasn¡¯t even a conclusion. It was just a hypothesis.¡» Having noticed how displeased Chang-Sun was, it seemed Thanatos tried to pacify him. ¡ºGiving you the wrong information during your operation could have caused confusion. Once I have checked the status of his divine ss during this trial, I was going to tell you the whole story.¡» Chang-Sun stayed silent. ¡ºI¡¯m sorry if I offended you while doing so.¡» Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t stay mad now that Thanatos had apologized, so he just said, ¡°From now on, I hope you hide nothing from me even if it can cause confusion. I¡¯ll verify the information myself.¡± ¡ºI¡¯ll keep that in mind. I¡¯m not trying to make excuses, but I believed the uracy of the information mattered since the issue is serious.¡» Chang-Sun nodded and stoppedining. Instead, he busily thought, ¡®Someone weakened the Emperor¡¯s Seat enough to revoke his title as one of the Three Enclosures. To regain his divine ss and honor, the Emperor¡¯s Seat tenaciously hunted down Kali and the others¡­? Who could do that to the Emperor¡¯s Seat?¡¯ The was the for all kinds of monster and demonic deities. Its primary principles revolved around thew of the jungle and the strongest taking everything. Hence, its members often fought against one another to determine who was stronger. The Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions were no exceptions even though they were the strongest. It certainly wasn¡¯t impossible to defeat the Emperor¡¯s Seat, but that begged the question of who defeated him. ¡ºYou seem like you want to know who reced me, my son.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat quietly chuckled, looking at Chang-Sun. The word ¡®son¡¯ kept getting on Chang-Sun¡¯s nerves, so he quietly scowled at the Emperor¡¯s Seat. However, The Emperor¡¯s Seat¡¯sughter only got louder. ¡ºWell¡­ it won¡¯t make much of a difference if I hide it now that I¡¯m in this position.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat smiled intively after deciding to ept his current situation. ¡ºYou actually know him very well.¡» ¡°What?¡± Chang-Sun frowned, not understanding what the Emperor¡¯s Seat meant. At that moment, a memory shed across his mind. ¡°You won¡¯t believe me no matter what I tell you about Richardus,¡± the Emperor¡¯s Seat said.? ¡°No way,¡± Chang-Sun muttered in disbelief, so the Emperor¡¯s Seat nodded. ¡ºWhat you¡¯re thinking is probably right.¡» ¡°¡­ Impossible.¡± ¡ºReality is sometimes crueler than one¡¯s imagination.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat smirked. ¡ºRichardus¡­ ¡®was¡¯ the son of mine who took my seat.¡» * * * ¡ºMy son, didn¡¯t you notice something odd before you went through the ?¡»the Emperor¡¯s Seat asked. Chang-Sun recalled thest moments of him being chased down before being captured and put through the . No matter how hard he had tried to throw his pursuers off track or how well he had hidden, these stars had always known where he was. He had been driven into a corner back then, leaving him no time to notice how odd the situation had been. ¡ºI¡¯ll change my question. After you plummeted, your colleagues tried to raise a formalint about the trial, but they were exposed and met their demise before they could.¡» Before people opened up Pandora¡¯s box, everyone had their hopes up, thinking treasures would be inside it. However, once they opened it¡­ they realized that reality was often cruel. ¡ºEven though only your four colleagues knew about the n, an army waited to ambush them. It was as if they knew about the n as well. How do you think that was possible?¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat continued,¡ºRichardus told me everything.¡» Richardus had always been the son of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. Among the many children of the Emperor¡¯s Seat were the Thirteen Commanders¡ªdemonic deities who were especially strong. Richardus was the Thirteenth Commander and the Grain Star, but he had rarely stood beside the Emperor¡¯s Seat. Hence, the others couldn¡¯t really verify if the Thirteenth Commander really existed. Nevertheless, there were countless rumors about him, and many of them were bizarre. Some imed that the Grain Star?never made an appearance because the Thirteenth Commander didn¡¯t actually exist. Some imed that his health was really bad, he was the strongestmander among the Thirteen Commanders, he was the biological son of the Emperor¡¯s Seat, he was the only one who inherited his father¡¯s ¡­ Every one of the rumors was hard to believe. Even Chang-Sun doubted the existence of the Thirteenth Commander, much less expect that being to be Richardus¡­ ¡°Ohhhh, you¡¯re him! You beat up the son of the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ because he pissed you off, then you voluntarily withdrew from the Now that he thought about it, he met Richardus around the same time he left the . The main reason Chang-Sun withdrew from the was his fight against the Eunuch Star, the son of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. Although Richardus talked about it as if it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal, the situation was actually quite serious. Many monster and demonic deities had even tried to kill Chang-Sun. ¡®I?have no reason to leave the people who disgrace?Ithaca be,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Even back then, Chang-Sun was already quite the celebrity. After all, he was the apostle who inherited from the . Many Celestials naturally went after his , with some even directly asking him if he was worthy of it. The Eunuch Star was one of them. In response, Chang-Sun beat the Eunuch Star in front of everyone and threatened to cut the star¡¯s head off if he continued with his nonsense. Instead of hiding, Chang-Sun then urged the other Celestials who still couldn¡¯t control their greed to challenge him if they could. However, no one dared take the challenge. Chang-Sun smirked at them and called them idiots. After that incident, things became pretty bad within the . The Emperor¡¯s Seat cleared everything out and punished the Eunuch Star by cing him on probation for a year, but Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t ept that verdict. He insisted that he wanted the Eunuch Star¡¯s arm at least, but the Emperor¡¯s Seat forced Chang-Sun to stay silent, saying that fighting further would only put the in disorder. As a ruler of a , The Emperor¡¯s Seat made a rational judgment. However, Chang-Sun hated it. He really thought of the Emperor¡¯s Seat as his father back then, so he couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed. ¡°In the end, you¡¯re also a hypocrite who coddles your old subordinates more.¡± Chang-Sunughed bitterly.? Chang-Sun left the after that. Several furious Celestials tried to stop him, but he just broke their limbs so they could no longer pick up their weapons. Although that was the full story behind what happened between Chang-Sun and the , it seemed it didn¡¯t end when he left the . ¡ºI initially wasn¡¯t nning to use Richardus as a spy. When you left the , I wanted to bring you back because I didn¡¯t want you to get hurt by the rough storms of the world, so I told Richardus to protect you. That was why he tagged along with you. I tried to protect you in my own ways, but battles always followed you¡­ In the end, everything fell into chaos. I heard the news about you starting a war against the , and the automatically ended up joining the war. Everything from that point on was a mess.¡» The war over Chang-Sun and Ithaca¡¯s , which Chang-Sun used to own, was called for a reason. Numerous Celestials repeatedly fought against one another and parted ways. During the war, Chang-Sun plummeted, and many crumbled down. Moreover, it blurred the line between the Absolute Good faction and the Absolute Evil faction. The Emperor¡¯s Seat looked serious when he said he was worried about Chang-Sun, making it seem as if he wasn¡¯t lying about it. Of course, it wasn¡¯t enough to stop Chang-Sun from smirking at him. ¡°Says the man who tried to kill me in the end,¡± Chang-Sun sarcastically said. ¡ºWell.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat smiled bitterly. ¡ºI had to find you first so I can protect you. Otherwise, you would have writhed in agony. I wanted to take you under my wings again.¡» Chang-Sun despised and loathed the Emperor¡¯s Seat for acting like a hypocrite, but the Emperor¡¯s Seat had actually been putting up an act to fool everyone else. ¡°Give up your and surrender. If you do, I¡¯ll make sure they spare your life." ¡°Why are you trying to waste your father¡¯s efforts? Can¡¯t you really see the number of Celestials who areing for your life like hyenas?¡± ? ¡°You¡¯re really frustrating me. Frustrating¡­ Why do you keep acting foolish?!¡± Chang-Sun recalled what the Emperor¡¯s Seat had said when they had run into each other. At the time, Chang-Sun had thought that the Emperor¡¯s Seat had said those things to not disgrace himself and to hide his desire for Chang-Sun¡¯s , but had Chang-Sun been wrong? Maybe the Emperor¡¯s Seat had genuinely tried to protect him since it had already been obvious by then that he would eventually lose. ¡ºAnd you¡¯re wrong about one thing, King of the Underworld.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat calmly turned toward Thanatos. ¡ºWhat do you mean?¡» ¡ºI didn¡¯t go after Kali and the others to simply regain my divine ss.¡» ¡ºThen?¡» ¡ºI already lost too much of my divine ss by then, so I tried to recover the vestige of my son¡¯s old friends before I crumble down any further instead,¡»the Emperor¡¯s Seat said as he held up his head high, showing that he was speaking the truth this time too. ¡ºYou¡¯re saying building a World Net was part of your effort?¡» ¡ºI thought the people behind Xue Yog¡¯s disappearance likely held a grudge against the , so I thought the possible suspects were those children or the people rted to them. Still¡­¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat smiled faintly. ¡º... I definitely didn¡¯t expect my son, whom I thought was long dead, to be behind Xue Yong¡¯s disappearance. Hahahaha!¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seatughed really hard, feeling actually d to be defeated by his own son. However, the more the Emperor¡¯s Seatughed, the more expressionless Chang-Sun became. ¡®No, that doesn¡¯t change anything,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Chang-Sun was indeed affected by the story of the Emperor¡¯s Seat since he could tell that the gestures of the Emperor¡¯s Seat were genuine. However, the sins he hadmitted against Chang-Sun didn¡¯t just disappear even if he did half of those to fool other people and help him. The Emperor¡¯s Seat still ultimately hunted down Chang-Sun after Richardus told him Chang-Sun¡¯s location. He also participated in driving Chang-Sun¡¯s colleagues into a corner after Chang-Sun went through the . Still, why did his heart feel heavy now that he had found out the whole story? ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡ºIt¡¯s all over for me anyway,¡»the Emperor¡¯s Seat answered as if it was a simple matter. ¡ºAfter I lost my title, some children tried to help me, but they were all killed. I have lost everything, so it¡¯s meaningless to fight back at this point. Besides, the has abandoned me, so it¡¯s better to tell you the whole truth and ask you a favor instead.¡» Favor¡ªthe word somehow kept echoing around Chang-Sun¡¯s ears. ¡°What favor?¡± ¡ºMy children¡­ Please save the people who almost became your siblings in the past.¡» Although The Emperor¡¯s Seat had lost everything, his children were his onest regret. His wildflowers were about to lose their flowerbed and be forced to face the rough storm of reality. ¡ºAfter I left the , I ordered them to scatter and run.¡» 1. This constetion is part of Zi Wei Yuan. 2. One of the constetions within Tian Shi Yuan. Chapter 220: Star, the Owl (6)

Chapter 220: Star, the Owl (6)

Before the World Net was built, the Emperor¡¯s Seat left instructions for his children. ¡ºI told them to get ready to flee since we can¡¯t tell how things will turn out. The defeated¡¯s children¡­ It¡¯s highly unlikely for my enemies to leave my subordinates alone now that I¡¯ve lost.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat had known that he wouldn¡¯t survive this fight, having expected that someone quite powerful had to be supporting Chang-Sun. Nevertheless, the Emperor¡¯s Seat wanted to see with his own eyes whether or not the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ was involved. Hence, rather than resist when the Divine Steel chains tied him up, he decided to cooperate with Thanatos and Chang-Sun. He was already at the point of no return anyway, so he wanted to at least leave hope for his children, who were probably running away from the right now. Chang-Sun would surely not leave them alone. After all, there was no better prey than them. ¡°No.¡± Chang-Sun shook his head firmly as if the Emperor¡¯s Seat¡¯s request wasn¡¯t worthy of consideration at all. Chang-Sun continued, ¡°Those people also ultimately went on a rampage to make me plummet, so I have no reason to go easy on them, especially the Eunuch Star. I¡¯m going to slit his throat myself.¡± The Emperor¡¯s Seat smiled bitterly, realizing that Chang-Sun would never do him such a favor. When Chang-Sun mentioned the Eunuch Star, the heart of the Emperor¡¯s Seat grew heavier. The Eunuch Star was the one who caused the Emperor¡¯s Seat and Chang-Sun to drift apart. He was also the tragic reason why the Emperor¡¯s Seat was no longer one of the Three Enclosures. ¡ºThen let me change the terms. If you ept this new request of mine, I¡¯ll tell you anything you want. Naturally, my request will be easy for you to do.¡» ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Chang-Sun crossed his arms. ¡ºI have a daughter who always causes me great sadness.¡» Chang-Sun noticed deep regret and sadness in the voice of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. ¡ºShe¡¯s really sick, so when you meet herter in the future¡­ just once¡­ Can you let her go just once?¡» Chang-Sun quietly red at the Emperor¡¯s Seat, who continued to smile bitterly, waiting for Chang-Sun¡¯s answer. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s the real reason your divine ss got damaged,¡± Chang-Sun concluded. ¡ºDo you want to hear about it?¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat waited for Chang-Sun''s answer again, so Chang-Sun was certain. Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure if the daughter that the Emperor¡¯s Seat was talking about was his biological daughter or his subordinate like his other children, but the Emperor¡¯s Seat cared about her enough to risk letting his divine ss get damaged and sharing his . However, Richardus backstabbed him in the process, preventing him from doing anything about the attack. Everything now made sense. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡ºLater. You¡¯ll know immediately when you meet herter.¡» ¡°Fine, but I can¡¯t guarantee anything. It depends on the situation.¡± Chang-Sun nodded. ¡ºThat is enough. Thank you for your understanding.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat finally heaved a sigh of relief. He smiled as he bowed, which felt really foreign to Chang-Sun. The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ that Chang-Sun remembered was a monarch who ruled the world with his hundreds of children. Chang-Sun and Thanatos asked several more questions, and the Emperor¡¯s Seat readily answered them. During the questioning, Thanatos and Chang-Sun gained a little more intel, including the activity of Kali¡¯s priests who hade to Earth to find Chang-Sun, the priest who had been blessed by the ¡®Aquarius,¡¯ the status of the Tian Shi Yuan army¡­ ¡®¡­ Part of them ended up in the .¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡ºI think we¡¯ve talked enough¡­ Why don¡¯t we get started?¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat looked up and met Thanatos¡¯ eye with a refreshed look. It was as if he had let go of all his burdens now. Although the Emperor¡¯s Seat was still worried about his children in this world, he believed that they could ovee any obstacles. ¡ºThe Emperor¡¯s Seat, you have been charged with the crime of viting and circumventing the signed between the and ,mitting many other crimes in the process. You have also used the under your lead to exploit many civilizations and severals like Earth. Do you admit to the stated charges? ¡» ¡ºI admit to my crimes.¡» ¡ºI, the judge, believe the crimes you havemitted are very serious, but you, the defendant, admitted to and are reflecting on your crimes. Hence, I hereby sentence you, Celestial¡­¡» Thanatos stared at the Emperor¡¯s Seat. ¡º... to be sealed.¡» The Emperor¡¯s Seat quietly closed his eyes. Whirl! More Divine Steel chains jumped out from the ck holes and tied up the Emperor¡¯s Seat tighter as the entrance to the abyss opened up below him. As the Emperor¡¯s Seat slowly sank, he looked at Chang-Sun and gently smiled, mouthing, ¡®I¡¯m d I got to meet you, my son.¡¯ Thud! With the Emperor¡¯s Seatpletely locked away, Chang-Sun bit his lower lip. ¡ºYou¡¯ve gone through a lot, so take a break even for just a short moment. I¡¯ll contact youter once I have more information.¡» Thanatos¡¯ eye closed. [The courtroom has closed!] Chang-Sun¡¯s face remained dark. * * * ¡®¡­ What in the world¡­¡¯?Minerva couldn¡¯t help feeling shocked by everything that she had witnessed. The fight between Chang-Sun and the Emperor¡¯s Seat was already shocking in itself, but the King of the Underworld himself also showed up¡­ Despite being one of the smartest Celestials, she still couldn¡¯t be sure of what to make of the situation. However, when she learned Chang-Sun¡¯s true identity, everything immediately made sense. . The ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ the notorious fiend that had put in tumult, was Chang-Sun! Minerva actually didn¡¯t know much about the since remained neutral during that war, which had always been the position that their took. Hence, Minerva only heard rumors about how notorious the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ was and didn¡¯t really pay much attention to it. However, she didn¡¯t expect Chang-Sun to be that famous fiend. The problem was that Chang-Sun¡¯s identity was clearly a secret. The fact that the was using the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ as a reaper was bound to put many Celestials in on edge, but Minerva now knew about it all. What would Chang-Sun and the do about it? Chang-Sun, who was still in deep thought even though the Emperor¡¯s Seal had been sealed away, suddenly turned his head and looked at Minerva, making her instinctively clench [Pas]. The aura Chang-Sun exuded was so stingingly belligerent that she forgot about the goodwill she had for him. She cautiously waited for Chang-Sun¡¯s next words. ¡°I think I¡¯ve done enough to repay you for the [Zhan Lu Sword],¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°¡­ What?¡± Minerva¡¯s jaw dropped and her eyes widened in surprise upon hearing such unexpected words. However, Chang-Sun copsed before he could answer her question. After the sealing process, his fatigue overwhelmed him and made him faint. In the confusion of the moment, Minerva quickly ran to Chang-Sun and caught him before he hit the ground. ¡°So you can trust me, huh?¡± Minerva chuckled dumbfoundedly, looking down at the unconscious Chang-Sun, who was now in her arms. It seemed Chang-Sun believed that Minerva would protect his secret and be his colleague¡ªsomeone he could fight side by side with. No, he was confident that he could deal with the consequences even if she didn¡¯t be his colleague. ¡°Well, it¡¯s actually not that bad.¡± Minerva¡¯s smile deepened. It had been so long since someone trusted her first. [You have sessfullypleted the Sudden Quest!] [As a reward¡­] ¡­ [You have sealed another Celestial!] [Your karma is increasing.] [As a reward, you have regained a part of your revoked Divine ss.] ¡­ [As a reward, you can extract one of the Authorities of the three Celestials you have sealed.] ¡­ [The Divine Ground ¡®Twilight-Setting Battlefield¡¯ has closed!] * * * That was when the Azure Dragon stopped panting and looked up at the sky. ¡ºThis is¡­?¡» The Azure Dragon was certain that one of the great stars that beautifully decorated the sky of the had justpletely disappeared. Although he hadn¡¯t been shining as brightly as he used to ever since he lost the power struggle, the star was still respected by many monster and demonic deities. The star also led a big army, making him essential to the . That was also the reason why many stars had participated in the World Net of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. The Azure Dragon frowned deeply, thinking those damned Celestials had set up a trap and extinguished the star, but the Dragon soon regained theirposure. Even before the Azure Dragon descended on this divine ground, the great ¡®Zi Wei Yuan¡¯ had already told the Dragon repeatedly about what to do once something happened to the Emperor¡¯s Seat. Besides, the Dragon was the only one with the power to give orders on this battlefield. Roaarrrr! The Azure Dragon raised their head high up in the sky and howled, shaking the entire divine ground and catching all the monster and demonic deities'' attention. [The Constetion ¡®Azure Dragon¡¯ howls in mourning!] ¡ºListen, Celestials of the ,¡»the seven stars that made up the Azure dragon said in unison, their voice thunderously echoing throughout the space.¡ºRetreat.¡» The Azure Dragon fiercely swung their tail and turned in a circle, creating clouds of dust and shoving away all of the subordinates of the ¡®Gemini¡¯ that were fighting them. As soon as the Azure Dragon saw an opportunity, they turned around and flew up into the sky. ¡ºWhat the hell?!¡» ¡ºKyaaaah! What are you doing, Azure Dragon?!¡» ¡ºAzure Dragon, what do you mean retreat?!¡» ¡ºYou should exin what happened before giving such an order!¡» Bai Sheng, Yue He, Ma Lin, and Yan Shun, who were still on the ground, protested against the Azure Dragon¡¯s order, which was given out of nowhere. However, the Azure Dragon just flew past them as if the Dragon had nothing more to say. ¡ºShit! I didn¡¯t get to gnaw on that human named Lee Chang-Sun!¡»Bai Sheng furiously grumbled but soon concluded that the Azure Dragon gave them such an order with a good reason. Hence, he immediately followed the Dragon¡¯s lead. The Celestials¡¯ sudden retreat from the battlefield baffled the Celestials. They couldn¡¯t help but think that the Celestials intentionally wreaked havoc in the ¡®Gemini¡¯ camp and were now running away. If so, then they were clearly ridiculing the ¡®Gemini¡¯ and their subordinates. Frowning deeply, Pollux showed up in front of the Azure Dragon. ¡ºWhy in the world have you done this?!¡»Pollux shouted. ¡ºWe¡¯re getting out of your hair before this battle turns too serious, but you still don¡¯t want to let us go?¡»the Azure Dragon scoffed as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡ºHow dare you¡­! Do you think you can juste and go as you please?!¡»Pollux roared. ¡ºIf you don¡¯t like it, then try dealing with them and us at the same time in your current state.¡» The Azure Dragon gestured in a direction with their eyes, and Pollux instinctively turned his head toward it. The castle gate of the Owl Fortress, which had been tightly shut until now, was opening wide. ¡°Children of the dawn that pursues light! Warriors who fight to bring glory to the goddess! It¡¯s time for us to drive those shameless evil forces out of thisnd and bring back light to this ce! Let the owl spread her wings wide once more!¡± Serena shouted. Minerva¡¯s other subordinates simultaneously rode their horses forward, leaving a big cloud of dust on their trail. A g with an owl drawing fluttered above them. [The ¡®Atrytone¡¯ soldiers have appeared!] Pollux bit his lower lip as he looked at the Atrytone soldiers. Fighting the had exhausted the Divo Napatas, and the ¡®Gemini¡¯ soldiers had already sustained immense casualties. Fighting the Atrytone soldiers head-on right now would be suicide. The warriors that Minerva had personally chosen could never be taken lightly. Hence, Pollux was left with only one choice. ¡º¡­ Everyone.¡» Pollux couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth. ¡ºRetreat.¡» Despite having received Pollux¡¯s order, the Divo Napata soldiers hesitated, awkwardly straightening their postures. At that moment, Castor¡¯s eyes turned sharp, and in his giant form, he shouted,¡ºWhat do you mean, Pollux?! It would be a disgrace to retreat¡ª!¡» ¡ºShut up and listen to me, brother! Do you really think I want to go through this humiliation? Stay if you want to!¡»Pollux replied coldly and disappeared. Castor could only look at the Atrytone soldiers that were running toward him. He and Pollux were equal as the ¡®Gemini,¡¯ but Pollux was the one in charge of leading their subordinates because Castor was born weaker than Pollux. Castor knew that he had to obey his brother¡¯smand, but he became furious at Pollux for undermining his power in front of their subordinates and enemies. However, Castor couldn¡¯t do anything about it. [The ¡®Divo Napata¡¯ soldiers are withdrawing!] The Atrytone soldiers quickly chased down the Divo Napata soldiers that were trying to escape from the battlefield, taking only a short while to drive out all the enemies. The numerous relics and artifacts left by the enemies on the battlefield became the Atrytone soldiers¡¯ trophies. They had won. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ has won the war!] [The great legend of her victory is spreading throughout the entire universe.] Chapter 221: Star, the Fog of War (1)

Chapter 221: Star, the Fog of War (1)

The Nine Heavens Pce, the residence of many Celestials, was mainly divided into three sectors¡ªthe Left Pce, the Center Pce, and the Right Pce. The Right Pce used to belong to the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan,¡¯ previously the strongest of the Three Enclosures. However, the Right Pce changed ownership when, for the first time, a new victor¡ªRichardus¡ªrose up in the power struggle against one of the Three Enclosures. Richardus was more famously known by his divine name, the ¡®Iron-Blooded Lion,¡¯ which led to him now being called the Lion King. ¡°Father was really great at beautifying this garden,¡± Richardus muttered to himself. Richardus was as bulky as most monster deities and had ragged hair that resembled a lion''s mane, making him look feral. He also had a royal robe clumsily hanging on his shoulder, revealing various scars all over his tanned, muscr body whenever it fluttered in the wind like a cape. Something about him made people looking at him hold their breaths. That man was smiling innocently while observing the garden that the Emperor¡¯s Seat used to own. With his bear-like hands, he stroked the petals and carefully picked up a flower to smell it. In some ways, the sight looked harmonious and discordant at the same time. ¡°Hehehe! I knew you would be here.¡± At that moment, Richardus heard bizarreughter that seemed toe from neither a man nor a woman. It was somewhat lilting, yet it echoed so sharply that it could give anyone goosebumps. Turning his head, he saw a small man in peculiar clothing. The man¡¯s makeup was far from ordinary. He had thick eyeliners, ck lipstick on, very rosy cheeks, and had powdered his face so white that it looked like a mask. All sorts of heavy-looking essories hung from his neck and ears, and shy bracelets and rings covered his fingers and wrists, making it impossible to tell what essories he was wearing. Named the Eunuch Star, this man and Richardus were the main perpetrators behind the uprising that caused the downfall of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. The Eunuch Star also had bad blood with Chang-Sun in the past. ¡°Hey.¡± Richardus lightly waved his hand at the Eunuch Star. Richardus was a king now, but he still acted like a thug in the streets. The Eunuch Star frowned. ¡°I am your older brother¡ªno, should I say sister? Anyhow, I am older than you, so isn¡¯t it wrong to call me ¡®hey¡¯? I talk formally to you, you know.¡± ¡°You can talk to me casually if you don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Hehehe, I cannot do that. Unlike you, my dear brother, I have manners.¡± The Eunuch Star dramatically giggled. ¡°Just as I told you before, I don¡¯t want any of this. They¡¯re all too bothersome, so take them if you need them.¡± Richardus was ready to hand the Eunuch Star his royal robe. The Eunuch Star quickly waved his hands. ¡°No, no, you should be the one who wears those clothes, brother.¡± ¡°So you can use me as your shield?¡± ¡°Nonsense. You are our symbol. My looks make people feel ufortable, and you look far more dignified than I do, brother. You are well suited to be king. Hehehe!¡± The Eunuch Star knew how the others thought of him better than anyone else, which was why they had made Richardus the leader of the rebellion. Richardus possessed great dignity and came from a good family. On top of that, he was more talented than the Eunuch Star. ¡°Why are you here anyway? Didn¡¯t I tell you that I want to take a break?¡± Richardus frowned a little. ¡°Even a lion, despite how powerful it is, has to take a break to save up its energy, huh? I had no intention to interrupt your rest, but I believe the matter I bring requires your immediate attention.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Richardus asked. ¡°The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ has just plummeted.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± Richadus asked again in disbelief. ¡°Hohohoho! Congrattions, you are now the real ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯!¡± The Eunuch Star giggled. However, Richardus¡¯ expression darkened. Woosh! [The ¡®Lion¡¯s Fighting Spirit¡¯ is raging!] Richardus¡¯ divine ss was unlocked at that moment, creating clouds of dust. Famous for being a germaphobe, the Eunuch Star¡¯s smile disappeared as he wiped off the dust on his sleeves. ¡°My, my, did I not ask you repeatedly not to cause a mess without prior warning¡ª!¡± ¡°Stop joking and start exining,¡± Richardus instructed. ¡°It is just as I told you.¡± The Eunuch Star smirked. ¡°Among the Stars that participated in building a World Net, three of them plummeted, and four of them frantically fled. From what I have heard, the Azure Dragon is gravely injured too, so people are in chaos.¡± The longer Richardus listened, the more expressionless he became and the more the Eunuch Star¡¯s smirk deepened. ¡°So you¡¯re still his son after all, huh? Do you feel guilty that your father passed away?¡± ¡°... Who¡¯s responsible for this plummeting? Those stars were trying to find out who was supporting that mortal named Lee Chang-Sun or something, weren¡¯t they? Are the Celestials behind this?¡± Richardus asked instead of answering the Eunuch Star. Although the Eunuch Star knew what Richardus was doing, he let it slide and just answered, ¡°Yes. Right now, we assume that they are behind this. Since those stars were led to the divine ground of a Celestial of , it seems like they do have something to do with this¡­ Things are bingplicated. Hohoho.¡± Despite the Eunuch Star¡¯s very casual tone, the was in chaos right now. Even though the Emperor¡¯s Seat had no longer been a part of the Three Enclosures, he still had influence within the when he plummeted along with Suo Chao, the Heavenly Spirit demonic deity. Considering a pir of the had been ripped out, this matter was iparably more serious than Xue Yong¡¯s disappearance. The incident made the ¡®Tai Wei Yuan¡¯ issue to the a for Chang-Sun. While the World Net was meant to capture Chang-Sun alive, the was meant to hunt down and kill Chang-Sun using any means necessary. However, the hadn¡¯t taken any actions yet. It was still unclear who was behind Chang-Sun, so moving hastily could just result in an even bigger catastrophe. Hence, they focused on observing the status of many other like and for now. ¡°The postponed suppression of our siblings has now begun. Well, most of them have already run away. It¡¯s as if they have seen iting,¡± the Eunuch Star added. The Eunuch Star believed that Richardus had to reestablish the Tian Shi Yuan Army to legitimately be a part of the Three Enclosures. He also had to teach their stupid siblings that the owner of the sky had changed. ¡®Especially Nu Chuang¡­ I have to capture that wretched woman no matter what. She is responsible for everything.¡¯?The Eunuch Star¡¯s eyes turned cold as he remembered the daughter of the Emperor¡¯s Seat, the main reason why the Eunuch Star and Richardus started the rebellion. Richardus quietly sighed and slicked his hair back. Looking at the Eunuch Star, Richardus¡¯ eyes were sharper than ever. ¡°He was a good father, wasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Hehehe,?of course, he was.¡± ¡°But his greed ruined everything and made even his loyal children turn their backs on him,¡± Richardus continued. ¡°Hehehe.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll avenge Father. That¡¯ll be enough atonement.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll make preparations ordingly. ¡®The lion son avenges his father¡­¡¯ It¡¯s a cause justifiable enough to make even this monstrous take action.¡± The Eunuch Star nodded. Richardus didn¡¯t like how the Eunuch Star treated everyone like chess pawns but chose not to bring it up. ¡°Then what about all the works Father has been doing? How will they be taken care of?¡± ¡°They have been postponed for now since everyone is busy taking care of the incident regarding Father.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s take care of those ourselves too,¡± Richardus said. The Eunuch Star narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you nning on hunting down Kali¡¯s old priests?¡± ¡°It has been bugging me anyway, so this is for the better. I started this, so it¡¯s only right that I see this to the end.¡± Richardus looked away from the garden and slowly stood up, resembling a lion that was waking up. The king of all animals and the ruler of savannas¡­ Feeling as if his ideal ruler was right in front of him, the Eunich star got goosebumps all over. ¡®Ahhh! This is why I cannot stop doing this!¡¯?the Eunuch Star thought in excitement. The Eunuch Star symbolized a eunuch, an official that aided a king as his shadow. The first king that the Eunuch Star served was the Emperor¡¯s Seat. However, the second king he secretly wanted to serve was¡­ ¡®... Twilight.¡¯? The Eunuch Star and the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ had sadly drifted apart due to a small conflict, and the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ had plummeted because of his stubbornness. However, the Eunuch Star still sometimes imagined how the would have turned out if he was beside the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ and led him down the right path. The would have likely surpassed the level of and ruled the entire . The ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ and Eunuch Star could havepleted the Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido, the legendary that even the old stars had only ever heard in myths. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, Lee Chang-Sun recruited one of Kali¡¯s old priests, so there is a high chance that he¡¯ll appear nearby. Find out what Father discovered,¡± Richardus instructed. However, the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ had fallen. Fortunately, the Eunuch Star still had Richardus, whom he wanted to serve as his third king, by his side. The monstrous, invincible lion should be more than capable to show the Eunuch Star the sight he wanted to see. ¡°Yes, sir. Maybe that wretched Nu Chuang wille out of hiding now.¡± The Eunuch Star bowed. Richardus still had a dark expression. * * * [You have sessfullypleted the quest¡­] [Choose Authorities¡­] ¡­ When Chang-Sun slowly opened his eyes, numerous system messages chaotically popped up before him. ¡®Where am I¡­? Urgh!¡¯? Lying down, Chang-Sun tried to find out where he was. However, the horrible headache stopped him, making him frown. It wasn¡¯t just his head. He was aching badly all over because he forced himself past his limits. Thinking he had to get moving anyway, Chang-Sun calmed his breathing. His favorite part about the Secret Darkness Techniques was that he could draw up any kind of energy through [Stigma] without using his mana. Badump! Badump! Feeling his heart racing, Chang-Sun gradually infused his energy into [Stigma]. Distinct divinities soon appeared. Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! The Celestial Fire of the ¡®Gemini¡¯. Xue Yong¡¯s evil energy. Bo Du¡¯s Martial Karma. Suo Chao¡¯s Big Dipper Handle Light. And¡­ ¡®The Enclosure Element of the Emperor¡¯s Seat.¡¯ All those divinities were exceptional since they came from stars, but Chang-Sun desired only one of them: the Enclosure Element, which was the primordial substance that led to the founding of the . ¡®... I have to learn how to master this in the future.¡¯ Chang-Sun didn¡¯t intend to waste material that could be used to get an endless amount of power, so he decided to try controlling it somehow. ¡®I can probably start by melting it in ...¡¯ Chang-Sun drew up the that had settled in the corner of his [Stigma]. Woosh. He felt a navy-blue me zing up in his chest. At the same time, his [Stigma] and the core of his [Integrated Magic Circuit] also heated up. [The Skill ¡®Integrated Magic Circuit¡¯ has been activated, converting your ¡®Darkness¡¯ into mana. Your HP is gradually increasing.] [Your status has changed to ¡®Severely Injured¡¯!] Chang-Sun slowly circted his mana and got rid of his fatigue. His created mana, which then created , triggering his every electrical impulse. With his cells and nerves gradually recovering, he began to regain control of his body. He opened his eyes slowly when he felt the fog in his head clear up. Woosh! However, [Stigma] suddenly heated up further. Utilizing probably triggered the other divinities, which were running wild, especially the Enclosure Element of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. No, the Enclosure Element wasn¡¯t just running wild. Its size had increased, and it was now quickly circting inside [Stigma], absorbing other divinities. The divinities that Chang-Sun had absorbed from the Celestials¡ªthe evil energy, Martial Karma, Big Dipper Handle light¡ªwere smoothly absorbed into the Enclosure Element. It was as if the people were having an audience with the king. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t expect this to happen. However, he could at least hypothesize the reason behind it. ¡®Is it because they all originated from the Enclosure Element?¡¯? . All the monster and demonic deities in the had to haveplete authority over the Enclosure Elements that they had received from the Three Enclosures before they could shine on their own. Hence, it wasn¡¯t surprising that these divinities returned to the Enclosure Element. In the end, only the Enclosure Element and the Celestial Fire, which Chang-Sun had extorted from the ¡®Gemini,¡¯ were left within [Stigma]. However, despite its potential, the Celestial Fire was iparably weaker than the Enclosure Element. Hence, even the Celestial Fire was eventually absorbed. [The Divinity(Attribute: Enclosure Element) is shining brilliantly!] [Stigma] was now full of the Enclosure Element, which was about to move to find another prey. Thinking he should subdue it if it tried to harm him, Kang Chan made preparations. Paah! However, the Enclosure Elementpletely vanished when it grew bigger again. Confused, Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure about what was going on. However, messages soon popped up in front of him. Paaaah! [The Divinity(Attribute: Enclosure Element) has been absorbed into your Darkness!] [The level of the Skill ¡®Stigma¡¯ has increased.] [The level of the Skill ¡®Stigma¡¯ has increased.] ¡­ [Your ¡®Ferocious Heart¡¯ has transformed the absorbed Divinity and has merged it with your body.] [Your body is changing.] ¡®My body is changing?how?¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened. He tilted his head in confusion, unsure what the messages that popped up before him meant. At that moment, he noticed Cadmus, who was sitting on the table in front of him and stuffing its mouth full with cookies. Cadmus met Chang-Sun¡¯s gaze. Although Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure what cookie or how many cookies Cadmus had eaten, its white belly had be really round. Kiyoo? Cadmus tilted its head, silently asking if there was any problem. 1. This constetion is part of the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ It¡¯s known as Woman¡¯s Bed in English. 2. It¡¯s the ancient Korean star map that was created in Joseon Dynasty. Chapter 222: Star, the Fog of War (2)

Chapter 222: Star, the Fog of War (2)

Chang-Sun chuckled. He couldn¡¯t help but find Cadmus cute for leisurely eating cookies instead of staying on alert despite being in a foreign room. The Dragon was innocently fearless, which, perhaps, was its charm. ¡®Minerva probably put me here to rest, then gave Cadmus some snacks.¡¯?Chang-Sun chuckled, now having a rough idea of what had happened. ¡°Where have you been?¡± Chang-Sun asked. Cadmus had been missing during the whole World Net event. Kiyooo! Kiyoo! Cadmus sprang up from its seat and howled. Although Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t exactly sure what Cadmus was saying, it seemed very offended by Chang-Sun¡¯s remark. At that moment, its round belly caught Chang-Sun¡¯s eye. Quietlyughing, he stroked its head. Chang-Sun knew that Cadmus hadn¡¯t just been standing around. It had been buffing the Undead Army to support them and shared the [Ferocious Heart] when Chang-Sun had activated the [Execution Sword]. ¡®Come to think of it, it¡¯s even bigger now.¡¯? Cadmus used to be just the same size as Chang-Sun¡¯s head, but it was now almost as big as his upper torso. Babies were known to have growth spurts daily, but Cadmus¡¯ growth speed was still certainly remarkable. Kiyooo! ¡°I know. I was just joking, so don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± Kiyooo¡­ Cadmus red at Chang-Sun, not trusting what he had just said. Ding! [Your body has changed!] [Your Traits have been upgraded.] [Your immunity has significantly increased. Your Trait ¡®Ten Toxin Immunity¡¯ has been upgraded to the Trait ¡®Hundred Toxin Immunity.¡¯] [Your senses have drastically sharpened. Your Trait ¡®Close-Combat Expert¡¯ has been upgraded to the Trait ¡®Close-Combat Master.¡¯] [Your physical Talent has significantly developed. Your Trait ¡®Reinforced Skeleton¡¯ has been upgraded to ¡®Martial Omniscience Physique.¡¯] ¡­ [Due to your low ss, you could not absorb all of the Divinity(Attribute: Enclosure Element). The remaining 41% of the Divinity has been converted into Enclosure Essence and stored in your ¡®Stigma.¡¯] ¡°¡­!¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened. Although all he had done was absorb the Divinity in his [Stigma], it still upgraded his body, which was new even for him. ¡®Is it because it got mixed in ?¡¯ Chang-Sun had indeed read the message about the Divinity transforming through his [Ferocious Heart], but he didn¡¯t really expect such a dramatic change. [Hundred Toxin Immunity] The higher-ranked version of the Trait ¡®Ten Toxin Immunity.¡¯ No longer just immune to most existing toxins, you can now also create lethal toxins yourself and mix them into your bodily fluids or body odors if desired. The Trait is necessary to be a poisonman. ¡¤ Type: Trait. ¡¤ Effect: Toxin Immunity. Blood Toxin Creation. Poisonman Transformation. [Close-Combat Master] The higher-ranked version of the Trait ¡®Close-Combat Master.¡¯ Having surpassed the level of controlling most existing weapons as if they are part of your body, you can now read a weapon¡¯s mind, use it to its fullest potential, and lead it to a new path. Anyone who shes against a weapon you wield is bound to meet their demise. ¡¤ Type: Trait. ¡¤ Effect: Weapon Mastery. Combat Genius. Weapon Personality Unlock. [Martial Omniscience Body] The higher-ranked version of the Trait ¡®Reinforced Skeleton.¡¯ The harmony of yin and yang has not only solidified your body but also upgraded it into bing ideal for martial arts. Now without limits, you now get better the more you train. ¡¤ Type: Trait. ¡¤ Effect: Internal Martial Art of Harmony Acquisition. External Martial Art Acquisition. Talent Bloom. Each one of those Traits was valuable. With these, Chang-Sun¡¯s ss was now essentially two levels higher than before. [Hundred Toxin Immunity] and [Close-Combat Master] alone were already like an exceptional shield and spear, and the [Martial Omniscience Physique] increased those Traits¡¯ efficiency. It also removed his limitations as a martial artist, so he could now continue to improve himself as a martial artist. However, the part that caught Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes the most was the fact that nearly half of the Divinity was still in his [Stigma]. ¡®The more my ss increases, the more I can absorb this Divinity. And the more Celestials I seal, this Divinity increases.¡¯? Maybe these were also gifts from Mephistopheles, who should already know Chang-Sun¡¯s real identity and goal. Reading through the pile of system messages, Chang-Sun crookedly smiled. ¡®This isn¡¯t it.¡¯ [As a reward, you can extort one Authority from each celestial you have sealed.] [What will you choose?] [Authority list.] ¡¤ The Celestial ¡®Impetuous Dragon Horse¡¯s General¡¯ 1. Dragon Horse Equestrianism 2. Divine General¡¯s Axe Mastery ¡­ ¡¤ The Celestial ¡®Peculiar Warring Deity¡¯ 1. Peculiar Army 2. Distorted Power ¡­ ¡¤ The Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ 1. White Hit 2. Scarlet Dragon Summon ¡­ What would the three sealed Celestials think if they witnessed what was happening right now? Although Chang-Sun wanted to see the looks on their faces, he couldn¡¯t just head to the , so he put his curiosity aside and gave the list a proper look. ¡®[Scarlet Dragon Summon] of the Emperor¡¯s Seat is a good defensive skill¡ªno, it¡¯s exceptional. Depending on how I use it, it can even be a really great match with Suo Chao¡¯s [Dragon Horse Equestrianism],¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The Authority [Scarlet Dragon Summon] summoned the [Scarlet Jiaolong] from the royal robe of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. The [Scarlet Jiaolong] devoted its life to protecting its master and defeating its master¡¯s enemies. Using it with Suo Chao¡¯s [Dragon Horse Equestrianism] would provide him with even morebat strategies. Dominating the battlefield by controlling a Dragon that could summon lightning bolts and storms would certainly horrify his enemies. In fact, the [Scarlet Jiaolong] was the biggest reason the Emperor¡¯s Seat could shine brilliantly as the Celestial ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ ¡®But¡­¡¯? Kiyoo? When Chang-Sun looked at Cadmus, it tilted its head, silently asking if there was any problem. He unwittingly chuckled. ¡®Maybe I don¡¯t really need it.¡¯ The Authority seemed really great in the past, but Chang-Sun had Cadmus now. Cadmus would obviously surpass the [Scarlet Jiaolong] if it matured. After all, Mephistopheles was the one who gave him this Evil Dragon. Besides, there was no telling if the [Scarlet Jiaolong] would be genuinely loyal to Chang-Sun, the enemy of its owner. On top of that, he didn¡¯t really need the [Dragon Horse Equestrianism] since he shared the [Ferocious Heart] with Cadmus. ¡®I really covered it in the past, but I guess no one truly knows how things will turn out in the future.¡¯ Bo Du¡¯s Authorities didn¡¯t really catch Chang-Sun¡¯s interest either. With a proper skill tree, he could easily rece Bo Du¡¯s every Authority. The only Authority that stood out a little was [Peculiar Army], which could provide great support to the Undead Army. ¡®Wait, maybe I¡¯m looking at this the wrong way.¡¯?Chang-Sun tried to change his stance. [You have chosen the Authorities ¡®Peculiar Army¡¯ and ¡®Scarlet Dragon Summon¡¯!] [You have acquired the two Authorities.] ¡®I¡¯ll take [Peculiar Army] since it¡¯ll be a good Authority to use for the Undead Army. The [Scarlet Dragon Summon] will alsoe in handy until Cadmus matures. Depending on how I use it, it can be a fine match with too.¡¯ Perhaps Chang-Sun could rece the [Scarlet Jiaolong] with Cadmus in the future. Paah¨D! The symbol of a scarlet Five-wed Dragon was engraved inside Chang-Sun¡¯s coat and quietly disappeared. All that was left to do was choose an Authority from Suo Chao¡¯s list. ¡®It¡¯s indeed here.¡¯ [You have chosen the ¡®Jin Can Axe¡¯!] Woosh¨D! A ray of light shone down in front of Chang-Sun. Thud! In the ray of light, a giant axe dropped from the sky and mmed onto the ground. The [Jin Can Axe], Suo Chao¡¯s favorite weapon. Remembering that relics were part of a Heavenly Spirit demonic deity¡¯s Authority, Chang-Sun looked for the axe just to be sure and actually found it on the list. ¡®It¡¯ll be quite fun to extort and collect all the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits¡¯ weapons.¡¯ Oooong, ooooong¡­! The [Jin Can Axe] trembled profusely. It was as if it would never allow Chang-Sun to touch it, but Chang-Sun just snorted and grabbed it without hesitation. The [Jin Can Axe] shook harder, demanding to be let go. At that moment, Chang-Sun¡¯s coat fluttered, and a scarlet Dragon leaped out. Purple lightning energy sparks flying around it. Whirl! [The ¡®Jin Can Axe¡¯ is fiercely resisting its new owner!] [The Authority ¡®Scarlet Dragon Summon¡¯ has partially been activated, causing a Lightning Dragon to stick its head out.] [The Lightning Dragon ferociously bares its fangs against the ¡®Jin Can Axe,¡¯ which is putting up a strong resistance!] Due to Chang-Sun¡¯s ss, the baby scarlet Dragon wasn¡¯t a Jiaolong yet, but it held a significant amount of lightning energy. Moving like a snake, the Dragon crawled down Chang-Sun¡¯s arm from his shoulder and bit down on the [Jin Can Axe]. The deeper the scarlet Dragon sank its fangs, the more Chang-Sun¡¯s coat fluttered, making it seem as if wind was blowing inside the room. When the scarlet Dragon bit and twisted the [Jin Can Axe]¡¯s de, the axe writhed. The [Jin Can Axe] certainly wasn¡¯t easy to subdue, but Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t done yet. [You have regained a part of your revoked Divine ss.] [Searching for Authorities to restore!] [Searching for the most suited Authorities based on the achievements you have made so far.] Now that he had finished sealing the Celestials, the time hade for his restraining device to disengage. Clunk.? Chang-Sun could feel a part of the invisible restraining device around him unshackling. [The Authority ¡®Storm Era¡¯ has been restored!] [Due to your low ss, the full restoration of the Authority has failed. Many of the Effects have been downgraded, creating a subskill.] [Congrattions! You have acquired the Subskill ¡®Dust Devil.¡¯] [Dust Devil] A subskill of ¡®Storm Era,¡¯ the signature Authority of the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ and the ¡®White Silence Walking in the Wind¡¯. By causing a strong sandstorm, you can blow away all the nearby enemies. Depending on its usage, you can even trap the enemies in the storm or pull them toward you. ¡¤ Skill level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Skill. Subauthority. ¡¤ Effect: Target Selection. Force Bleeding. Curse Infliction. Woosh, woosh, woosh! Kekeke¨D! A violent sandstorm twirled around Chang-Sun, bizarre giggling echoing from inside it. It was as if a devil was trying to spread their wings wide. The sandstorm joined forces with the scarlet Dragon, sessfully subduing the [Jin Can Axe]. nk, nk. All the furniture and decorations in the area flew around, being smashed or rolled out of their original position As a result, the room turned into aplete mess. Ooooong! The [Jin Can Axe]¡¯s howl suppressed all themotion. [You have sessfully subdued and can now use the ¡®Jin Can Axe.¡¯] [Due to your low ss, some Effects of the ¡®Jin Can Axe¡¯ are currently unavable.] ¡­ [The Trait ¡®Axe Moon¡¯ has been applied, giving you the ability to read the memory of the ¡®Jin Can Axe.¡¯] ¡°Phew!¡± Chang-Sun lightly exhaled. Although his ss had increased, subduing the relic of a Heavenly Spirit demonic deity required a lot of effort. On top of that, Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t fully healed yet, so he inevitably became exhausted. However, he still smiled contentedly since he had acquired fine weapons like the scarlet Dragon and the [Jin Can Axe]. Having mastered all sorts of weapons enough to acquire the trait of [King of All Weapons] in the past, Chang-Sun was bound to be interested in weapons. ¡®I;m going to have to retrieve the [Omni-Weapon Chest] after all.¡¯ Chang-Sun smiled faintly. The door opened up, and Minerva entered, holding a te of snacks. Noticing how messy the room had be, she sighed. ¡°¡­ What a mess. Does every ce you visit end up like this?¡± Chang-Sun scratched his cheek in embarrassment. Chapter 223: Star, the Fog of War (3)

Chapter 223: Star, the Fog of War (3)

Nyom, nyom! Really liking the snacks, Cadmus had its head inside the bowl that Minerva had brought. Finding Cadmus adorable, Minerva quietlyughed and stroked its head, which made it giggle in delight. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun was¡­ [You have consumed ¡®Nektar¡¯!] [Your damaged cells are quickly recovering, and your HP and mana are swiftly being replenished.] [The bnce of your soul and body has been restored.] ¡­ [The level of your Authority ¡®Kalokagathia¡¯ has increased.] [You have temporarily entered the ¡®Eternal Youth¡¯ state!] ¡­ gulped down Minerva¡¯s gift and slowly recovered. Chang-Sun opened his eyes again, which had be sharp. His fatigue had disappeared, and his stamina had recovered fully¡ªno, it felt as if his ss itself had increased. ¡®It even solved the imbnce caused by the Divinity absorption,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Eternal youth wasn¡¯t just about rejuvenating the elderly or healing one¡¯s chronic illness. It was also the start of immortality, which was equal to gaining Divinity. In addition, it also increased one¡¯s ss, bringing the person closer to . ¡®I didn¡¯t expect her to give me [Nektar].¡¯ [Nektar] was one of the most valuable treasures in . Drinking it gave even an ordinary person eternal youth and pushed a hero closer to achieving . When drank by a Celestial, it would increase that Celestial¡¯s Divine ss. [Nektar] was oftenpared to [Azure Essence], [Ten-Thousand Year Tuber Fleeceflower], or [Golden Apple]. It was even sometimes considered as effective as the [Forbidden Fruit], which was known to be the greatest elixir. Minerva was one of the greatest Celestials of , but even she likely didn¡¯t have that many [Nektar] in her possession. If she did have a lot, she would have already given them to her subordinates and it wouldn¡¯t have been difficult to win the war against the ¡®Gemini.¡¯ Nevertheless, Minerva had given Chang-Sun [Nektar], indicating how grateful she was to Chang-Sun. ¡®I¡¯m in her debt again.¡¯ Chang-Sun had surely said that he had repaid the debt he had because of [Zhan Lu Sword] by helping Minerva in the war against the ¡®Gemini.¡¯ Perhaps Minerva also thought she was just repaying her debt by giving Chang-Sun [Nektar], or maybe she simply wished to maintain their good rtionship. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s both.¡¯ It was definitely not bad for Chang-Sun. After all, he was now enjoying a luxury that he couldn¡¯t even get as the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ ¡®It wasn¡¯t as tasty as I expected it would be.¡¯ In contrast to the rumors, [Nektar] wasn¡¯t as sweet as honey or as fragrant as flowers, but it was really fresh. It felt as if the [Nektar] would freshen up both his body and soul. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Minerva asked. ¡°A lot better all thanks to you.¡± Minerva examined Chang-Sun. While up against the ¡®Gemini,¡¯ she was wearing armor, but she was just in her daily clothes now, making her look very benevolent. ¡°You¡¯re definitely¡­different,¡± Minerva mumbled. Chang-Sun knew the hidden meaning behind Minerva¡¯s remark. He had be iparably stronger than thest time they met. In addition, Chang-Sun looked like a mortal named Lee Chang-Sun, not the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ who had transcended. ¡°I sure am,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°Can I ask what happened?¡± ¡°You have to keep this a secret,¡± Chang-Sun continued. ¡°I don¡¯t remember agreeing to this, but I think I¡¯m already on board,¡± Minerva joked, which also had a hidden meaning. She then chuckled mischievously, so Chang-Sun just substituted his answer with a smile. Thinking he was truly something else, Minerva smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who knows your real identity and has entered that divine ground. It seems Serena has noticed something as well, but I¡¯ve ordered her to keep quiet, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Chang-Sun nodded. Considering everything they had gone through until now, Minerva and Serena were both trustworthy. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t n on revealing his real identity to anyone until he had fully regained his ss, but he concluded that he couldn¡¯t act stubborn anymore. ¡®The Emperor¡¯s Seat has fallen, so the will try to kill me using any means necessary anyway. However, they still don¡¯t know who exactly is behind me, which should make them more cautious, but they¡¯ll attack me once they finish making every preparation. I have to get more allies before then.¡¯ Chang-Sun was making a lot of preparations as well. He was building a skill tree that was way more exceptional than he had originally nned, had restored and made his own, and had created the Undead Army. Moreover, he was also conquering many organizations one by one, including the Crna Ruka and the Illuminati. The White Tiger n would soon face one of two endings as well: in his hands or destroyed. However, those were all still just preparations. Chang-Sun was still far from the level of being able to fight the head-on. Considering the political situation, there was a limit to how much the could help him. Mephistopheles was friendly toward Chang-Sun right now, but he was more like a bystander. He could walk away the moment he felt as if helping Chang-Sun was bothersome. Chang-Sun needed reliable allies, so he chose Minerva. It could be impossible to make all the Celestials his allies since stayed neutral even during the . However, Minerva was different. Even before she had found out about Chang-Sun¡¯s real identity, she had already been friendly toward him. They were likerades in arms. ¡®Atrytone¡­ Considering they could stop the ¡®Gemini,¡¯¡¯ even if I can¡¯t stop the , Minerva can at least be a deterrent to some extent,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Chang-Sun was definitely not a bad hand for Minerva either. She now knew Chang-Sun¡¯s real identity and that the was behind him, which showed he had great potential. Chang-Sun would be worthy of investing in. Having organized his thoughts, Chang-Sun began telling her his story, hiding the parts that he had to hide. Minerva initially listened to Chang-Sun¡¯s story in interest but eventually felt sadness brewing in her heart. Fortunately, the room they were in was covered with a magic barrier, so there was no danger of someone eavesdropping. ¡°¡­ So that was what happened to you.¡± Minerva wondered what to say next. Lee Chang-Sun, Lee Chang-Sun¡­ Every time she met Chang-Sun, he always amazed her enough to remind her of the being that she served. ¡°You¡¯ve been making truly outrageous .¡± Minerva had always thought that her achievements were great. She had guided numerous heroes and fought evil alongside countless warriors. That was why the people in the world called her the glorious warring deity that defeated darkness and brought light, the Celestial with sacred light as hot as the sun. However, would she be able to shine as brilliantly as Chang-Sun after hepleted his ? She wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°What do you want, then?¡± Minerva asked. Unlike the other Celestials, she knew that she could no longer back out from this. The ¡®Gemini¡¯¡ªCastor and Pollux¡ªwere never the type to end fights on this note. They woulde for her one day, and when they did, their battle wouldn¡¯t end in a draw. ¡®They¡¯ll make a shy entrance. They¡¯ll probably even bring more Celestials,¡¯?Minerva thought. Would she be able to stop them then? She wasn¡¯t sure about that either. Perhaps receiving help from her siblings would change things, but that would mark the start of the second . ¡­ However, it was different for Chang-Sun. He had been the main cause of the previous , and the Zodiacs had a lot of grudge against him. Considering Chang-Sun had made even the Emperor¡¯s Seat plummet, he would surely have numerous ns dedicated to making the twelve Zodiacs plummet from the sky as well. If so, then the ¡®Gemini¡¯ would ultimately meet the same end as the Emperor¡¯s Seat as well. ¡°I would like to make two requests,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°Not one, but two?¡± Minerva chuckled in amusement. Holding up two fingers, Chang-Sun folded one of them as he answered, ¡°One is to select Joachim Wolff as your apostle.¡± ¡°¡­ You know how important selecting an apostle is for a Celestial, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that is why I¡¯m making this request.¡± Minerva currently had one of the best religious orders on Earth, so she had been very discretive about choosing an apostle. Minerva eventually chose Chang-Sun, who wasn¡¯t even her follower, but Chang-Sun was now asking her to choose the candidate he suggested as her apostle instead. An apostle was the enforcer of a Celestial¡¯s will and the shadow of a Celestial that stayed in the . ¡°I need him to gain power on Earth,¡± Chang-Sun exined. Minerva finally realized Chang-Sun¡¯s final goal. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ nning to be the one and only god on Earth, aren¡¯t you?¡± Bing the one and only Celestial of a was very serious since it meant that the or civilization would dedicate all of its faith to that Celestial. In other words, the or civilization would soon gain divinity and choose that Celestial to be their embodiment. A deity was naturally very influential within since they possessed an infinite amount of faith. On top of that, considering Earth¡¯s value¡­ ¡°To be exact, I n to get rid of those cancer-like beings from Earth,¡± Chang-Sun added. ¡°In the end, your priority is to repel all the Celestials of the other nes and stop them from influencing Earth.¡±? Thanatos suggested that idea since Earth had to stay neutral. ¡°So I have to get rid of all the and Celestials of Earth.¡± Chang-Sun summarized.? ¡°Yes, that is the only way to close all the Dungeons and keep your family safe¡­ That way, I¡¯ll finally be able to catch my breath as well. We¡¯ll start our fight afterward.¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me to be a Celestial of Earth.¡± ¡°Why? Do you not like it?¡± Thanatos asked. ¡°No, but it¡¯s a bit funny.¡±? Chang-Sun found it funny because, from the perspective of Earth¡¯s people, a worthless alcoholic was turning into a god in a matter of days. Of course, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t reject Thanatos¡¯ idea. Chang-Sun had never liked the fact that the and Celestials were meddling in the affairs of his hometown in the first ce, so he wished to close all the Dungeons, which were the reason he ended up in Arcadia in the past. His goals were certainly possible to achieve if he could turn Earth into his territory, so he readily agreed to Thanatos¡¯ n. What made his n even better was that it also came with the upside of steadily supplying Chang-Sun with faith. However, to seed, Chang-Sun had to¡­ get rid of or conquer all the existing ns¡ªthe Celestials¡¯ religious orders¡ªon Earth. ¡°Won¡¯t theye to their senses if they are kicked out penniless?¡± Chang-Sun smiled, making Minerva also smile but bitterly so. If she didn¡¯t cooperate with Chang-Sun, the Illuminati, her religious order, would end up one of his victims. She thought Chang-Sun would be more than capable of aplishing his goal. ¡°Fine. Joachim Wolff will make a good apostle anyway.¡± Minerva readily nodded. Up until now, she had never interfered with how the Illuminati operated because of her principle to not affect the unless she had to. Right now, she felt it necessary to interfere. Too many people had twisted or stretched her words for their own profit. Unlike them, Joachim would make for a really good apostle. ¡®But he isn¡¯t as good as this child in front of me,¡¯?Minerva thought. Finding it even more of a shame that she didn¡¯t get to make Chang-Sun her apostle, Minerva asked, ¡°What¡¯s your second request?¡± ¡°Can you get me a ticket to by any chance?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Minerva¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing the unexpected request. * * * This universe had ces collectively known as the or the Seven Prohibited Areas. The history behind how these ces were created, their , legends¡­ Nothing was known about them, but they still inspired wonder and admiration. One of the was , which was created from the remains of mysterious stars that had been umting for a very long time. Eventually, the ce became a popr vacation spot for many Celestials. Since vital forces of stars seeped out from its ground, many wounded Celestials visited it to recover. Although the ce was charming enough to make many covet it, no one¡ªnot even the or the ¡ªhad ever dared try conquering this ce. Too many Celestials were involved with the due to its exceptional healing ability. Moreover, the that managed it couldn¡¯t be taken lightly. was under the management of and , which were from the Absolute Good faction and the Absolute Evil faction respectively. These incarnations of dualism, the absolute truth and the bncing weights that made up the universe, worked together to protect the . Hence, no one dared even try invading it. As a result, the eventually became a neutral zone. It was opened not only to the Celestials in the two that managed it but also to Celestials from other . and regrly hosted various events to liven up the ce, and the , which Chang-Sun mentioned, was one of those events. While creating in various locations, Celestials naturally umted different kinds of treasures, some of which were bound to be unnecessary to them. That was why many Celestials wished to make exchanges. Since the was a neutral zone, and hosted arge-scale event that allowed Celestials to exchange treasures freely and easily. It naturally became a tradition. Eventually, a proper auction house was even built. Chang-Sun nned to visit that ce, but he was currently just a mortal, which meant he would never be allowed to enter. However, he had to participate in the auction no matter what because of the information he had received from the Emperor¡¯s Seat. ¡°Some of Kali¡¯s priests got captured by the other hunting parties and ended up in the house¡­ I was going to buy them all.¡± Kali¡¯s priests, the Elfin Root¡¯s siblings, were going to be the lots. 1. The raw is ????. This is the concept of elixir that appears often in Korean wuxia novels. Although the definition differs depending on the novel, it usually refers to the essence that is created when the energy of nature is umted in one ce and found deep inside a cave. 2. This is another famous concept of elixir in Korean wuxia novels, but tuber fleeceflower is actually used as an herb in real life. Chapter 224: Star, the Fog of War (4)

Chapter 224: Star, the Fog of War (4)

The shocking news delivered to the Celestials, who shone brilliantly in the sky, put in an uproar. ¨DMinerva won the war against the ¡®Gemini¡¯! ¨DThe ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ and two other Celestials plummeted! ¨DThe and the me each other. They have deployed their armies to their borders! None of the news could be taken lightly. The news about Minerva and the ¡®Gemini¡¯ especially made many Celestials tense up since many of them believed that the ¡®Gemini¡¯ would emerge victorious. Minerva was the great Celestial who was known to live off former glory, representing the has-been . In contrast, the ¡®Gemini¡¯ were one of the leaders of , which was currently the most influential within . Hence, many Celestials put their bets on the ¡®Gemini,¡¯ but Minerva turned out to be the victor in this fight. Although the war technically ended in a draw, the ¡®Gemini¡¯ basically lost since they failed to invade Minerva¡¯s divine ground. Surprised by the fact that the Celestials were still strong, many Celestials grew vignt and kept an eye out for Minerva¡¯s next move. They had just confirmed that she was still extremely powerful, so they thought her next move would greatly affect the state of affairs in . However, before Minerva could even do anything, a conflict started between and , catching everyone¡¯s attention. pointed fingers at , saying that they were the reason the ¡®Gemini¡¯ had lost. On the other hand, the publicly announced that they were holding the Celestials ountable for the loss of their key member. The borders of the two were swiftly engulfed in mayhem. Many Celestials began to move, their soldiers holding up their weapons high up in the sky. The possibility of another breaking out put in tension. Considering the first resulted in many casualties and damages, the Celestials couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to a mortal despite his remarkable achievement of oveing the World Net. Hence, the Celestials¡¯ interest in Chang-Sun quickly diminished. Of course, some of the Celestials saw the bigger picture and realized that Chang-Sun was in the center of everything, so they paid all attention to observing his every movement instead. ¡ºFind out how Lee Chang-Sun and Minerva¡ªno, how he and are connected right now!¡» Some Celestials even kept trying to find out who was supporting Chang-Sun. ¡ºI thought was going to disappear into history forever, but is it actually trying to rise again? Interesting!¡» ¡ºIf my assumption is correct, probably isn¡¯t the only one that¡¯s making a move. Keep an eye on the old remnants, , or .¡» Meanwhile, some Celestials believed there had to be more to what was going on. ¡ºInformation about Lee Chang-Sun is ssified? What the hell are you talking about?! Those bastards took that much bribe but dare to work like this?! Contact them again! If they try anything funny, warn them that I¡¯ll go there myself!¡» On the other hand, some Celestials tried to get their hands on very basic information about Chang-Sun first to verify the information that they had. Either way, it seemed that the chaos Chang-Sun had started wouldn¡¯t just easily die out. * * * Meanwhile in the central headquarters of the ... Tap. Tap¡­ Tap¡­! Rocinante, a member of the Supreme Management Council and the head of the central headquarters, which was where they oversaw the general affairs of the , sat in his office with a very annoyed look. He tapped nonstop on a thick folder of documents, disying just how furious he was. ¡°So.¡± Rocinante¡¯s eyes were fixed on the document folder¡ªthe very reason he was getting furious. Forbidden Data. A big red seal was stamped on the cover of the document folder. Most documents inside it had also been deducted. ¡°This is what they gave you after I made my request?¡± Rocinante asked coldly. ¡°Th-that is correct.¡± Miguel, Rocinante¡¯s secretary, reported. Not really sure what else to say, he sweated profusely. Although he didn¡¯t do anything wrong since he only followed Rocinante¡¯s orders, his superior would give him hell if he said that out loud. ¡°He¡¯s just a yer¡­ He hasn¡¯t achieved , and he¡¯s not a hero who has been selected to be a or Celestial in the future either. Yet for some reason, the information about him requires ss 0 security clearance. What should I think of this?¡± Rocinante muttered to himself. Rocinante was a Supreme Management Council member, which literally meant that he was one of the most supreme managers ruling the . However, even he didn¡¯t have a high-enough clearance to read the information about Chang-Sun. This matter could never be taken lightly. ¡°Even can¡¯t make the information of one yer this confidential unless a Ruling Celestial of the stepped in.¡± Rocinante was talking about the three brilliant Celestials that ruled ¡ªJupiter, Neptune, and Pluto. Among those Celestials, Neptune was currently the only one who was actively operating, but Rocinante knew he was definitely not behind Chang-Sun. ¡®Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have asked me himself.¡¯?Rocinante recalled. Although the ¡¯s purpose was to be a mediator between and the , and its employees¡¯ biggest virtue was neutrality, they were all living beings. Hence, they were still somewhat affected by their personal rtionships, and the same went for Rocinante. Several high-ranking Celestials whom Rocinante was close with had recently made requests, all of which were about getting information about Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun was someone whom the had been keeping their eye on, so up until now, Rocinante had made up excuses to reject the request. However, with the Celestials pressuring him more over time, he now had no choice but to abuse his authority. At first, Rocinante just ordered one of his lowest-ranking employees to bring him the information, but the employee couldn¡¯t even ess it, let alone read it. Realizing something was wrong, his subordinates involved the other department members to gain ess to it. However, the only word they ever read was ¡®Forbidden.¡¯ Right now, even Rocinante¡¯s request to ess the information was turned down, putting everyone in the central headquarters in great shock. ¡¯Someone more powerful is behind Lee Chang-Sun.¡¯ That was the conclusion that was engraved in Rocinante¡¯s mind. ¡°Who in the world is it? Who the hell is behind him? By the looks of it, This has been nned from the very start.¡± Rochinante nipped the end of a cigar with scissors and bit on it. Miguel hurriedly approached him and lit his cigar. The cigar¡¯s smoke and its typical scent spread throughout the office. ¡°I can¡¯t leave him be. At this rate, we could find ourselves in a really big problem,¡± Rocinante mumbled, now considering Chang-Sun as a threat, not just someone on a watchlist. It had only been less than a year since he made his name known, but he had already put in chaos. The universe finally regained peace when the ended, and the people had just gotten used to the peace. Rocinante couldn¡¯t let the universe be devastated again. ¡°But I can¡¯t start anything with him first¡­ Gosh, This is frustrating!¡± Rocinante didn¡¯t budge until half of his cigar was burnt away. His furrowed eyebrows showed how much he agonized. He couldn¡¯t mess with a yer without any good reason. Doing so would vite thew of causality, which would ultimately schedule him a very private meeting with an internal inspection agent in a room deep underground. However, he was worried that leaving this mysterious yer alone could lead to a catastrophe that would cost his head in the process. ¡°Umm, one more thing¡­¡± Miguel said cautiously, tiptoeing around his superior. ¡°What else do you have to report to me¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it has anything to do with the current matter¡­¡± Miguel trailed off. ¡°I want to hear anything that can be a hint, so shoot.¡± Miguel was really not sure if he should say this, but Rocinante looked like he would fire a missile at Miguel if he didn¡¯t say anything useful. Shutting his eyes, Miguel said, ¡°I know a friend who is currently working as an undercover agent in the .¡± Pzzz! Not realizing that his cigar had almost burned up, Rocinante fixed his eyes on Miguel. ¡®The ? Those dark and unreadable people? Why is he mentioning them out of nowhere?¡¯ After wondering for a moment, a hypothesis crossed Rociante¡¯s mind. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I think of them?¡¯ Rocinante gestured at Miguel with his chin and said, ¡°borate.¡± ¡°This happened quite some time ago already, but one of the death lists got lost on Earth for an unknown reason, turning the Reaper Branch upside down.¡± A death list was the record that contained the four destined life phases of humans that were going to be born in the . On the other hand, the Reaper Branch was the executive branch of the . It was simr to the central headquarters of the . Following only the King of the Underworld¡¯s orders, the Reaper Branch members oversaw the deceased people and the ten hells. ¡°As you already know, a death list is essential in samsara since one missing death list can imbnce thew of causality,¡± Miguel continued. ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°The reapers recently received an instruction that they can stop their search for the missing death list.¡± Miguel clenched his fists. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡± Maybe Rociante could let this story slide since a death list going missing was an incident that even the higher-ups would be reluctant to deal with it, so it would be reasonable to assume that the members wanted to cover up the incident. However, why now? Something was fishy. ¡°On top of that, many of the Celestials that were recently sealed in the abyss were summoned to the King of the Underworld¡¯s pce.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Rociante chuckled in disbelief. ¡°The official reason for the summon is for their regr trials.¡± ¡°Something doesn¡¯t add up,¡± Rocinante assumed. ¡°The timing doesn¡¯t¡­ Under normal circumstances, it would mean nothing, but I¡¯m reporting it this time just in case. If I made an unnecessary report¡ª!¡± ¡°No, you did good. We might not have concrete evidence, but it¡¯s better to look further into any suspicious.¡± Rocinante rubbed his cigar on an ashtray to extinguish it. ¡°But it¡¯s not easy to interfere in the affairs of the . Hmm¡­¡± The didn¡¯t belong anywhere in ¡®Trailokya and Six Paths,¡¯ which made up this universe, so they had the power to travel to any ce. However, their power wasn¡¯t absolute. Even they were ufortable with the thick energy of death in the . Moreover, everything that took ce in the was guileful and secretive. Thanatos himself, the King of the Underworld, was known to be unreadable. Taking that into consideration, there was a chance of things backfiring if Rocinante ran around in the without the King of the Underworld¡¯s permission. The central headquarters of the ? Rocinante? Their titles didn¡¯t matter in front of the King of the Underworld. He would just scoff at them. However¡­ ¡®He likes to keep things under wraps, so there is a high chance of him having nothing to do with this¡­ Still, better safe than sorry.¡¯?Rociante thought. Rocinante determinedly asked, ¡°Miguel, Herald is in charge of this Lee Chang-Sun, right?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ He must be really busy by now because of all the queries regarding Lee Chang-Sun,¡± Miguel answered. Busy was an understatement. Herald hadn¡¯t been able to go home and rest for over a month now. Miguel recalled how surprised he was when he learned know that a rabbit¡¯s eyes could get redder. Now that he thought about it, Herald also currently had huge bags under his eyes and was filthy since he couldn¡¯t even take a proper shower. ¡°Then call¡ªno, I¡¯ll visit him myself.¡± Rocinante picked up his jacket from the nearby hanger and stood up. 1. It¡¯s the capital of ancient Egypt. 2. It means male deities in Sanskrit, especially the male deities in Hinduism. But it¡¯s a ce/organization in this novel. 3. The definition is different depending on the religion(Hinduism or Buddhism), but it usually means three realms. 4. The concept is from Buddhism. While existences go through samsara after failing to get enlightened, they¡¯re born into six different worlds depending on their karma. Chapter 225: Star, the Fog of War (5)

Chapter 225: Star, the Fog of War (5)

¡°Overtime-working baby rabbit~ Doo doo doo doo doo? Cute~ Doo doo doo doo? In the office~ Doo doo doo doo? Overtime-working baby rabbit! All-nighter baby rabbit~! Doo doo doo doo doo?¡± Herald sang. White rabbits earned their name because of the color of their fur. Using that same logic, Herald looked like a ck rabbit now due to the dark bags under his eyes. Moreover, his already-red eyes turned scarlet because all the small veins in his eyes had popped. At this rate, he would copse to the side any minute, so his old colleagues unanimously agreed that Herald was finally starting to go insane. ¡°What? He¡¯s still here?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. He has been singing that song for the past several days already.¡± ¡°The business trip I went on wasn¡¯t short, but how is he still here?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, he has too much work because of You-Know-Who¡­¡± Herald¡¯s direct superior frowned after hearing the whole story. In their department, Lee Chang-Sun was called You-Know-Who because it was considered a bad omen to refer to him directly by his name. Whoever said his name would magically end up working overtime and pulling an all-nighter. There were too many and Celestials asking for information about Chang-Sun in this universe, which was unfortunate for Herald, who was put in charge of Chang-Sun. At that moment, thest thing Herald could think about was going home. The other managers heaved a sigh of relief for not being in charge of Chang-Sun, but they also watched Herald, who was turning into an even worse wreck day by day, with pity. . ¡°Keep an eye on him. He might try to visit Lee Chang-Sun with a knife in his hand.¡± Herald¡¯s direct superior clicked his tongue but soon turned his head in annoyance when he didn¡¯t hear any answer. He continued, ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you hear what I¡ª!¡± The superior stopped abruptly and straightened his posture upon realizing someone more superior was standing with his hands sped behind his back in front of his subordinate. Rocinante, the central headquarters head of the , was one of the most influential people within the bureau. Why did he show up here out of the blue? ¡°Di-direc¡ª!¡± ¡°Psst.¡± Rocinante put his index finger against his lip as a signal to Herald¡¯s direct superior to be quiet, making him freeze up. With a very delighted look, Rocinante looked at Herald as he continued, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t interrupt him when he¡¯s so focused on his work. Let¡¯s wait until he finishes his current task.¡± Herald¡¯s direct superior couldn¡¯t say anything else, not even about how Herald would need at least half a day toplete his current task. ¡°All-nighter baby rabbit~! Doo doo doo doo doo? Bloodshot~! Doo doo doo doo doo? Eyes~! Doo doo doo doo doo? All-nighter baby rabbit!¡± Only Herald¡¯s quiet humming echoed throughout the office. * * * ¡°Woah! So the took the bait?¡± Thanatos asked. ¡°Yes, it was all thanks to him,¡± Yool answered. Thanatos nodded in contentment after hearing Yool¡¯s report. Meanwhile, Yool¡¯s colleague had frozen up like a statue for having met the famous King of the Underworld. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Go on.¡± Yool quickly gave his colleague a nudge on the waist. His colleague flinched in surprise and hurriedly bowed. ¡°I-it¡¯s my greatest ho-honor to meet the King of the Underworld! My name is Dapple!¡± Yool added, ¡°I told you about this before, but he was dispatched by the . However, he¡¯s proven to be on our side now that he has carried out this task.¡± ¡°I-I only did what I had to do!¡± Dapple shouted. ¡°Reaper Yool.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Yool answered. ¡°Don¡¯t we happen to have a vacant position of Rank 3 inspection agent in the Reaper Branch that needs someone of talent?¡± Thanatos asked. ¡°That is correct, sir.¡± Yool nodded. ¡°You heard him.¡± ¡°Th-thank you, sir!¡± Dapple bowed so deep that his forehead almost touched the floor, worrying Thanatos would change his mind. However, Dapple was also smiling. The had basically abandoned him, but he got a new chance in life the moment he switched sides. Thanatos lightly waved his hand, signaling that Yool and Dapple could now leave, so Yool quickly took Dapple and exited the room. Left alone in the room, Thanatos chuckled quietly. Sealing the Emperor¡¯s Seat forced Thanatos to move up his n, but everything else was sailing smoothly. ¡®The and Celestials will begin to move to dig out information about Chang-Sun, so it¡¯s bound to leak from somewhere, no matter how hard we try,¡¯?Thanatos thought. They had been looking down upon Chang-Sun, thinking he was just a mortal, but things would be different from now on. The two that Thanatos knew were definitely not going to let the recent incident slide. ¡®If so, then it¡¯s better for us to create a diversion before all the information is revealed. That would buy us more time in the process.¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s real identity couldn¡¯t be exposed yet. Although Thanatos wasn¡¯t sure how much time he had, he had to make every possible preparation within that duration. That was why he hade all the way over here right now. ¡°So you have something to tell me in private?¡± Thanatos turned his head to the side. In the dark room, a ray of light shone down where Thanatos looked. The Emperor¡¯s Seat was sitting down, bound with the Divine Steel shackles. Despite his ragged hair, his eyes were still clear and sharp. Looking into Thanatos¡¯ gray eyes, the Emperor¡¯s Seat calmly nodded and started to say his piece. * * * ng, ng, ng! Weapons shed in the air countless times. When the person holding a silver spear retreated backward, the person wielding a sword went after him and unleashed a barrage of attacks like a waterfall pouring down from a cliff. However, the person with the spear didn¡¯t get swept away by the swordsman¡¯s rapids-like attacks. In fact, he actually ¡®went upstream.¡¯ At that moment, a storm started from the spearhead and disrupted the swordsman¡¯s attacks. Paah! At the same time, the spearman instantly reached the source of the sword attacks and created a pool of light. The storm that had started from the spearhead also exploded. Boom¨D! ¡°Keugh¡­!¡± The swordsman narrowly swung his sword to the side to deflect the attack, but he couldn¡¯t nullify itpletely. The shockwave pushed the swordsman far away to the back. Despite the severe pain, the swordsman gritted his teeth and tried to counterattack, but the spearhead was already right underneath his chin. The name of the spear glowing underneath the swordsman¡¯s chin was Nameless Spear. Chang-Sun, the spear¡¯s owner, smirked as he looked at the swordsman. ¡°Are you going to continue?¡± The swordsman scowled at Chang-Sun for a moment but sighed, dropping his sword to the ground. ¡°Shit! I get your sword skill, but it¡¯s really unfair for your axe and spear skills to be this good too!¡± Beep! ¡°Gyutra lost. Lee Chang-Sun has won!¡± ¡°Wow! He won again!¡± ¡°How many fights has he won now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s simple. It¡¯s the same number of times you lost the wagers! Don¡¯t try to weasel out of this! Give me my money now!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± When the judge dered Chang-Sun as the winner, the people watching the sparring between him and Gyutra showed various reactions. Some even eximed or sighed. When the news of Chang-Sun¡¯s full recovery spread, the Atrytone warriors swarmed in front of Chang-Sun¡¯s room, wanting to spar with him. Chang-Sun had already made a significant contribution when the ¡®Gemini¡¯ had first begun their invasion, but his contribution this time was bigger, having ¡®assisted Minerva and driven out the and Celestials¡¯. The belligerent warriors would never miss a good opportunity like this. Moreover, many people in the ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯ wanted to see how much stronger Chang-Sun had be with their own eyes. Since Chang-Sun needed Minerva to get the ticket to the , he readily agreed to the sparring. So far, he had fought in thirty-two matches and had a current standing of twenty-seven wins, five draws, and zero losses. Chang-Sun had won almost every fight, putting the Atrytone warriors in great shock. ¡°Wait, wasn¡¯t he from the called Earth?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Gates recently opened up in that civilization.¡± ¡°Despite being born there, he became this skilled in a matter of months? Did he find a good teacher or something?¡± ¡°Do you really think he can get that match record with just a good teacher?¡± ¡°Impossible. No matter how great his teacher is, it¡¯ll take a long time to master the teaching itself.¡± ¡°Then how is that possible¡­!¡± The Atrytone warriors¡¯ levels were currently in the range of 80 to 120. Considering one gained divinity and started bing a deity upon reaching level 100, it was safe to assume that Chang-Sun had already reached the level of a low-ranking deity, surpassing the level of demigods. ¡°What level is he at right now?¡± ¡°82 or 83.¡± ¡°¡­ Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s in a No Guardian state? That doesn¡¯t really make any sense either.¡± What would Chang-Sun be like once he had reached level 100, was on the verge of achieving and Transcendence>, and had acquired his third ss? Having trouble imagining it, the Atrytone warriors watched Chang-Sun¡¯s sparring in confusion yet admiration. ¡¸Well, he already beat me and is the heir of the ¡®Destruction-Calling Fire Giant.¡¯ Taking those facts into consideration, This is not strange at all. Kekeke!¡¹ Watching the warriors made Simon Magus pleased. Although he ended up bing a mask, he had no reason to hate the fact that his master was strong. [The level of your Skill ¡®Dust Devil¡¯ has increased!] [Your Skill ¡®Dust Devil¡¯ is currently level 6.] ¡®Its level is steadily increasing.¡¯?Chang-Sun smiled contentedly. Even though the skill had only been created recently, it was leveling up quite quickly. At first, Chang-Sun could only create a whirlwind, but he could now produce a small storm in his palm¡ªno, if he wanted, he could even make [Dust Devil] take the form of a devil, which was the signature shape of the skill. ¡®I knew I would regain something this time too, but I can¡¯t believe I got this.¡¯ Just like the description window of [Dust Devil], the skill originated from the authority that Chang-Sun had inherited from Ithaca. With this skill, Chang-Sun could ensnare his enemies inside a sandstorm that seemed to have been created by a devil and attack his enemies with increased damage. This skill didn¡¯t just make Chang-Sun popr in Arcadia. Rather, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the fundamentals of the fighting techniques of the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ were based on this skill as well. That was why Chang-Sun mainly used [Dust Devil] while sparring. Although he hadn¡¯t been able to use it in so long, he quickly got used¡ªno, he had upgraded it enough to think that he had diversified his fighting techniques. ¡®Aside from everything else, I¡¯ll have to regain [Storm Era] as soon as possible. There is no telling when they¡¯ll discover my real identity. I better make all the possible preparations quickly.¡¯ The wheel started rolling. Just like Thanatos, Chang-Sun knew that the and Celestials wouldn¡¯t watch him idly anymore. He had to acquire enough power to prevent the Celestials from doing anything to him when they attacked him. After making the sandstorm around his fingers disappear, Chang-Sun pulled out the [Jin Can Axe] instead of the Nameless Spear. To train as much as possible before Minerva arrived, Chang-Sun was about to shout ¡®Next,¡¯ but¡­ ¡ºThis is¡­!¡» The voice of the ¡®Wind-Hating Daughter¡¯ Armand suddenly echoed in Chang-Sun¡¯s head, making him stop. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The warriors waiting for their turn all looked at Chang-Sun, who focused on the voice inside his head. Armand continued. ¡ºWere you¡­ really Mother¡¯s heir?¡» Up until now, Armand had been silently staying inside his unconsciousness, just like when she had gotten absorbed by him. She had thought that she just wanted to melt away like this because she had been in grave shock after finding out that Mireille, her dear apostle, had been killed by Czestochowa. However, she suddenly detected someone using [Dust Devil], which was the skill of Ithaca, her mother whom she hated for a very long time. Hence, it naturally caught Armand¡¯s attention. Unable to hold back her curiosity, she resurfaced again, remembering what Chang-Sun had told her long ago. ¡°What would you do if someone separated you and your sisters from each other by force?¡± Her sisters were the beings that Armand¡¯s mother had made with her . Although she couldn¡¯t even remember her sisters¡¯ voices anymore, she could still remember their warm hugs. Armand had forgotten about it until now due to dejection, but it seemed she couldn¡¯t stay that way anymore. ¡®You ponder for a really long time. Have youe to a decision?¡¯?Chang-Sun asked. Detecting Armand¡¯s anguish, Chang-Sun tried to lead her to the conclusion he wanted her to reach. Armand was Ithaca¡¯s , which Heoju deeply desired. Even though Chang-Sun had already gained the power of the [Fifth Cryptical Book of Hsan], he would be able to do a lot more with her help in his attempt to rebuild his divine ss. [Dust Devil] was about controlling the wind, while the attribute of Armand¡¯s power was Eon Wind. With thebination of those two skills, he could create many more exceptional techniques. ¡ºThe ones that killed Mireille¡­ The ones that tried to exploit me¡­ Do they all belong to the same side?¡» ¡®Yes, they¡¯re the Celestials, and I¡¯m hunting them down right now.¡¯ ¡ºThen I¡¯ll cooperate. What do I have to do?¡» Chang-Sun thought he had just acquired another fine weapon. He smiled. ¡®Let¡¯s practice fighting together first.¡¯ ¡º¡­ Fine.¡» Pzzz! The moment Chang-Sun picked up the [Jin Can Axe], a gust of wind twirled around him, a petite elemental spirit flying at the end of the gust. The wind elemental spirit was a girl in a skirt and with braided hair. Judging from her sullen face, it seemed Armand used her power to create an avatar of herself. All Chang-Sun could do was look at her. ¡ºWhat¡¯s wrong?¡»the elemental spirit, Armand¡¯s avatar, frowned and asked. Chang-Sun just shook his head. ¡°¡­ Nothing.¡± He could never say he saw Ithaca in the elemental spirit. His heart still ached. ¡®I thought I forgot about her to some level now¡­ I guess I haven¡¯t. Not yet.¡¯ Regaining hisposure, Chang-Sun shouted, ¡°Next!¡± At that moment¡­ [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ is looking at you with keen interest!] ¡°You¡¯re the famous Lee Chang-Sun.¡± A deep voice echoed as a thick shadow was cast over Chang-Sun. When he turned his head in its direction, his eyes widened a little. From a warrior that wore leather armor and that had four swords of different sizes hung on his waist, Chang-Sun could feel a powerful desire to fight him. Although the warrior resembled Minerva, he was a little different. While Minerva resembled a dormant volcano, the warrior was like a volcano that had already erupted. Thanks to him, Chang-Sun could calm his heart, which had be restless because of his memories of Ithaca. The warrior looked worthy of his title as a fighting deity. Mars, the rabid dog and the best warrior of , had appeared. Chapter 226: Star, the Star Auction (1)

Chapter 226: Star, the Star Auction (1)

Minerva watched the staredown between Chang-Sun and Mars from the second floor of a nearby building. With a slight frown, she turned her head back and asked, ¡°What is that idiot doing here?¡± Mercury, a slender man with a small snake around his right arm, stood behind her. Stroking the snake¡¯s chin with his left index finger, he looked at Minerva and shrugged. ¡°What am I supposed to say to someone who insists oning along?¡± Thanks to his unique divine rank, Mercury, the ¡®Sky and Earth¡¯s Connecting Wing,¡¯ was the only Celestial among the Twelve Great Celestials that wasn¡¯t affected much by thew of causality and traveled freely in the universe. Since he was Minerva¡¯s closest sibling, she had asked him to get her a ticket to , and he had readily agreed and had even delivered the ticket to her directly. Minerva would have been very grateful if Mercury hade alone, but he came with an uninvited guest instead. Unlike Mercury, Mars and Minerva weren¡¯t a good match in many ways. Jupiter was currently living in seclusion, so on his behalf, Numen, his children, ruled over . Minerva, his eldest daughter, was meticulous, charismatic, and in charge of strong divine ranks like war and civilizations. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say she was the new Ruling Celestial of . However, Mars hated Minerva¡¯s ways. As the legitimate son of Jupiter and Juno, Mars thought that Minerva was just a bastard who didn¡¯t even know who her mother was. Due to his belligerent nature, he didn¡¯t like how was staying quiet amid the recent turn of events either. To top it all off, the two Celestials had simr divine ranks, which were rted to war. Hence, they naturally fought often. Minerva was a warring deity who symbolized military tactics while Mars was a fighting deity who signifiedbat and fighting spirit. Since the lines among those concepts were blurry, reconciliation for them was impossible. Minerva thought of Mars as a rudebat dog that was obsessed with battles. Meanwhile, Mars believed that Minerva was an arrogant coward who was leading to its demise. That was why Minerva didn¡¯t ask for help from the other Celestials when she was in the middle of the fight against the ¡®Gemini.¡¯ She was worried about the fight aggravating into a full-scale war against , but she also didn¡¯t want Mars to have another excuse to get on her back. Nevertheless, he was now in her divine ground. Mars normally hateding near Minerva¡¯s divine ground, yet he followed Mercury to ¡®stroll¡¯ today¡­ There was no way Minerva wouldn¡¯t notice what Mars was up to. ¡°The news of your failure to make that mortal your apostle is spreading in . Now, Mars is hellbent on persuading him over. If he seeds, he¡¯ll be able to say that he beat you. He¡¯s really quite the simple being. ¡± Mercury shook his head, looking at Mars. After a moment, he nced back and forth between Chang-Sun and Minerva. His sister was famous¡ªno, notorious for being picky in choosing an apostle, so Mercury was also curious about what kind of mortal she had chosen. There was even a rumor about the Pale Star, who shone brilliantly in the outer universe, keeping this mortal close. Because of that, it was only natural for him to be more curious. ¡°Persuade? Mars?¡± Minerva crossed her legs and scoffed in disbelief, seemingly thinking that that strong simpleton couldn¡¯t do much. Mercury swayed his index finger from side to side. ¡°You can¡¯t take this lightly, sister. Mars is willing to give Lee Chang-Sun his entire savings to recruit him. If necessary, he would even give Lee Chang-Sun [Balmung].¡± ¡°[Balmung]...? Mars has it?¡± Minerva¡¯s expression subtly changed. [Balmung] was one of the relics that symbolized the old ... The demonic sword put its wielder in pain, but its wielder¡¯s opponents were bound to bleed. [Balmung] was also famous across for another reason. The sword was a part of the [Omni-Weapon Chest], the trademark of the ¡®Divine Twilight. He used to always carry it around! Now that Minerva knew about Chang-Sun¡¯s real identity, she couldn¡¯t help but worry a little, but since Mercury didn¡¯t know about it, he just believed that his sister had finally grown cautious. ¡°Why? Do you want to stop the sparring now?¡± Mercury chuckled. ¡°No, That¡¯s not it¡­¡± Minerva trailed off. She couldn¡¯t tell him the whole story, so she just looked at Chang-Sun with mixed emotions. ¡®Mars¡­¡¯ Minerva wasn¡¯t actually worried about Chang-Sun. ¡®... might get his ass kicked.¡¯ Despite their rtionship, she felt sorry for her brother. She felt as if she could already see his immediate future. * * * Chang-Sun had also heard a lot of rumors about Mars, the worst rabid dog of . He stirred up more troubles than demonic deities and was the type of Celestial to punch first and talkter. This rascal had difficulties starting a day without causing trouble. Not one rumor about Mars was good, but depending on one¡¯s perspective, he had one thing that could be praised. ¨DThe strongest fighting deity. ¡®The strongest fighting deity, huh?¡¯?Chang-Sun chuckled. ¡®He has that title¡­ even though I¡¯m here?¡¯ His chuckle was out ofpetitiveness, not amusement. Before he became a fiend in the past, he used to be a fighting deity who liked battles first. Hence, he wanted to spar with Mars too. During the prime of the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ he waspared to Mars the most. They both always took the lead on battlefields, were the experts of any weapons, and were brave enough to not fear showering in blood. People naturally argued about who was greater, but Chang-Sun and Mars never ran into each other. Hence, the question was left unanswered. Now, however, Mars was right in front of him. ¡°Hahahaha! What? You don¡¯t feel fear around me?¡± Marsughed in contentment, looking into Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes. Chang-Sun held his head up high against the menacing aura around Mars, which made Mars like him. Mars had only ever heard rumors about this Lee Chang-Sun¡­ but it seemed the rumors about him actually seemed to have undervalued him. ¡®I want him.¡¯?Mars¡¯ eyes filled up with greed. He had heard about Minerva trying so hard to make a yer her apostle that she even gave her Authority to him, but she still failed. That was why Mars wanted to see the cocky yer¡¯s face and make the yer his own apostle if possible. However, it seemed Mars had to be serious now. Just looking at Chang-Sun made Mars want to take him away. Of course¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll have to test him first since there is a chance that he¡¯s all sh, no substance.¡¯ Mars could feel his desire to win rising within him for the first time in so long, but he never expected a mere mortal, not a fighting deity or another warring deity like him, to make him feel this way. ¡°I heard you were having fun with the Atrytone,¡± Mars said. The Atrytone warriors, who had been watching Chang-Sun spar, started talking among themselves, wondering if their expectation was correct. From the looks of it, Mars could pounce at Chang-Sun any minute now. Even the warriors who had been grumbling about Mars interrupting the sparring even though things were heating up were beginning to pay all attention to themotion. They wanted to see how a sparring match between Chang-Sun and Mars would turn out. The news spread so quickly that the area around the sparring grounds was already crowded. ¡°Can I join you guys?¡± Mars asked. All the spectators cheered when their expectations turned out to be true. Although Mars was called a rabid dog or a rascal among Celestials, many warriors looked up to him for his bravery and fighting spirit. ¡°I don¡¯t think the match will be valid,¡± Chang-Sun concisely said, which made Mars immediately think that Chang-Sun was talking about how Mars was bound to emerge victorious. ¡°Hahaha! Do you really think I¡¯ll fight a mortal without any penalties? Winning a fight like that will only be a disgrace for me,¡± Mars firmly said. ¡°How do you wish to proceed, then?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just test our skills. We¡¯ll put a limit on the amount of mana we use before we spar. How does that sound?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head. ¡°What is it? Is that not enough penalty? Then how about fighting without using any Authorities¡ª!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not asking for more penalties.¡± Chang-Sun interrupted Mars, dismissively waving his hands. Chang-Sun continued, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve been honored with a chance to spar with someone like you, sir, how could I ask for anything else? I just thought we can spice things up.¡± ¡°Spice things up¡­?¡± Mars repeated nkly. ¡°Yes, how about we add a little wager to this sparring?¡± Mar¡¯s expression subtly changed, not expecting Chang-Sun would dare mention the concept of wager in front of him. However, Chang-Sun just smiled enigmatically. ¡®Mars is definitely a good sparring partner. I can test out thebination of [Dust Devil] and Armand and see if Mars is really worth the title of the strongest fighting deity. It¡¯ll be a waste of opportunity to only test out those, though,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, remembering Mars liked gambling. ¡®I heard he likes weapons as much as he loves fighting. Shall I take one of his weapons then?¡¯ ¡°Hehe. Hehehe! Hahahaha! The more I talk with you, the more I like you! Yes, right. A fight without any wager would be boring. What do you suggest we bet, then?¡± Mars asked. ¡°How about a wish?¡± ¡°Granting the winner¡¯s wish, huh?¡± ¡°Yes, but of course, the wish shouldn¡¯t be a burden to the other.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Mars smirked and stomped on the ground lightly. With a thud, the ground shook, and white sacred light enveloped his tanned body. ¡°Since you dared make a wager with me, you better prepare yourself.¡± Paah¨D Mars raised his leg. At that moment, he disappeared so quickly that spectators weren¡¯t sure if he truly adjusted the level of his ability with Chang-Sun, but Mars¡¯ speed still made the spectators exim. However, Chang-Sun had already sharpened his senses with [Monster Excursion], so he knew that Mars wasing toward the blindspot behind him. ¡®Armand,¡¯?Chang-Sun said in his head. ¡ºI know. Show you what I can do, right?¡» Chang-Sun chuckled. ¡®I like how quickly you¡¯re catching on.¡¯? ¡ºI really don¡¯t like your way of talking,¡»Armand said, which was simr to what Ithaca had told Chang-Sun before. She then fiercely stirred up the wind, quickly mixing it with the storm that had risen up from underneath Chang-Sun¡¯s feet to create a sandstorm. [The Skill ¡®Dust Devil¡¯ has responded to ¡®Armand,¡¯ spreading their wings hidden in the sandstorm!] Mars, who had been aiming to strike Chang-Sun from the back, flinched in surprise. His vision had suddenly been covered. Chang-Sun not only turned invisible but also undetectable. Boom! Mars spected and thrust his spear where Chang-Sun would be, but Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t there. However, the whirlwind that shot out of Mars¡¯ spearhead eradicated the sandstorm. As it did, he saw purple lightning sparks flying up from the floor. However, before he could withdraw his spear, Chang-Sun had already reached him and swung the [Jin Can Axe] diagonally from the bottom. Swoosh¨D! ¡°Hup!¡± Mars inhaled sharply. Heavily infused with Chang-Sun¡¯s lightning energy, the axe flew toward Mars¡¯ forehead. Living up to its notoriety of destroying everything with one smash, Chang-Sun delivered an extremely destructive attack with the [Jin Can Axe]. Instinctively feeling that he shouldn¡¯t get directly hit by the axe, Mars hurriedly turned to the side, narrowly dodging the attack. However, Chang-Sun had already started his next attack, having pulled out the Nameless Spear with his left hand and swung it against Mars¡¯ waist. Chang-Sun had a huge axe in one hand and a long spear in the other. The two weapons were so different that it would¡¯ve still been difficult to utilize one of them with two hands. However, Chang-Sun used them at the same time seemingly without any difficulties at all. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! sh, sh, sh! ¡®This is¡­¡¯?Mars thought as he swiftly retreated backward to dodge Chang-Sun¡¯s attack. The Nameless Spear left a long w mark with each thrust and each strike with the [Jin Can Axe] created cracks. Realizing Chang-Sun¡¯s attacks couldn¡¯t be taken lightly, Mars finally decided to be serious in this fight. Although he likely had a higher ss than Chang-Sun, the mortal was just as skilled as Mars. ¡®... going to be fun.¡¯ Mars smiled, having so much fun. He immediately pulled out the small shield on his back and held it downward. The shield was a relic called [Rhinotoros], which meant ¡®to rip apart.¡¯ He rarely used it, having only drawn it out during times when he thought he should try his best inbat. With this shield¡¯s unique ability topletely reflect his enemy¡¯s attack, he had shattered the limbs and killed many of his enemies without even knowing what happened to them. aannggg! The [Jin Can Axe] narrowly missed Mars, yet the [Rhinotoros] still looked intact and undamaged. The same could be said for the [Jin Can Axe], however, since the two relics had nullified each other¡¯s powers. Mars immediately turned to the side, held his [Enkesphalos] with a wide grip, and swung his spear. With his favorite demonic spear, Mars bombarded Chang-Sun with attacks from his head to his feet, making it seem as if he was hitting him with a waterfall. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¨D! Ting, ting, ting! Chang-Sun drew up energy and heightened his senses. With Armand¡¯s help, he also increased his agility enough for him to move with immense speed for the first time in so long. Blocking, stabbing, swinging, ying¡­ the [Enkesphalos] and the Nameless Spear shed in the air multiple times while the [Jin Can Axe] and the [Rhinotoros] tested their mettle. Woosh, woosh, woosh! The gusts of wind became one with Chang-Sun as he united with his spear. His spearhead was where the wind blew, and the wind followed him wherever he went. Chang-Sun¡¯s moved like a ghost. Up until now, he had been focusing on brute strength and explosions, but his attacks now were very swift and sharp like a will¡¯o wisp. Because of his movements, Chang-Sun felt as if he had entered the Ghost Spear state, which was his state back in Arcadia. All he had was a spear and a gust of wind that followed him. No, it was actually the same now, so Chang-Sun could move as freely as if he had gotten back on the saddle after quite some time. The sparring with Mars had certainly been a great catalyst to quickly regain it. [Achievement unlocked!] ¡°Feeling the nostalgic wind.¡± Reward: Wind attribute +10. Enhancement of the Skill ¡®Dust Devil.¡¯ [You are now in the zone!] [You have sessfully removed a part of the limitations on your ss!] ¡ºThis is¡­ you.¡» Being able to read Chang-Sun¡¯s thoughts since they shared physical senses, she got a glimpse of the rtionship between him and Ithaca. It gave her mixed emotions, but she only felt sentimental for a moment. With a confused voice, Armand asked,¡º It¡¯s a bit strange. Although it¡¯s only by a little, why is his ethos simr to yours?¡» 1. It actually means divinity in Latin. 2. The sword belongs to the hero Siegfried in the V?lsunga saga. The sword goes by different names depending on the version of mythology, including Gram and Nothung. Chapter 227: Star, the Star Auction (2)

Chapter 227: Star, the Star Auction (2)

¡®Ethos?¡¯?Chang-Sun asked, unable to understand what Armand meant by Mars¡¯ ethos being simr to his. ¡ºTo be exact¡­ Hmm. His energy? aura? Something along those lines.¡» ¡®He has the trace of my energy and aura?¡¯ Chang-Sun briefly frowned. Although he felt as if he vaguely understood what she meant, it was still unclear. ¡ºIt¡¯ll be more urate to say¡­ it smells like you, who control the winds. He has Ithaca¡¯s smell.¡» Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened at that moment. He knew what Mars smelling like Ithaca meant. ¡®The [Omni-Weapon Chest]!¡¯ Chang-Sun was so obsessed with collecting weapons that he got the trait of [King of All Weapons] in the past, and this obsession of his was popr in . Having defeated countless Celestials, the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ had extorted all kinds of divine and sacred weapons, all of which hadter been stored in a giant chest that he had carried on his back. The [Omni-Weapon Chest] got its name from the fact that it contained all sorts of weapons but no one knew precisely what types of weapons were stored in it, what the weapons¡¯ names were, or even how many were inside it. Moreover, a nearly infinite supply of gunpowder and arrows also poured out from the chest. Eventually, it became the relic and trademark of the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ Worrying that he could lose the weapons that he had tried really hard to obtain during battles, the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ had left a mark that only he could identify on each of his weapons using his . Of course, other people would call him a madman if they found out about this. After all, Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t one of the monster deities, whose weapons were their . If the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ ever got his weapons taken away, he could lose his entire . However, Chang-Sun thought of the [Omni-Weapon Chest] as a part of him, so he never hesitated in marking his weapons. As a security measure, the in his weapons would only shine when he grabbed it anyway. Nevertheless, Armand had basically just told him that Mars seemed to be in possession of one of his weapons. ¡®Which one is it? Which one does he have?¡¯?Chang-Sun quickly recalled the list of weapons, but he had no clue, which was only natural. After all, he had thought he would recover the [Omni-Weapon Chest] only after he had started a full-scale war against the . ¡®Those greedy Celestials who captured me wouldn¡¯t have left the chest alone, so I assumed the Zodiacs took all the weapons for themselves¡­ Was I wrong?¡¯ Now that things had turned out this way, Chang-Sun had to do whatever it took to find out what weapon Mars currently possessed. ¡®First¡­ I have to make him pull out all his weapons.¡¯ Chang-Sun had a feeling that this sparring, which he started without giving much thought, wouldn¡¯t end easily. The air around him changed. [Your ¡®Inferno Sights¡¯ have opened!] Two navy-blue mes zed up in his eyes, making it seem as if two will o¡¯ wisps had lit up within the opaque sandstorm. He truly resembled a ghost now. Rumble! Chang-Sun raised the Nameless Spear in his left hand, causing the energy around the spear to burst and deflect Mars¡¯ [Enkesphalos] away. As a result, Mars was left open for attacks. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous!¡¯ Mars thought, holding the [Rhinotoros] closer to himself. Chang-Sun threw the [Jin Can Axe] like a boomerang, making it fall on top of Mars¡¯ head. Boom! Mars managed to raise the [Rhinotoros] to cover his head just in time, causing a violent explosion strong enough to make him tremble. However, Mars gritted his teeth and steadied himself, showing his experience as a veteran fighter. He then deflected [Jin Can Axe] to the side. At that moment, gales quickly blew toward Mars. One of the gales blew diagonally from upper left to lower right, and the other came at Mars horizontally from right to left. No, the gales were actually a white w and a ck w¡ªChang-Sun had activated the [ck Mountain King¡¯s ws]. sh! sssh! Using Double Sword Resonance, the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] revealed their true forms, and Chang-Sun swiftly crossed them. The [Yuchang Sword] deeply wed at the handle of the [Enkesphalos], and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] went after Mars¡¯ neck, climbing up the surface of the [Rhinotoros]. Mars skillfully turned and avoided the attack one more time, but Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t done yet. The [Zhan Lu Sword] popped out from nowhere and tried to stab Mars¡¯ abdomen, an attack he had definitely not seening. ¡°What the hell?! How many more weapons do you have!¡± Mars growled, thinking Chang-Sun would never stop attacking him. Left with no other way to deflect Chang-Sun¡¯s close-range attacks, Mars suddenly threw the [Rhinotoros] in the air and grabbed the dagger hung on his back. Swoosh¨D! ng! With the dagger he pulled out, Mars sessfully parried the [Zhan Lu Sword] up into the air. The [Zhan Lu Sword] shook hard, not liking how Chang-Sun or Mars was treating it, which was known to be the sword of monarchs. However, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t hear its angry protests. The dagger that Mars had pulled out caught all his attention. ¡®[Balmung]!¡¯?Chang-Sun noticed it right away. Inside Chang-Sun¡¯s [Omni-Weapon Chest], he had four yerswords that served as his symbols. [Balmung], the blood-yer sword, had to spill blood no matter what once it had been unsheathed. Otherwise, it would seek its owner¡¯s blood. [Gram], the dragon-yer sword, had a legend about a fragment of it being enough to kill a Dragon. [Nothung], the god-yer sword, was so sharp that it was used to y not only a god¡¯s treasure but an actual god as well. [Trollsverd], the monster-yer sword, had been used by a Giant to y an enemy monster in ancient times. Chang-Sun never expected to run into the blood-yer sword here! Although he didn¡¯t know why Mars was in possession of [Balmung], Chang-Sun knew for certain that he had to take the sword using any means necessary. That ultimately meant he had to defeat Mars in this sparring and ask for the sword using the wager they had made. ¡°Hmph! This guy makes me really obnoxious once I pull it out, so I wasn¡¯t nning on using it. But I guess I have no other choice,¡± Mars grumbled, not liking the strong resistance of [Balmung]. Tightening his grip on [Balmung] so much that the sword could soon break, Mars changed the course of his attack midway. It seemed Mars was suppressing [Balmung]¡¯s whines by force, which was understandable. Balmung had a temper bad enough to have the title of blood-yer sword. Although [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] also had a temper, its temper was out of arrogance. After all, it was created with a Dragon¡¯s tooth. In contrast, [Balmung] was obsessed with ying its enemies using brute force. ¨DBlood! More blood! More death! Him! Bring him to me! [Balmung] howled and whined to Mars, unable to recognize its previous owner. Mars believed his violent nature and [Balmung] were a good match, but he had been nning to subdue the dagger someday because it was arrogantly defying his control. All he wanted from others was their absolute obedience. Swoosh¨D! To go up against [Balmung], Chang-Sun fixed his grip on the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Thinking he had tounch a stronger attack, Chang-Sun drew as much energy as possible and prepared to activate the [ck Mountain King¡¯s ws] again. Purple sparks flew up nonstop as Chang-Sun and Mars readied to sh once more. ¡°Stop. You both have lost your heads too much in this fight.¡± A spear dropped down from the sky and pierced the ground between Chang-Sun and Mars, stopping their match. Oooong! Woosh¨D! Both Chang-Sun¡¯s lightning energy and Mars¡¯ divine power were deactivated and dissipated in the air. Tap! Like an owl, Minerva quietlynded on the top of the spear handle and looked down at them. * * * ¡°Woah¡­!¡± ¡°That was insane.¡± ¡°Fighting Mars like that¡­ You gotta be kidding me.¡± The sparring area fell into silence. Realizing that they had been holding their breaths, the Atrytone warriors started breathing again. That was how intense the sparring between Chang-Sun and Mars had been. The fight reached levels not even the warriors knew existed. They used to believe that they had gone through all sorts of hardships under Minerva¡¯s lead, but even they had trouble fathoming the depth of Mars and Chang-Sun¡¯s skills. ¡®Argggh, this is really embarrassing.¡¯?Serena could feel her face reddening because she had a history of treating Chang-Sun like a child before. She had offered protection to someone with that level of skills and consoled him, saying that he shouldn¡¯t worry and trust this big sister. The memories that shed across Serena¡¯s mind made her feel like disappearing into the wind. ¡®But how could such a man just appear out of thin air?¡¯ Serena couldn¡¯t help wondering. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± However, Serena stopped dead in her tracks as Mars began to yell at Minerva. Rumble! His anger was enough to shake the ground that everyone was standing on, but Minerva wasn¡¯t affected at all. Rather, she looked down at Mars with cold eyes. ¡°I was having fun, why would you throw a wet nket¡ª!¡± Mars continued. ¡°This is mynd,¡± Minerva interrupted. ¡°If you¡¯re going to cause problems, then get lost.¡± Mars reddened in anger. Although he wanted to continue yelling furiously, he knew he would immediately get kicked out of Minerva¡¯s divine ground if she evicted him. Of course, Mars could somehow resist Mierva¡¯s eviction, but if he actually did so, the other numen would turn their backs on him for disgracing Minerva. He usually acted as he pleased, but he wasn¡¯t an idiot. p! p! Just then, Mercury showed up and quietly pped to brighten up the mood. ¡°Come on, the weather is good today, so why are you going for each other¡¯s necks? Let¡¯s stop this, please.¡± Mars held back his anger. Meanwhile, Minerva quietlynded beside Chang-Sun and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m okay,¡± Chang-Sun answered. ¡°You may seem alright now, but Mars¡¯ divine power could have damaged your ss. Stay still.¡± Minerva snatched Chang-Sun¡¯s wrist and infused him with her divine power in an attempt to check if Chang-Sun sustained any internal injury. Looking at Minerva, Chang-Sun smacked his lips. He was a little disappointed about his match against Marsing to an end, especially since he felt as if he could have won with a little more time. However, he couldn¡¯t break away from Minerva¡¯s grip. After all, she dide all the way here because she was worried about him. At that moment, Chang-Sun received a telepathic message from Minerva. ¡ºYou¡¯ll have another chance to regain [Balmung], so be patient. Even if you had won the wager and asked for the dagger as a prize, Mars wouldn¡¯t have willingly given it to you.¡» Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, but upon looking into Minerva¡¯s deep, calm eyes, he nodded without saying anything else. He lost his head in the sparring, causing his rationality to dull, but the chance of Mars readily epting his defeat and handing over [Balmung] to Chang-Sun was indeed incredibly low. Considering Mars¡¯ pride as a Celestial, he would ask for another sparring or offer other items instead of handing over [Balmung]. Minerva was pointing out that Chang-Sun shouldn¡¯t be impatient, which would only make things moreplicated. ¡®This is why it¡¯s good to have an ally who knows everything,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Finding out the location of [Balmung] alone was already a great aplishment. Once Chang-Sun figured out where Mars had gotten [Balmung] from, he would be able to find out where the other weapons were. ¡°You¡¯re the guy who wants to go to the , aren¡¯t you?¡± Mercury smiled, approaching Chang-Sun. He was half the size of Mars, but there was something about him that made him look uncontrobly free. When Chang-Sun nodded, Mercury handed him a ticket. ¡®The ticket to the auction¡­!¡¯ Chang-Sun held out his hands in Mercury¡¯s direction. ¡°Thank y¡ª!¡± However, he couldn¡¯t get the ticket. Mercury turned his hand that was holding the ticket inward and took the ticket away from him before he could get it. Why was Mercury doing this? Not understanding what was going on, Chang-Sun looked at Mercury, realizing that Mercury¡¯s eyes had turned cold. ¡°I acquired this ticket because of my sister¡¯s earnest request, but I¡¯m not sure if I can really give this to you, an outsider,¡± Mercury said. ¡°Mercury!¡± Minerva approached, trying to stop Mercury. Mercury raised his other hand, signaling her not toe any closer. After all, the ticket still belonged to him. Mercury continued, ¡°I¡¯m more than capable of acquiring this ticket whenever I please, but this item is still expensive, and the ce you¡¯re trying to enter is not open to mortals¡­ My sister even had to pay quite a high price just to get an exception to thew of causality.¡± With wide-opened eyes, Chang-Sun turned back to look at Minerva. Her face was uncharacteristically red, maybe because she didn¡¯t want Chang-Sun to find out about this. She soon gave Mercury a death re, making Mercury cave in and flinch. Nevertheless, he still had to ask, ¡°Despite all that, my sister still wishes to give this to you. Are you sure you can use this to the fullest extent?¡± Chang-Sun silently looked at the thicket for a moment and lightly snatched it away from Mercury. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have asked for it if I wasn¡¯t.¡± Mercury finally smiled again. * * * ¡°You¡¯ll go to the auction house with me, my sister, and Mars.¡± While the air inside the sparring area cooled down to some level, Mercury exined how to use the ticket. Chapter 228: Star, the Star Auction (3)

Chapter 228: Star, the Star Auction (3)

ording to Mercury¡¯s exnation, the Star AuctionHouse here on the was off-limits to anyone without a ticket approved by both and . ¡°Do you know what kind of ce the is?¡± Mercury asked. Chang-Sun nodded. ¡°I know it¡¯s one of the .¡± ¡°That makes things easier to exin.¡± Mercury beamed. ¡° was created after stars were buried there so long ago that we don¡¯t even know which stars got buried. The ce itself is an energy site¡ªno, a divine energy site, so going there makes Celestials feel fulfilled and refreshed. However, if a person¡¯s ss isn¡¯t high enough, their ss could crumble down due to the energy flow of the ce.¡± Chang-Sun nodded again. Just because it was an energy site¡ªa ce where many kinds of energies had umted over the years¡ªit didn¡¯t mean it was always good. When it came to ces like that, biting off more than one could chew was worse than not eating at all. In Chang-Sun¡¯s current state, his ss, which he had built with difficulty, could destabilize if he didn¡¯t prepare enough. The and prohibited mortals from entering the ce for a reason. The one silver lining he had right now was that his ss wouldn¡¯t crumble down easily thanks to his status as a king, but there was no guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t experience any aftereffects. Hence, he had to be apanied by Celestials to enter the . ¡°Since someone has to regrly cleanse the ce¡¯s energy off of you, I¡¯m going to stay by your side while we¡¯re there,¡± Mercury said. ¡°Thank you,¡± Chang-Sun answered. ¡°If you¡¯re really grateful, then you should do your job right, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± Mercury joked and continued, ¡°The auction you¡¯re going to enter is going to be at the center of the . Keep in mind that everyone here wears a mask to remain anonymous.¡± Relics and treasures were presented as lots every day in the Star AuctionHouse, but the Celestials that participated in the were reluctant to reveal their identity. ¡°Most of them don¡¯t want others to find out about what kind of treasures they bought,¡± Mercury exined. A relic equaled power for Celestials, so they normally kept the kind of relics they had a secret. If they didn¡¯t, they could be exposing their strengths and weaknesses to their enemies or future enemies. That was also the reason why the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ hadn¡¯t disclosed what kind of weapons were inside the [Omni-Weapon Chest], his trademark. ¡°So most participants of the auction wear masks that are enchanted with a perception distortion spell. If they think the spell is unreliable, some participants even send their representatives¡ªno, it¡¯s actually what most Celestials do,¡± Mercury exined, then caught his breath. For some reason, Chang-Sun felt as if the carefree Mercury turned a bit serious. It seemed he was getting to the main point that he wished to tell Chang-Sun. ¡°However, most of them, including the highly renowned Celestials, will participate in the auction themselves instead of sending their representative.¡± Minerva, who had also been listening to Mercury¡¯s exnation, tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Is there a reason?¡± ¡°Yes, actually. Celestials have been paying a lot of attention to this auction due to the two items that will be presented today.¡± Two items? Chang-Sun and Minerva looked at each other, not having the slightest clue of what the items could be. They then turned toward Mercury. Looking at the two, Mercury enigmatically smiled. ¡°The host made an announcement that one of Ou Yezi¡¯s divine swords will be put on the uing auction¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°...along with the high-ranking priests of the ¡®Goddess of Massacre and Destruction,¡¯¡± Mercury continued. Although Kali had fallen due to the trap made by the and Celestials, she was still notorious throughout the entire . As a Celestial, she led a ne to destruction, then used that very same ne to revive and regenerate. Few Celestials could do both. For that reason, the priests whom Kali had taught were bound to be valuable and covered by many Celestials. Just like relics, Celestials had a hard time not only finding someone of talent that they liked from head to toe but also turning that person into their subordinate. It was also very rare for talented people to also be skilled fighters, and those who were highly likely already had a Guardian. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said for Kali¡¯s high-ranking priests. They had already been pleted,¡¯ and they had lost their Guardian. Hence, all the other Celestials had to do was add the missing parts. They would never have a chance to recruit someone as talented as Kali¡¯s high-ranking priests again. Chang-Sun had already seen thising the moment he heard from the Emperor¡¯s Seat the news of Kali¡¯s priests ending up in the . ¡°My n for extracting them was to have the selected people auction off the priests once they¡¯re presented as the auction items,¡± The Emperor¡¯s Seat said.? ¡°The selected people?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made a group outside the that the other Enclosures and Richardus don¡¯t know about.¡± ¡°And you were nning on using them to bring back Kali¡¯s priests to one ce without raising anyone¡¯s rm?¡± ¡°Including your other friends, if possible.¡± The Emperor¡¯s Seat wouldn¡¯t have gotten suspected if he auctioned off Kali¡¯s priests in a public auction hosted by other , so that was probably why the Emperor¡¯s Seat hade up with the n. The problem was that he had crossed paths with Chang-Sun and gotten sealed before he could make it happen. ¡°What were you going to do afterward?¡± Chang-Sun asked.? ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The Emperor¡¯s Seat shook his head.? ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t know? What do you mean?¡± Chang-Sun frowned slightly.? ¡°I really don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t thought about it. I was just going to keep them together on a on the outskirts of the universe, somewhere wouldn¡¯t care about... After that¡­ they should be the ones to decide what to do.¡± The Emperor¡¯s Seat¡¯s remarks still unsettled Chang-Sun¡¯s mind¡­ ¡®Anyway, the group that the Emperor¡¯s Seat had made in secrecy would surely participate in this uing auction,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. ? He either had to find the members of that group and work with them or fight them to take Kali¡¯s priests. Of course, unless a variable showed up, Chang-Sun nned to choose thetter. He had no idea what the group even was, so he didn¡¯t know how to find its members. Even if he found them somehow, the group would be made up of the children of the Emperor''s Seat, which meant they had bad blood with him. ¡®The auction is already high profile because of Kali¡¯s priests, but now one of Ou Yezi¡¯s divine swords is also going to be in the auction¡­ This is troubling.¡¯ Chang-Sun grunted. This had to be why Mercury had smiled enigmatically at Chang-Sun and Minerva. He knew that the [Yuchang Sword] was in Chang-Sun¡¯s possession and the [Zhan Lu Sword] in Minerva¡¯s, so it was only logical for Mercury to assume that the two would want to get their hands on another one of Ou Yezi¡¯s divine swords. ¡®Can I get both with my money?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered, deciding to go through the list of [King¡¯s Treasury]ter. With the Yetis¡¯ treasures, which the Winter King had given Chang-Sun, and money, Chang-Sun could get more coins than most Celestials. However, there was no telling if it would be enough to get everything that Chang-Sun wanted. He could win one item somehow, but that would make the other Celestials spiteful and tenacious when bidding on the other items. Some Celestials could even work together or bring someone from the they were in. ¡®I¡¯ll have to think more about this partter.¡¯ Chang-Sun had a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to devise a n. ¡®If I can¡¯te up with a n to get both¡­ I¡¯ll have to take Kali¡¯s priests first and dy acquiring Ou Yezi¡¯s divine swords.¡¯ Acquiring Ou Yezi¡¯s divine swords was important, but it wasn¡¯t as important as his old colleague¡¯s priests. As Chang-Sun set priorities in his mind, Mercury smiled enigmatically once more and gave him another piece of information. ¡°Oh, yeah. One more thing¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°There is a rumor about Taotie the Devil cksmith participating in this uing auction.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Many other popr Celestials are also going to show up, so you better be as careful as possible.¡± Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure if Mercury was advising or warning him. * * * Oooong, oooong¨D! Mars frowned as he looked at [Balmung], which kept incessantly howling while Mercury was giving them an exnation. ¡°Gosh,¡± Mars groaned. [Balmung] was whining because it didn¡¯t get to taste blood. It wasn¡¯t the sword¡¯s first time whining, so Mars rolled his eyes as he held [Balmung] in a reverse grip. He then stabbed his left hand with the dagger. Ssh! The sharp [Balmung] instantly pierced Mars¡¯ hand, causing his blood to stter like a fountain. Despite the clearly severe wound, Mars didn¡¯t even flinch. It was as if he was already used to it. The sight made even Chang-Sun ufortable. Gulp, gulp. [Balmung] absorbed¡ªno, drank every bit of Mars¡¯ blood. Whenever the dagger swayed from side to side, gulping sounds echoed. It was as if someone was drinking water. A Celestial¡¯s blood was profused with divine power, so no better food could satiate the hungry [Balmung]. When the dagger finally settled down, Mars pulled it out. ¡°Here.¡± Mercury handed Mars a pill made out of refined [Nektar], which Chang-Sun had also consumed before. The moment Mars gulped it down, his wound quickly healed, making it seem as if it never existed in the first ce. He then sheathed [Balmung], which didn¡¯t have a drop of blood on itself, and hung it on the back of his belt. Click! ¡°This dagger is truly insane.¡± Mars cursed. Mercury grinned. ¡°Why? I think it¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°Cute? This bastard is willing and likes to drink its owner¡¯s blood.¡± ¡°That is why I¡¯m saying it¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The dagger is simr to you.¡± ¡°¡­ If one more nonsensees out of your mouth, I¡¯m going to feed this dagger your blood next time.¡± ¡°Haha! No thanks. I hate getting hurt more than anything else in the world.¡± Mercury leaned backward, noticing that Mars was serious. Crossing his arms, Mar snorted. He knew better than anyone that Mercury wasn¡¯t the feebleminded person he pretended to be. Although Mercury looked amicable, he was as cold as a viper. However, Mars¡¯ attention wasn¡¯t on his two-faced brother. Chang-Sun turned his head, having just finished talking with Minerva, and met Mars¡¯ eyes. ¡°Do you want to borrow this?¡± Mars smirked and swayed the sheathed [Balmung] from side to side. He noticed Chang-Sun flinch when he drew [Balmung] during their sparring match. ¡®He¡¯s really interested in swords,¡¯?Mars thought. Chang-Sun¡¯s weapons that Mars had gotten to see during their sparring were all exceptional enough to tempt him, but something was different about the way Chang-Sun looked at [Balmung]. It was filled with desperation, which Mars thought of as an indication of Chang-Sun bing fond of [Balmung]. In cases like Chang-Sun¡¯s, he would likely even dream of the weapon during his sleep because of how much he coveted it, so he was bound to be tempted. ¡°How does this sound? I¡¯ll lend you this, but in return, be my apostle. I¡¯ll even give you an Authority that you want. My fighting techniques, money, treasures¡­ tell me what you want, and I¡¯ll give them to you.¡± Mars offered. He was Jupiter and Juno¡¯s only son and legitimate child in , and he was also wealthier than most Celestials, being second only to Pluto. Hence, he was confident he could give whatever Chang-Sun wanted in exchange for bing his apostle. Stab! Without answering Mars, Chang-Sun pulled out [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and pierced the ground with it. Now that it had been sealed again, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] had be smaller, making it look like a kukri. ¡°¡­?¡± Mars tilted his head in confusion, not understanding what Chang-Sun was trying to do. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°It¡­ looks like it¡¯s carved out of a Dragon¡¯s fang.¡± ¡°This is [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Taotie the Devil cksmith himself created this using a tooth of the ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon,¡¯¡± Chang-Sun exined. ¡°What?¡± Mars¡¯ eyes widened. An item made from any Dragon¡¯s byproducts was already invaluable. If it was truly created with none other than Tiamat¡¯s tooth¡­ then putting a price on the sword was impossible. To top it all off, the sword was forged by Taotie the Devil cksmith. At that moment, Mars finally noticed Taotie¡¯s seal on the surface of [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. ¡°Someone who wished to make me her apostle ¡®gave¡¯ me this as a present. Meanwhile, she gave me this one.¡± Chang-Sun gestured at Minerva as he pulled out the [Zhan Lu Sword], rendering Mars speechless. ¡°But you¡­ just want to lend me that sword?¡± Chang-Sun was essentially telling Mars to make his offer sweeter if Mars wanted to coax him¡­ Mars was a Celestial¡ªno, a Great Celestial. Had there been any mortal who dared say that to someone as powerful as him? Mars wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to Chang-Sun, who was openly asking him to up the price. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Mercury burst intoughter. Minerva, who was quietly watching everything, could be certain. ¡®He¡¯ll be robbed more than I expected.¡¯ It seemed a bigger sugar deity than Pabilsag was about to be born. Chapter 229: Star, the Star Auction (4)

Chapter 229: Star, the Star Auction (4)

¡°¡­!¡± Joachim Wolff¡¯s eyes widened when he woke up from his sudden daydream. It made everything else seem like a dream. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Woo Hye-Bin asked, worried. Up until a moment ago, Joachim had been talking and walking beside her, but his eyes had suddenly turned nk and he had stood still as if something had bewitched him. Right after Chang-Sun and Baek Gyeo-Ul had broken away from the group to deal with the siege, the rest of the group had gotten off the next train station and were now heading to the Illuminati headquarters. The group members had been on alert during the entire duration of their travel. Fortunately, they were finally close to the headquarters office. Shin Eun-Seo and Shin Geum-Gyu also stopped and looked at Joachim with worry in their eyes. They even circted their manas to activate Skills if anything happened. Their reactions were within reason. The ¡®Red Eagle Duke¡¯ Constantine Brunnit could do anything now that he had been cornered. Hence, they were worried that Joachim¡¯s sudden abnormal behavior was caused by their enemy¡¯s curse. ¡°Y-you didn¡¯t see that?¡± Joachim asked, bewildered. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°The world around us turned white¡­ a goddess wearing a golden helmet and armor was standing¡­! Ah!¡± Joachim rambled on but suddenly moaned. Wondering what was going on, the Team L members stayed alert. A teardrop rolled down Joachim¡¯s wrinkled cheek. ¡°It¡­ was a revtion¡­!¡± Just a moment ago, Joachim encountered a female warrior wearing brilliant armor and a great helm. She had eyes as beautiful as an owl¡¯s, which could see clearly in the darkness. With those eyes, she looked at Joachim and said something. Although she definitelymunicated verbally, Joachim was so bewitched by her beauty that he couldn¡¯t properly understand her. However, he felt her whispers reach his heart and soul. The woman held out her spear and lightly tapped the top of Joachim¡¯s head. Even then, he still couldn¡¯t understand what she meant. Upon returning to the real world, he btedly realized that the woman he met just now was the goddess whose voice he wished to hear even just once in his life. The ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl,¡¯ the great Guardian of the Illuminati, personally showed up and performed a ceremony on Joachim. Ah, how could he have acted so impious before the great goddess? He didn¡¯t even pay his respect. The more he thought about what happened, the worse he felt about it. He stopped regretting things for now and instead tried hard to remember her voice and understand what she said. As he did¡­ Woosh! ¡­ a ray of light shone down on Joachim, its color the same as the goddess¡¯ golden armor. It looked as if an owl was quietlynding on the top of Joachim¡¯s head. [Congrattions! Your Guardian has chosen you as her apostle.] An apostle selection¡ªJoachim realized that the goddess had chosen him to be her most loyal subordinate. ¡°Thank you, my goddess. I¡¯ll devote myself more to spreading your doctrines in this evil-filled world.¡± Joachim went down on one knee and held his hands up close to his chest to pray. Hye-Bin and the others took a step backward. The air around Joachim had clearly changed. His aura now resembled a holy saint from old scripture. ¡°Th-this is¡­!¡± ¡°The light of glory!¡± ¡°The goddess has finally answered our call!¡± ¡°She has bestowed us with an apostle to lead us!¡± The nearby believers gathered around Joachim upon recognizing the light enveloping him. The Illuminati¡¯s headquarters was located in Frankfurt, so their religious order was the most influential within this ce. There were so many Illuminati members in this location that there was even a saying that two out of three pedestrians in Frankfurt were members of the Illuminati or rted to it. The people naturally recognized Joachim¡¯s sacred light, and the news of the Frankfurt Saint appearing quickly spread throughout the area. Eventually, a swarm of people surrounded Joachim, some of which were pedestrians, the Senators heading to the Senate meeting, the Illuminati members on their way to the headquarters to see the Senators, and the believers that had been captivated. The Illuminati headquarters staff who came to find out what happened hurriedly notified their superiors. One after another, those staff also joined the crowd until more people were around Joachim than inside the headquarters. With them, Joachim prayed to the goddess and thanked Chang-Sun several times, knowing he was behind this miracle. ¡°If the seat of the apostle has to be filled first, then don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Joachim didn¡¯t know how Chang-Sun had done it, but he was sure that his goddess, who had an iron will, trusted Chang-Sun enough to grant his request. Taking that into consideration, Joachim thought he could put his faith in Chang-Sun as well and follow him as the goddess¡¯ servant. ¡°Be a king, Joachim. Isn¡¯t a king¡¯s friend also a king in the end?¡± Chang-Sun said.? ¡®You¡­ will be someone more than that, Mr. Lee,¡¯ Joachim thought. Joachim continued praying. * * * [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ bursts intoughter, unable to believe that the picky, cocky Celestial has chosen an apostle!] Seeing Joachim and tens of thousands of Illuminati members praying together was a truly majestic sight. They resembled an owl¡¯s nest. Jacque Valentine had once been a devout believer, but he had be detached from his emotions over time, not remembering what it felt like. Nevertheless, the sight touched his heart. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ tilts his head in confusion, asking his apostle why his face has darkened.] ¡®My face¡­ darkened?¡¯ Jacque felt his face with his hands upon reading the message. He had been alive for so long, but he still couldn¡¯t get used to his face. His skin was firm like a turtle shell, and his lips¡­ drew a straight line and froze up that way, which made him look as if he was discontented with something. As someone who had thought he lost his emotions, he was surprised. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ asks you if it is because of the key.] Jacque finally realized why he had been having mixed emotions. The key that Chang-Sun used to escape the Celestials¡¯ siege was unsettling him. Chang-Sun had it tucked away under his top, preventing Jacque from noticing that he had the key all along. Aside from its shy appearance, it didn¡¯t look anything special, but Jacque was extremely familiar with the symbol on it. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ says that there has to be a reason Peter the Apostle¡¯s key has been found now.] Jacque nodded in agreement. Peter the Apostle had been Jacque¡¯s teacher and someone he had respected. However, the apostle was also the reason Jaque ended up making a contract with Satan. Still, he was a prophet who could see the future. Even if it looked as if Chang-Sun had found [Peter¡¯s Key] coincidentally, Peter the Apostle had actually nned everything in advance, including Chang-Sun finding it, to prepare for the future. ¡®Maybe¡­ his n includes me staying around Lee Chang-Sun,¡¯?Jacque thought. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ says that he cannot miss such a fun opportunity.] ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Jacque asked Satan about his n, breaking away from his own thoughts. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ smiles in delight and says that someone will really love this.] ¡°¡­?¡± As always, Satan didn¡¯t give Jaque a proper answer. * * * An eight-wheeled carriage quickly crossed a rainbow bridge that connected one neb to another. Every time the horses galloped on the rainbow bridge, the scenery around the carriage changed quickly. ¡°We¡¯re arriving at the soon. Hold on tight, everyone,¡± Serena, who was today¡¯s coachwoman, said. Chang-Sun turned his head to look outside the window. In the hazy background, a brilliant giant neb could be seen down below. Chang-Sun marveled at the sight, but for some reason, it also gave him an ominous feeling. It was as if he would disappear into the neb if he kept watching. It seemed there was a reason the was called a huge, beautifully decorated tomb. ¡®Come to think of it, this is my first time visiting this ce,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought He had actually only visited two of the . He couldn¡¯t afford to have the luxury of traveling in the first ce, and he didn¡¯t have a hobby of visiting tourist spots either. Nevertheless, the was charming enough to intrigue Chang-Sun, who was emotionally detached on some level. [The disrupted connection has been restored!] ¡­ [The Dungeon Channel KR-9,721 is now online.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ shouts hooray because she finally got to enter the channel.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ enters the channel, grumbling that he was really bored while waiting for the channel to be online again. ] [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ quietly enters the channel.] ¡­ [Current number of Celestials in this channel is ????.] While Chang-Sun was in Minerva¡¯s divine ground, the channel was automatically disconnected, but it was now online again. Familiar Celestials, like Pabilsag, and other Celestials that had been waiting for Chang-Sun quickly entered. ¡®There¡¯s a lot more of them,¡¯?Chang-Sun noticed. Much to his surprise, the number of viewers had now reached four digits, multiplying the previous number multiplied several times. In other words, a lot of Celestials were paying attention to Chang-Sun right now. The incident in the ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯ had to have spread. From Chang-Sun¡¯s perspective, it also meant that the number of sugar deities who would supply him with Authorities had increased. ¡°You¡¯re quite popr. Someone might snatch you away if ¡®I¡¯ don¡¯t hurry.¡± Minerva chuckled quietly, noticing many Celestials watching him. Mars frowned and crossed his arms in discontentment. With an amused look, Mercury watched Chang-Sun. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ hops in surprise, wondering why the owl is with you!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ jumps around in anger upon finding out that you are with two other Celestials!] After reading the funniest message, Minerva uncharacteristically smiled mischievously and leaned toward Chang-Sun. ¡°Chang-Sun.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Chang-Sun turned his head. ¡°I have to tell you something in secret.¡± Minerva gestured at Chang-Sun toe closer. ¡°¡­?¡± Chang-Sun didn¡¯t understand why she was trying to whisper to him instead of telepathy or the message system, but he thought that Minerva had to have a good reason. As Chang-Sun tilted his head toward Minerva, she looked in the air and smiled faintly. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ yells at the top of her lungs to step away from her apostle candidate!] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ smirks at a certain Celestial, calling her a loser.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ roams around the room to find arrows she can use to hunt the owl!] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ uses her pinky w and subdues her daughter with ease, telling her to stay still because she is acting crazy.] ¡°Minerva?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head in confusion. Minerva didn¡¯t really say anything. Minerva chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s confusion deepened, but they were about to reach their destination, so he couldn¡¯t really pay much heed to it. The carriage was now entering the neb that made up the . Shortly after, vastnd resembling Laputa from ¡¶Gulliver''s Travels¡· showed up. Manyplex buildings stood on thend, sparkling like stars. It looked like¡­ ¡®An amusement park?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Rides like a Ferris wheel were located in one section of thend, and numerous resorts with beautifulndscaping were located in the other section. The pedestrians were wearing casual clothes. Chang-Sun could now see why he had heard about the cities in being called ¡®Star Vacation Spots.¡¯ Minerva¡¯s carriage stopped in a huge train station, which was like the port of this vacation spot. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ licks his lip, saying that you went to a very interesting ce.] ¡°Do you remember the masks I gave out before we departed? Put them on and never take them off. Otherwise, things can be really troublesome,¡± Mercury said. Before everyone had gotten on the carriage, Mercury had handed them masks that he said were essential in . The masks not only had the ability to distort others¡¯ perceptions but also hide the mask users¡¯ sses. However, Chang-Sun had one little problem. ¡®¡­ It looks like he gave me this mask on purpose.¡¯?Chang-Sun reluctantly pulled out his mask. The cream-colored mask¡¯s eye holes were heavily decorated, making him think of a Siamese cat. The patterns on the mask¡¯s cheeks were so gold and shy that it looked as if it should be used in a masquerade. Chang-Sun nced at Minerva¡¯s and Mars¡¯ masks as well just in case, but they obviously didn¡¯t like their masks either. Minerva was even ring at Mercury as hard as she could. Minerva¡¯sce mask had a feather that covered half her face. Meanwhile, the nose part of Mars¡¯ clown mask was unusually red. Looking at everyone, Mercury rolled on the ground,ughing. 1. It¡¯s a floating ind. Chapter 230: Star, the Star Auction (5)

Chapter 230: Star, the Star Auction (5)

. ¡°Do you not have masks that look more normal?¡± Minerva held back her anger, but her eyes remained filled with menace as she red at Mercury. Mercury justughed. ¡°Of course¡­¡± ¡°You do, don¡¯t you?¡± Minerva finished Mercury¡¯s sentence. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t. Tsk, tsk, tsk.¡± Swaying his index finger from side to side, Mercury clicked his tongue. ¡°Does my lovely sister not know me? I obviously didn¡¯t bring such masks. How can I miss an opportunity like this?¡± Minerva¡¯s hand, which was holding onto the mask, shook. She was having a sudden yet strong impulse to throw the mask at Mercury¡¯s shameless face right now. However, she disyed superhuman patience and refrained from doing so instead. After all, if she broke this mask, she would have to stay here and leave Chang-Sun alone with Mars and Mercury. Mars¡¯ first choice of dealing with problems was wreaking havoc, and Mercury¡¯s mischievousness was unpredictable. If Minerva let them loose in a ce like this, the best scenario she could hope for was getting to avoid a life-and-death situation. Chang-Sun¡¯s n could also go awry, something Minerva could never let happen. Nevertheless, she wasn¡¯t sure she really had to wear this embarrassing mask, but Mars, who had been ring at his clown mask without saying anything, suddenly put the mask on. Just looking at the bulky clown would instill fear in anyone. ¡°Did I put it on correctly?¡± Mars asked. ¡°Oh, it looks great on you!¡± Mercury shouted. ¡°Cut it out. Let¡¯s go.¡± In contrast to his grumbling tone, Mars¡¯ chest was puffed up. Noticing his confidence, Minerva narrowed her eyes. ¡°You seriously don¡¯t think it looks good on you, do you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What? Are you for real?¡± Minerva tilted her head. ¡°If everyone has put on their mask, then let¡¯s go. We can¡¯t stay here for too long,¡± Mars said as he looked away. ¡°Hey! Do you really think so?!¡± Minerva shouted. Mars never answered her question. * * * ¡°Moodoo¡­ What will happen to us?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to protect us.¡± ¡°¡­ I won¡¯t worry.¡± Moodoo, a Gray Elf and Kali¡¯s 32nd Branch, kept trying to calm down Supada, the 374th Branch. Moodoo thought of Supada as her biological sibling. Although Moodoo looked calm, she was also quite tense. After all, she had a lot riding on her shoulders. Depending on her next decision, Supada and the other twenty-four Branches¡¯ fates would be decided as well. ¡®I can¡¯t let the Branches scatter anymore!¡¯?Moodoo thought, determined. When Kali¡¯s temple fell, Moodoo and the other priests who followed her formed a resistance. The goddess fired them and told them not to bind themselves to her, but¡­ Moodoo had been serving Kali ever since she was born. The resistance army¡¯s operations weren¡¯t really sessful, however. A priest¡¯s power originated from their Celestial. Their priest title was revoked when Kali died, leaving them without any abilities or power. The only silver lining they had was that their opponents couldn¡¯t easily capture them because of thebat techniques that they had learned from Kali. Nevertheless, the only thing they could do in their current state was rob a few temples of low-ranking and Celestials, let alone attack the Zodiacs. Over time, the encirclement around them tightened, making even robberies difficult and causing them to lose contact with many of their colleagues. When the Emperor¡¯s Seat of the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight mansions stepped in, the resistance army¡¯s chance of winning fell to zero. Failing to escape from the Emperor¡¯s Seat, everyone got captured and put in this cell. All their manas had been sealed, and they had been abandoned here, bing mere auction items of the . Moodoo initially resisted and was prepared to fight, but she eventually stopped. The auction house managers had warned that they would separate the Branches if Moodoo created more problems. Moodoo firmly believed that they shouldn¡¯t be separated any further than they already had. While working as a resistance army soldier, Moodoo knew deep down that they were at a disadvantage because they numbered too few. If they had sessfully restored their World Tree andpleted a dense Shindansu, they wouldn¡¯t have had to worry about their number¡­ Moodoo¡¯s biggest regret was that she couldn¡¯t establish a proper means ofmunication with their other siblings because they were busy running away from the encirclement of the and Celestials. ¡®Where will we be sold off to?¡¯?Moodoo wondered. She knew her and her siblings¡¯ values very well. They were filled with talent, so many Celestials would want them. Priest candidates that had already been pleted¡¯ were also very rare, which meant they would be sold off at a very high price. However, the Branches would be separated during the auction unless someone bought all twenty-five of them at once. ¡®I have to find a way to get out of this somehow!¡¯?Moodoo thought. However, these emotionless auction-house managers never gave the Branches a chance. At that moment¡­ ¡°You better stay quiet in the auction house if you want to get what you want,¡± the Emperor¡¯s Seat said.? ¡­ Moodoo remembered what the Emperor¡¯s Seat said in secret before he handed them over to the staff. At the time, Moodoo just snorted because she couldn¡¯t trust him, but she was so desperate that she wanted to believe him now. ¡°The auction will be starting soon, so get moving, everyone!¡± One of the managers approached the mobile cell Moodoo and the other Branches were held, looking a little tense. A couple of demons were following the manager. ¡°Moodoo!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Moodoo calmed Supada, who began to shiver again. ¡°Hmm¡­! So they¡¯re the priests of the ¡®Goddess of Massacre and Destruction,¡¯ huh?¡± The two demons moved closer to the cell. Both demons had ck hair and eyes, pale skin, and red lips, so others would probably think of them as twins. The taller demon stroked his chin and observed Moodoo and the other Branches. ¡°Won¡¯t our ill-tempered demon king be satisfied with them? What do you think?¡± the taller demon asked after he turned back. The smaller demon nodded without saying anything else. Looking as if he quickly lost interest, the taller demon sped his hands behind his back and said, ¡°Keep an eye on them. We¡¯ll probably take them soon, manager. If the merchandise is damaged¡­ kek! You already know what will happen, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Would the Demon King of the East¡­?¡± the manager cautiously asked. ¡°Psst! It won¡¯t do you any good to mention that name.¡± The taller demon put his fingers against his lip. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. My mistake!¡± the manager frantically shouted. The manager couldn¡¯t have acted crueler when he was dealing with Moodoo and the other Branches, but he looked really pale right now. ¡°See youter.¡± The taller demon tapped the manager¡¯s shoulder a couple of times to cheer him up before leaving. The Demon King of the East? Judging from how the manager grew really tense, those demons probably had a very powerful master. The question of who it could be befuddled Moodoo¡¯s mind. As she sighed, she ended up having eye contact with the smaller demon, who had been staring at her and the other Branches without saying anything. At that moment¡­ ¡ºOnce you go up to the stage, you¡¯ll receive a signal. Run to the emergency exit to your northwest with your group. Remember that the exit is to your northwest.¡» ¡®¡­!¡¯ Moodoo received a telepathic message that she couldn¡¯t disregard. Although she wanted to ask what the smaller demon meant by signal¡­ ¡°What are you still doing over there? Let¡¯s go!¡± the taller demon urged. The smaller demon walked away. Due to the smaller demon¡¯s expressionless face, Moodoo couldn¡¯t tell what was on his mind. Hence, she just repeated northwest and emergency exit in her mind instead. * * * The had so many attractions that it turned into the Celestials¡¯ vacation spot. It even had a Ferris wheel rotating nonstop in the center, a long rollercoaster, and a merry-go-round. Dolls were disyed as prizes in the shooting range in one section, and street stalls that sold cotton candies stood in the other section. The Celestials wearing masks and casual clothes walked the streets. The scenery looked freer than what Chang-Sun had seen inside the carriage. It was actually noisier too. Kyoo! Kyoo, kyoo! Cadmus seemed to be loving this ce, seeing as how its eyes were sparkling like a child who came to an amusement park for the first time. ¡¸Wh-what is that? Oh¡­ Ohhhh! I have only heard about those magic engines! Hey, Master! Can you please let me take a closer look¡­!¡¹ Simon Magus was half out of his mind because of the magic machines installed all over the vacation spot. However, something else caught Chang-Sun¡¯s attention. ¡®... There are quite a lot of angels and demons around,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. the Absolute Good faction and the Absolute Evil faction. The of angels and demons were known to be working together to keep this ce a neutral zone. Even right now, angels and demons were patrolling all over the area. Although some angels and demons with two sets of wings could asionally be seen, most of the angels and demons guarding this ce were low-rank and had only one set of wings. It was difficult toe across these kinds of beings even in the . Chang-Sun watched them with interest, seemingly having his fair share of angels and demons here all at once. ¡°Mercury was right about powerful Celestialsing to this ce for the auction.¡± Mars suddenly chuckled. Wondering why Mars was reacting like this, Chang-Sun looked at him, who was smiling menacingly under his clown mask. Mars asked, ¡°Can you see that guy all the way over there?¡± Chang-Sun turned his head toward where Mars gestured with his eyes, finding arge group of angels getting scolded by an angel with two sets of wings. ¡°That angel is Paphiel, Uriel¡¯s right-hand man. If he¡¯s here, that means Uriel is here to keep an eye on everyone and prevent possiblemotions.¡± Uriel was one of the Four Angels of the , known to hold the sword of truth in one hand and the fire that burned sinners¡¯ souls in the other. Among the angels, Uriel was the most belligerent hardliner, so anyone who had shed with him had been met with harsh fates. He rarely made public appearances because he was the gatekeeper of the Garden of Eden, the sacred ground of the , but he was on the move now. ¡°And over there,¡± Mars said. Chang-Sun turned his head in the other direction, finding demons standing with bizarre smiles and ring eyes. One of them had his chin up and his arms crossed. He looked intimidating for some reason. ¡°He¡¯s Barbason, one of Marbas¡¯manders,¡± Mars exined. Marbas was the fifth strongest devil within and was also the chairman of the general assembly within their . He was probably watching the Celestials from somewhere nearby. Uriel and Marbas¡¯ presence showed just how high-profiled the uing auction was. ¡°If I could do as I please, I would have tried fighting every single one of them.¡± Mars smacked his lips in disappointment. Minerva slightly frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t try anything stupid. I¡¯m going to ditch you the moment you catch other people¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°Hmph! You don¡¯t have to tell me what to do, so don¡¯t worry!¡± Mars snorted, but Minerva still seemed suspicious of Mars. It was only natural to act that way, though, since they wouldn¡¯t want to attract anyone¡¯s attention here. The energy of the could badly affect Chang-Sun, who still had a low ss, and too many Celestials who were interested in getting him. One wrong encounter with that kind of Celestial could result in Chang-Sun and the others getting kicked out of this ce for causing amotion, so Minerva had to do whatever it took to stop that from happening. Chang-Sun¡¯s goal was to leave as quickly as possible after buying the items he needed in this . [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ whines at her mother that she wants to go to the .] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ tells her daughter that she can go with her own money.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯es clean and says that she has used up all her allowance this month.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ starts lecturing her daughter for being too wasteful of money.] Fortunately, Chang-Sun¡¯s group managed to leave the amusement park section and enter the resort section, which where the auction house was located. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to stay close to us,¡± Mercury warned Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun nodded, understanding how dangerous this would be since more Celestials would be inside the auction house. In fact, Chang-Sun would have had trouble getting to the entrance if these three Celestials hadn¡¯t protected and led him. ¡°Tickets please.¡± Entering the auction house was very tricky. The gatekeeper verified people¡¯s tickets and locked their inventories. All kinds ofmotions were prohibited inside the auction house, and if one did create a disturbance, the hostmittee members would hold the people responsible and severely reprimand them. ¡®¡­ There are a lot of them,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. As soon as Chang-Sun stepped into the auction house, a giant hall that could hold thousands of people at once came into view. He also felt the heavy auras that the Celestials exuded due to their high divine ss, making him click his tongue. ¡¸They¡¯re all monsters.¡¹ Kyoo. Kyoo, kyoo. Cadmus nodded in agreement with Simon¡¯s remark. At least three hundred Celestials were inside the hall, but rather than majestic, the sight was rather scary. ¡°Our seat is over there.¡± Mercury led Chang-Sun and the others to the third floor, which was also the highest floor. Their seats were in one of the private rooms that the entire third floor was filled with. Although they were far away from the stage, they still had a view of the stage and all the other seats, which could only mean they had VVIP seats. ¡°¡­ These seats look expensive. How did you get these? I have a feeling that the amount of Causality I gave you was far from enough,¡± Minerva asked. ¡°I naturally pulled some strings. We don¡¯t want to attract attention, do we? It¡¯s better to watch and leave the auction quietly,¡± Mercury answered. Minerva nodded in agreement. The best part about these VVIP seats was that one could participate in the auction by pressing the button inside the room instead of raising their hand or a sign, letting the person stay perfectly anonymous. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Mercury found their room and was about to enter, but someone suddenly stopped them. ¡°Hey, hold on.¡± Chang-Sun and the others turned their heads and saw a slender person with beautiful ck hair that reached his ankles. He was so skinny that it was difficult to tell if the person was a man or woman at one nce, but his voice was sharp, powerful, and loud. His every footstep and word he used was arrogant. The man didn¡¯t even hide his divine ss, making the air around them hold quite the mixture of immense pressure and madness that usually drove people insane. Chang-Sun was certain that the man was a great demon king within or a very powerful demonic deity. However, in contrast to the man¡¯s appearance, he was wearing an adorable puppy mask, which was in harmony and discordant with the man at the same time. Minerva, Mercury, and Mars had to have noticed who the man was because Chang-Sun could notice their faces darkening behind their masks. Although Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure if the man didn¡¯t know or care about how they reacted, the man approached Chang-Sun and arrogantly asked, ¡°Where did you get your ne from?¡± The man¡¯s red eyes gleamed coldly. 1. One of the Christian archangels 2. One of the demons that appear in The Lesser Key of Solomon. Chapter 231: Star, the Star Auction (6)

Chapter 231: Star, the Star Auction (6)

¡®Who is he?¡¯?Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes. Judging from the man¡¯s divine ss that Chang-Sun sensed, he seemed to be a demon duke or a grand demon duke. However, that was all Chang-Sun could tell due to his mask. ¡¸W-wait¡­!¡¹ Chang-Sun noticed Simon Magus¡¯ voice trembling. From that alone, he sensed a variety of emotions, including confusion, shock, and¡­ ¡®Fear,¡±?Chang-Sun thought. ? Simon was the first demon king and the one who started gnosticism. Peter the Apostle, who had performed many miracles in the , was his rival. Even so, Simon still felt fear now. ¡®He recognized [Peter¡¯s Key] right away too.¡¯ Chang-Sun always had his golden key under his top just in case someone could recognize it. However, even Heoju and the other Celestials couldn¡¯t immediately identify it since it looked like a useless Rank C item. Unlike them, the man in front of Chang-Sun noticed the golden key right away. ¡¸He-he¡¯s the great¡­!¡¹Simon muttered in awe as Minerva and Mars stood between Chang-Sun and the man with ck hair, hiding Chang-Sun. ¡°Just walk away,¡± Minerva said, acting especially belligerent. Her eyes emitted golden light that the shy mask couldn¡¯t hide. Recognizing Minerva, the puppy-masked man with ck hair smirked. ¡°Hahaha, I was wondering who you all were¡­ but it was you?¡± Although he sounded friendly, his voice faintly held madness. ¡°And the war maniac is here too? This is a funnybination. Have you gotten closer now?¡± The man chuckled. Mars snorted. ¡°Why would I try to get close with this woman? I¡¯m here for my apostle.¡± ¡°Apostle? You?¡± The ck-haired man tilted his head and then turned to look at Chang-Sun with interest. ¡°The famous mad dog has an apostle¡­ This is interesting! He even has Peter¡¯s keepsake.¡± The ck-haired man¡¯s red eyes gleamed wickedly again as he asked, ¡°Who in the world are you?¡± The ck-haired man seemed about to do something to Chang-Sun any minute now, so Minerva and Mars stayed on alert, grabbing their weapon handles. Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t sit still either, so he started circting his energy inside him. As tension slowly filled the hallway, Mercury mmed the end of his staff on the floor. Thud! A shockwave spread, disrupting the subtle tension. The ck-haired man red at Mercury, who nonchntly pointed upward with his chin as he asked, ¡°Uriel has been scowling at us for quite some time now. Are you sure you¡¯re okay with that?¡± The ck-haired man, Minerva, and Mars also looked up, finding a seraph with three sets of splendid wings scowling at them from the balustrade on the fourth floor. [The Celestial ¡®Garden Gatekeeper¡¯ is keeping an eye on the people who are causing a disturbance!] The seraph was Uriel, known to be a irvoyant. He could see everything that was going happening on the ground and was even ready to fly down to the floor if anything happened. The auction house was the most important building of the , so causing amotion inside it was strictly prohibited. Not even the powerful demon was an exception to that rule. Discontented, the ck-haired man crossed his arms and quietly snorted. The belligerent air around him was dissipating. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you againter, human,¡± the ck-haired man said as he headed to the other room. Chang-Sun quietly watched the man¡¯s back, for some reason having a strong feeling that this confrontation wouldn¡¯t be thest of it. * * * The ck-haired man entered the room, finding another man already on the sofa. While the ck-haired man was in formal clothes, the other person was wearing a Hawaiian shirt with watermelon and mango patterns, shorts, and slippers. ¡°What took you so long?¡± the man with a Hawaiian shirt asked. He was drinking a cup of lemonade with a straw and a lemon slice on top. Unlike the ck-haired man, who looked wicked and decadent, he looked very carefree. The ck-haired man looked at him and frowned in discontentment. A ruler of the should have dignity, but Satan, the carefree man, had none of it. After Baal¡¯s death, Satan had be one of the Seven Deadly Sin Monarchs¡ªthe rulers of ¡ªand the holder of the divine rank of Ira. ¡°You knew, didn¡¯t you?¡± The ck-haired man asked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Satan said. ¡°Peter.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m still not sure what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Satan answered dramatically. The ck-haired man was certain that Satan held the divine rank of Ira because he had an exceptional talent for making people furious as hell. ¡°I met the person who seems to possess [Peter¡¯s Key] on my way over here.¡± ¡°Wow! Is that so? That¡¯s really good for you, man. You¡¯ve been looking for it for a really long time, haven¡¯t you?¡± Satan pped and acted so dramatically that anyone could have seen he was lying. ¡°You were the one who suggested that Ie here.¡± ¡°Come on, that¡¯s not true. I rmended this ce because you grumbled about needing soldiers for your army. Am I wrong? I didn¡¯t lie, you kno!¡± Satan smirked. The ck-haired man just narrowed his eyes in response. Although the people who knew him would have be scared if they saw him, Satan wasn¡¯t fazed at all. Annoyed, the ck-haired man eventually sat down next to Satan, who smiled enigmatically as he looked at the man. * * * ¡°Gosh, we couldn¡¯t have run into a worse person.¡± Mercury shook his head. ¡°Hmph! He can¡¯t mess with my apostle anyway.¡± ¡°Are you going to fight him?¡± ¡°If needed!¡± Mars shouted like a general. ¡°I don¡¯t mind fighting, but don¡¯t do it here if possible.¡± While Mercury and Mars were busy talking among themselves¡­ ¡°That man earlier is Agares, so be careful.¡± Minerva warned Chang-Sun as soon as they entered the room. Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes narrowed. He was familiar with the name. Agares was the grand demon duke and the second-strongest demon in the . This great demon king was in charge of ruling the vast eastern region of and led thirty-one legions and hundreds of subordinates. His divine ranks were destruction and madness. His madness was so strong hearing his voice was enough to corrupt a person¡¯s soul. Fortunately, he always stayed in his territory and rarely made an appearance in public. That was why Chang-Sun didn¡¯t expect to run into him here. ¡°Agares tends to obsess over things, but no one can predict what makes him obsessed. He would even wage war for it if he has to, so you have to act as carefully as possible. I don¡¯t know why, but you¡¯ve caught his eye,¡± Minerva exined, seemingly very worried. Chang-Sun nodded. At the same time, Mercury quickly devised a n as he mumbled, ¡°For now, our only option is to quickly win the bid for the items we need and get out of here in secret. I might have to call Mister Sol and borrow his sun carriage¡­ ¡± ¡°Hmph! You think about running away like a coward first before youe up with a n of attack?¡± Mars grumbled. ¡°You¡¯re wee to stay here alone and fight him off on your own. Considering Agares¡¯ personality, he wouldn¡¯t havee here alone, so it¡¯s going to be one fighting deity battling two or more great demon kings. Haha! You¡¯re going to look really cool. If you die, I¡¯ll put up a cool statue of you at the center of the yard.¡± Mercury put a stop to Mars¡¯ reckless bravado with ease, then thought up a countermeasure. Rendered speechless, Mars also started to think, crossing his arms. Minerva and Chang-Sun focused on the auction. An angel with two sets of wings, the host of the auction, wasing up the stage. ¡ºHello, everyone. We, the auctionmittee, would like to express our gratitude to our esteemed guest for sparing the moment¡­¡» The host eloquently announced the start of the auction, catching everyone¡¯s attention. The items for this auction appeared one by one. ¡ºThis item before you was tragically left by the Celestial who oversaw healing before they were annihted in thest ¡­¡» Living up to the reputation of the , the host showed the people nothing but exceptional items. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ gasps upon seeing such a splendid weapon!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ yells that she found something more splendid, so she shouldn¡¯t lose this!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ pulls out her hair because the host has started to count down!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ wakes her mother up, saying that they should get the item no matter what!] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ subdues her daughter with ease, telling her daughter that she is too noisy.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ shakes his head and says that anyone will go bankrupt in no time if they¡¯re as easily tempted as a certain Celestial.] The Celestials in Chang-Sun¡¯s channel watched the auction with him. [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ wonders whether or not he will be able to meet you if he visits the right now.] [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ is thinking about going on a vacation for the first time in so long.] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ prepares to stand up.] [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ says that she has an item that is really good for men. She asks if it is okay for her to meet and sell it to you.] ¡­ Those watching Chang-Sun seemed eager to visit the , wondering if they would be able to meet him. ¡®It¡¯ll be really chaotic if they alle running to the ,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He didn¡¯t really want any interference with his work, and some of these Celestials were in , making Chang-Sun frown slightly. Although he wasn¡¯t sure why, Agares, who obsessed over [Peter¡¯s Key], was here too, so Chang-Sun likely had to get out of here as soon as possible. ¡®Where is Heoju?¡¯ Heoju would have already made a fuss by now, but even after Chang-Sun¡¯s channel had gone online, he was still missing. ¡ºEveryone must have been waiting for this item. It¡¯s Ou Yezi¡¯s divine sword!¡» The host¡¯s remark caught Chang-Sun¡¯s attention. Meanwhile, Minerva and Mars¡¯ eyes widened, and Mercury stopped pondering and watched the auction with interest. Chang-Sun noticed the spectators, who hadn¡¯t been showing much interest in the auction until now, sitting up straight. Many people looked in the stage¡¯s direction. When a dashing sword was presented on the stage, the spectators that had filled up the building eximed. Ooong, oong, oooong! Ziiiing¨D! The crests of the [Yuchang Sword] and the [Zhan Lu Sword] on Chang-Sun shook so hard they seemed like they were about to jump out at any moment. ¡ºJudging from how fervently you¡¯re all paying attention, it seems everyone here has keen eyes. Yes, that¡¯s right. Ou Yezi the Divine cksmith found a copper lump after ¡®Mount Cheonnyeon¡¯ crumbled down and the ¡®Yakah River¡¯ dried up. Having pounded that copper lump for over ten years, he was finally able to forge this¡ªthe [Chunjun Sword]!¡» The [Chunjun Sword] was created by absorbing the vital force of mountains and rivers. Hence, rather than smelling of iron or blood like other weapons, it had a refreshing scent that made people feel as if they were in a forest. ¡®It seems like a great match for Celestials who get their powers from forests,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ howls that she should definitely have the sword.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ admits that it certainly is a tempting sword.] The auction was hitting up. ¡ºThree billion. We have three billion Karmas. Is there anyone else? What about four and a half billion? We have four and a half billion Karmas. Five billion? We have five billion! Wait, we now have seven billion¡­!¡» The audience repeatedly raised their signs. ¡ºThepetition is fiercer than I expected. Yes, we¡¯ll continue with the price of ten billion Karmas, and the price will increase by a billion. Eleven billion. Twelve billion. Can we get fifteen billion?¡» As the price soared, the spectators who participated without giving much thought to it soon gave up. Thepetition now only revolved around the VVIPs on the second and third floors. The man wearing red clothes and the woman with a blue hat raised their signs most eagerly. ¡®Are they Imhotep and Mayahuel?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Imhotep was a Celestial of agriculture who oversaw the concept of good harvests, while Mayahuel symbolized fertility. Few Celestials were richer than them. Although the host was quickly increasing the price, Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t fazed. In fact, he was smiling. ¡®I want it.¡¯?Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes turned sharp. Just like he did with [Balmung], he strongly desired to get his hands on the [Chunjun Sword], but he had to control himself since Kali¡¯s priests would show up soon. ¡ºThe auction is heating up! We have thirty billion! Thirty-one billion? Do we have thirty-one billion¡­?!¡» ¡ºOne hundred billion.¡» The host stopped when he heard someone speak from the third floor. Imhotep and Mayahuel, who had been trying to obtain the [Chunjun Sword] using any means, turned their heads toward the source, and their eyes widened. At the same time, the uproarious hall quieted down, almost as if someone had thrown a wet nket. Even the Ruling Celestial of a would be shocked if they heard that bid. Agares, who was wearing a puppy mask in VVIP Room 1, looked down upon the people outside the window. He was now speaking through the loudspeaker inside his room. ¡ºD-did you say¡­ one hundred billion Karma?¡»the host asked. Agares replied,¡ºWhy? Is there a problem?¡» ¡ºN-no, not at all. Then¡­ is there¡­ anyone else?¡» The eloquent host creaked like a malfunctioning robot, and Imhotep and Mayahuel quickly exchanged nces. Although it was difficult to read each other¡¯s faces due to their masks, it seemed they had sessfully agreed to work together and defeat Agares first. ¡ºWe now have one hundred and ten billion from the lower floor. Is there anyone¡ª!¡» When the host continued the auction, Agares quickly said, ¡ºTwo hundred billion.¡» ¡ºTwo hundred and ten billion¡­!¡» Imhotep and Mayahuel tried again, but Agares simply raised the price once more. ¡ºFour hundred billion.¡» With how things were turning out, Imhotep and Mayahuel couldn¡¯t fight back anymore. Every time they raised their signs, Agares multiplied the price, silencing them. ¡ºIs there¡­ anyone else? 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. 0. The [Chunjun Sword] has been sold at the price of four hundred billion Karmas!¡» Thud, thud, thud! The hall remained quiet even after the host swung the gavel three times with his shaky hand. However, Agares just lightly snorted and turned away as if his victory was guaranteed from the start. ¡®He¡¯s really throwing money in the air,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, wondering if this was how Choi Bu-Yong used to feel before. ¡°Ha¡­!¡± ¡°I heard about him being crazy. It seems the rumors are true.¡± ¡°I actually envy him for being able to spend that much money at once.¡± Minerva and the other two Celestials chuckled dryly and bitterly, but Chang-Sun didn¡¯t get carried along and just focused on the stage because he had a feeling that the very reason why he was here would show up soon. ¡ºMaster,¡»the Elfin Root said, its voice shaking. ¡®Hold on, Elfin. I¡¯ll bring your friends soon.¡¯ ¡ºYes, sir. Thank you,¡»the Elfin answered. Meanwhile, the host wrapped up the auction of [Chunjun Sword]. introduce the next item. ¡ºThat bidding war was really intense and fist-clenching, wasn¡¯t it? It was sold at the highest price in the entire history of the . I¡¯m sure that the current item will also live up to your expectations. I present to you, the priests of the ¡®Goddess of Massacre and Destruction¡¯!¡» Tap, tap¡­ As the host presented the next item, about twenty tied-up Gray Elves came up the stage, each of them sharing simr looks to the Elfin. They seemed devoid of emotions apart from their silent rage. ¡ºWe normally would have auctioned off the current item one by one, but the seller of the current item was very adamant about selling them in a set. Hence, I beg everyone¡¯s understanding regarding this matter. Now then, let the auction be¡ª!¡» The moment the host tried to announce the start of the auction, Chang-Sun pressed the button for the loudspeaker and said,¡ºFive hundred billion.¡» . ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Every spectator turned their head. 1. A rank of an angel. 2. A demon that appears in several grimoires. 3. He is actually an Egyptian god of architecture and engineering. He became deified after his death, but he also made many contributions to Egyptian agriculture. Chapter 232: Star, the Star Auction (7)

Chapter 232: Star, the Star Auction (7)

Even the Celestials in the VVIP Room 3 were shocked. With his jaw dropped to the ground, Mars asked, ¡°Hey! Wh-wh-where are you going to get that amount of money¡­?¡± Chang-Sun nonchntly answered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to lend it to me?¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t? Mmm¡­ I thought you would sponsor me because you said that you wanted to make me your apostle¡­ Never mind, it seems I was too naive. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Ha, hahaha! No, no! My apostle asked for my help, so who else than I, Mars, would help you?! Leave it to this great fighting deity!¡± Mars sprang up from his seat and pounded his chest hard several times, pompously telling Chang-Sun to trust him. Minerva and Mercury quickly exchanged nces. ¡®He seems¡­¡¯ ¡®... bamboozled.¡¯ Since the two Celestials knew Mars very well, they didn¡¯t miss how his hands were faintly trembling. They also assumed that his back was soaked in sweat. Although they had thought that Chang-Sun would rob Mars, they didn¡¯t expect the robbery to be thisrge-scale. Considering how prideful Mars was, there was no way that he would back out and say that he couldn¡¯t give the money. Five hundred billion Karmas? Jupiter and Juno had bequeathed a significant amount of assets to him, but Mars would have to scrap everyst one of his Karmas to give Chang-Sun that much. If so, , meaning he could go bankrupt. On the other hand, Minerva and Mercury couldn¡¯t help staring at Chang-Sun, not understanding why Chang-Sun raised the price to a ridiculous level. ¡ºW-we have¡­ f-five hundred billion Karmas! The record that was broken just a moment ago has been broken yet again! These auctions are certainly nail-biting,¡»the host slowly said, his voice still faintly trembling due to the shock. ¡ºYou¡¯ll have to go through the verification process to determine if you have enough assets to pay that bid, however. Are you okay with that?¡»the host calmly continued, silently asking if Chang-Sun, an unidentified participant who wasn¡¯t even a great Celestial, could actually pay that price. When Chang-Sun nodded, a message window popped up before him. [Do you agree to disclose the status of your assets? The disclosed information will not be revealed to the public.] Chang-Sun pressed ¡®Y¡¯ without hesitation. [Your ¡®King¡¯s Treasury¡¯ has been checked.] [The verification process has beenpleted.] ¡ºHaha! It has been confirmed that you have enough assets. I apologize for putting you through the trouble.¡»The host bowed. The participants murmured among themselves, busy guessing Chang-Sun¡¯s identity. Minerva and the other two Celestials were no different. ¡®Good thing I have the fortune that the Winter King gave me and the inheritance from ,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Surtr had left an extremely huge fortune in the ¡®Rhaegaren.¡¯ Moreover, after absorbing the citizens, Chang-Sun had even unlocked the store window, increasing his wealth even more. ¡®Besides, I have umted a lot of Karma with the achievements I¡¯ve made.¡¯ Hence, it wasn¡¯t really difficult for Chang-Sun to keep bidding. Five hundred billion Karmas was certainly enough to empty his [King¡¯s Treasury], but it didn¡¯t really matter. After all, he had found Kali¡¯s priests. He could just earn more and fill up the treasuryter. ¡ºFive hundred billion. We have five hundred billion. Is there anyone else? In that case, I¡¯ll start my countdown. 5, 4¡­!¡» ¡ºSix hundred billion.¡» Staring at Chang-Sun from VVIP Room 1, Agares interrupted the host again and crossed his arms. Chang-Sun dumbfoundedly chuckled. He had thought that five hundred billion Karmas would be able to stop anyone from challenging him and that he would be able to leave the auction house with ease. However, despite having already spent five hundred billion Karmas to buy the [Chunjun Sword], Agares was throwing his money in the air again, baffling Chang-Sun. ¡®The second strongest demon in the won¡¯t really need Gray Elves.¡¯?Chang-Sun frowned slightly. Agares would surely have many talented subordinates, so Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure why he was acting this way right now. Considering Agares was ring at him, it seemed Agares was intentionally interfering with his n, leaving Chang-Sun a little dumbstruck. However, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t give up now. He scowled back at Agares, making him frown under his puppy mask. ¡ºWe¡­ have six hundred billion. Do we have six hundred and ten billion¡ª!¡» ¡ºSeven hundred billion.¡» ¡º¡­ Seven hundred billion. We have seven hundred billion. Does anyone¡­¡» ¡ºEight hundred billion.¡» ¡º¡­!¡» Hearing the price exponentially increase, the host held his breath. * * * ¡®Wh-what is going on?¡¯?Moodoo thought, bewildered. The intensepetition between Chang-Sun and Agares shocked her the most. Although there were thousands of Branches, Moodoo was one of the top ninty nine priests. She had already gotten a chance to visit the while assisting Kali a long time ago. That was how she found out that Karma wasn''t just an ordinary currency that Celestials used. Karma was literally karma, which was every living being¡¯s record of life in the world. For those records to be useful, they had to be valuable, which was why Celestials had been using Karma as their currency. Nothing was more valuable than Karma to Celestials, who had to make . The more Karmas they had, the easier it was for them to increase their divine ss. However, those valuable Karmas were currently being thrown in the air. They were bidding enough amount to make one a Celestial. To top it all off, the whole reason behind theirpetition was to buy all the Branches. ¡®Am I that valuable?¡¯ Moodoo couldn¡¯t help asking herself, but she couldn¡¯t answer it. If she were in their position, she would have invested the Karmas to arm her subordinates. The thought only made Moodoo even sadder. With that amount of money, Kali wouldn¡¯t have had to die in vain. Kali had been famous as an ascetic, however, she had always been so poor that she couldn¡¯t get proper defense facilities in her divine ground. If only Moodoo had money, she thought she could have saved more of her siblings that had been snapped or burned away. Moodoo grew angrier. She was angry at the two people who were treating her and the other Branches like objects, and she was also furious with herself, who could only stand and re at VVIP Room 1. Just then¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± Moodoo flinched when she met someone¡¯s eyes. On each side of Agares, who was wearing a puppy mask, the two demons who had gone to the back of the stage earlier and checked on the Branches were standing like his servants. The taller demon seemed uninterested in the auction, but the shorter demon was looking directly at Moodoo. When their eyes met, Moodoo noticed the shorter demon nodding very slightly. ¡°Once you go up to the stage, you¡¯ll receive a signal,¡± the shorter demon said.? Why was Moodoo remembering his remark now? ¡°Run to the emergency exit to your northwest with your group. Remember that the exit is to your northwest.¡± At that moment, an earthquake shook the entire auction house. Boom! Boom Booooom! Rumble¨D! A series of explosions urred from everywhere in the hall. Clouds of dust and pebbles fell from the ceiling, and fires rose from the floor. ¡°Ahhhh!!¡± ¡°Wh-what is happening?¡± ¡°Is it a terror attack? Who would dare do this?!¡± The audience fell into chaos in seconds, and most spectators became furious. The was a neutral zone, so it was unforgivably rude tomit a terror attack here. To make things worse, theymitted such an atrocity against Celestials who were quite influential in their . ¡ºEveryone, stay calm! I know it¡¯s sudden, but we¡¯ll be able to arrest the culprits soon. Please stay calm!¡» The host tried hard to calm down the audience. Meanwhile, Uriel and his angels had jumped down from the fourth-floor balustrade. ¡ºWho dares do this in my presence?!¡» [The Celestial ¡®Garden Gatekeeper¡¯ roars in anger because of the invaders!] At that moment, all the lights in the hall went out, blocking everyone¡¯s view. ¡°M-Moodoo!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Supada. I¡¯m here. Branches, stay calm!¡± Moodoo muttered under her breath. She could tell what she should do during this chaos. She didn¡¯t know what happened, and maybe another trap was waiting for the Branches. The terrorists could be using the Branches to maximize the confusion. Nevertheless, the Branches couldn¡¯t just stand here and blink. Even if their attempt might not end well, shouldn¡¯t they at least try resisting? Solidifying her resolve, Moodoo pulled out the little branch that she had hidden in her sleeve before she had gotten tied up with a mana restraining device. Clunk, clunk! The restraining device that had been keeping her hands bound for some time now disengaged and dropped on the floor. ¡°Moodoo¡­!¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Everyone, take it!¡± Moodoo threw the branch to her colleagues, feeling her mana gradually circting inside it once again. The branch transformed into vines and wrapped themselves around the other Branches¡¯ restraining devices. Clunk, nk,! ng, ng, ng¨D! The restraining devices disengaged one after another, and the sound of them dropping on the floor echoed. Woosh¡­! An enormous storm of mana rose up on the stage. [The Gray Elves¡¯ fighting spirits are raging on the stage!] Kali¡¯s divine ranks were massacre and destruction, which meant those were the absolute truth that her priests should follow. Their main doctrine was that new lives were born only after everything had disappeared, much like how spring woulde after winter. Kali¡¯s priests had always cultivated themselves in Himavat, a mountain perpetually covered in snow, because they believed that they would get rid of the mountain¡¯s coldness and make a giant tree sprout on it someday. . The time hade for them tomit massacres and destruction to be reborn. ¡ºN-no¡ª!¡» The host, who was with the Branches on the stage, tried to scream after btedly realizing what the Branches had done. However, Moodoo was faster. sh¨D! Ssh! Even though the darkness prevented people from seeing anything, Moodoo easily and swiftly cut off the host¡¯s head with a knife-hand strike, causing its head to fly in the air. Just like Moodoo, Kali¡¯s priests were used to using their bodies like weapons. On top of that, Moodoo was a high-ranking priest, so she could also move freely in the darkness. ¡ºFollow me!¡»Moodoo telepathically told her colleagues and led the way. ¡°Remember that the exit is on your northwest.¡±? The smaller demon that had told Moodoo about the signal had also mentioned an emergency exit. Not long after, they came across the exit in question. Paah Paaah, paah¨D! [The Gray Elves are fleeing!] Just like when they had been working as resistance army soldiers, Moodoo ran in the very front of the group, remembering what the Emperor¡¯s Seat had told her. ¡°You better stay quiet in the auction house if you want to get what you want.¡± ¡®The ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ was speaking the truth,¡¯?Moodoo thought. Moodoo didn¡¯t know why the Emperor¡¯s Seat was trying to help the Branches¡ªno, she wasn¡¯t even sure if this demon who was trying to help them was connected to the Emperor¡¯s Seat. Nevertheless, Moodoo didn¡¯t care. All that mattered was that she could escape this dreadful ce with the other Branches. * * * More explosions erupted. Rumble¡­! ¡°What is happening?¡± Minerva frowned, looking at the shaking building. The angels and demons were watching the ce like hawks, but terrorists still daredunch an attack here. No matter how much the two had weakenedpared to their primes, they were still iparably more powerful than normal . The innocent sightseeing Celestials were also attacked out of the blue, so they were bound to be furious in no time as well. It didn¡¯t matter who the terrorists were. They would all be the public enemy of and would soon get arrested. The problem was these terrorists¡¯ motives. Was it because they felt as if they wouldn¡¯t be able to get their hands on the [Chunjun Sword] and Kali¡¯s priests? Or did they have other reasons¡­? After considering a variety of possibilities, Minerva decided that she should get out of the ce first. ¡®I¡¯ll still have time to find out what exactly happened after I get out¡­!¡¯?Minerva thought. Suddenly having a bad feeling, she stopped thinking and looked around the room, which she had lit up with her sacred light. As soon as she did, she realized someone was missing. ¡°Wait¡­?¡± Minerva murmured. Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t in the room. Chapter 233: Star, the Star Auction (8)

Chapter 233: Star, the Star Auction (8)

¡°Call Marbas now!¡± Uriel ordered his subordinate angel as he darted forward. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Paah¨D! Although the angels and demons were working together in the , Uriel really didn¡¯t like asking for a demon¡¯s help. Regardless, he required every help he could get right now. [The Celestial ¡®Garden Gatekeeper¡¯ is brightening up the hall!] The series of explosions wasn¡¯t the end of the terror attack. Many spectators also participated in aggravating the chaos, which meant these terrorists already had everything nned before they entered the auction house. ¡®When did they n this? I didn¡¯t notice anything suspicious,¡¯?Uriel thought in frustration. The job of the ¡®Garden Gatekeeper¡¯ wasn¡¯t just about protecting the gate. It was about protecting the entire , which meant Uriel had to monitor everything within the in detail. Fortunately, Uriel had the ¡®eye¡¯ to do the job. Nevertheless, despite using his [irvoyant] Authority, he didn¡¯t detect any movements that could have possibly caused this kind of terrorism. Many groups had tried to ambush the house to get their hands on the treasures, but Uriel had always prevented them from happening in advance. Unlike those instances, Uriel currently had no idea how the terrorists nned and carried out this attack. [Attempting to find out which the terrorists are in!] [The attempt has failed.] [Attempting again.] [The attempt has failed.] The bigger problem was that the terrorists were wearing masks that hid their divine ss and aura, just like the other ordinary spectators. That made it harder to identify them. ¡®I¡¯ll just arrest everyone first!¡¯? Woosh! A heated gust of wind circled around Uriel, and a fire formed up above his right hand, transforming into a sword. Condensing his Evesting Retribution Fire, which he used to burn souls, [Truth Sword], Uriel conjured his relic, the [Truth Sword]. One of the terrorists wasing at Uriel. The seemingly formidable terrorist was wearing a very ominous-looking Jiaolong mask and had collected the [Chunjun Sword] in the midst of confusion. nng! Booom¨D! The [Truth Sword] and the [Chunjun Sword] shed, unleashing a shockwave around them powerful enough to cause the floor to sink and spread cracks all the way to the ceiling. It was their first time exchanging blows, but¡­ ¡®... He¡¯s not inferior to me!¡¯?Uriel realized. Uriel wasn¡¯t sure if the man had always been this powerful or if he just became stronger by unsealing the [Chunjun Sword], but Uriel was certain that subduing him wouldn¡¯t be easy. ¡®I have to buy time until Marbas gets here.¡¯?Uriel gritted his teeth. Booom! * * * Meanwhile, Chang-Sun was quickly passing through the confused crowd. Swoosh¨D! [The Skill ¡®Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been activated, simultaneously manifesting the Skills ¡®Concealment¡¯ and ¡®Lightness¡¯!] [The State ¡®Jackal Tiger¡¯ has been applied, sharpening your senses!] Fortunately, no one seemed to have noticed Chang-Sun in this chaos. Still, he concealed himself as much as he could to avoid anyone detecting him. Right now, Chang-Sun was going after the Gray Elves. ¡®They calmly started moving in a certain direction as soon as explosions erupted, which means all this has been nned.¡¯ Chang-Sun thought that the children of the Emperor¡¯s Seat were behind this terror attack. ¡®If things had gone ording to their n, they would have been the ones winning the bid for the Gray Elves. However, the chance of that happening dwindled, likely because they couldn¡¯t afford to spend that much money.¡¯ A variety of reasons seemed to be behind this terror attack. ¡®I¡¯ll track them down first.¡¯?Chang-Sun decided. The children of the Emperor¡¯s Seat? Although Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure which children were here today, he had no intention of handing over Kali¡¯s children. * * * Moodoo and the Gray Elves escaped from the stage and passed by the seats without difficulty. The lights suddenly went out and the other terrorists drew the people¡¯s attention away from them, making it easier for them to move. Currently, no one paid attention to the Branches. ¡°Are you Kali¡¯s children?¡± Upon reaching the end of the hallway that led to an emergency exit, a man wearing a long gray robe greeted them. Getting a glimpse under his hood, she saw a white mask that had no decorations. The Gray Elves froze up in tension. On everyone¡¯s behalf, Moodoo nodded as she answered, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s us. Who in the world are you?¡± ¡°Part of a resistance army.¡± ¡°Resistance army?¡± ¡°Yes, we share the same goals.¡± The eyes of the white-masked man shone brightly. ¡°I received instructions to bring you all out of the auction house and help you meet your other siblings.¡± ¡°Other siblings¡­?¡± Moodoo¡¯s sharp eyes lost focus for the first time. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re waiting for you. Follow me.¡± The white-masked man turned back and led them away. However, the Gray Elves didn¡¯t budge. Wondering what was wrong, the white-masked man turned back. Moodoo frowned and said, ¡°You¡¯re the minion of the ¡®TIan Shi Yuan,¡¯ aren¡¯t you?¡± At that moment, Supada and the other Gray Elves all turned their heads toward Moodoo, appearing both belligerent and wondering what she meant. ¡°If so?¡± ¡°Am I supposed to trust a minion of the very person who put us in this position? Who knows what could happen this time?¡± Moodoo growled. ¡°Would you prefer to stay here and get sold off as ves to someone you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Are you saying that you and your people are different? How can I trust you?¡± Moodoo frowned. ¡°We don¡¯t really have much time¡­ Hmm!¡± The white-masked man stroked his chin, unsure of what to do. After a moment, the white-masked man came to a decision. ¡°You say you can¡¯t trust me and my people, but can¡¯t you see that we¡¯re taking risks and damages out there? If we were scheming, we wouldn¡¯t have had to go through all this trouble. If you still can¡¯t trust us, then let¡¯s just split up after getting out of here. How does that sound?¡± Moodoo shut her mouth, and Supada looked at her in sorrow. Supada knew how pressured Moodoo was by the thought of having to save Supada and their other siblings. The Gray Elves waited for Moodoo, prepared to follow whatever decision she would reach. Even if Moodoo¡¯s decision ultimately proved to be a mistake, they wouldn¡¯t regret it. They trusted and relied on Moodoo so much that they¡¯d dly die with smiles on their faces if she asked them to. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go,¡± Moodoo soon replied. The white-masked man nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve made the right decision. Follow me. Here.¡± The white-masked man walked forward a little more, feeling the hallway wall, and pressed one of the bricks. Creating clouds of dust, a part of the wall slowly rotated and revealed a spiral case that led downstairs. ¡®This ce has a hidden passage?¡¯ Moodoo instinctively felt that even the angels and demons didn¡¯t know about this passageway. Although Moodoo wasn¡¯t sure how the minions of the Emperor¡¯s Seat knew about this ce, she assumed that the passageway was the key secret to escaping the . Moodoo and the other Gray Elves headed downstairs, following the white-masked man¡¯s lead. Clunk. Once all the Gray Elves had entered, the wall closed behind them, turning their surroundings pitch-ck. Nevertheless, they had no problem moving. Rumble¡­ The ceiling asionally shook, causing dust to fall off, seemingly evidencing that things were still in chaos upstairs. Reaching the end of the staircase, they came across a seemingly endless passageway. It was winding and had many obstacles, but it probably hadn¡¯t been used in a very long time, considering how dusty it was. It was also quite narrow, forcing the white-masked man and Gray Elves to move in single file. No one said a word as they walked down the hallway out of sheer worry that the angels and demons woulde after them any minute. As a result, suffocating tension filled the air. Nearing the end of the hallway, they sensed moisture and smelled water instead of musty bricks. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± After the white-masked man, Moodoo and her siblings exited the passageway, finding and vast enough to amodate thousands of people. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°How can such a space exist here¡­?¡± ¡°W-water!¡± The Gray Elves were just as surprised, not expecting to find this kind of ce beneath the . What shocked the Gray Elves even further was therge, cidke. ¡°Have you ever wondered what ¡®star¡¯ means in the name ?¡± the white-masked man asked. Moodoo turned her head and looked at him. Looking at theke, the white-masked man kept on walking. ¡°It¡¯s from .¡± the white-masked man continued as if he wasn¡¯t asking for Moodoo¡¯s answer. ¡°After met , its leftover interster matter spread all across the universe and turned into a neb, the core of which is thatke. From thatke, rivers stretch across the , creating an energy site.¡± Moodoo looked at theke with slightly widened eyes. She already knew that the was created from the remains of the stars who died here long ago. Although many coveted this ce, the and were always on alert, prepared to protect it. However, Moodoo had no idea that the whole ce originated from . The legends about Odin and Valha were so famous that everyone knew about them. ¡°We call that ce Mimisbrunnr,¡± the white-masked man said. Mimisbrunnr was the pond that Mimir, the Giant of Wisdom, personally managed. One sip from the pond gave one the wisdom of a great sage. ording to the legend, Odin offered one of his eyes to Mimir to gain that great knowledge. After that, he became the Ruling Celestial of . The white-masked man probably meant that theke was great enough to bepared to the real Mimisbrunnr, so Moodoo couldn¡¯t help staring at theke as if it had captivated her. As the white-masked man continued, everyone headed to theke, finding a small boat waiting for them. Just like the white-masked man, the boatman was also wearing a white mask and a gray robe. The difference was that the boatman¡¯s mask had red wave patterns around the mouth. The boatman seemed to be the white-masked man¡¯s superior. After all, they reached theke, he stopped in front of the boatman and politely bowed. ¡°I¡¯ve brought Kali¡¯s priests safe and sound just like you instru¡ª!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done a good job.¡± the boatman abruptly interrupted, looking beyond the white-masked man and Gray Elves. ¡°... However, you should have lost the tail.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± the white-masked man raised his head in surprise. Paah! At the same time, the boatman disappeared, and an intense shockwave spread from the air. Booom! [You have been made.] [The Skill ¡®Concealment¡¯ has been deactivated!] The space distorted, and Chang-Sun appeared, and the boatman swung a whip at him. His bizarre-looking whip had nine metal rods forshes, each one having sharp edges that could be used to y enemies. However, Chang-Sun just blocked the boatman¡¯s attack with the Nameless Spear. ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± Chang-Sun smiled coldly as he looked at the nine-chain whip. He was surprised that the boatman saw through his Concealment skill, but he didn¡¯t show it. ¡°... Lie Si.¡± Lie Si was the ninth of the Thirteen Commanders whom the Emperor¡¯s Seat treasured. ¡°You know me?¡± The boatman¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°You definitely know who I am, yet you still say that¡­ I¡¯ll have to take off your mask,¡± Lie Si, the boatman, mumbled, believing that he could defeat Chang-Sun with ease. Chang-Sun¡¯s aura was sharp, but from Lie Si¡¯s perspective, he was a demigod at best. Of course, Chang-Sun wouldn¡¯t idiotically fight Lie Si head-on. In his current state, that would be suicide unless he activated [Execution Sword]. ¡®My goal isn¡¯t?fighting?Lie Si anyway,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. What Chang-Sun needed right now was to buy time to take away Moodoo and the other Branches. Chang-Sun soon heard pages flipping in his head. [The third chapter of ¡®Prti¡¯s Spellbook¡¯ has opened!] [Creating your Dr?c¨­n¨ªg?na Mon¨®l?num.] Pzzz, pzzzz! Rumble¨D! Purple sparks flew up Chang-Sun¡¯s skin. The sparks¡¯ power was then amplified hundreds of times, causing them to spread heat everywhere. Chang-Sun¡¯s lightning energy then circted inside him and increased the efficiency of his [Integrated Magic Circuit], sharpening his senses far more than ever. At the same time, [Ferocious Heart] began to race. Badump, badump, badump¨D! [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ nods in contentment, saying that you have gotten quite good at using the technique.] Chang-Sun¡¯s enhanced nerve cells and muscles had allowed him to surpass his physical limit. Tightening his grip on the Nameless Spear, Chang-Sun parried Lie Si¡¯s nine-chain whip upward. At the same time, spatial gaps opened on Chang-Sun¡¯s nks. Jin Prezia and Sinmara stepped out of them. ¡¸Hahaha! He looks scary.¡¹ ¡¸Well, now this is what I call a fight!¡¹ [The ¡®Changgwi Cave¡¯ has opened!] Lie Si grabbed the whip with both hands and swung it fiercely,unching gusts of wind that were as sharp as a sword. Boom, boom, boom! As the three-on-one battlemenced, they sent shockwaves all around them, causing the cidke to undte profusely. Spl¨Dash! Tap! The Elfinnded before the Gray Elves. ¡°You¡­?¡± Looking at the surprised Gray Elves, the Elfin nodded. ¡¸Long time no see, Thirty-Second Branch.¡¹ 1. Part of Tian Shi Yuan. Also known as Jewel Market in English. Chapter 234: Star, the Star Auction (9)

Chapter 234: Star, the Star Auction (9)

Kali¡¯s priests called themselves Branches. Kali was born from the World Tree, which meant she herself was a Divine Tree that could move. Hence, she was practically the root. Naturally, her apostle was the tree trunk, her priests were the branches that sprouted out from Kali the Divine Tree, and her believers were leaves. Like how leaves supplied their tree with nutrients through photosynthesis, Kali¡¯s believers provided Kali with their Faith. Kali¡¯s Branches, the priests, had to nurture these leaf-like believers so they wouldn¡¯t ¡®fall.¡¯ For that reason, the Branches¡¯ role was crucial. Instead of having distinct personalities, Kali¡¯s priests considered themselves one and the same Branch because they all sprouted from the root named Kali. She didn¡¯t mind this much, so her priests also didn¡¯t think much of it. The priests did have separate personalities, but they all shared the same principle of being one. Even though they had their own names, they called each other ¡®nth Branch¡¯ if they had to distinguish themselves from each other. Still, the Branches had a hierarchy. The lower the number of a Branch was, the older they were and the higher their rank. A Branch with a four-digit number would usually be a student priest, while those with three-digit numbers were ordinary priests. Two-digit Branches were Bishops, and one-digit Branches were considered cardinals. Although it was just an ordinary priest, the Elfin Root was the 126th Branch, making it one of the highest-ranking priests. However, Moodoo was different. She was the 32nd Branch and a bishop. She was so famous among Kali¡¯s priests and Kali adored her so much that a rumor started spreading about her bing a cardinal one day. For that reason, the Elfin thought that Moodoo wouldn¡¯t recognize it. She was just so much of a celebrity among Branches. Although it had worked with her, it happened a long time ago. That moment left a very strong impression on the Elfin, though, because Moodoo risked herself to protect her siblings. If the Elfin ever got promoted, it wanted to take after Moodoo. ¡°126th Branch¡­ Why are you here¡­?¡± Moodoo recognized the Elfin, showing just how much she treasured her siblings. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­!¡¹the Elfin tried to answer, but¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Geminus¡¯ discontentedly watches the Gray Elves¡¯ reunion!] Both Branches simultaneously looked upward, their faces darkening. The ¡®Gemini¡¯ had yed the most active role in killing Kali and causing the Branches to scatter, so the fact that they were watching this ce made all the Gray Elves present furious. ¡¸We don¡¯t have time, so please open up your consciousness.¡¹ Moodoo nodded at the Elfin¡¯s request, and an invisible link was formed between the two. Clunk! [The Gray Elves¡¯ consciousnesses have been connected, sharing information with each other!] The Branches didn¡¯t need a long conversation. Since they were born from the same root, they could quicklymunicate through an invisible link. More than two Branches could link with each other at a time and think as one. Through that link, the Elfin learned what Moodoo had been doing and Moodoo found out what the Elfin had gone through within seconds. Upon learning about everything, Moodoo clenched her fists. ¡®He¡¯s here¡­!¡¯ Kali, Moodoo¡¯s Guardian, had desperately looked for the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯, so Moodoo couldn¡¯t prevent her eyes from widening in surprise upon learning that that Celestial was here. She felt as if a ray of light had shone down on her pitch-ck future. The thought of the Branches being able to resurrect Kali shed across Moodoo¡¯s mind. The Elfin already believed in it, and Moodoo was starting to agree with the Elfin. Meanwhile, the man wearing a white mask showed up behind the Elfin like a ghost. In response, Moodoo flew at him. Paah¨D! nnng! With his sword, the man tried to cut off the Elfin¡¯s neck, but Moodoo narrowly deflected his attack with a knife-hand strike. ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°This person is my sibling, and you¡¯re not allowed to hurt my siblings without my permission,¡± Moodoo answered coldly and firmly, returning to being the bishop who led a troop of Branches. The white-masked man and Moodoo exchanged nces in the air. After chuckling for a moment, the man coldly grinned. ¡°Ha! Yeah, you were too obedient for Kali¡¯s child. You leave me no choice, then. I¡¯ll have to take you and that Gray Elf by force.¡± Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¨D! ng, ng, ng! The white-masked man quickly swung his sword against Moodoo, whose hands became busier than ever. Whenever a clear collision echoed, Moodoo sustained deep wounds on her hands, leaving them bleeding. Although she was one of Kali¡¯s high-ranking priests, she was at a disadvantage against the white-masked man since he had a divine ss. However, the tide gradually turned when the Elfin jumped into the battle. It drew its wooden spear and aimed for the back of the white-masked man¡¯s head. Swoosh! ¡°Meaningless!¡± The white-masked man quietly snorted. He leaped high in the air and somersaulted, narrowly dodging the Elfin¡¯s wooden spear. Moodoounched a knife-hand strike underneath the man¡¯s white mask. Her hand had turned ck due to [Death Frenzy], one of Kali¡¯s destruction Authorities. With it, anything Moodoo touched would corrode to death. Whirl! Before the white-masked mannded on the ground, he spun like a top in the air and fiercely deflected Moodoo¡¯s knife-hand strike. At that moment, the Elfin moved in agai. Wearing the [Wolf Demon Face], the Elfin repeatedly thrust its wooden spear, leaving numerous afterimages in the air. Not only was each of its attacks sharp and quick, but its spear was alsoced thick with poison. Tap! ng, ng, ng¨D! The moment the white-masked mannded on the ground, his sword and the Elfin¡¯s wooden spear shed countless times. Although the Elfin was weaker in strength, it was by no means inferior to the white-masked man in terms of skill. Using his sword, the man parried away the Elfin¡¯s wooden spear. Changing its course of attack, the Elfin aimed for the man¡¯s lower body part. If he ever dodged this one as well, it would swiftly aim for his torso next. The Elfin made no unnecessary movement as it attacked with its wooden spear. While fighting alongside Chang-Sun, it had watched, learned, and used his useful techniques to advance its own skills. If Moodoo was used as a standard, the Elfin¡¯s skills would still be good¡ªno, the Elfin was now better than Moodoo in actualbat. ¡®Was the 126th Branch always this good¡­?¡¯?Despite being surprised by the Elfin¡¯s skills, Moodoo calmly observed the fight and used the white-masked man¡¯s blind spots to pressure him. After a moment, the other Gray Elves joined the battle one by one until, eventually, the white-masked man had to fight against twenty-six priests at once. [Sharing your consciousness!] [A superorganism has been created.] Without hindering each other¡¯s attacks at all, the Branches moved wlessly like a single organism. ¡°Ah, fuck¡­!¡± The white-masked man gritted his teeth, feeling frustrated as hell. If he could fight at his full strength, he would have already defeated them in a matter of minutes. However, he had to hold back since he had to capture them alive and use them as soldiers for the soon-to-be-created rebellion army. The Branches weren¡¯t easy to subdue alive, though. To make things worse, the angels and demons could find this ce ande for him and the Branches if they kept wasting time here. * * * Chang-Sun and the others were also fighting an intense battle. Kiyoo! [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Blood Fog¡¯!] [Your enemies have been cursed.] [Your allies have been blessed.] ¡­ Boom, boom, booooom! Rumble¨D! [Your Subordinate ¡®Sinmara¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Giant Bombing¡¯!] Every time Sinmara mmed the ground with her cleaver, the ground sank and cracks spread all over the ce. Her attacks were so strong that they could hurt even a Celestial. ¡°¡­You¡¯re the old queen. Ha! You¡¯ve been left with only one head out of three, but you¡¯re still the strongest Giant warrior?¡± Lie Simented. ¡¸Hmph! Who are you to judge me!¡¹ Instead of shing against Sinmara head-on, Lie Si repeatedly retreated backward, but Sinmara kepting after him, giving him no time to straighten his posture. In the end, the boat that Lie Si used to get here was pulverized, its fragments flying in the air. Whirl! Lie Si leaped up high in the air and tried tond at the center of theke, thinking Sinmara couldn¡¯t approach him there. However¡­ ¡¸Jin!¡¹Sinmara shouted. ¡¸Haha, don¡¯t worry.¡¹ Jin Prezia smiled. [Your Subordinate ¡®Jin Prezia¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Frozen Realm¡¯!] Crackkk! When Jin swung the [Frost King¡¯s Greatsword], white frost set down on theke, freezing its surface. ¡°¡­!¡± Lie Si frowned slightly. The frost had caught a part of his leg, preventing him from moving. At that moment, a thick shadow was cast over Lie Si¡¯s head. The gigantic Sinmara was swinging her cleaver down at the top of Lie Si¡¯s head. ¡°You bastards¡­¡± Although Lie Si was wearing a mask, his voice made it obvious that he had be irritated. ¡°... are nuisances!¡± Before Sinmara¡¯s cleaver reached Lie Si¡¯s head, a strong wave of divine power spread out from below Lie Si¡¯s frozen feet. As the ice around his feet flew, Lie Si stomped on the ground as hard as possible. Thud! Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! Crackkk¨D! The entire frozenyer of theke shook profusely. Cracks soon spread, and the ice broke into dozens of pieces, sending sprays of water soaring up into the air. Lie Si¡¯s divine power also struck Sinmara, sending her flying before she couldnd on the ice. Booom! ¡¸Keugh!¡¹ Sinmara groaned in pain and straightened her posture in the air. Meanwhile, Jin, who was still by theke, was about to swing the [Frost King¡¯s Greatsword]. ¡°You cocky monsters! How dare you creatures mock a god when you couldn¡¯t even go to the otherworld after dying? I¡¯ll show you the difference between you and a god!¡± Lie Si yelled. Swish, swish, swish! He swung his nine-chain whip fiercely in the air. Whenever the metal rods distorted at a weird angle, Lie Si¡¯s Authority [Heated Desert Wind] activated. Sharp, crescent-shaped gusts¡ªones as hot as the wind that blew through deserts¡ªwereunched toward Sinmara and Jin. At that moment, ck clouds gathered on the ceiling. [The Skill ¡®Fiery Lightning Bolt¡® has been activated!] Rumble! A strong lightning bolt struck straight down on the shatteredyer of ice. The purple lightning energy spread everywhere and gnawed on the ice, creating opaque clouds of fog. Through the fog, the densely woven of lightning spread and shot down every gust of the [Heated Desert Wind]. Boom, boom, boom¨D! [The State ¡®Jackal Tiger¡¯ has been changed to the State ¡®Cruel Tiger,¡¯ activating the Additional Skill ¡®Cruel Tiger¡¯s Venomous Fang¡¯!] Swish! Chang-Sun leaped out of the fog, crossed the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], and used Double Sword Resonance. With the addition of the [Cruel Tiger¡¯s Venomous Fang], the damage of the [ck Mountain King¡¯s ws] was multiplied severalfold. aang! ng! aang! Kkrrrr¨D! Lie Si¡¯s nine-chain whip and Chang-Sun¡¯s two swords shed ceaselessly. [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] wed at Lie Si¡¯s whip deep, making sparks fly up in the air. ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± Lie Si mumbled, furious due to the people who showed up and disrupted his ns. He would still have enough problems even if he seeded in bringing Kali¡¯s priests out of here. Yet to make things worse, he was now stuck with these strange people, and Chang-Sun was fighting too well for a demigod. It frustrated him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you reacting to thiske?¡± Lie Si asked. It was too strange. The ¡®Mimisbrunnr¡¯ was the reason the was crowned one of the . The thick concentration of mana in the air made most Celestials feel suffocated, so they were reluctant to go here. Hence, its effects should be worse for a demigod or a mortal. They would be lucky not to lose consciousness. However, under normal circumstances, being in this ce destroyed their divine ss. Nevertheless, Chang-Sun showed no sign of any of those. At first, Lie Si had thought Chang-Sun was just resilient, but now that he had observed Chang-Sun for quite a duration already, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. In fact, he and his subordinates moved really freely. They were like fishes who had been returned to theirke. Chang-Sun naturally didn¡¯t answer. Although he was trying to confuse Lie Si, he actually didn¡¯t know why. ¡®I¡¯ve actually been feeling morefortable ever since I stepped foot into this ce,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He could breathe better than when he had been on Earth or on his own divine ground, making him feel as if he was in a better environment to operate. No, he actually was. Regardless of how much mana he used up, it replenished quickly. His stamina probably wasn¡¯t decreasing as fast either, considering he didn¡¯t feel as if he was getting tired at all. Rather, he felt full of energy right now. ¡®The problem is that I may get drunk on this if I stay here.¡¯ For some reason, if one got drunk on an energy site, their soul would be at risk of bing bewitched and getting sucked into the energy site. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t want to take the risk. ¡®I have bought enough time already.¡¯ Chang-Sun didn¡¯t forget why he was here. He nced upward, making Lie Si frown. ¡°Are you not going to answer¡ª!¡± Lie Si abruptly stopped due to the sudden movements of strong divine power up in the sky. ¡°Darn it!¡± [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ has descended!] [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ has descended!] Rumble! Minerva spread her wings, which were made up of her sacred golden light. Exuding visibly intense fighting spirit, Mars blocked Lie Si¡¯s nine-chain whip. Minerva muttered, ¡°I was wondering where in the world you were¡­!¡± ¡°Hahahaha! You really do start a battle wherever you go. I really like you a lot.¡± Mars¡¯ voice was tinged with madness as heughed. He was still wearing his clown mask, which had an especially red nose, so he looked like a clownughing bizarrely. ¡°I like it!¡± Rummbblee! A storm swirled around Mars and sent Lie Si flying. It also made long sprays of water soar up. In his right hand was the [Rhinotoros], his imprable shield, and in his left was the [Enkesphalos], his invincible spear. Holding up the two items, he flew toward Lie Si like a battering ram breaking down a castle gate. Booom! The collision between Mars and Lie Si created sshes of water high enough to reach the ceiling. [The Celestial ¡®Sky and Earth Connecting Wing¡¯ extends his hand!] ¡°You¡¯re a handful, aren¡¯t you? Come on, let¡¯s go before things be more chaotic.¡± Mercury showed up by Chang-Sun¡¯s side and reached out his hand, wanting to get out of the ce quickly. Minerva was dealing with the white-masked man and rescuing Moodoo, the Elfin, and the other Branches. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chang-Sun nodded and took Mercury¡¯s hand. At that moment, Mercury mischievously smiled. ¡°Hold on tight. I won¡¯t rescue you anymore if you fall down.¡± [The Celestial ¡®Sky and Earth Connecting Wing¡¯ has activated the Relic ¡®Talraria,¡¯ creating winds!] A set of giant wings sprouted from Mercury¡¯s shoes and mmed into the ground. Woosh! A sudden gale swallowed Mercury and Chang-Sun. The twopletely disappeared. Chapter 235: Star, the Star Auction (10)

Chapter 235: Star, the Star Auction (10)

¡°They¡¯re all inferior,¡± Agaresmented very concisely as he looked downstairs, where the terror attack was taking ce. For someone who pursued dignity, these terrorists were foul beings. However, the angels and demons were idiots for allowing them to invade the . The auction hall wasn¡¯t the only ce where hell broke loose. The entire was thrown into chaos. The Celestials on vacation were hit with bolts out of the blue, and guards ran around to calm down themotion. It was quite literally mayhem. Agares could detect everything. ¡°Hehe! Don¡¯t be too harsh. It¡¯s not like they prayed for this to happen,¡± Satan answered with a dried squid leg in his mouth, still rxing on his seat with his legs on the table. He obviously didn¡¯t care about what was happening on the first floor. ¡°That is why they¡¯re all inferior. They didn¡¯t know what was happening in their own front yard.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t really say anything if you put it that way. Haven¡¯t things been¡­ bad since Metatron and Baal disappeared?¡± Satanmented as he stood up. ¡°Well, that¡¯s why someone like me is a monarch right now.¡± Putting his hands halfway into his short pockets, Satan swaggered to the window and tapped it with one of his feet in slippers. He moved like a mischievous boy, but an actual boy would never be able to do what he was doing. Booom! Crash¨D! When Another explosion seemingly erupted, the auction house shook hard again, and all the windows shattered like fireworks. Shocked by what just happened, the spectators on the lower floor looked up and at Satan and Agares. Feeling superior, Satan leaped downstairs, keeping his eyes on the people below him. Paah! At that moment, Satan emitted red light. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ reveals his true self!] A giant Dragon dropped down to the center of the hall. Thuddd! No, could he be called a Dragon? Satan surely looked like one, but he didn¡¯t look like the ordinary kind. All kinds of unique crowns were on Satan¡¯s seven different heads, and his dim auburn scales made it seem as if someone had poured buckets of blood all over him. His dozens of sets of ragged wings sent shivers down people¡¯s spines. He was also extremely humongous. When he spread all his wings and roared, a storm struck the hall, blowing away the dome ceiling of the auction hall. Grrrr! ¡°The D-Dragon of Extinction¡­!¡± ¡°S-Satan was at the auction?!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Most of the spectators who hadn¡¯t escaped yet were noticeably baffled, which was understandable. After all, Satan was notorious for being the most wicked Seven Deadly Sin Monarch. ¡®Snake in Genesis,¡¯ ¡®Deceiver,¡¯ ¡®Antagonist,¡¯ ¡®Head of this World¡¯... Just like his numerous titles, destruction was known to apany and run rampant wherever he showed up. Both the terrorists and spectators were crushed to death when Satan descended. Not only could the great demon king speak and act carefree on usual days, but he was also cruel enough to cause all kinds of damage to achieve his goal. Satan had decided to tone down this chaos even if it meant sacrificing innocent victims. ¡°He has to be out of his mind¡­!¡± Uriel tried to stop Satan, realizing what he was trying to do. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ is about to release the fire of extinction to wipe out his enemies!] Satan opened all his seven mouths and breathed out Eon Fire of . Rumblleee¨D! In a sh, half of the auction hall, the terrorists, and the unlucky spectators who happened to be within the fire¡¯s range were reduced to ashes. They didn¡¯t even get to scream. Rather than getting extinguishes, the fire advanced further. It stopped only after it struck the center of the universe, which was quite a distance from the , melting all the buildings and Celestials in its way. The fire was truly fearsome. To make things worse, Satan seemingly wasn¡¯t done yet. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ wishes to continue his attacks until he wipes out all that remain!] Woosh! Just as Satan was about tounch another attack with all his seven mouths, the masked terrorist holding the [Chunjun Sword] frowned deeply. ¡°Why the hell isn¡¯t Lie Si showing up?! What is he doing?!¡± If things had gone ording to the n, he and the other terrorists would have already left this ce with the [Chunjun Sword] and Kali¡¯s priests amid all the confusion. However, the man hadn¡¯t received any news from them yet, so not even he was sure what in the world was going on. Uriel and Satan alone were already huge problems. If the other seraphim or demon kings appeared now¡­! Meanwhile, Satan¡¯s Eon Fire of struck the ground once again. Rumble! [The Societies and have issued an emergency order due to the chaos in the !] ¡­ [Other Societies are thinking about joining in and helping suppress the sudden chaos to protect their members who are currently in .] [The Societies that made their decisions dere to join the suppression.] [Many Celestials are trying to descend.] ¡­ That wasn¡¯t the end of the messages. [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ has descended!] [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ is about to descend, saying that he cannot miss this kind of chaotic event!] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ has descended, saying that he is going to check on his apostle candidate!] [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ scrapes up her pill bottles and prepares to descend!] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ pesters her mother, saying that she wants to descend too!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ observes the situation, clicking her tongue.] The Celestials who had been waiting for an opportunity to meet Chang-Sun in person began to descend. ¡°Some small fries saw this as their chance, huh?¡± Agares coldlymented, looking at the sky of the universe, finding stars twinkling beautifully. He spread his ck wings, which he had been hiding, as his grew stronger. * * * [The Skill ¡®Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been activated, manifesting the Skill ¡®Lightness¡¯!] Paah¨D! Chang-Sun and Mercury were fleeing out of this ce. ¡°Is there another way out of here?¡± Chang-Sun asked Mercury, ncing backward. Moodoo and the Gray Elves were currently behind them. Thanks to the wind of [Tria], they were moving quite fast, but there were too many people. Although they had sessfully escaped from Lie Si and the other children of the Emperor¡¯s Seat, they couldn¡¯t get out using the same path they took to get here. After all, their pursuers would start searching from there. Even without the pursuers, heading back to the auction hall didn¡¯t really make sense either. Rumble¡­. Things still seemed to be in chaos upstairs, considering the ceiling was still shaking profusely. Was there another exit? ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Mercury shook his head, looking as if, for the first time, he couldn¡¯t think of a solution. ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a regr here, but I have never even heard about the having an undergroundke. Considering Uriel and Marbas still aren¡¯t here, they clearly don¡¯t know about this ce either,¡± Mercury said. ¡°Then¡­?¡± Chang-Sun trailed off. ¡°We¡¯re just heading to where the wind is leading us.¡± ¡°The wind¡­¡± ¡°[Tria] has the ability to ride the wind, so we¡¯re going upstream. It would most likely lead us out of this ce,¡± Mercury exined. ording to him, the wind was blowing from three directions right now. The first wasing from a dark tunnel, the second from the opposite side of theke, and the third was where they were heading right now. An idea shed across Chang-Sun¡¯s mind. ¡®Armand.¡¯ Woosh! Summoned by Chang-Sun, a gust of wind blew toward Chang-Sun and took the form of a human. ¡ºWhat?¡» Chang-Sun still hadn''t gotten used to seeing Armand, who looked so much like Ithaca. However, he didn¡¯t let it show. ¡®Can you scout ahead?¡¯ ¡ºHmph, that¡¯s easy.¡» Armand turned into a gust of wind again and dissipated. ¡°Is she¡­ a wind elemental spirit?¡± Mercury¡¯s eyes slightly widened upon detecting Armand. ¡°No, her Divinity is too strong to consider her a mere ordinary elemental spirit. Is she a Celestial¡¯s subordinate or apostle? No, she was too weak to be one¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s something like that,¡± Chang-Sun replied briefly, seemingly telling Mercury that he couldn¡¯t tell him the whole story. Mercury dryly chuckled. ¡°I get now why Minerva shows a lot of interest in you.¡± Chang-Sun was a mystery to Mercury as well. At that moment¡­ ¡ºStop! Someone¡¯s up ahead!¡»Armand¡¯s voice echoed in Chang-Sun¡¯s head. ¡°Mercury!¡± Chang-Sun hurriedly shouted. Mercury mmed the ground with his [Tria]. The whirlwind around them twirled and stopped them from moving any further. A strong and sharp gust of wind narrowly missed them. Swoosh! Chang-Sun recognized the w mark the gust had left on the ground and the wall. ¡®[Tiger Disaster]!¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He and Mercury simultaneously turned their heads toward where the wind came from. Tap¨D A man with long white hair walked out of the darkness. Like a ferocious beast that had found its enemy, his eyes gleamed with [Tiger Eyes]. [The ¡®Tiger Eyes¡¯ of the Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ are shining!] ¡°I knew you woulde here. Unless you used theke, this route was your only option.¡± Heoju, the man with [Tiger Eyes] and wearing fur that was as white as his hair, grinned so wide he bared his fangs. His canine fangs looked especially sharp today. ¡®I knew it was weird that he stopped sending me messages. Has he been here all this time?¡¯?Chang-Sun¡¯s face darkened. Heoju was a member of the , so there was no telling how he was connected to the children of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. Moreover, He had recently been obsessing over Chang-Sun. For that reason, meeting Heoju here right now wasn¡¯t good. Things could have been different if they were on Earth. ¡°Lee Chang-Sun.¡± Heoju looked at Chang-Sun. Mercury stepped forward to protect Chang-Sun, but Heoju didn¡¯t even nce at Mercury. ¡°I want to ask you something.¡± Tap! Heoju walked toward Chang-Sun, who silently drew the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] in return. ¡®Will I be able to use [Execution Sword] on him?¡¯?Chang-Sun calcted his chances of victory and the distance between Heoju and him. Doing so would mean Mercury would find out Chang-Sun¡¯s real identity, but he wouldn¡¯t get a better opportunity to capture Heoju. ¡®The problem is I¡¯m not sure I can think of Mercury as my ally like Minerva. Heoju¡¯s divine ss is way too high right now as well.¡¯? Heoju looked much stronger now than Chang-Sun remembered. It had to be because he had absorbed Ithaca¡¯s after decrypting the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]. He now seemed as strong as an Earthly Fiend monster deity¡ªno, a Heavenly Spirit demonic deity. Although killing Heoju as soon as Chang-Sun found a chance to would be wise, doing that would give Chang-Sun and the others no time to run away. If the angels and demons caught him during the sealing process, the n of the would get exposed. Chang-Sun pondered if he should focus on carrying out his n or have his revenge. ¡ºIs he¡­?¡» Armand frowned upon noticing something. Chang-Sun nodded, which was enough of an answer for her. ¡ºThey¡¯re my dear sisters, and he¡­!¡» Tap¡­! Heoju approached Chang-Sun. ¡°Answer me. What¡¯s your rtionship with that fien¡ª!¡± Before Heoju could even finish speaking, Mercury came forward and signaled Chang-Sun to escape. [The Celestial ''Sky and Earth Connecting Wing'' summons divine creatures using the Relic ¡®Caduceus¡¯!] Mercury swung his staff, causing the two snakes that had coiled around the staff to untangle and grow hundreds of times bigger. Hisss, hisss, hiss! The enormous boa constrictors crawled up to the ceiling and dropped on top of Heoju. ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Heoju yelled. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ has activated the Authority ¡®Jackal Tiger Roar¡¯!] Heoju¡¯s roar unleashed a sonic boom that shook the cave so hard it almost crumbled down. With the ceiling sustaining too many cracks, fragments of it started to drop on top of everyone. While attempting to flee, Chang-Sun flinched in surprise and retreated backward. [The Authority ¡®Monster Excursion¡¯ has been activated, warning you of iing danger!] Woosh! A ck spatial gap opened in front of Chang-Sun. Agares flew out of the gap, his dozens of wings spread wide. Seemingly finding Chang-Sun¡¯s attempt to flee pathetic, Agares quietly snorted and grabbed Chang-Sun¡¯s nape using his white hand. nggg! Maximizing the output of his cores, Chang-Sun barely parried away Agares¡¯ right hand. ¡°Hmph!¡± Agares held out his left hand this time and aimed for Chang-Sun¡¯s heart. For the first time, Chang-Sun felt dismayed. ¡®I can¡¯t dodge this!¡¯ Smash! The horrible sound of someone¡¯s chest turning into pulps echoed, but it didn¡¯te from Chang-Sun. ¡°You¡­!¡± Chang-Sun muttered. . ¡¸Get¡­ out of here!¡¹ Ssh! Although Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure when it reached him, the Elfin Root was now standing in front of Chang-Sun and looking at him. Its lips trembled as blood dripped from its mouth. Chapter 236: Star, Mimisbrunnr (1)

Chapter 236: Star, Mimisbrunnr (1)

¡¸That crazy bastard!¡¹ Jin Prezia yelled. Even Sinmara froze up. ¡¸No!¡¹ They never expected the Elfin Root to step in between Agares and Chang-Sun. Although Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinates were undead, they could still die¡ªno, a more severe consequence was waiting for them in death now. Their resurrection exempted them from samsara. Hence, the moment they died, they would get obliterated, making it impossible for them to reincarnate. That was why their current lives were very valuable. Nevertheless, the Elfin just threw itself to save Chang-Sun without hesitation. Moodoo was just as shocked as Jin and Sinmara. ¡°You want me to know what kind of man my master is?¡± The Elfin asked.? While fleeing the area with Mercury, Moodoo had asked the Elfin what it thought of Chang-Sun. By sharing their consciousness, Moodoo had learned that Chang-Sun was the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ but she had wanted to actually hear the Elfin¡¯s thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to exin, but I can tell you one thing for certain.¡± After carefully choosing its words for a long time, the Elfin had finally answered,?¡°Our Guardian believed in my master until the very end, and so do I.¡± In the same way that the ascetics in Himavat looked up to Kali, the Elfin trusted and relied on Chang-Sun. Was that why the Elfin had done this? ¡®Just as I have met my other colleagues!¡¯ Moodoo bit her lower lip. Paah¡­! From the part that Agares had pierced with his left hand, ink-like fluids flowed out. The Elfin¡¯s destroyed body parts turned to dust and dissipated in the air. Annoyed by the sudden interference, Agares frowned a little as he held out his opened right hand toward Chang-Sun. Agares¡¯ ck divine energy concentrated at the center of his palm and turned into a sphere, the enormous amount of demonic energy in it causing it to undte. [The Skill ¡®Kalokagathia¡¯ has been activated,paring your two selected enemies¡¯ stat points to yours. The stat points where you¡¯re inferior to them will be temporarily increased.] [The Authority ¡®Kalokagathia¡¯ has increased your stat points to the maximum!] [Your Strength has increased by ??.] [Your Intelligence has increased by ??.] ¡­ [The State ¡®Roaming Tiger¡¯ has been applied, enhancing your ability to think!] Right before Agares¡¯ sphere exploded, the world around Chang-Sun slowed down, giving him time to desperatelye up with a countermeasure. He couldn¡¯t act like an idiot now and waste the time that the Elfin had bought for him. ¡®Since I can¡¯t use the [Execution Sword] against him, I¡¯ll have to fight him with only the powers and abilities that I have right now,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. The [Execution Sword] temporarily granted Chang-Sun ess to his old divine ss, but the Authority wasn¡¯t omnipotent. It could only be used against the people that the deemed to be criminals. Agares wasn¡¯t one of them, so Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t meet all the requirements to use the [Execution Sword]. In that case, Chang-Sun had only one choice. ¡®I have to borrow power from someone else!¡¯? [Prti¡¯s Spellbook] opened, and the pages turned to the next chapter. ¡¸The calction is going to be hard from now on¡­! Okay, let¡¯s do this!¡¹ [The fourth chapter ¡®Atra Fulmen¡¯ has been applied, releasing the upgraded lighting energy from your heart and cores!] Chang-Sun¡¯s cores, which were made with Dr?c¨­n¨ªg?na Mon¨®l?num, had synchronized with his [Ferocious Heart], giving him absolute control over his body. Chang-Sun had to work on his skills next, which not only included his fighting techniques but also his mana control methods. To that end, he had to improve his techniques and rebuild his mana in a new form. Once done, he would only have his mind left to develop. Badump, badump, badump¨D! Chang-Sun¡¯s [Ferocious Heart] raced hard, and the cores all over him simultaneously resonated with each other. Ooong! Oooong! Oooong! His cores spun fiercely and released lightning energy, which soon blended with the from his [Ferocious Heart]. His energy grew cloudy and turned ck, bing Atra Fulmen, the ck lightning. Swoosh! Chang-Sun swung the [Yuchang Sword] upward as hard as he could, releasing as much mana as he could. His hair turned white as if covered in frost. Through the [Yuchang Sword], he fired off a ck lightning energy bolt into the air, but it narrowly missed Agares¡¯ chin and headed toward the ceiling. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your aim¡ª!¡± Agares smirked at Chang-Sun, who missed his ultimate attack, but soon felt something was wrong. By the time he looked up, Chang-Sun¡¯s Atra Fulmen bolt was already close to the ceiling, which was about to copse due to the ongoing battles between several Celestials. Boom! Rumble¨D! The Atra Fulmen bolt struck the ceiling, ck energy spreading through and widening the cracks enough for it to cave in. [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ looks downward!] Just as Chang-Sun intended, the Celestials¡¯ attention was drawn toward him and the others. [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ joyfully shouts that he has finally found you.] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ says that for some reason, the energy site was making it difficult to locate you.] [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ offers you her best medicine.] ¡­ [The Celestials that have been looking for you have found the hidden location under the Boom! Rumble¨D! The shockwave spread in every direction. A ray of clear water showed up in the air and circled around Chang-Sun and the Elfin, protecting them from the impact. Soon, a part of it took a humanoid form. The ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ Neptune, one of the three Ruling Celestials of and the great ruler of the ocean, had appeared. He looked like a middle-aged man with a robust physique and a strong aura. When Chang-Sun looked at him from the side, he somewhat resembled Minerva and Mars. ¡ºWe finally meet, human!¡» Neptuneughed, his divine voice echoing throughout the air. ¡ºI don¡¯t like that you can control lightning, considering only Celestials should be capable of doing that. However, since your temperament seems to resemble mine, I¡¯ll allow you the honor to follow me! In return, I¡¯ll bequeath you the ferocity of the great ocean.¡» Neptune¡¯s eyes shone like a violent ocean wave, showing just how much he wanted Chang-Sun. If necessary, he was even willing to make Chang-Sun his subordinate through force. ¡ºNonsense!¡» Neptune wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted Chang-Sun. A spatial gap silently opened behind Chang-Sun, and arrows shot forward from within it. Each arrow contained enough power to destroy a. Swoosh! Boom, boom, boom¨D! With a swing of his trident, Neptune sprayed water as if he was closing a curtain and shot down the arrows. The ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ Cernunnos came out from the gap with his sharp fangs bared. He looked like a beast in his own right, wearing leopard skin and holding a whip made from snakeskin. He also had a stone axe hung on his belt and a crown decorated with a very tall antler. Although powerful enough to be a Ruling Celestial, he chose to wander around on his own instead of being a part of any . ¡ºAre you all blind? That child¡¯s temperament, fighting technique, judgment¡­ Everything he does is practical and warlike. That makes me the best Guardian for him!¡» Cernnunos shouted. ¡ºUgh¡­ I hope¡­ you wouldn¡¯t¡­ only see him that way¡­! Umm¡­ he also¡­ deals with poison and diseases which falls under my jurisdiction¡­ I have the perfect medicine for men¡­ how do I give this to him¡­?¡» the ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ Serketmented, showing up diagonally from Cernunnos. . The scrawny woman was wearing a long robe that also covered her head and had a scorpion tail conspicuously sticking out from behind her robe. Contrary to her timid behavior, she specialized in poison and diseases. The three Celestials entered a bizarre staredown, filling the air without so much tension that it seemed as if a fight was about to break out any second. At the same time, more and more Celestials showed up, their number quickly reaching hundreds. ¡ºWow! What¡¯s going on? Why are there so many of you here?¡» Satanughed mischievously as he looked down at the area using one of his seven heads. [There is rampant greed over the yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯!] ¡°You vermins!¡± Agares frowned deeply as he looked at the Celestials. His n to get rid of Chang-Sun and retrieve [Peter¡¯s Key] had been rendered useless when too many Celestials showed up andplicated things. However, the biggest problem he had right now was that Uriel and Marbas would soon find them. [The angels are searching for the cause of this disturbance to hold them responsible!] [The demons advise their allies to stand down because they are about to punish the people who disgraced them!] With things getting out of hand, Agares wondered if he should just eliminate everyone here. nning to spare no effort in getting his hands on the golden key, he raised one of his eyebrows. If he had to, he would even wage war against all of them. ¡°If you keep trying to interfere¡­¡± Agares mumbled. Grrrrr¨D Kieeeee! Agares¡¯ wings shook hard. His demonic energy rose up from underneath his feet like a storm, spreading all over the area like a ck curtain being drawn over the world. The mixture of malignity and madness behind the ¡®curtain¡¯ wailed like a ghost. ¡°... I¡¯ll rip you all to shreds.¡± The Celestials¡¯ faces darkened. Agares and his East Legion made up forty percent of the army. With Agares half out of his mind, anything could happen. A war could even break out right here, right now. [The East Legion demons answer theirmander-in-chief!] Paaah¨D! Agares flew at Chang-Sun. At the same time, Neptune, Cernunnos, and Serket remained on alert as they shed against Agares. Rumble! * * * Using [Windstalking Tiger], Chang-Sun got away from the battle among the Celestials. ¡®I¡¯m just buying time right now. None of the problems have been solved. How can I get out of here?¡¯ Agares was brave enough to not be fazed even while going up against several famous Celestials. Instead, he tenaciously red at Chang-Sun, revealing his greed. Meanwhile, from a short distance, Heoju fought Mercury and kept looking for an opportunity to pounce on Chang-Sun. Agares and Heoju were both crazy. That wasn¡¯t all. Although Chang-Sun had called them over to fight the two Celestials, Neptune and the other Celestials would alsoe after himter. Moreover, he could now see Uriel of the and Marbas of the by the ceiling, ready to jump in and use force to stop the fights. If Uriel and Marbas captured Chang-Sun, they would never let him go no matter how much he exined that everything he did was just out of self-defense. Even if they extenuated him, they would lock him in their jail for at least hundreds of years, which meant the end of his operation. [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ is looking forward to seeing your next move!] The ¡®Taurus¡¯ wasn¡¯t here, but Bel Marduk watching Chang-Sun was enough to make thetter grit his teeth. He and his people were surrounded by enemies, leaving no way out of this hell. ¡¸Master¡­ I¡¯m okay.¡¹ The bigger problem was that the Elfin was dying in his arms. Chang-Sun had been pouring all his mana into the Elfin, but Agares¡¯ demonic energy in the hole that was in the Elfin¡¯s chest showed no sign of subsiding. ¡®Fuck¡­!¡¯?Chang-Sun cursed. He didn¡¯t want to lose the Elfin, one of Kali¡¯s priests whom she had sacrificed herself for. He didn¡¯t want to lose anyone anymore. ¡®If only there was a way to get rid of all those people at once¡­!¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Wait, get rid of them?¡¯ An idea shed across Chang-Sun¡¯s mind. He quickly took a look around. The underground area had been turned into a mess due to the falling debris, but the space itself was rtively intact. ¡®It¡¯s not affected by all this fighting?¡¯ Chang-Sun felt all the energy site¡¯s flows pompously converge deep underground. Following the flows with his eyes, he saw ¡®Mimisbrunnr,¡¯ the giantke in the distance. Theke was still intact, which was probably because the angels and demons managed the old vestige using flood control. Inside theke was a high concentration of sealing Authorities. What would happen if Chang-Sun ¡®unlocked¡¯ theke? ¡®Will it work?¡¯?Chang-Sun held [Peter¡¯s Key]. He had already seen what this key could do when he unsealed [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Considering Agares wanted it, Chang-Sun thought his n might just work. He had no other choice anyway. Thump! Chang-Sun ripped [Peter¡¯s Key] from his neck and inserted it deep into the energy site flow. Click¨D! Immediately feeling confident that he could open it up due to the clicking sound, Chang-Sun rotated the key without hesitation. ¡®I¡¯ll get severely injured if something goes wrong,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Grrr! [The ancient sealing spells of the Spirit Lake have been forcefully nullified!] [The flood control has been deactivated.] [The Barrier ¡®Metatron¡¯s Secret Technique Book¡¯ has been unlocked.] [The Barrier ¡®Baal¡¯s Sigh¡¯ has been unlocked.] ¡­ The ground rumbled. ¡®Now isn¡¯t the time to care about that, though.¡¯?Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply. Rumble¡­! Swoosh¨D! [The Spirit Lake is starting to flood!] [A flood is taking ce.] Chapter 237: Star, Mimisbrunnr (2)

Chapter 237: Star, Mimisbrunnr (2)

Ding!? Ding! A message suddenly popped up before all the Celestials in the area. The first to be appalled were Uriel and Marbas. ¡°What in the world¡­!¡± ¡°Wh-why are the barriers disappearing and the sealing spells getting undone?!¡± As the ones in charge of protecting the , Uriel and Marbas were naturally fully aware that the was being maintained by the magic barriers and sealing spells that Metatron and Baal, who had both gone missing, had cast. Worrying about those barriers and spells malfunctioning, Uriel and Marbas had been regrly repairing and inspecting the ce. However, instead of malfunctioning or getting destroyed, the barriers and spells got unlocked instead. However, it was toote to do anything about it now that the bank of the Spiritual Lake copsed, resulting in a tsunami raging toward the underground space and cave. Overloaded, the energy site of the created a strong earthquake. Cracks spread on the ground, and sprays of water shot up like geysers. Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! The tsunami swept away everything in its path, including the debris and all the Celestials who were busy fighting. ¡ºArrghh!¡» ¡ºWhat the¡­!¡» ¡ºShit! What is going on?!¡» The Celestials tried to stop the tsunami using all sorts of Authorities, but they were helpless against it. After all, it was made out of ¡¯s spiritual energy, which had agglomerated until it reached a breaking point and turned into water. It could serve as an elixir if one could take their time absorbing it. Otherwise, it was nothing but a lethal poison. Even Agares was helplessly swept away by the tsunami. Chang-Sun lost consciousness. Although he was the one who started the tsunami, its impact was just far too strong even for him. Moreover, the spiritual water applied pressure so immense that it felt as if he would get crushed to death¡ªno, he was already physically breaking down. Crack, crack, crack¨D! like a marite whose strings hade loose, his limbs bizarrely contorted, his muscles were shredded to pieces, and every bone in his body shattered. Chang-Sun bled profusely, but the soul water washed it away. His lightning energy, which had been maintaining his body, had already been depleted. Only his [Ferocious Heart] remained unscathed. Badump, badump, badump¨D! His heart raced harder than ever. Kiyooo¨D! Looking at Chang-Sun, Cadmus¡¯ eyes turned sharp. [Your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ is sharing your ¡®Ferocious Heart¡¯ with great care!] [Creating more .] [Your consciousness is sinking into .] ¡­ [You have sessfully found the old grave of , the fallen Society.] [You have absorbed a part of the hidden within the grave.] ¡­ [Your second ss ¡®Einheri¡¯ and the absorbed are a very great match.] [Reinforcing your characteristic as an Einheri.] [Reinforcing your characteristic as an Einheri.] ¡­ [Achievement unlocked!] ¡°Discovery of the divine ground of .¡± Reward: Activation of Einheri Hidden Piece. [Your subconsciousness has been stimted, revealing a hidden secret about Einheri, your second ss!] * * * [The hidden secret will be yed in your mind pce in the form of a preview!] Caw! Caw! Chang-Sun wanted to sleep some more, but the noises of a crow kept waking him up¡­ Caw! Caw! Caw! The crow cawed even louder against his wishes, seemingly yelling at Chang-Sun to wake up. Caw! Caw! Caw! As the crow¡¯s ominous caws continued, Chang-Sun heard another voice. ¡ºChild.¡» An old man was waking Chang-Sun up. ¡ºWake up, child.¡» However, Chang-Sun really couldn¡¯t open his eyes. He felt sluggish, and his head ached so hard. ¡ºHmm! You can probably hear my voice¡­ Did you sustain too much shock? You should be more than capable of enduring this¡­¡» The man¡¯s raspy voice was clear and loud enough for Chang-Sun to hear. With enough distance, he would probably sound like a ghost. ¡ºCome on, open your eyes. The things you worked for, the people who honor you even after their death, the people who follow you, the people who want to help you¡­ Everything and everyone would be in vain if you fall into eternal sleep here.¡» Hearing the old man¡¯s remark, Chang-Sun¡­ forced his eyes to open. ¡ºYou¡¯re up.¡» Looking at Chang-Sun, the old man gave him a smile that appeared to be inauspicious in Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes. The old man didn¡¯t look normal or¡­ even alive. He had a broad-brimmed hat on his head, a ck eye patch over one of his eyes, and extremely sturdy-looking armor underneath his ragged clothes. The old man also had a cane in his right hand and two crows sitting on his shoulders, cawing loudly. Moreover, hungry-looking wolves circled him, their red eyes gleaming. The man¡¯s somewhat gray or faintly silver hair reached down to his waist. Chang-Sun thought that the man¡¯s hair color looked simr to the color that his hair turned into when he used as much mana as he could. However, what caught Chang-Sun¡¯s attention the most was the wind around the old man. Gusts of gray wind kept circling around the old man. Ghosts with contorted faces were crammed inside them, creating a terrifying sight. Argghhhhh¨D! Kyah, kyah, kyah¨D! All the ghosts were in pain and were trying to tell Chang-Sun something, but they didn¡¯t seem to have the ability to do so¡ªno, the old man wasn¡¯t allowing them to. It didn¡¯t take long for Chang-Sun to realize that the old man had collected all those ghosts using force. The old man had the ability to exempt ghosts from samsara by force and turn them into his subordinates. Although Chang-Sun could also create subordinates out of the deceased using an unorthodox method, he could never do it like this old man. Chang-Sun hadn¡¯t heard about anyone other than the King of the Underworld having such a power. Those ghosts had probably been exceptional warriors or heroes when they were alive, and some of them could have even been Celestials. The eon-long history of the universe had rarely seen Deity Kings. However, this old man seemed to have exceeded that level. Chang-Sun finally managed to say, ¡°Who¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t tell where he was right now. Just a moment ago, he was being swept away in the rapids caused by theke bank¡¯s outburst. Now, he had no idea where he was or who the old man before him was. One of the Celestials who coveted him could have hidden him away amid the confusion of the moment, but¡­ too many things didn¡¯t add up for that to be the case. ¡°Who are you?¡± Chang-Sun managed to ask despite his body¡¯s refusal to do anything. Smiling, the old man answered, ¡ºYou know who I am.¡» Chang-Sun frowned. What was that supposed to mean? It didn¡¯t make sense. Massaging his aching temples, he then asked, ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡ºYou also know where you are.¡» Thinking he would never get a proper answer, Chang-Sun shut his mouth. The old man grinned. ¡ºA sip from ¡®Mimisbrunnr¡¯ is enough to gain great wisdom, but you basically soaked yourself in it. That¡¯s why I¡¯m certain you already know what you¡¯re supposed to do here.¡» Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t understand what the old man meant this time either. He assumed that Lie Si and the children of the Emperor¡¯s Seat called theke ¡®Mimisbrunnr¡¯ for no reason, but ording to the old man, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. ¡ºNames aren¡¯t just words. They¡¯re magic spells that materialize nature¡¯s concepts. That¡¯s why the power within a name exists beyond time and space. Naming something only reveals that which already exists.¡» The old man¡¯s exnation was hard toprehend, but Chang-Sun roughly understood it. If someone gave ake the name ¡®Mimisbrunnr,¡¯ then that meant that theke had been ¡®Mimisbrunnr¡¯ all along. ¡ºYou gulped down theke, so you would know¡ªno, you should remember a memory deep in your soul.¡» When the old man looked at Chang-Sun with glowing eyes, a ghost floated before the old man and took the form of a rune. Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure what the rune meant, but it seemed to be one of the primordial runes. ¡ºSo let me ask you in return. Who am I?¡» At that moment, Chang-Sun realized how to answer that question. ¡°This is strange. Celestial, human¡­ Every living being has four destinies¡ªbirth, old age, sickness, and death¡ªbut one of yours is missing.¡± He remembered what Sinmara had said when they first met. ¡°I can¡¯t see the destiny of your birth.¡± ¡°Do you know that your soul already died several times?¡± Chang-Sun didn¡¯t know what Sinmara meant by his soul dying several times, but he didn¡¯t really bother to ask her about it. By the time he had be Lee Chang-Sun or the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ he had likely already gone through samsara several times, much like other mortals, so he didn¡¯t pay much heed to it. However, having obtained the old man¡¯s wisdom¡ªno, his gnosis, Chang-Sun could now tell who the old man was. He was one of the lives that Chang-Sun had. ¡°You are¡­¡± At that moment, darkness surrounded him. * * * [You have regained consciousness!] Chang-Sun opened his eyes again, but for a moment, the vision in his right eye brilliantly twinkled as if his eye was made from jewels. It was different from , which a Celestial obtained as they began to shine. Chang-Sun hadn¡¯t realized that the old man in his dream was wearing the eyepatch on his right eye, but Chang-Sun did feel something settled inside his right eye. ¡®Something¡­ settled down,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The world in his right eye, which had gone through an unknown change, was a little different from the world he had always seen. Now capable of seeing the world¡¯s various flows, Chang-Sun noticed numerous new things around him despite the fast currents. The Celestials were still scattering, so Chang-Sun assumed that he had lost consciousness for just a very brief moment. The memory of the peculiar conversation he had with the old man was bing blurred. Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t really even remember what the old man looked or sounded like anymore, but he was certain that he had coincidentally learned a great lesson. [Congrattions! Drinking from ¡®Mimisbrunnr¡¯ has unlocked a memory of the forgotten primordial soul!] [You have learned gnosis.] [You acquired the ¡®Gnostic Eye¡¯ as a reward!] [Your ss has increased.] [Your ss has increased.] ¡­ [Gnostic Eye] The eye that can see and observe gnosis, the primordial knowledge recorded in Idea. It seems to be an inheritance from someone. ¡¤ Type: Unidentifiable. ¡¤ Effect: Concept Deduction. Gnosis Analysis. ¡®[Gnostic Eye]...?¡¯ The mysterious old man in Chang-Sun¡¯s dream seemed to have given him the eye that he was covering with his eyepatch. Clink, clunk¨D! Chang-Sun heard a part of the Divine Steel shackles around his soul dropping, giving him a boost in energy. The strong spiritual pressure now helped his destroyed body quickly recover¡ªno, he had now molted out of his old skin and was now creating a new skin for his sturdier, perfect body. Having soaked his muscles, bones, and cells in the spiritual water, he gained an iparably greater physical upgrade than before. Even his racing [Ferocious Heart] had berger. Badump, badump, badump¨D [You have sessfully for the third time!] [The Title ¡®Jigwi Giant Incarnation¡¯ has been upgraded to the Title ¡®Jigwi Spirit Incarnation¡¯!] ¡­ [You havepletely adjusted to spiritual water.] [You can now move freely in spiritual water.] ¡­ [You have acquired ¡®Li''s Fragment.¡¯] ¡®[Li¡¯s Fragment]? What is this?¡¯ Chang-Sun briefly wondered but decided to think about itter. Right now, he had toe up with a way to escape these rapids. Luckily, Chang-Sun ¡®knew¡¯ what he had to do. Chang-Sun infused his mana into the Elfin Root, who was in his arms. Mixing his mana with , he subdued the demonic poison that had been killing the Elfin and replenished its stamina by diluting spiritual water and supplying the Elfin with it. Those were enough as temporary treatments. Afterward, Chang-Sun synchronized with the Elfin. Since his mana currently had a connection established between them, he thought he could use a part of his subordinate¡¯s ability through their Soul Link. [Attempting to synchronize with your Subordinate ¡®Elfin Root¡¯!] [Connecting your minds.] [Your mental barriers have temporarily been disengaged.] [Synchronizing your minds.] ¡­ [Warning! Your personalities might merge as well if your Synchronization rate is too high, resulting in a loss of individuality. Do you still wish to proceed?] Chang-Sun just ignored the warning message and continued, his [Gnostic Eye] gradually shining more radiantly. Through it, he could see the Elfin¡¯s mana flow, allowing him to learn what he should do. [You have chosen to proceed.] ¡­ [You have acquired a new type of Divinity. ] [Attribute: Living Tree.] [The attribute has been stored in your ¡®Stigma.¡¯] ¡­ [You have sessfully synchronized with your Subordinate ¡®Elfin Root.¡¯] [You can now use all your Subordinate¡¯s abilities and Authorities.] ¡®... Did I get Kali¡¯s Divinity?¡¯ Chang-Sun wondered. This was probably possible because the Elfin used to be Kali¡¯s priest. Chang-Sun thought this was for the better. With Kali¡¯s Divinity, rescuing her other priests would be a lot easier. [The Skill ¡®Vine Whip¡¯ has been activated!] Chang-Sun used one of the Elfin¡¯s Skills, causing its right arm to turn into dozens of vines. It spread and grabbed all the Gray Elves helplessly getting swept away by the rapids. Moodoo was difficult to reach since she was quite far away from everyone, but she stretched out her own vines as well and grabbed the Elfin¡¯s. ¡®Give me a direction, Armand!¡¯?Chang-Sun shouted in his head. Woosh! ¡ºYou¡­?¡»Armand¡¯s eyes widened a bit in surprise when she appeared. She seemed to have something to say about Chang-Sun¡¯s [Gnostic Eye] and his faded hair color. ¡®Let¡¯s talkter. Find a way out of here first. Go!¡¯?Chang-Sun urged. ¡ºAlright.¡» Armand turned into a gust of wind and disappeared into the water, which also helped Chang-Sun breathe underwater. Not long after, she returned. ¡ºI found an escape route.¡» ¡®Where?¡¯ ¡ºThis way.¡» Chang-Sun immediately followed Armand and detected the current that would lead them outside. Fortunately, the angels and demons couldn¡¯t afford to pay much heed to Chang-Sun and the others. The rapids naturally made it difficult for him to get to where he wanted to go, but the gnosis at least helped him move rtively more freely. Moreover, Chang-Sun now felt veryfortable in ¡®Mimisbrunnr¡¯ unlike the other Celestials, and he also had Armand, who was providing him with great assistance. Moving with haste, Chang-Sun managed to rescue the wandering Minerva, Mars, and Mercury before he reached his destination. Sensing that he was nearly out of this situation, he started feeling relieved. However¡­ Kiyoo! Kiyoooo! [Surprised, your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ warns you of iing danger!] Cadmus, who was on his right shoulder, looked uncharacteristically pale. Noticing something others hadn¡¯t, it frantically yelled at him. Chang-Sun soon realized that what he had thought was a path leading outside the building was actually a wide-opened mouth. The mouth revealed an abyss-like throat, a tongue as red as an active volcano, and sharp fangs as big as a mountain. The being it belonged to¡ªan unfathomably huge Dragon¡ªwas drinking a lot ofke water to swallow Chang-Sun and the others. Although the Dragon was dangerous enough to scare even Cadmus, Chang-Sun smiled. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ waves her hand, telling you toe this way!] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ grumbles that her daughter causes her so much trouble.] Gulp! Tiamat, the giant Dragon, swallowed Chang-Sun and the others whole. Chapter 238: Star, Mimisbrunnr (3)

Chapter 238: Star, Mimisbrunnr (3)

The primordial ocean, where lives had been created at the beginning of time, looked very different from the blue ocean that people knew. Despite the infinite possibilities it possessed, the primordial ocean was destructive and nasty, having a temperature of over one hundred fifty celsius and a muddy consistency due to the rocks that acid rains melted getting mixed into it. Through various chemical reactions, all kinds of organisms were created in the primordial ocean, but they all disappeared nearly as quickly as they came into being. Tiamat symbolized that very ocean. ording to the myth, she and Apsu had Lahmu, Lahamu, and many other children. However, when their children transcended to Celestialhood, they thought Tiamat and Apsu were blocking their path to world domination. Hence, they tried to get their parents out of the picture. They eventually managed to kill Apsu, Tiamat¡¯s husband, but she still tried to rationalize their rebellion as the generations transitioning from one to another. However, the rebellion kept bing stronger, bringing destruction to the world and threatening Tiamat herself. To retaliate, Tiamat gave birth to new children, but without Apsu¡¯s essence, they were inevitably born iplete. Those demonic deities were now called Tiamat¡¯s Eleven Demonic Creatures. * * * [You have entered the mouth of the Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯] Chang-Sun looked up, ad the dark space quickly brightened up. The first thing he saw was the unfathomably high brown ceiling and the vicious-looking fangs behind Chang-Sun. He then noticed that the mouth was closed. Opposite the fangs was a scary abyss. ¡°This ce is¡­?¡± Minerva mumbled in disbelief, slicking back her hair. As far as she remembered, she was in the middle of a fight against the children of the Emperor¡¯s Seat when a tsunami suddenly swept her away. Chang-Sun then saved her and brought her here. She was catching up to things a little slower than usual, but that was only natural. ¡°It¡­ seems we¡¯re in somewhere quite tricky.¡± Mercury dumbfoundedly chuckled and looked at Chang-Sun, the one responsible for everything. Mercury already knew what happened. Meanwhile, Moodoo and the Gray Elves blinked in disbelief, unable to even think about wiping water off them. Unable to understand what happened, they froze up. ¡ºGosh, what has my troublemaker made me do?¡» A voice loudly echoed from the high ceiling, causing the mouth to pulsate faintly. [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ grumbles in discontentment.] ¡°H-huh?!¡± ¡°W-we really are inside the ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯¡­!¡± The Gray Elves turned pale upon finally realizing what was going on. They had heard about Tiamat, the notorious Evil Dragon. The Mother Terra Celestial carried lives, and Tiamat was part of her, but she ended up joining the Abslute Evil faction when her children abandoned her. Even Kali, the Gray Elves¡¯ Guardian, was nothingpared to Tiamat, the Ancient Celestial. After all, she had a high Divine ss and had lived for so long already. Contrary to Tiamat¡¯s words, she didn¡¯t sound hostile. Rather, she just seemed to find it unpleasant that her daughter had dragged her out of her nest, interrupting her rest. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ pompously puts her hands on her waist and puffs up her chest!] ¡°Hahahaha!¡± A burst of confidentughter could be heard from Tiamat¡¯s throat, the abyss. Chang-Sun and the others simultaneously turned their heads toward it, finding a tanned woman with a long ponytail. Tall and had well-defined features, she looked like a brave warrior. Her cat-like eyes made her look sharp, but Chang-Sun knew what a simpleton she was despite her smart appearance. The woman was Pabilsag, one of Tiamat¡¯s daughters and the original owner of [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. She justughed without saying anything else. However, it was obvious from the look on her face that she wanted Chang-Sun to praise her right now and earn his respect for rescuing him. [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ scoffs and asks her daughter why she¡¯s taking the credit when she is not the one who saved them.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ timidly refutes that it was her who personally jumped into the battlefield.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ scoffs again and says that it was all thanks to her magic spells.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ pouts.] Pabilsag, who had been trying to show off her greatness in front of Chang-Sun, became very sullen due to Tiamat¡¯s interruption. The look on Pabilsag¡¯s face changed quickly. She crossed her arms, turning her head away as she pouted. After a moment, Pabilsag nced at Chang-Sun. ¡°Thank you,¡± Chang-Sun said. No matter her reasons and despite the fact that she didn¡¯t directly contribute anything, Pabilsag was still the reason Chang-Sun and the others could escape from the crisis. When Chang-Sun thanked her, Pabilsag¡¯s lip twitched. She solemnly replied, ¡°Cough, cough! I just did what I had to do. It¡¯s the Celestials¡¯ duty and virtue to save their followers from danger.¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for Tiamat¡¯s teasing, she would¡¯ve actually looked like a mighty Celestial. [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ grins, saying her daughter is trying really hard to hold back her smile.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ ignores her mother.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ looks at her daughter, still grinning.] Pabilsag¡¯s face reddened a bit. After desperately wanting to meet Chang-Sun for so long, she finally got to meet him in person. She wished to look like a cool Celestial in front of him, so she tried to ignore her mother¡¯sments. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ ignores her mother again.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ mockingly says that it is useless for her daughter to act cool in front of that mortal.] Her face became redder. If she was a pot, steam would be soaring from the top of her head right now. [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ tells her daughter that acting cool does not suit her.] ¡°Ah! Mom,e on!¡± Pabilsag yelled, looking as if she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ strongly urges her mother to stop!] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ keeps chuckling.] Tiamat was still having so much fun. ¡®As a mother, what gives her the most fun in life is teasing her naive daughter,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in amazement upon seeing the notorious Tiamat¡¯s humane side. ¡°I want to ask you a favor,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°Anyth¡ª!¡± Pabilsag was about to answer, but Tiamat interrupted. ¡ºHahaha, you¡¯re very wily. Rescuing you wasn¡¯t enough?¡» Pabilsag was a bit annoyed by her mother for stopping her chance to shine, but she knew it was better to leave this kind of matter to her mother. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know it¡¯s shameless of me, but my subordinate is dying,¡± Chang-Sun continued. Although he had done first aid on the Elfin Root, it was still in bad condition due to the dreadful demonic poison. ¡ºThat¡¯s funny.¡» ¡°¡­ Can I ask what part of this is funny?¡± Chang-Sun asked politely. ¡ºIt seems you¡¯re about to ask me for medicine that can cure your subordinate, but subordinates are merely dispensable tools,¡» Tiamatmented very acrimoniously. ¡ºReviving a broken tool is very inconvenient. Most of them outlive their uses anyway even if you go through the trouble to save them. Isn¡¯t it better to find a new tool instead of lingering on the old, broken tool? You happen to have a sturdier and better tool nearby.¡» Chang-Sun realized that Tiamat was talking about Moodoo. ¡ºI believe it¡¯s because how you have lived only for a short time and haven¡¯t learned much, but you would be a Celestial just like all of us soon. You need to have the right mindset now.¡» Tiamat had likely developed that principle for having ruled over many beings. Pabilsag, who had been nkly listening to the conversation, cautiously agreed with her mother. Perhaps Tiamat was advising Chang-Sun and teaching her daughter, who was still as naive as a child, at the same time. However, once again, Chang-Sun just asked, ¡°Will you grant my request?¡± It would¡¯ve been understandable for him to feel humiliated, but he just looked nonchnt. ¡ºDidn¡¯t you listen to my advice¡­?!¡» ¡°Will you grant it?¡± ¡ºHa!¡» ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. I apologize for my rudeness.¡± Chang-Sun slightly bowed. Although Chang-Sun was acting polite, he really didn¡¯t sound like it. Minerva tensed up, worrying Tiamat would feel offended and harm him. Meanwhile, Mars and Mercury¡¯s jaws dropped to the ground. They never imagined anyone would behave that way in front of Tiamat! Even Moodoo held her breath, worrying that Chang-Sun would get harmed. However, since he was doing all this in hopes of curing the Elfin, he left a strong impression on Moodoo. She finally realized why the Elfin followed Chang-Sun with trust and why Kali had believed in him even as she died. ¡ºHahahaha!¡» At that moment, Tiamat¡¯sughter reverberated. Pabilsag was surprised to see her prideful mother responding like this. ¡ºSo that¡¯s how you¡¯ll behave in front of your subordinates and followers, huh?¡» Tiamat said with amusement. ¡ºI misjudged you. I have always thought that you would reach this level soon enough, but you¡¯ve already gotten there. Sag.¡» Pabilsag raised her head and looked where her mother would be. ¡ºHis caliber is too big for you to embrace. I think it¡¯s better for you to give him up.¡» ¡°But¡ª!¡± ¡ºGive up. There is nothing more foolish than lingering on something that you can¡¯t do anything about.¡» Pabilsag bit her lower lip. Although she didn¡¯t say anything else, she looked convinced. Tiamat lightly clicked her tongue. She and her youngest daughter had too many simrities. Pabilsag didn¡¯t give up on things even if she should, and Tiamat had done the same in the past. Trying to embrace both her husband and children, she ended up losing her husband and waging war against her children. Greed invited disasters. And at the end of disasters, one would be left only with their wounded self. It was difficult to understand that unless they had already experienced it themselves. Hence, Tiamat couldn¡¯t say anything further. ¡ºYour name is Lee Chang-Sun, right? You¡¯re also doing it wrong.¡» ¡°What am I doing wrong?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡ºYou¡¯re already the king of . Although that ne has already met , Celestials used to live there, which means you and I already have the same status. Kings shouldn¡¯t act submissive. After all, kings represent their people.¡» Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡ºSo you shouldn¡¯t ask me a favor. You demand or negotiate with me.¡» Chang-Sun learned something that nobody had taught him when he was still the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ Perhaps only Tiamat could give that advice. ¡°Then I want to make a deal.¡± Chang-Sun smiled faintly. ¡ºGood.¡» Contented, Tiamat smiled. ¡ºWhat can you offer me, king of ?¡» * * * ¡°I¡¯ll leave the Elfin in your hands.¡± Chang-Sun handed the Elfin to Moodoo, then slicked back his hair. He could tell that his hair was turning gray like the old man in his dream. ¡®His?eye?and hair¡­ Am I turning into him?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Acquiring gnosis and Li¡¯s Fragment seemed to have caused this change. ¡°¡­ Are you really going to go?¡± Moodoo asked. ¡°There is no other way,¡± Chang-Sun casually answered. Moodoo quieted down, vividly remembering the conversation Chang-Sun had with Tiamat just now. ¡°Drop me on the outskirts of the .¡± Chang-Sun requested.? ¡º¡­ You weren¡¯t about to ask me for the antidote for the demonic poison?¡» Chang-Sun shook his head. ¡°I know that the only way to detoxify demonic poison is to kill the owner of the poison.¡±? ¡ºThen how are you going to do it?¡» Despite everything they had gone through to escape the , Chang-Sun was about to go back to that very ce. The children of the Emperor¡¯s Seat should be escaping from that location right about now as well. Those people were dangerous, but Moodoo understood why Chang-Sun was taking this risk. ¡°Are you trying to get the [Chunjun Sword]?¡± Moodoo asked. The [Chunjun Sword] had the power of nature, having been imbued with the energy of the divine grounds ¡®Cheonyeon Mountain¡¯ and ¡®Yakah River.¡¯ Hence, it should help the Elfin greatly. If Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t kill Agares, his second option was to help the Elfin build immunity to the poison, the process of which would require the [Chunjun Sword]. ¡®If I can unlock the [Chunjun?Sword] and grant it Kali¡¯s Divinity¡­ I should be able to treat Elfin somehow,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. Having learned about everything through his [Gnostic Eye], Chang-Sun thought he had to be right. The power to gain a part of the knowledge he needed just by looking at things was truly amazing. Even if he was right, however, it would still be difficult to fight the children of the Emperor¡¯s Seat for the [Chunjun Sword]. Still, Chang-Sun thought this was for the best. He and those Celestials had bad blood, and he also had something he wanted to find out from them. ¡®I have to find out how many more of Kali¡¯s priests they have.¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes sharpened. He didn¡¯t know what their goal was, but he was at least ready to ruin their n if anything happened. Chapter 239: Star, Mimisbrunnr (4)

Chapter 239: Star, Mimisbrunnr (4)

¡°I apologize for not paying my respects earlier. I, Minerva of , greet the leader of .¡± ¡°I¡¯m Mars of . I¡¯ll repay you for your help tonight, so give me a holler anytime you need me. I¡¯ll be sure toe if it¡¯s not too much trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Mercury of . Thank you for your help.¡± Minerva and the two other Celestials could finally introduce themselves when the conversation between Chang-Sun and Tiamat ended. Tiamat was just as great a Celestial as Jupiter, the father of the three¡ªno, considering her age, she was at a league significantly higher than Jupiter¡¯s. ¡ºEnough with the greetings. I didn¡¯t help you to gain something from this. However, I do hope this will help strengthen the rtionship between and .¡» Hearing Tiamat¡¯s response, Minerva¡¯s expression subtly changed. Everyone in knew about the bad blood between Tiamat and the ¡®Taurus.¡¯ Since their rtionship had recently gone south again, another war could break out at any moment. Depending on her answer, could find themselves involved in the new , so she had trouble answering Tiamat. ¡ºIt won¡¯t?¡» Tiamat still sounded cheerful, but she clearly wasn¡¯t smiling genuinely anymore, unlike when she was talking to Chang-Sun. This incident could weaken Tiamat¡¯s influence within . After all, the angels and demons would likely raise a formalint, and the Celestials who had lost Chang-Sun right under their noses would join in. Even if it was because of her daughter¡¯s request, the actions of Celestials like Tiamat hadsting impacts. Nevertheless, Tiamat didn¡¯t care. Minerva made up her mind. ¡°It¡¯ll be just as you wished.¡± Only after hearing a satisfying answer from Minerva did Tiamat burst intoughter. ¡ºI like your style. You resemble me when I was young.¡» The Evil Dragon¡¯sughter echoed loudly. Meanwhile¡­ Wooosh¨D! ¡­ the ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ gently swam through the universe¡¯s dark matter to God-knew-where. * * * The had a port on the outskirts of its interster city, but the port was so old that sailors seemingly no longer wanted to use it. However, a ghost ship was anchored in it today. The ship already had a corroded keel, and its sails were in tatters. Anyone who would see it would think it had been abandoned, but two people quietly approached it. Tap! One of them, a person wearing a white mask with red patterns, leaped out of the water andnded on the ship¡¯s bow. Annoyed, Lie Si took off his mask. ¡°¡­ I really can¡¯t do that again.¡± At the same time, a man wearing a snow-white masknded on the ship. After taking off his mask and shaking the water off it, he sighed. ¡°I agree. Those strange people appeared out of nowhere, and¡­ Phew!¡± The man, named Jun, looked quite handsome, but his eyes were bloodshot due to sheer frustration for losing Moodoo and the others just as he was about to seed. Despite being the son of the Emperor¡¯s Seat, he couldn¡¯t be a part of the Thirteen Commanders. However, the Emperor¡¯s Seat adored him so much that many thought he would have gotten that position as soon as one of the seats became vacant. ¡°I really have no idea who he was, but he definitely knew me.¡± Lie Si stroked his chin, frowning. The man¡¯s siamese-cat-looking mask aside, he could use both divine and demonic energies and beautifully screw over Agares, dumbfounding Lie Si. Lie Si had definitely seen the man¡¯s eyes somewhere. They belonged to one of Lie Si¡¯s enemies, not someone he passed by on the street. What made things stranger was that he couldn¡¯t remember anything else about the man. On their way back to their ship, Lie Si cursed and wondered if he had always been this bad at remembering things, but that didn¡¯t really help clear up his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to me yourselves. Our real target wasn¡¯t the Gray Elves anyway.¡± Hearing a voice from up above, Lie Si and Jun simultaneously went down on one knee to pay their respects. Tap! Tap, tap, tap¨D! A man wearing a ck Jiaolong masknded on the ship¡¯s mast, which had been wobbling like an old scarecrow. He was the one who had retrieved the [Chunjun Sword] and fought against Uriel equally. A littleter, dozens of people who seemed to be his guards dropped down to the deck. Click¨D! The man took off his mask, revealing his pale face. His sharp eyes made him look belligerent. Lie Si and Jun didn¡¯t find bowing to the man shameful. The children of the Emperor¡¯s Seat were sworn brothers, but ever since the Emperor¡¯s Seat had been sealed, the man had been leading them on their father¡¯s behalf. Qi Gong, the man they were bowing to, was the first Celestial the Emperor¡¯s Seat had taken under his wings before bing the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ Qi Gong was the first son of the Emperor¡¯s Seat, hismander-in-chief, and the prime minister. The terrorists who participated in this raid all followed Qi Gong and were part of the Loyalty Association, the strongest soldiers in the Emperor Seat Army. ¡°Our goal was to drag out those snotty angels and demons into the light and make them fight the ,¡± Qi Gong said. The moment they lost contact with the Emperor¡¯s Seat, Qi Gong and his siblings immediately followed thest words of the Emperor¡¯s Seat. They fled from the and founded a new , but they didn¡¯t give it a name. From the perspective, it was meaningless for pathetic children who couldn¡¯t even protect their own father to have a name. Instead of naming their , they called themselves , and their first goal was the fall of the . They believed that the main reason the Emperor had lost his title of ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ and gotten abandoned by the was Richardus the Grain Star and the other Enclosures. That train of thought led Qi Gong, Lie Si, and Jun to n this terror attack. ¡°We¡¯ve been temporarily avoiding Uriel¡¯s [irvoyant] using Hou¡¯s [Heavenly Secret Jammer], but we can¡¯t fully nullify it. He would have found out that we were with the , so they¡¯ll certainly be taking the me,¡± Qi Gong continued. By the time Qi Gong had gotten out of , it was already engulfed in mayhem. Uriel and Marbas were famous for strictly monitoring it, but even they couldn¡¯t control the chaos. Of course, Satan¡¯s suppression, which was borderline terrorism, and the sudden overload of the energy site also contributed greatly to themotion. ¡°Just like what Father told us, we would have made more progress with our n to ¡®restore¡¯ Kali if we secured Kali¡¯s priests along with their divinity fragments. We could have gained quite a powerful ally¡­ Still, this is good enough.¡± Qi Gong shrugged, tapping on the sword hung on his belt. The sheathed [Chunjun Sword] trembled faintly, making Qi Gong smirk. The weapon had a lot of potential. Now that it was in his hands, Kali¡¯s priests under the ¡¯s protection would be a lot more powerful, and they would be using that very power for the . ¡°Anyhow, our business here is done. It¡¯s disappointing that we couldn¡¯t find the people who meddled in our n, but we¡¯ll run into them someday. We have some of the Gray Elves, after all,¡± Qi Gong said firmly. Right now, Uriel was probably scouring every corner of with his [irvoyant] to find the members. There was a limit to fooling his eyes. Hence, amid the confusion, Qi Gong nned to get out of through the same route they used to get here. Qi Gong was about to head to the ghost ship¡¯s cabin when he suddenly stopped. Lie Si and Jun looked at him, wondering what was wrong. Qi Gong¡¯s face suddenly darkened as he hurriedly turned his head in a direction. Meanwhile, Lie Si and Jun still didn¡¯t know what was going on. They considered the possibility of someone ambushing them, but no one was in the air right now. At that moment¡­ [A Dragon Breath has been fired!] Boooom! The ocean grew turbulent as a strong Dragon Breath struck the bottom of the ghost ship. The impact was so strong that Qi Gong, Lie Si, Jun, and the other Loyal Association members lost their bnce and the entire ship wobbled so hard it seemed as if it was about to overturn. Not long after, a wave higher than the ship¡¯s mast mmed down on its deck. Crkk¨D! Cracks slithered from the bottom of the ship to its center. Crash! The keel soon broke in half, allowing water to flood into the ship and gradually sink it. Woosh, woosh, woosh! ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­!¡± Qi Gong¡¯s eyes widened. Contrary to its appearance, their ghost ship was sturdy enough to withstand a battle on its deck, yet a single attack just destroyed it! ording to the message that had just popped up, a [Dragon Breath] hit their vessel. However, the only Dragon in that could fire such a powerful [Dragon Breath] was Satan. If so, then that could only mean the Loyalty Association members had been found. ¡°Qi Gong! The enemy can attack any time soon! We have to get out of here!¡± Jun yelled. Qi Gong calmed himself down. Jun was right. They had to get out of the ghost ship. Hence, the Loyalty Association members prepared to escape. Woosh, woosh, woosh. The ship quickly sank in a V shape. Having pulled himself together, Qi Gong and the others quickly tried to escape, but the enemies¡¯ second attack made things difficult for them. Paah! Paaah! Four people¡ªMinerva with ace half mask, Mars with a clown mask, Mercury with a snake mask, and Pabilsag with a dagger in each hand¡ªrose up from the rough ocean and jumped down on top of Qi Gong and the others, who were still shocked. ¡°You may have wreaked havoc just now¡­¡± Mars trailed off. Rumble! ¡°... But it¡¯s our turn now!¡± Marsughed loudly, fiercely swinging [Balmung]. A storm of his strong divine power made the ocean even more violent. * * * [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ dryly huckles!] ¡ºHa¡­!¡» Not so far away from the sinking ghost ship, Tiamat stuck one of her eyes out and watched this outrageous situation after stashing away her real body to the hidden side of the universe. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Chang-Sun was panting hard on the top of Tiamat¡¯s nose, having probably used up a lot of his mana. He was soaked in sweat, and steam rose up from his shoulders and the top of his head. His hair color also faded a lot quicker than before, so it was almost gray now. Completely unsealed, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] was in Chang-Sun¡¯s right hand in its greatsword form. Ooong, oooong¨D! Just like how he had captured the Emperor¡¯s Seat, Chang-Sunpletely unlocked the seal of [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] using [Peter¡¯s Key] and fired a Dragon Breath with the sword. The sight of her own Dragon Breath being fired right in front of her dumbfounded Tiamat. [The three-second time limit is over!] [Returning to the original form.] Unlike with the [Execution Sword] activated, he could only use [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] for three seconds. However, Chang-Sun was still satisfied. After all, that meant he was getting closer to his past level. Moreover, he managed to sink the ghost ship with one strike, destroying the children of the Emperor¡¯s Seat''s means of escape. While Chang-Sun and the others could leave any time they pleased, the children of the Emperor¡¯s Seat would inevitably be captured by the angels and demons. ¡ºI never thought another person will be able to use my [Dragon Breath],¡»Tiamat mumbled in bewilderment. ¡ºYou surprise me in many ways. I can see why my youngest wants you.¡» ¡°Even if she wants me, I have no intention of bing her apostle.¡± Chang-Sun exhaled deeply and stretched. Now that Chang-Sun had sessfully for the third time using the spiritual water in ¡®Mimisbrunnr,¡¯ his empty [Integrated Magic Circuit] was quickly being charged with his mana, and his fatigue was disappearing. Despite not even being level 100 yet, which was when people usually began their and , his ss was already above a demigod¡¯s. [Lee Chang-Sun Lv.86] ¡®... With my current strength, I should be able to fight most Celestials equally,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought.? He couldn¡¯t help smiling for already being halfway toward his prime in his previous life. ¡ºNaturally. I see you as the king of , an equal of mine.¡» Paying no attention to Tiamat, Chang-Sun returned [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], which had gone back to its dagger form, on his belt and drew the [Zhan Lu Sword] with his left hand. Ziinggg, zing! The [Yuchang Sword] in his right hand and his two other divine swords shook, feeling happy for getting to meet the [Chunjun Sword] soon. Using Divine Sword Resonance, the swords¡¯ white divine energy circted inside Chang-Sun and cleared his mind. Now ready to jump into the battle, Chang-Sun turned back and looked at Tiamat¡¯s eye, which was several times bigger than him. He said, ¡°And¡­?¡± ¡ºDo you want to be my husband?¡» Tiamat¡¯s unexpected question rendered Chang-Sun speechless. Husband? Tiamat was asking him to marry her? Tiamat the Ancient Dragon wanted to be his wife? Just imagining Pabilsag, the simpleton, calling him ¡®Father¡¯ made him feel uneasy. ¡°¡­ You went too far with that joke,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡ºDid it sound like a joke to you? My words are worth something, you know.¡» ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear them, then.¡± Chang-Sun slowly looked away. ¡ºAre you a bad enough man to disregard a woman¡¯s wedding proposal?¡» Tiamat smiled faintly. Although it surprised Chang-Sun that a Dragon could smile like that, he had a feeling that something irreversible would start if this conversation continued, so he just turned away. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡ºThink about it, hahahaha. If you want, you can change the deal into marrying me in return.¡» Instead of answering Tiamat, Chang-Sun leaped into the air. Armand then showed up and created a gray dust storm to cover him. His ck-purple lightning energy sprouted from his back and turned into a set of wings, evidencing that he had sessfully converted his into Atra Fulmen. [The Skill ¡®Dust Devil¡¯ has been activated, pulling wind!] [The Title ¡®Jigwi Spirit Incarnation¡¯ has been applied, spreading the Jigwi¡¯s wings!] Tap! Swoosh¨D! Chang-Sun quietlynded on the ocean and darted toward the ghost ship like a flying tiger. 1. She is actually a creator goddess of the ocean that appears in Sumerian texts. 2. Part of Tian Shi Yuan. Also known as Seven Excellencies in English. Chapter 240: Star, Mimisbrunnr (5)

Chapter 240: Star, Mimisbrunnr (5)

Chang-Sun quickly sprinted across the surface of the water like a lightning bolt coursing through the ground. ¡ºWill you take the offer?¡» Armand asked as Chang-Sun ran. Unsure about what she meant, Chang-Sun frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡ºI¡¯m asking if you¡¯ll take the Evil Dragon¡¯s offer.¡»Armand borated. Chang-Sun looked back at the little elemental spirit who resembled Ithaca. Suffocating silence filled the air until Armand broke it. ¡ºTiamat is not only the head of but also the fifth-strongest Celestial in . There is a reason why something like the Nine Heavens exists.¡» Nine Heavens usually meant the highest sky or the nine celestial bodies circling around the earth. Grand Heaven, Clear Heaven, Vast Heaven, me Heaven, and ck Heaven were in the center, east, west, south, and north respectively. Sun Heaven, Red Heaven, Transformation Heaven, and Faraway Heaven were located in the intermediate directions. However, the Nine Heavens¡¯ meaning in was a little different. It referred to the Celestials who were close to reaching Emperor-level. Tiamat, one of the Nine Heavens, was called Faraway Heaven and was located in the northwest. Chang-Sun would get a very powerful ally if he married her. ¡°Marriage shouldn¡¯t be taken so lightly,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡ºThat is why I¡¯m saying this. Someone like Tiamat wouldn¡¯t joke about making such an offer, and there is no better way to make allies than bing one family through marriage.¡» What was Armand trying to say? Was she telling Chang-Sun to take Tiamat¡¯s offer for his revenge? There was definitely no downside to bing Tiamat¡¯s husband. Tiamat was one of the Nine Heavens, and she was preparing to wage war against the ¡®Taurus.¡¯ As the saying went, ¡®The enemy of one¡¯s enemy was one¡¯s friend.¡¯ Since Tiamat had a favorable impression of Chang-Sun, she would be a great help to him in the future. Although Armand seemed to be advising Chang-Sun to marry Tiamat, Armand¡¯s expressionless look caught his eye. Considering Armand knew Chang-Sun and Ithaca¡¯s past yet still suggested this¡­ was it because she wanted to cut all ties rted to Ithaca, whom she deeply hated? Or was the lingering feeling in his heart telling him not to let Ithaca go? However, Armand just looked at Chang-Sun, saying nothing more. It was as if she genuinely wished to hear what Chang-Sun thought. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like the right ce to talk about this, so let¡¯s discuss itter. But let me make one thing clear,¡± Chang-Sun said. They were now getting closer to the ghost ship, two-thirds of which had already sunk. ¡°I¡¯ll never get married out of necessity. That just means I¡¯m abusing other people¡¯s sincerity.¡± Only after Chang-Sun plummeted did hee to realize that he shouldn¡¯t be abusing people¡¯s goodwill even if it was for his own benefit. ¡º¡­ Is that so?¡» Armand quietly mumbled and ended the discussion. Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure if she got the answer to her question or held back her curiosity. ¡ºThat¡¯s certainly your choice to make. It¡¯s not something I should stick my nose in. Just¡­ save my sisters, please.¡» ¡°Of course.¡± Chang-Sun lightly tapped the [Yuchang Sword] and the [Zhan Lu Sword] against each other. nngg! The two divine swords emitted milky-white light. Now that he thought about it, this was his first time using Double Sword Resonance using only Ou Yezi¡¯s divine swords. Although the swords¡¯ had different attributes, they were created by the same cksmith, so they would most likely resonate very well. As Chang-Sun expected, the two divine swords¡¯ divine energies, which were seeping into Chang-Sun, merged with each other and amplified their power dozens of times. A part of his ck lightning energy turned white. [The ¡®Yuchang Sword¡¯ and the ¡®Zhan Lu Sword¡¯ have resonated, creating a significant amount of divine energy!] [The swords have been coated with sacred white lightning.] [Concentrating the great will of the Absolute Good.] Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! Approaching the ghost ship, Chang-Sun spun like a top. It seemed as if he was ice skating. [The Skill ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s ws¡¯ has been activated in quick session!] [The Skill''s damage has increased ording to the level of an Authority.] Woosh! Woosh¨D! Chang-Sun fired four white lightning bolts. The onesunched from the [Yuchang Sword] moved from the bottom left to the upper right. They were quick and sharp, like an assassin stabbing their target with daggers. On the other hand, the [Zhan Lu Sword] lived up to its reputation of being the sword of monarchs. As if a monarch themselves had swung their sword upward, the sword¡¯s lightning bolts struck the left part of the ship, swept across the deck, and dropped down to the right part of the ship. Creating an X, the lightning bolts repeatedly ovepped with each other and butchered the ghost ship. Tap! Chang-Sun stopped spinning and fired thest, fifth w, which was as strong as attacks mixed with an Authority. Swoosh! Rumble¨D! The [ck Mountain King¡¯s Fifth w] dropped down to the center of the deck and spread white lightning energy everywhere,pletely obliterating the ghost ship. It looked as if a giant tiger had indiscriminately wed it to pieces. Dozens of the ship¡¯s fragments flew in the air like fireworks. Woosh, woosh, woosh. Much to the members¡¯ bewilderment, the ghost ship was now sinking, and they could do nothing to stop it. They were already in chaos due to the sudden [Dragon Breath] attack and the Celestials¡¯ ambush. Now, white lightning bolts were raining down on them. Made up of the swords¡¯ divine energies, the sacred white lightning bolts were the most efficient in purifying or exorcizing evil. With the lightning bolts imbued with the resolve of the Absolute Good, the members, who were monster or demonic Celestials, were basically struck with a natural disaster. Rumble, rumble, rumble¨D! Rumble! ¡°Arghhh!¡± ¡°W-what in the world¡­!¡± ¡°Urggghhhh!! Why isn¡¯t the fire going out?! Why? Whyyy?!¡± The white lightning bolts left behind white mes that dealt significant damage to the members who didn¡¯t have enough resistance to divine energy. Qi Gong, Lie Si, Jun, and the other executives weren¡¯t better off. In fact, things were worse for them since they were busy fighting against four Celestials. Paaaah¨D! Chang-Sun leaped down to the sinking deck. Many Celestials looked at him, but he simply charged onward, paying them no attention. After all, he only had one target in this operation. ¡°Qi Gong¡­¡± Chang-Sun put on his iron mask and quietly mumbled, ¡°... it was you.¡± Click¨D! Once the iron mask had covered his facepletely, navy-blue mes zed up in his eyes. Woosh! ¡°Then I have no reason to feel bad.¡± Chang-Sun smiled faintly as he looked at his enemy. His Inferno Sights zed wildly, but with his [Gnostic Eye] open as well, his right eye emitted a faintly different light from his left. Although the functions of the [Gnostic Eye] were still a mystery to Chang-Sun, he at least received a lot of information from it. What he should do next, the routes to take, the techniques to use, the enemies¡¯ possible reactions, countermeasures¡­ Hundreds of pieces of information and suggestions repeatedly popped up and disappeared, all of which he used to create the best strategy. All the information was also delivered to Simon Magus, the demon king of gnosticism. ¡¸M-master¡­ What is this¡­?¡¹Simon stuttered. Simon was called the demon king of gnosticism because he was the closest mortal to reaching primordial memory, which was the initial memory that all souls had. Despite only having fragments of gnosis, Simon could already go up against Peter the Apostle. However, Chang-Sun seemed to surpass his level. ¡¸What in the world¡­ is in your eye?¡¹Simon asked. ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯?Chang-Sun answered. ¡¸What?¡¹ Simon sounded baffled. ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Chang-Sun didn¡¯t really have any other answer. He genuinely didn¡¯t know what the [Gnostic Eye] was, what it was made up of, or how to even activate the eye. All he knew was that the old man in his dream had covered his right eye with an eyepatch, and that had now been transnted to his eye. ¡®But that isn¡¯t the important part, is it?¡¯? ¡¸Y-yes! Haha! That¡¯s true!¡¹ Realizing what Chang-Sun meant, Simon smiled coldly. Although he didn¡¯t know the mechanism behind the [Gnostic Eye], the information that the eye showed them was real. All he had to do was focus on using it to assist Chang-Sun. ng! Meanwhile, Chang-Sun swung the [Yuchang-Sword] toward Qi Gong¡¯s chin, but Qi Gong narrowly blocked the sword using the [Chunjun Sword], which shook faintly afterward. Ziing, zinng! Oooong, ooonng¨D! The two divine swords reacted fervently upon meeting each other. Qi Gong frowned. ¡°You¡­! You¡¯re Lee Chang-Sun!¡± Qi Gong eximed. There was no way Qi Gong wouldn¡¯t recognize him. After all, the Emperor¡¯s Seat plummeted when he tried to capture Chang-Sun using the [World Net]. The ¡¯s first goal was to take down the , and their second goal was to eliminate Chang-Sun and whoever was behind him. Hence, Qi Gong instantly realized what was going on. Considering, one of Kali¡¯s priests was Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinate, he was likely here to rescue the others. However, that begged the question of how Chang-Sun found out about the Gray Elves¡¯ location. Did he receive the information from his supporters? Either way, Qi Gong decided to subdue Chang-Sun first. He wasn¡¯t sure why Chang-Sun confidently showed up here, but this was his chance to find out who was behind Chang-Sun and the whereabouts of his father. ¡°Long time no see, Qi Gong,¡± Chang-Sun blurted out. Qi Gong¡¯s eyes lost focus. ¡°How do you know my name¡­?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Chang-Sun stomped on the deck instead of answering Qi Gong¡¯s question. Thudd! [The Skill ¡®Stomp¡¯ has been activated!] Chang-Sun¡¯s strike shook the ghost ship, which was quickly sinking due to the white lightning bolts traveling across the deck. At the same time, the white lightning bolts flew up and crashed into Qi Gong. ¡°Urgh!¡± Qi Gong grunted. Smash¨D! The attack was strong enough to destroy the part of the deck where Qi Gong was standing. Barely managing to regain his bnce, Qi Gong turned and swung the [Chunjun Sword], unleashing a strong gust of wind that shredded the white lightning bolts into pieces. However, Chang-Sun had just been buying time. [The Authority ¡®Scarlet Dragon Summon¡¯ has been activated, summoning a scarlet Jiaolong to create chaos!] Chang-Sun¡¯s coat fluttered, revealing the scarlet Jiaolong symbol drawn inside it. A several-meter-tall scarlet Jiaolong soon appeared, coiled around Chang-Sun, then pounced at Qi Gong. At that moment, something inside Qi Gong¡¯s head snapped. Chang-Sun casually using the [Scarlet Dragon Summon], the signature Authority of the Emperor¡¯s Seat, enraged him. Chang-Sun calling him by his name had already confused him, so finding a trace of his father, whom he looked up to, made it impossible for him to keep hisposure. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!!!!¡± Qi Gong infused all his divine power into the [Chunjun Sword]. Oooong.? The [Chunjun Sword] shook profusely, seemingly on the verge of breaking down. It unleashed a storm of divine power that ripped the scarlet Jiaolong into shreds. The ghost ship had nowpletely sunk, and everyone still on it was going underwater. Chang-Sun followed the guidance of the [Gnostic Eye]. He retreated for a moment and escaped Qi Gong¡¯s attack range. When the divine power storm stopped, Chang-Sun approached Qi Gong again. He didn¡¯t activate the [Execution Sword]. His goal wasn¡¯t to kill Qi Gong, after all, and too many Celestials were watching him, like Pabilsag and Tiamat. His only objective was to take the [Chunjun Sword]. Qi Gong tried to infuse his divine power into the [Chunjun Sword] once more, but Chang-Sun proved quicker. He stabbed the de of the [Chunjun Sword] using the [Yuchang Sword]. Crack. The [Yuchang Sword] dug into theyer of Qi Gong¡¯s divine power that was enveloping the [Chunjun Sword], making it dissipate as if it was never there. ¡°What¡­?!¡± Qi Gong¡¯s eyes widened. He had never heard nor seen the odd phenomenon of someone cutting through divine power. ¡°Well, it¡¯s only natural for you to be surprised. You don¡¯t care how Ou Yezi¡¯s divine swords work, after all.¡± Chang-Sun smiled coldly. Having been using the [Yuchang Sword] and the [Zhan Lu Sword] for quite some time now, Chang-Sun was already well aware of the mechanism behind Ou Yezi¡¯s divine swords. Absorbing its owner¡¯s mana awakened the memories inside each of the divine swords, and with those memories, the owner could reinforce the sword¡¯s attributes to make it stronger. However, Qi Gong just dominated everything as the first son of the Emperor¡¯s Seat, so there was no way he would pay attention to a mere sword¡¯s memory¡ªno, Qi Gong wasn¡¯t the only one. Most Celestials only knew how to dominate, but Chang-Sun was different. By reading and listening to the memories and voices of weapons, Chang-Sun became a king¡ªthe [King of All Weapons]. [The Effect of the Trait ¡®Close-Combat Master¡¯ has been applied, reading the mind of the ¡®Chunjun Sword¡¯!] ¨DI¡­ ¨DI¡­ want to go back. ¨DSomewhere quiet. ¨DSomewhere cozy. ¨DI don¡¯t want to fight. The [Chunjun Sword]¡¯s attributes were rted to nature, which also meant something or someone¡¯s inherent character. Although it was a sword, the [Chunjun Sword] refused to be used as one because it hated artificiality andbat. ¡®I can make that happen,¡¯?Chang-Sun told the [Chunjun sword]. Chang-Sun liked the [Chunjun Sword]. It would be boring if every sword specialized inbat, so having one or two swords like the [Chunjun Sword] didn¡¯t seem that bad. ¡®Soe with me,¡¯?Chang-Sun offered. ¨DYou won¡¯t fight? ¨DYou¡¯re also fighting right now. ¨DI don¡¯t like getting hurt. ¡®Yes, I fight,¡¯?Chang-Sun replied. ¨DThen¡­ ¨DNo. ¡®But I promise that I won¡¯t force you. Besides¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun trailed off. The [Yuchang Sword] and the [Zhan Lu Sword] howled. ¡®Won¡¯t it better to stay with your friends than your current owner?¡¯?Chang-Sun smiled. ¨DFriends? ¨DFriends¡­ ¨DZhan Lu is there. ¨DYuchang is also there! ¨DOther friends seem to be with him too. ¨DWill everything be okay with friends? ¨DWill it be okay? ¨DI think it¡¯ll be okay. ¨DI think so! ¨DThen¡­ ¨DThen! ¨DLet¡¯s follow him. ¨DLet¡¯s go. ¨DYes. ¨DWhat do I need to do¡­ ¨Dto follow you? Chang-Sun and the [Chunjun Sword] exchanged numerous words within a short moment. [You have sessfully gained the favor of the ¡®Chunjun Sword¡¯ using the Effect of the Trait ¡®Close-Combat Master¡¯!] [¡®Chunjun Sword¡¯ has chosen a different owner.] Like the [Yuchang Sword] and the [Zhan Lu Sword], the light the [Chunjun Sword] was emitting gradually changed to milky-white sacred light. ¡®Juste with me. That is all you have to do.¡¯ ¨DOkay! The [Chunjun Sword] shone brighter. Boom! ¡°¡­ Hup!¡± Qi Gong inhaled sharply. Qi Gong tried to swing the [Chunjun Sword] when Chang-Sun went for Qi Gong¡¯s wrist using the [Yuchang Sword], but he flinched in surprise instead. Seemingly shaking off Qi Gong¡¯s hand, the [Chunjun Sword] exploded. Woosh, woosh, woosh! The [Chunjun Sword] flew up. After letting go of the [Yuchang Sword] and the [Zhan Lu Sword], Chang-Sun reached out for the divine sword that was circling in the air. Qi Gong held out his hand toward it as well, but Chang-Sun was quicker. The [Chunjun Sword] ended up in thetter¡¯s possession. ¡°N¡ª!¡± Qi Gong tried to scream, but it was toote. [The Effect of the Trait ¡®Sword Forest¡¯ has been applied, unsealing the sealed memory of the ¡®Chunjun Sword¡¯!] [A hidden Trait has been awakened.] At that moment, a fresh forest scent spread across the gloomy battlefields. Chapter 241: Star, Mimisbrunnr (6)

Chapter 241: Star, Mimisbrunnr (6)

The [Chunjun Sword] had the attributes of a mountain and a river. Various sceneries unfolded before Chang-Sun. One of them was that of an old mountain called ¡®Mount Cheonnyeon,¡¯ which no one knew or remembered anymore. It would be more urate to describe it as a hill since it was too small to be a mountain, but the first Ou Yezi still liked it very much. While strolling down one of its paths, the smell of iron and the heat inside him would dissipate, providing him with inner peace. Its fall deeply saddened him. Hence, to honor it, he dug up tin ores from the mountain and turned them into lead foils. The next scenery was of the ¡®Yakah River,¡¯ which was where the first Ou Yezi used to go for a swim during his childhood. He had so much fun with his peers there that they would only return home after sunset. Because the memory left an evesting impression on him, he dug up copper ores that resembled the sunset in the ¡®Yakah River¡¯ and turned them into bronze castings. The first Ou Yezi then forged the [Chunjun Sword] while imagining the two most beautiful sceneries that he had ever seen. Having been made based on the principles of nature and pacifism, it should not be used as a sword despite being one. Fortunately, although Qi Gong and its previous owners had been using it all wrong, it had finally found an owner who understood it. Woosh, woosh, woosh! The gust of green wind that had mixed with the sandstorm created a giant vine. Its root sank deep into the spiritual water, drinking it before rising up dozens of meters in the air. The vine separated Chang-Sun from Qi Gong like Jack riding a huge beanstalk into the sky in ¡¶Jack and the Beanstalk¡·. Boom! Qi Gong¡¯s attack made the enormous vine tremble, but it couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch. Having absorbed spiritual water, the vine had be insanely durable. ¡°You bastard! Get down here!¡± Qi Gong¡¯s face reddened. After going through all that trouble to acquire the [Chunjun Sword], it was taken right before his eyes. Hence, it was only natural for him to be so angry he immediately chased after Chang-Sun. ¡°Why would I?¡± Chang-Sun smirked at Qi Gong, looking down at him from the sky. Imbuing his voice with mana, he roared, ¡°Everyone, retreat!¡± While using Hexaecho, a technique that made his voice echo from everywhere, Chang-Sun sprinted in the opposite direction. He swung the [Chunjun Sword] again, making the vine stretch out and create a path for him. ¡°Bwahahahaha! He really stole the [Chunjun Sword]! That crazy bastard! I like it! I love it! He¡¯s definitely an apostle material in my books!¡± Mars burst intoughter as he watched Chang-Sun. Although the restrictions had been frustrating Mars, he felt really refreshed now. Chang-Sun looked really adorable in his eyes. ¡®Yes, I should just give the [Balmung] away!¡¯?Mars thought. He felt as if he could give anything to Chang-Sun if it meant turning him into his apostle. ¡°Bullshit!¡± Pabilsag naturally didn¡¯t just sit still and let Mars¡¯ remark slide. Her sharp tone made Mars tilt his head. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Lee Chang-Sun is mine. I called dibs first, so you better watch yourself. Otherwise¡­¡± Pabilsag frowned. ¡°Hmph! Sky dibs and star dibs! ¡± Mars shouted. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Pabilsag¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Calling dibs first is useless. I called bigger dibs on him more than you did,¡± Mars replied confidently, crossing his arms. Pabilsag stomped in irritation. ¡°Urggh! River dibs and ocean dibs! Ha! Now I called more dibs!¡± ¡°Universe dibs!¡± Mars red at Pabilsag. ¡°Eeeekkk! dibs! ¡° dibs, dibs, and Trilokya dibs!¡± ¡°Six Path dibs!¡± Pabilsag clenched her fists. The two Celestials¡¯ fierce and ridiculous bickering dumbstruck Minerva. Passing by them, she said, ¡°¡­ Are you two little children? What in the world are you doing?! Go!¡± Noticing some people on Chang-Sun¡¯s tail, Minerva dove into the spiritual water again. Mercury followed right behind Minerva,ughing loudly. Mars and Pabig gave each other a death re and moved simultaneously. ¡°Dimensions dibs!¡± ¡°Other multiverses dibs! Ha! I win! Give up now!¡± Pabilsag pointed at Mars. ¡°What are you talking about?! I called more dibs!¡± Their fight likely would not end soon. * * * Chang-Sun¡¯s group managed to sessfully flee. Qi Gong and his subordinates tried to chase after Chang-Sun, but they stopped when they saw the and guards running toward them. Uriel had seen Chang-Sun¡¯s enormous vine tree through his [irvoyant]. Since the ghost ship had been wrecked, there was no telling how Qi Gong and the others would respond, but all Chang-Sun¡¯s group had to do was return to Tiamat, who was standing by in the distance. Ooong, ooooong! [¡®Chunjun Sword¡¯ is responding fervently upon meeting its friends!] Chang-Sun now had three divine swords in his possession, which were enjoying their reunion. Meanwhile, he stood in front of the Elfin Root with the [Chunjun Sword] in his hand. ¡°That¡¯s¡ª!¡± Moodoo gasped. ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± Chang-Sun said. Moodoo¡¯s lips trembled as she nodded and took a step backward. Chang-Sun bent down and put the [Chunjun Sword] in the hole in the Elfin¡¯s chest. Paah¡­! [Beginning the treatment.] ¡®I¡¯ll close the wound first using the mana vines,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Tree barks sprouted up and covered the Elfin¡¯s wound one after another. Small branches entangled with each other underneath the tree barks, filling up the hole in its chest. ¡®I¡¯ll increase the resistance to the poison using Kali¡¯s Divinity.¡¯ [The Skill ¡®Stigma¡¯ has been activated, extracting the Divinity(Attribute: Living Tree) from your ¡®Stigma¡¯!] Chang-Sun pulled out Kali¡¯s Divinity, which he had acquired before, and mixed it with before infusing it into the Elfin. Pzzzz! [Your Subordinate ¡®Elfin Root¡¯ has acquired Divinity!] [The HP of your Subordinate ¡®Elfin Root¡¯ has increased!] [The Resilience of your Subordinate ¡®Elfin Root¡¯ has increased, enabling it to recover and detoxify the demonic poison!] ¡­ [10% of the demonic poison has been detoxified.] ¡­ [30%, 40%, 50%, 71%¡­.] As the percentage increased, the ck demonic energy that corroded the Elfin disappeared. Its cheeks turned rosy, and its skin returned to its original color. Sweating profusely, Chang-Sun circted his mana inside the Elfin several times. The Elfin¡¯s body was very different from a human¡¯s, so he had to control Kali¡¯s Divinity along with the [Chunjun Sword] far more skillfully. Even Chang-Sun found the process difficult. [71%] He was soon met with a problem. ¡®I can¡¯t detoxify the Elfin any further. What should I do?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Bybining the [Chunjun Sword] and Kali¡¯s Divinity, Chang-Sun seeded in increasing the Elfin¡¯s resistance to the demonic poison. Hence, once it woke up, it would be iparably stronger than before. The problem was that they did not have enough Divinity topletely detoxify the poison. ¡®What if I unseal the [Chunjun Sword]pletely¡­? No, although its divine energy is helping the Elfin right now, too much of it will start corroding the Elfin like the demonic poison.¡¯ Chang-Sun could tell that much through his [Gnostic Eye]. Since Simon couldn¡¯te up with a solution regarding this matter, he was left with only one option. ¡®Divinity¡­ I need more Divinity.¡¯ He needed more Living Tree Divinity, the power that made the Elfin who it was. His initial calction was wrong because he didn¡¯t realize the Elfin had been growing stronger. ¡°¡­ Use me,¡± Moodoo said after silently watching Chang-Sun treat the Elfin. Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure what she meant, so he looked back. The other Gray Elves stopped Moodoo. ¡°Moodoo!¡± ¡°32nd Branch, that¡¯s¡­!¡± Amid the noise, Chang-Sun frowned and coldly said, ¡°Be more precise. What do you mean use you?¡± ¡°You need my goddess¡¯ Divinity to detoxify the poison, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°So?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°You can use mine,¡± Moodoo calmly said. ¡°You¡¯ll die.¡± Moodoo was Kali¡¯s bishop, so she would surely have a lot of Divinity. It would be great if Chang-Sun could borrow a part of it, but a priest¡¯s Divinity was everything to them. It was a part of their soul, so losing it would immediately kill them. Moodoo calmly shook her head and smiled. ¡°We share the same soul, so I¡¯ll just return to my original form. I won¡¯t die. Rather, we¡¯ll simply be together.¡± Chang-Sun understood what Moodoo meant. Kali¡¯s priests were different from ordinary priests. They all sprouted from the root named Kali, making them one. Nevertheless, Moodoo¡¯s personality¡ªno, the 32nd Branch¡¯s memories still held meaning because they also had separate identities. ¡°This child will certainly be able to turn into our goddess, who sprouts trees and flowers through destruction and massacre.¡± Moodoo held the hand of the Elfin, who was asleep. The root named Kali was dead, so her trunk and branches were withering quickly. However, if this tree could propagate by cutting, using the branch named Elfin as the new parent tree, and nting the branch in the new soil called Chang-Sun, then the tree could grow and be the new Kali. Moodoo¡¯s thoughts were soon shared with Supada and the other Gray Elves. ¡°¡­ If you think so.¡± ¡°Will our goddess really wake up again?¡± ¡°She will. The Thirty-second Branch said it herself, did she not?¡± ¡°Yes. Moreover, the hundred-twenty-sixth Branch is trustworthy.¡± ¡°If the Divine Tree matures afterward¡­¡± ¡°We can wake up again!¡± All the Gray Elves grabbed each other¡¯s hands and stood behind Moodoo. ¡°Thank you for trusting me until the end, everyone.¡± Moodoo took Suapada¡¯s hand, stood up, and turned around to look at Chang-Sun. The twenty-five Gray Elves¡¯ eyes were filled with determination. ¡®Kali, you have really amazing children,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought as he nodded, reaching for his neck. If the Gray Elves were that determined, dissuading them would be the same as disgracing them. ¡°Use this. The key will make it much easier,¡± Chang-Sun put [Peter¡¯s Key] on Moodoo¡¯s left palm. ¡°Thank you. Please take good care of the hundred-twenty-sixth Branch¡ªno, Elfin.¡± Moodoo nodded and pointed [Peter¡¯s Key] at the side of her neck. As she quietly exhaled¡­ Click! ¡­ the tip of the key seamlessly went inside her neck and reached the part where her mana and Divinity flowed. Her mana and Divinity moved frantically, seemingly wanting to get out. Creak¨D! The moment Moodoo rotated the key, she felt as if her ¡®lock¡¯ opened wide. At the same time, a bright pool of light quickly swallowed Modoo and the other Gray Elves. ~ [The dormant Divinity(Attribute: Living Tree) has been unlocked!] [Absorbing the Gray Elves have enhanced the Divinity(Attribute: Living Tree) and awakened a lost Trait.] Woosh! The Divinity, which had a thick, fresh forest scent, settled on and quickly entered the Elfin, detoxifying the remaining demonic poison. [Your Subordinate ¡®Elfin Root¡¯ has absorbed all the Divinity and acquired resistance to demonic poison!] [The detoxification process has beenpleted.] [The ss of your Subordinate ¡®Elfin Root¡¯ has increased.] [Completely detoxifying the demonic poison has resulted in a significant amount of experience points.] [The experience points of your Subordinate ¡®Elfin Root¡¯ has reached a critical point, causing it to evolve!] Paah! Shining brightly, the Elfin rose into the air. The tree barks covering it started to fall one after another. Its old branches broke off, reced with fresh, sturdy, and new branches. As its physique changed, it also grew taller. The Elfin, an ordinary priest, was evolving. Absorbing a bishop and several of its other siblings had caused its level to instantly jump several times higher. ¡°My goal is to gather up Divinity to be as strong as an apostle.¡± Chang-Sun recalled what the Elfin had said before it swore its loyalty to him. The Elfin thought that was the only way to resurrect Kali, but Moodoo proved it wrong by telling it to be the new Divine Tree¡ªto be Kali. Tap! With its evolution processpleted, the Elfin quietlynded on the ground. Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinate looked a lot different than before. Its eyes were now deep, and its aura was coarse yet sharp like an ascetic that had cultivated itself for a long time. Looking at the changed Elfin, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. He knew who the Elfin looked like now. ¡°¡­ Kali?¡± Chang-Sun muttered in disbelief. His old colleague was standing right before him. 1. This is an old Korean thing where if you (figuratively) spit on morend than another(which symbolizes you iming thend), you win. It has been tweaked a little bit to fit the Western culture of dibs better Chapter 242: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (1)

Chapter 242: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (1)

The current was one of the most powerful in , but a long time ago, back when the concept of was still new, the used to be in danger of annihtion. At the time, the Celestials were at war against Asura, their old archenemy. Failing to ovee the gap between their and Asura¡¯s power, they eventually lost the war and plummeted. Out of despair, the Celestials tried to scatter, but the Creator Celestial of gathered them up instead to pour out their anger to the sky. The Celestials¡¯ wrath turned into a me, giving birth to the goddess Durga. Despite her beautiful appearance, she was filled with wrath. In her ten hands were numerous relics from many Celestials. Shiva¡¯s trident, Vishnu¡¯s qi, Agni¡¯s javelin, Vayu¡¯s bow, Varuna¡¯s rope, Indra¡¯s thunder¡­ With those weapons, Durga waged war with Asura alone and chopped off Asura King Mahisha¡¯s head, bringing victory to . After the war, Durga became the notorious gatekeeper and vanguard of in . Kali was Durga¡¯s only daughter. With her mother¡¯s wrath bequeathed to her, Kali unleashed destruction and massacre, ultimately bing notoriously known for drinking her enemies¡¯ blood. Whenever she took out a demon, she always drank their blood and celebrated her victory. However, Kali was also an ascetic that cultivated herself in a remote ce when she was not at war. Constant destruction signified dynamic energy, and the sprouts in the ruins symbolized life. Just like how the warm spring came after the cold winter, death and life were not pr opposites of each other. Rather, they belonged to the flow of nature, circting dynamic energy in it. The same went for destruction and creation. Kali was the incarnation of such flows and cycles. Despite her fearsome divine name, ¡®Goddess of Massacre and Destruction,¡¯ she always dreamed of creating new lives. As a result, the Divine Tree Shindansu was born. Upon growing older, Kali left and went into seclusion because she hated how was turning political. . * * * A long time after her seclusion, the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ met Kali. At the time, people still knew the notorious Durga, but the nasty rumors about Kali had disappeared by then.? Coincidentally hearing a rumor about the great ascetic in Himavat the snow mountain, the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ paid the are a visit. From the entrance to the ridge, the ascetics that followed Kali lined up. The ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ beat them one after another.? Upon reaching the peak, which was covered with evesting snow, he finally met Kali. An unfathomably tall and green tree stood where Kali was meditating in the lotus position. None of the scene¡¯s elements matched, but it gave the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ an idea of who Kali was. ¡°What do you wish to gain?¡± Kali asked in their first encounter, but the question seemed random.? Yet, without hesitation, the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ answered, ¡°Victories.¡± ¡°What victories?¡±? ¡°Absolute ones.¡± ¡°What are those victories for?¡± ¡°I fight and win. Is there a problem with that?¡± The ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ tilted his head.? ? Kali smiled gently as she continued.? ? ¡°No, there isn¡¯t.¡± ? After the conversation, the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ sparred with Kali and lost, but that didn¡¯t stop the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ They sparred countless more times. After quite a long while, the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ finally managed to win against her for the first time. It was only by an inch, however, so he wasn¡¯t sure he could call it a victory. It could have just been a coincidence. Nevertheless, Kali smiled contentedly as she said, ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± ? The ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ continued to spar against Kali, turning his victory into a winning streak. The inch became a centimeter, the centimeter turned into a millimeter¡­ The gap between Kali and the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ widened so much that Kali eventually no longer managed to catch up. ? ¡°You¡¯re definitely worthy enough to talk about victories.¡± Rather than getting angry for being defeated, Kali was happy. Her reaction was the total opposite of when the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ lost, so in his eyes, Kali was more mature than he was. For the first time, the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ realized she was looking far beyond what he couldn¡¯t imagine. Hence, he thought of befriending her.? * * * While Lee Chang-Sun¡¯s old memory in Arcadia was filled with Gramps and Ithaca, the old memory of the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ began with his first encounter with Kali, whom Chang-Sun missed. Now, the Elfin Root looked like her. [The Celestial ¡®Geminus-¦Á¡¯ makes it known how unpleasant he feels right now!] [The Celestial ¡®Geminus-¦Â¡¯ frowns deeply!] ¡­ [Many Celestials are surprised by your achievements!] [Unlocked a great achievement!] ¡°Celestial fragment gatherer.¡± Reward: Control +20. Leadership +30. Enhancement of the Skill ¡®Stigma.¡¯ Having yed the most active role in killing Kali, the ¡®Gemini¡¯ reacted very badly. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes lost focus. ¡°You¡­!¡± The Elfin Root¡ªno, Kali put her index finger against her lip and quietly shushed him. Judging from her uncharacteristically mischievous wink, it seemed she was telling Chang-Sun to be careful. After finally realizing what she meant, Chang-Sun chuckled. Tiamat and Pabilsag were here, and many Celestials were watching them through their Channelings. Hence, she was telling him to consider their presence before she and Chang-Sun started talking. It seemed her thoughtful nature hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°Excuse me for a moment,¡± Chang-Sun told Tiamat and Pabilsag. He then utilized his . The world around Chang-Sun and Kali darkened, separating them from the outside world. [The space has been separated!] [You have conjured your mind pce.] [All the Channelings connected to the outside world have been temporarily disconnected.] ¡¸You haven¡¯t even reached level 100 yet to , yet you can already create a mind pce? I can¡¯t even begin to fathom how freakishly strong you¡¯re trying to be again.¡¹ ¡°I¡¯ve already gone down this path before, so it¡¯s easy to do it again,¡± Chang-Sun replied. Kali swayed her index finger from side to side. ¡¸That¡¯s not it. Countless Celestials have plummeted throughout the long history of the universe, but nearly nobody managed to rise again afterward. If I have to pick one¡­ maybe Satan?¡¹ Kali smirked. ¡¸No, I can add one more. I rose back up as well, after all.¡¹ Her yful voice made Chang-Sun realize that he was wrong about Kali being the same as before. Kali had changed, bing more rxed. She had always acted like a stoic ascetic, but she had loosened up a lot now. Did resurrecting give her a realization the same way Chang-Sun¡¯s thoughts deepened when he resurrected in the ? ¡¸Thank you, Twilight. I woke up because of you.¡¹Kali smiled gently. Chang-Sun asked, ¡°Elfin was the one who absorbed your Divinity, so howe you¡¯re the one who woke up?¡± ¡¸I am my children, and my children are me. Regardless of the soil, I can wake up any time if I get to properly take root.¡¹ Moodoo had said that the Elfin could be a root. The tree that grew up through propagation was gically the same as its parent tree, which was why the Elfin was now disying Kali¡¯s personality. However, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t help wondering, ¡®What if Kali¡¯s other priests can also be roots like the Elfin¡­?¡¯ Chang-Sun stopped his own train of thought. ¡¸I know what you¡¯re thinking. Bing a root isn¡¯t easy. The quality of the soil is very important for a tree to grow up.¡¹ ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but there is something I have been wanting to say to you guys if I get to meet you all again.¡± ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Chang-Sun clenched his teeth and sharply stared at Kali. Despite noticing Chang-Sun¡¯s anger, Kali still smiled, making him even madder. ¡°Why in the world did you do that? You knew you couldn¡¯t win that fight! I was also the one who left you all, so why¡ª!¡± Chang-Sun shouted. ¡¸Because we¡¯re friends.¡¹Kali interrupted, rendering Chang-Sun speechless.¡¸Do I need any other reason?¡¹ Before Chang-Sun could argue back¡­ ¡ºI don¡¯t know how you two are acquainted, and I apologize to interrupt your reunion¡­¡» ¡­ Tiamat delivered a message to Chang-Sun¡¯s mind pce, making Chang-Sun and Kali look up. ¡º... but the guards are now right behind us.¡» The ceiling of Chang-Sun¡¯s mind pce grew blurry, and an image showed up. Uriel of was flying toward them with his subordinate angels, his eyes burning with anger. It seemed this incident had made Uriel furious. ¡ºThe [Chunjun Sword] and the Gray Elves are technically still assets of the mittees until a buyer pays for them. Considering we took all of those and ran away, there¡¯s really nothing we can say if they put us on the wanted list.¡» For some reason, Tiamat sounded as if she was having fun. ¡ºOf course, the terrorists earlier started all this, and I¡¯m sure the authorities will take the circumstances into ount to some extent¡­ Still, we won¡¯t be able to avoid being charged with theft and misappropriation.¡» ¡°I¡¯m sure I can count on your help,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡ºFor free?¡» Tiamat asked. ¡° and are in the same boat, aren¡¯t they? If you help your ally, I¡¯ll make sure to repay the favor.¡± ¡ºOur marriage can further solidify our alliance.¡» ¡°I¡±m sure an alliance made of trust is more reliable than one that stemmed from deals,¡± Chang-Sun said calmly. ¡ºYou¡¯re really smooth at turning down women. Hahahaha.¡» Tiamat¡¯sughter echoed throughout the cave. It was loud enough to shake his mind pce, which was made from . That alone showed how high her divine ss was. ¡ºFine. I promised to help you, so I¡¯ll see this through.¡» ¡°Thank you.¡± Chang-Sun slightly bowed. ¡ºStil, keep in mind that my offer is still on the table. You know, the more unreachable one is, the more tempting it is.¡» [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ smiles coquettishly at you!] ¡°Phew!¡± Chang-Sun sighed. Although he had gained a very trustworthy ally, he had a feeling that he had set foot in an inescapable swamp. * * * On Earth, Republic of Korea, Seoul¡­ ¡­ it was already past 11 P.M., but some employees of the WPCFF¡¯s Korean office in Jongno[ref]A region in Korea./ref] were still working overtime. ¡®¡­ I want to cry.¡¯?Jin Seok-Tae turned miserable as he looked at the clock, which cruelly kept rotating. He attended a blind date set up by his friend a week ago and was supposed to have their next date today. He was so excited that he bought and put on new clothes. Why did the WPCFF have to dere a state of emergency today, five minutes before the end of his shift? ¡°What do you think about this?¡± Cha Ye-Eun, his superior, asked. Seok-Tae naturally couldn¡¯t tell his superior about his story, considering she only worked all day and pursued her career. Even if he were to tell her about it, she would just say, ¡®So you want to quit?¡¯ ¡®She is an Overlord, an Overlord material¡­ No matter how ferocious the Tyrant is, he¡¯ll be nothingpared to my superior,¡¯ Seok-Tae thought. ¡°Hey.¡± Ye-Eun red at Seok-Tae. Returning to his senses, Seok-Tae began to think as hard as he could. One wrong answer could leave him with a bullet in his brain. ¡°You aren¡¯t listening to me, are you?¡± Ye-Eun asked. ¡°I-I¡¯m listening!¡± Seok-Tae answered. ¡°Then tell me.¡± ¡°Pardon¡­?¡± ¡°Tell me what you think.¡± Ye-Eun crossed her arms and legs. The cigarette in her mouth was burning up quickly, seemingly showing how irritated she was. Smoking indoors was forbidden¡­ but Ye-Eun never really cared about that rule. If the executives reprimanded her about it, she would simply answer with a resignation letter the next day. She was so irreceable in the Council that if she left, the Korean office of WPCFF would have to shut down. ¡°I-I won¡¯t do it again!¡± Seok-Tae shouted, standing up straight like a soldier. If he answered slowly right now, he would really get shot. ¡°Watch it, okay? Phew! I was asking what you think of this.¡± Ye-Eun sighed quietly and threw her burned-up cigarette into a paper cup, ruining Seok-Tae¡¯s coffee for good. However, Seok-Tae couldn¡¯t afford to think about it now because the newspaper articles that Ye-Eun pointed to were very important. They turned the whole world upside down. The Sword Sky Tiger was a first generation yer and the hero who made the White Tiger n one of the best ns in Korea. However, Munseong hadn¡¯t really aplished anything in the past thirty years, so most people believed that he had retired. On top of that, many experts had evaluated that Munseong wouldn¡¯t be the same skilled swordsman as before. However, people bore witness to shocking results the moment he held a sword again. Among the ten Overlords, the Blood Overlord was believed to be the third strongest, but Munseong easily defeated him with one attack. The event made it certain that Munseong had surpassed level 99 and reached level 100, a feat believed to be impossible for humans to aplish. Taking that into consideration, Munseong now had to be a demigod who had gone through . A tiger having the potential to be a Celestial in Korea was good news. Still, Ye-Eun¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡®The problem is that Munseong may be a demonic being.¡¯? Chapter 243: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (2)

Chapter 243: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (2)

Recently, Council members have been doubting the Sword Sky Tiger. ¡®When the Tyrant was on his way to Germany, demonic beings attacked him¡­ and all of them were believers of the ,¡¯?Cha Ye-Eun recalled. The Demonic beings scattered all over the globe suddenly started moving as if they were part of a single organization, putting the Council members on high alert. After Chang-Sun defeated everyone, they checked the dead demonic beings¡¯ identities in secret and found onemon denominator: their Guardians were all part of the . The believers had certainly been causing more problems than the believers of the other . However, the had fewer believers, and they usually worked alone, so they hadn¡¯t been considered a big problem until now. However, the ambush against the Tyrant in Germany had rmed the Council members enough to start discreetly monitoring the ns and followers whose Guardian belonged to the . Ye-Eun was in charge of the White Tiger n, which was the most powerful n, along with the Crna Ruka. Since the n was founded by a first generation yer, Ye-Eun had a lot of work to do, but she soon became certain that although the White Tiger n seemed like a mercenary group, it was, in truth, a pandemonium within the n. Although Munseong had been in seclusion for decades, he was still a demonic being. It was the same for the White Tiger n¡¯s mysterious Council of Elders and the Future Strategy Department, the members of which usually worked in the shadows. Ye-Eun even found a trace of the suspicious deal that the White Tiger n had made with the Highoff n as well as missing cases that hadn¡¯t been properly investigated. To top it all off, she caught wind of several traces of Munseong using inhumane techniques to be stronger. In summary, the White Tiger n was too fishy. ¡°The birth of a demigod¡­ This news alone made the public very happy because this was the first historical step humanity has taken since Jacque Valentine. Moreover, some are also saying the Tyrant should be considered a ¡®king¡¯ as well. It¡¯s a festival right now, but what if¡­ some peoplemitted sadistic, unpardonable crimes like making human sacrifices to make all this possible? Shouldn¡¯t we stop them somehow?¡± Ye-Eun muttered. Munseong was now called the Sword Overlord instead of ¡®Sword Sky Tiger,¡¯ his old title, and was also being treated as a celebrity¡ªno, a star all over the world, starting with the US. He even gained more followers since he was believed to be a pioneer to a new generation. For the past decades, Jacque had been called the strongest yer, but people were now saying that Munseong was just as strong as Jacque. ¡°Munseong has already formed an alliance with the Gold Overlord of Jaynix Company and gave the hegemony of North and South America to the U.S. Feeling threatened, China publicly dered that they¡¯ll branch out to the South China Sea and Africa. Meanwhile, the European governments have started to discuss unification again.¡± The order of the world was reforming in ordance with the changes that the Overlords were going through. With no way to tell who would rise to the top at the end of all this, anarchy began. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ tricky.¡± Jin Seok-Tae massaged his aching temples. Up until now, the Ten Overlords and the Five Great ns had maintained the bnce of power like a powder keg. However, Munseung had just lit up that powder keg, signaling the start of a chicken race. Even though nobody knew how this barbaric, greedy, and ambitious generation would end, the Council members still had to decide what stance to take. ¡°Judging from your tone, though¡­ there is a solution, isn¡¯t there?¡± Seok-Tae asked. Ye-Eun, who looked serious, faintly smiled. ¡°So you have been my partner long enough for you to determine that, huh?¡± ¡°Before you mention a problem, you alwayse up with three to four solutions first.¡± That was why Ye-Eun was considered the best Council agent in all the hundred and ny-three offices of WPCFF around the world. ¡°It¡¯s this.¡± Ye-Eun pulled out another news article from her drawer and mmed it on her desk. Thump! ¡°The Tyrant¡­¡± Seok-Tae mumbled. ¡°People call him the Tyrant Overlord now. Anyway, the power dynamic will changepletely depending on where he shows up, his goal, and how deeply connected he is to the White Tiger n,¡± Ye-Eun said. Everyone knew Chang-Sun and Joachim Wolff, who had recently be an Overlord, were rted. If Chang-Sun stayed in the White Tiger n, the Four Overlord Conference would break down, and the White Tiger n, Jaynix Company, and Illuminati would form an alliance, which was the worst possible result. However, if Chang-Sun left the White Tiger n, the Four Overlord Conference would sail smoothly. After all, the rtionship between the and Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t get any worse right now. ¡°That¡¯s why I have to find out what Chang-Sun is thinking right now,¡± Ye-Eun said. ¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Beaming, Ye-Eun put down two ne tickets in her back pocket. ¡°It¡¯s my present!¡± ¡°The date on the ticket is¡­ tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yup, it¡¯s currently fourteen minutes past eleven right now. The ne leaves at 6 o¡¯clock in the morning, so we have about seven hours left. Just grab some clothes before you head to the airport,¡± Ye-Eun exined. ¡°¡­ A present? Are you sure you¡¯re not kidnapping me politely, seonbae?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going, then?¡± Ye-Eun tilted her head. Seok-Tae sprang up from his seat and put his hands above his eyebrows. ¡°I have sworn my loyalty to you! As you can see, I¡¯m saluting with both hands, not one. Yes, ma¡¯am! Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know how loyal you are.¡± Ye-Eun tapped Seok-Tae¡¯s shoulder. Seok-Tae held back his tears, realizing that he would never meet the woman he had met on a blind date again. Not paying attention to Seok-Tae¡¯s condition, Ye-Eun looked back and forth between her ne ticket to Frankfurt, Germany, and the news article about Chang-Sun. His expressionless face shed across her mind, then she remembered his faint smile when she rescued him. She asionally recalled that smile, each time remembering it vividly. ¡®His smile was quite cute,¡¯?Ye-Eun thought. In less than a year, Chang-Sun had reached the level of an Overlord. Did his pure talent really made that possible? Could he be another monster made by the White Tiger n? If so, what should Ye-Eun do? ¡®I saved him¡­¡¯ Ye-Eun clenched her fists. ¡®... so I should be the one to take his life.¡¯ Despite solidifying her resolve, her fists subtly trembled for some reason. It was as if she was afraid of something. * * * ¡°Hey¡­ my eyes aren¡¯t deceiving me, are they?¡± Mars asked. [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ blinks, then wipes his eyes in disbelief!] ¡°Your eyes are fine. Hahaha! Seriously¡­ who is that guy?¡± Mercury muttered to himself as he looked at Chang-Sun. [The Celestial ¡®Sky and Earth Connecting Wing¡¯ chuckles dumbfoundedly, his eyes sparkling!] Kali¡¯s appearance shocked Mars and Mercury. That Celestial died at the end of the , so how did she show up here as Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinate? None of it made sense. Was the person behind Chang-Sun extremely powerful, just like the rumor spreading in ? Even so, why would a Celestial like Kali be a mortal¡¯s subordinate¡­? There were too many unanswered questions. Minerva, the only Celestial here who knew the whole truth, smiled bitterly as she watched Kali and Chang-Sun. Looking at Chang-Sun, who showed no intention to hide Kali away, Minerva became certain. ¡®He¡¯s confident that no matter who notices what is going on, they won¡¯t be able to stop him.¡¯ Kali¡¯s resurrection had probably turned upside down. When Minerva nced up, all the Celestials that Minerva could see had their mouth open. [The Celestial ¡®Wrath Incarnation¡¯ watches the Dungeon Channel KR-9,721 in sorrow!] ¡®Durga is here?¡¯?Minerva noticed. Among the numerous messages from the Celestials was a message from Kali¡¯s mother, with whom Kali had parted ways long ago. Minerva again saw with her own eyes what kind of impact Chang-Sun had made. [The angels have put you on the wanted list!] [The demons demand your cooperation. They wish to question you about the incident that happened in the ¡®Star Grave¡¯!] Uriel and the guards tenaciously chased after Minerva and the others. ¡®On the other hand¡­¡¯ Minerva quietly turned her head to look at Pabilsag, who seemed furious at Tiamat for another reason. ¡°Mom! What did you mean by ¡®marriage¡¯?!¡± [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ scoffs at her daughter, telling her that grown-ups are talking.] ¡°Lee Chang-Sun is mine! Mine! I told you not to touch him!¡± Pabilsag waved her arms around in fury. [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ nonchntly answers that firste, first served.] ¡°Mom!¡± Pabilsag gaped. [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ advises her daughter to go wash her feet, go to her room, and sleep.] ¡°I¡¯m not a child! Stop sending me messages and just talk! Talk! You know how to talk!¡± Pabilsag shouted at the top of her lungs. [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ yawns for quite some time, thinking that this is getting boring.] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ already has a lot of work to do because she has to throw the angels off the track, so she decides to ignore her daughter.] ¡°Argghhh!! Mom!!!!¡± Pabilsag pulled her hair out. Pabilsag seemed to be yelling at her mom because Tiamat had offered to marry Chang-Sun to establish an alliance. After all, nothing else could make an alliance more concrete. Besides, if Chang-Sun could have the Faraway Heaven of the Nine Heavens as his ally, then Minerva would also benefit from the situation through her secret alliance with Chang-Sun. Hence, she should be happy about Tiamat¡¯s offer. However, Minerva frowned as she looked back and forth between Chang-Sun and Tiamat. For some reason, her heart ached. ¡®¡­Why does my heart hurt?¡¯ * * * [You have entered the Earth server!] [You are currently in the sky of Frankfurt, Germany.] ¡°Thank you.¡± Chang-Sun bowed with his Jigwi¡¯s wings spread open upon returning to Earth¡¯s stratosphere. He could see one of Tiamat¡¯s eyes through a spatial gap. Due to her incredibly high divine ss, she could distort thew of causality if she approached Earth, so she teleported Chang-Sun to it instead. Meanwhile, Kali was already back at the Changgwi Cave, and Uriel had returned to after losing Chang-Sun and the others. ¡ºDon¡¯t mention it. I did what any ally should do. That being said, does this mean I can look forward to the gift you¡¯ll bring the next time we meet?¡» For some reason, Chang-Sun felt as if he knew what gift Tiamat was looking forward to. However, he decided to pretend as if he didn¡¯t understand anything. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again.¡± Tiamat chuckled. ¡ºDon¡¯t y too hard to get! Hahaha! You¡¯ll be less charming if you do that, though¡­ and you¡¯ll be more attractive if you keep doing what you¡¯re doing now. Anyway, take care.¡» [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ waves her hand in sorrow and asks you to meet with her again since your meeting with her onlysted for a short while!] Thud! After letting her daughter send a message, Tiamat closed her eye. When she did, Chang-Sun noticed the pressure that he had subconsciously been feelingpletely disappear. ¡°Phew¡­!¡± Chang-Sun heaved a long sigh of relief. He could feel the cool breeze in his lungs. From the ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯ to the , Chang-Sun had spent the past several days among Celestials, subconsciously tiring him out and tensing him up. Although Chang-Sun had reached the level of a demigod, it seemed he still had to go through and before bing spiritually free. ¡ºSo this is Earth¡ªthe where you originally lived.¡» Kali¡¯s voice echoed in his head. She was probably looking at Earth. Chang-Sun also looked down, finding Frankfurt in the distance. ¡°Why are you talking like this is your first time seeing this ce? You have the Elfin¡¯s memory,¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡ºIt was before my personality woke up, so it feels different. I understand now why you were so proud of this ce.¡» ¡°I was?¡± ¡ºYou don¡¯t remember? When I asked about your hometown long ago, you said that Earth is a blue with beautiful oceans and lights,¡»Kali reminded Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t remember saying that, so he just kept silent. However, he did feel how much he missed Earth. At the time, Chang-Sun had believed that he had forgotten everything about Earth, but deep down, it seemed he had always missed it. He also noticed that Kali was in a simr state. She missed Himavat the snow mountain, her hometown. Unlike the blue Earth, the mountain was snow-white and filled with dense trees. Wanting Kali¡¯s wish toe true, he said, ¡°Your priests are on Earth to find me.¡± ¡º¡­ Then?¡» ¡°We¡¯re going find them. We¡¯re near my next target location, so you¡¯ll meet them soon.¡± ¡ºSoon¡­!¡» Chang-Sun imagined Kali clenching her fists. ¡°But I have to take care of business first. It won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡ºWhat business would that be?¡» Chang-Sun smirked. ¡°Conquest.¡± Here in Frankfurt, as his first step toward bing Earth¡¯s only Celestial, Chang-Sun would start turning all the people in Europe into believers of the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ Chapter 244: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (3)

Chapter 244: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (3)

¡°Hmm?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head in confusion upon seeing the crowd that stretched from the Frankfurt Central Station to Romerberg. As if a festival was underway, a lot of people were on the street. What caught his attention the most was that most of them were wearing white tops with owl drawings, the Illuminati¡¯s symbol, on them. ¡®I did hear Minerva has made Joachim Wolff her apostle. Is that rted to this?¡¯ Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t aware of Joachim¡¯s prayer incident, which was now called the Frankfurt Miracle. After the incident, Minerva¡¯s followers from all around Europe gathered in Frankfurt to celebrate the birth of her first apostle. ¡ºIt doesn¡¯t look like everyone is Minerva¡¯s follower,¡»Kali said. Chang-Sun nodded in agreement. Some of the people were wearing clothes that weren¡¯t rted to the Illuminati. ¡®They seem to be from dozens of organizations. Among them, four stand out the most,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. One of the symbols belonged to the Revenant n, which was led by the Immortal Overlord, whom he had met in France. The other two were a zing ck me and a two-headed Dragon, which were the symbols of the most famous ns in Europe, just like the Revenant n. ¡®Hellfire Club of Ennd and?Zmei of Russia.¡¯ ¡ºThey¡¯re followers of Saxnot and Veles.¡» ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ Saxnot was one of the sr Celestials and could utilize the dagger of light. On the other hand, Veles was the Celestial who oversaw luck and good harvest, spreading magic wonders around the world. Their divine sses were also very high, so their religious orders¡ªtheir ns¡ªcould be powerful enough to represent their countries. ¡®Why are they all here?¡¯? The Illuminati, Revenant, Hellfire Club, and Zmei shared twomon denominators: they all represented Europe¡¯s powerful countries and were led by an Overlord. In essence, they were Europe itself. Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t take the sudden gathering of such figures lightly. ¡°The news of the Blue Wolf Duke bing an apostle is certainly worth celebrating, but for so many n delegates toe and congratte him¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha! That shows how influential our Illuminati is!¡± ¡°Even though we didn¡¯t have an apostle, the Illuminati still managed to be one of the Five Great ns. Now that we have an Overlord, we¡¯re bound to rise higher!¡± ¡°Hahaha! You bet it is!¡± The pedestrians sounded excited. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, the Immortal Overlord and Mage Overlord areing over themselves.¡± ¡°Hey, man! Haven¡¯t you heard the Flying Dragon Overlord is also nning to pay a visit?¡± ¡°Ah, really? I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It was announced just this morning, so that¡¯s probably why you haven¡¯t heard.¡± ¡°Gosh! The four ¡®kings¡¯ of Europe in the same room? In our city? That moment will go down in history!¡± Chang-Sun deduced several facts from the people¡¯s conversations. Joachim, who used to be a Duke-ss yer, was now recognized as a ¡®king,¡¯ an Overlord. To celebrate the event, countries around the world had sent delegates, which was why four of the Ten Overlords and several European high-rankers were here in Frankfurt. Every piece of information was noteworthy. People had alreadye up with cool names for the event, including ¡°European Meeting¡± and ¡°Four Overlord Conference.¡± ¡®Four of the Overlords are visiting as delegates to congratte Joachim¡­? The leaders of Europe having a meeting here means they¡¯re about to make a big political deal.¡¯? The Illuminati and Revenant ns were two of the Five Great ns. An alliance between them alone could disrupt the world¡¯s power bnce. ¡®I was nning to use the Illuminati as a cover to conquer Europe little by little¡­ but this might just make things easier.¡± It seemed something big had happened during the several days Chang-Sun was away. He had to find out what exactly it was before meeting Joachim and Team L. [The Skill ¡®Wind-Stalking Tiger¡¯ has been activated, manifesting the Skill ¡®Concealment¡¯!] Chang-Sun disappeared into the crowd. * * * ¡®¡­ Should I call them delegates visiting to congratte me or thugs from the streets? I¡¯m confused.¡¯ Joachim sighed quietly, looking at the people sitting around therge round table. The Revenant, Hellfire Club, Zmei, Red Star, Venomous Serpent Fang, Blue Ocean Evil Spirit¡­ All the ns present were major ns in Europe. The leaders of the delegates, who were currently sitting at the table, were at least level seventy Marquess-ss high-rankers. They exuded auras to unt themselves, causing the building they were in right now to shake so hard it seemed as if it would crumble down at any second. Joachim wished they had nevere here if they were just going topete over who had the biggest fist. He felt even more annoyed since he didn¡¯t even want them to visit in the first ce. ¡®Still, I should hold myself back,¡¯?Joachim thought. This was the first public event he was attending since bing the leader of the Illuminati, so he couldn¡¯t look weak. His title, Blue Wolf Duke, had changed to Blue Wolf Overlord, but people just called him that to show respect to the Illuminati, one of the Five Great ns. Compared to the other three Overlords, Joachim wasn¡¯t really famous. ¡°Everyone took out time from their busy lives toe here themselves and congratte the Illuminati, our forever ally and friend, for this momentous asion. This is certainly an auspicious day.¡± The first one to speak was Flying Dragon Overlord Sergei Zolotov, the leader of the Zmei. He was the famous Dragon Tamer who reared dragon-type monsters like Wyverns, Drakes, and Wyrms. Like a typical Russian, he was hot-tempered but unlikely to hold a grudge. Many people paid attention to Sergei when he started talking eloquently. Mage Overlord Ben Eddy had always been on bad terms with the Flying Dragon Overlord, so his eyes narrowed at him. Meanwhile, Immortal Overlord Jacque Valentine just nonchntly closed his eyes as he always did. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone found it difficult to spare some time to be here today, so I hope we¡¯ll achieve a very fruitful result. I believe everyone is on the same page with me here.¡± Sergei took a look around. His eyes, which were as sharp as a Dragon observing its prey, narrowed. ¡°I doubt anyone would back out now that we havee this far.¡± ¡°¡­ Cough! Cough!¡± ¡°Mmmmm!¡± ¡®I knew it. This is why they¡¯re here.¡¯?Joachim smiled bitterly as he watched the delegates turn their heads to the side and clear their throats. Sergei seemed to be uncharacteristically polite for some reason, but it turned out he was just starting to ckmail everyone that this meeting wouldn¡¯t end well if the people didn¡¯t do as he said. ¡°If you talk that way, the other delegates may have a wrong idea of you,¡± Ben said. ¡°Ha! Stop acting all noble. There is nothing to misunderstand right now. The fact that you¡¯re all here now means you¡¯ve all done your calctions.¡± Sergei scoffed quietly, his eyes still as sharp as a Dragon¡¯s. He looked as if he would attack anyone who would try to contradict him again. p, p! ¡°Now, now, let¡¯s not think of this too hard.¡± Ben pped lightly to brighten up the mood. If Ben left Sergei be, he would just keep suppressing everyone. As a noble and a knight that represented Great Britain, Ben really didn¡¯t want this meeting to have such a conclusion. The delegates should be free to participate in or withdraw from the current agenda. ¡°The Flying Dragon Overlord might have put it in strongnguage, but he isn¡¯t wrong. All of you must be aware of the numerous incidents that have started to change the world,¡± Ben elegantly said. Befitting a noble, his voice carried the irresistible dignity of a ¡®king,¡¯ which he always talked about. Ben continued, ¡°The U.S. defeated Mexico much faster than we originally anticipated, and they¡¯re now beginning to influence South America. When Korea and Japan took their side, the U.S. also started trying to get their hands on the Pacific Ocean. That made China feel threatened enough to speed up its operation to branch out to the South China Sea. China and the U.S. will most likely sh in the near future. North Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Africa are currently taking China¡¯s side.¡± Gulp! Someone nervously swallowed their saliva. ¡°The world is splitting in half with the Pacific Ocean in the center, just like it did during the Cold War. In this situation, what should we, Europe, do?¡± Ben asked. ¡°Work¡­ together?¡± Hearing the right answer, Ben smiled contentedly and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It isn¡¯t those Asians or parvenus of the New Continent that has been leading the world since the Age of Discovery. It¡¯s us¡ªthe Europeans. We still have great potential. We have four kings right here today, and two of the Five Great ns are based here in Europe. However, the reality is that the EU is now all sh and no substance. Its self-serving members are divided among themselves. Hence, despite its potential, Europe can¡¯t use its full power.¡± Everyone paid attention to Ben. Although Joachim was the owner of the building they were in, Ben was currently the one leading the conversation because he had been voluntarily working as the leader of Europe for a long time now. ¡°Right this instant, we have to start working together and create a third force before the U.S. and China be strong enough to try to rip us apart.¡± Ben caught his breath, then enunciated his next words. ¡°If we can build a proper force, we, Europe, can be the leader of the world in the twenty-first and twenty-second centuries.¡± Since four Overlords and two of the Five Great ns basically ounted for half the yers around the world, Ben suggested building one giantmunity with them. Badump! Badump! The delegates¡¯ hearts raced as they imagined rising victorious in this new hegemonicpetition and bing the new leader of the world. When Dungeons and Gates first opened up on Earth, humans had to fight for their survival. That marked the start of the first generation, the Survival Era. Afterward, humans built organizations called ns and began to raid the Dungeons. When people found out how amazing the resources from the Dungeons were, rted industries thrived. That epoch waster called the second generation, the Profit Competition Era. The Profit Competition Era had nowe to an end. Unlike before, almost all the countries could now protect their citizens even if Dungeons suddenly appeared. Now that the countries had reached stability amid the appearance of Dungeons and Gates, it was time for them to use their powers outward. This was the beginning of the third generation, the Hegemonic Competition Era. From now on, they would bepeting in a race. Whoever fell behind in this race would go down for good, and the people and countries in the lead would take everything. ¡°So I, Ben Eddy, would like to make a proposal on behalf of the United Kingdom, Ennd-Europe Union, and the Hellfire Club. Let¡¯s create amunity that will unite all European countries and efficiently manage the ns and yers.¡± As a matter of fact, Europe¡¯s countries and ns had almost finished negotiating the creation of thatmunity before this meeting. Hence, everyone already knew that the Mage Overlord would make such a proposal, but they couldn¡¯t help tensing up now that they had heard it with their own ears. Many people held their breath, feeling as if they were bing a part of a moment that would go down in the history books decadester. ¡°I, Sergei Zolotov, agree on behalf of the Russian Federation and Zmei.¡± Sergei raised his hand. Despite having fought each other for the right to lead the European Continent for hundreds of years, Ennd and Russia joined hands for the first time. Hence, the other countries couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate anymore. ¡°On behalf of Spain¡­¡± ¡°Portugal¡­¡± ¡°Find¡­¡± ¡°Greece¡­¡± While the European Union only had twenty-seven members, over thirty countries¡¯ delegates were present here today. In total, this meeting had a hundred and thirty-six ns participating. When everyone finished dering their stances, Ben, Sergei, and everyone looked at Jacque and Joachim. The Immortal Overlord represented France and the Revenant n, while the Blue Wolf Overlord spoke for Germany and the Illuminati. They didn¡¯t say anything, but without them, themunity would be just another ¡®all sh and no substance.¡¯ ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll do it,¡± Jacque nonchntly answered, not caring how this meeting would end. Ben and Sergei quietly heaved a sigh of relief and clenched their fists. For the past decades, Jacque had remained the strongest yer in the world, so having him as themunity¡¯s symbol would make themunity more influential. All that remained now was for Joachim, the leader of the Illuminati, to agree to the creation of themunity. Since the Illuminati had the most followers in Europe, the n was essential in uniting their continent. However, Joachim remained quiet, seemingly pondering about something. The sight made Ben and Sergei slightly frown. To build Joachim up, they recognized him as an Overlord, even though he hadn¡¯t even reached level 90 yet, and were helping him mark his celebration by granting him the achievement of creating a new Europeanmunity. Nevertheless, after receiving all the benefits, Joachim dyed giving his answer. Not long after, Joachim¡¯s eyes turned cold as he looked at Ben and Sergei. ¡°Before I answer, I would like to ask you a question,¡± Joachim said. ¡°If we do manage to create a newmunity, what will the first item on its agenda be?¡± On behalf of everyone, Ben asked, ¡°Does it matter?¡± ¡°Of course it does. Themunity¡¯s first agenda will set the main direction on how themunity will work.¡± ¡°Unlike the EU, themunity won¡¯t be nominally about protecting human rights or equality. That will just divide and pit us against each other again. It¡¯s going to be all about profit¡­ Europe¡¯s profit and hegemony,¡± Ben exined. ¡°Which means¡­?¡± ¡°The biggest obstacle to ourmunity¡¯s growth is the United States. Korea, where the Sword Overlord is, has just joined the U.S.¡¯s side. Hence, there is a high chance that the U.S. will continue getting in our way. I have also heard rumors about the Tyrant defeating the Killer Overlord¡­ I don¡¯t know how much of it is true, but we can¡¯t just disregard it,¡± Ben continued. When Chang-Sun was mentioned, Joachim¡¯s expression subtly changed. Everyone knew the news about the Killer Overlord¡¯s sudden disappearance, which was how Joachim managed to be one of the Ten Overlords as the Blue Wolf Overlord in the first ce. However, some imed that the Tyrant should be the new Overlord since he was the one who had defeated the Killer Overlord. Joachim knew the whole truth. ¡°Once the Tyrant gets to the United States, which is his next destination¡­ It''ll be like giving wings to a tiger. I don¡¯t even have to mention how much stronger the White Tiger n will be with two kings.¡± Ben shook his head. The Merdane n, which the Blood Overlord led before, used to be one of the Five Great ns, but the White Tiger n had taken over its position. After Chang-Sun¡¯s business trip, the White Tiger n would be unstoppable. The Five Great ns could even be reduced to just one. At that point, even the U.S. would likely have to tiptoe around Korea, their ally. ¡°We have to stop them, don¡¯t we?¡± Ben asked. ¡°¡­ Please tell me your n in detail,¡± Joachim quietly requested. Ben clicked his tongue, then coldly said, ¡°I¡¯m going to ask the Tyrant to leave the White Tiger n and join us.¡± ¡°What if he refuses?¡± ¡°We should nip trouble in the bud.¡± Ben shrugged. ¡°¡­!¡± Joachim sprang up from his seat, looking very angry. Chang-Sun was his savior and the master he would serve one day, so he naturally opposed the n. ¡°Hold it. If you move any further, things could turn ugly,¡± Sergei muttered under his breath, coldly smiling. His hanger sword, his favorite weapon, was already under Joachim¡¯s chin. Drip! Sergei¡¯s hanger sword left a scratch on Joachim¡¯s neck. Blood dripped down from his wound and flowed down on the weapon¡¯s de. Joachim¡¯s clenched fists trembled. ¡°Blue Wolf Overlord, I know how close you are with the Tyrant, but to be a true ¡®king,¡¯ you have to learn how to sacrifice the lesser good for the greater good.¡± Ben smiled coldly. Chapter 245: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (4)

Chapter 245: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (4)

¡°Urgghhh! They¡¯re here¡­!¡±? Baek Gyeo-Ul was dreaming right now. Ever since he had merged with Bardiya, his other personality in his shadows, he asionally had this dream of a man who resembled him¡ªno, a man who looked exactly like him running away quickly. The man was inside a forest that was far from normal, considering it was in the Imaginary ne, a world of pitch-ck shadow. Everything in it had no color except ck or gray. It was a hidden and shadow ne of Trailokya and the Six Paths, but the problem was that the people who weren¡¯t supposed to be there were pouring into the ne. The bursts of were ripping the shadows in this ne apart. Nevertheless, the man continued to run to find thest hope even though his everything was getting destroyed. ¡°A little more, a little more¡­! If I get there, I¡¯ll be able to find Twilight¡­!¡± The man muttered under his breath.? Twilight. The man kept repeating the name of Twilight. ¡®Twilight.¡¯?Gyeo-Ul repeated. He really wanted to ask the man in his dream who Twilight was. * * * ¡®Is this the ce?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. After following the GPS on his smartphone for a while, Chang-Sun stopped in front of an old house, his destination, on an ordinary street. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯m at the right ce.¡¯ Detecting the faint presence of people inside the house when he sharpened his senses, he quietly pushed the gate. It was left unlocked, so he opened it with ease. The first thing Chang-Sun saw was a front yard so unkempt it seemed people hadn¡¯t lived here for some time. However, he could sense people quietly watching him from the darkness. [The Authority ¡®Monster Excursion¡¯ has been activated, detecting hidden enemies!] ¡°Come out,¡± Chang-Sun said, but no one answered. ¡°If you don¡¯te out, I¡¯ll assume you¡¯re trying to kill me.¡± When Chang-Sun put his hand on [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], which hung on his belt, over a dozen people dropped down to the ground. ¡°Hmph¡­!¡± ¡®Thumb Finger¡¯ Wojtek, who was standing in front of the group, bit his lower lip. He did not like how the Crna Ruka assassins were tiptoeing around Chang-Sun. ¡°You don¡¯t have to act that menacing, you know.¡± ¡®Index Finger¡¯ Hyacinth, who was also with them, red at Chang-Sun. He seemed to have be more courageous since they were in the Crna Ruka¡¯s safehouse in Frankfurt, which meant they were in assassins¡¯ territory. ¡°Is that so?¡± Chang-Sun nonchntly asked. ¡°Ye¡ª!¡± Hyacinth abruptly stopped. sh! Before Hyacinth could finish speaking, Chang-Sun slit his throat with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. Thump¨D! Hyacinth looked like he didn¡¯t even know how he died. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to back out if you have a problem?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head. Thud. Watching Hyacinth¡¯s headless corpse fall to the ground, Wojtek¡¯s hands faintly trembled. ¡®¡­ I couldn¡¯t see anything.¡¯ Wojtek didn¡¯t even realize that Chang-Sun had unsheathed his sword. He had always believed that he had sharp eyes since he could follow Killer Overlord Czestochowa¡¯s movements. However, he couldn¡¯t even notice signs that Chang-Sun was about to attack. ¡®He has gotten way stronger over the past several days!¡¯ Chang-Sun disappeared after breaking through the trap of the ¡¯s demonic beings. When Wojtek found out about it, he thought Chang-Sun was simply resting somewhere due to fatigue. However, it seemed Chang-Sun instead found enlightenment and reached a level that Wojtek couldn¡¯t possibly reach. ¡®Demigod¡­ He¡¯s at least as strong as a demigod, which is the Sword Overlord¡¯s level. Shit! Then that means someone as monstrous as the Sword Overlord is right in front of us! Of all the people in the world, why did I have to be involved with him?!¡¯ Wojtek cursed Czestochowa over and over again for messing with the tiger named Chang-Sun. ¡°Weren¡¯t there three of you?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°¡­ If you¡¯re talking about Vitus, he died trying to assassinate the Red Eagle Duke.¡± ¡°You all must have taken quite a lot of damage,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°Losing our Skills and Authorities weakened us, so that¡¯s only natural.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Chang-Sun nonchntly nodded. After briefly biting his lower lip, Wojtek said, ¡°... You said you¡¯ll give us [Demon Faces] to recover our powers if we do as you said. Please keep your end of the bargain.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s confirm that you¡¯ve all done your job first.¡± ¡°Bring it!¡± Wojtek shouted as he quickly turned back, worried that Chang-Sun would go back on his words. Wojtek¡¯s subordinate opened the package wrapped in cloth that he had been holding cautiously, then showed it to Chang-Sun. The package was the head of someone who looked like he died in pain. ¡°This is the head of Constantine Brunnit, the Red Eagle Duke. Those packages over there are his minions¡¯ heads.¡± Wojtek pointed at his other subordinates. They opened the packages they carried, revealing the heads of their assassination targets. ¡°Thanks to Joachim Wolff and the Frankfurt Miracle, the people on the Red Eagle Duke¡¯s side quickly lost power. Using the confusion of the moment, we were able to eliminate them. Only thirty percent of our people survived, though,¡± Wojtek reported. Although Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure what exactly the miracle was, he assumed it took ce when Minerva appointed Joachim as her apostle. ¡°Thirty percent, huh?¡± Chang-Sun murmured. ¡°Yes, so please give us the masks. If you want, we will even swear our loyalty¡ª!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I don¡¯t trust criminals¡¯ loyalty?¡± Chang-Sun interrupted. ¡°Then¡­!¡± Wojtek¡¯s voice trembled a bit. ¡°Still, putting you all under leashes is better than nothing.¡± Chang-Sun pulled out a mask and handed it to Wojtek. The gloomy-looking swan mask looked somewhat ludicrous. [Swan Demon Face] The mncholic persona of the yer Lee Chang-Sun. Wearing the mask will restore the power that the Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ has granted. However, wearing it will also force the user to give their Faith to the persona¡¯s owner. Gulp! With shaking hands, Wojtek reached out for the swan mask. He instinctively knew that it would not only restore his diminishing power but also make him a lot stronger than before. Maybe he would even reach a level that was almost close to an Overlord. ¡°You know what will happen once you wear this, don¡¯t you?¡± Chang-Sun asked. Wojtek nodded slightly as he thought, ¡®I¡¯ll never be able to defy him.¡¯ He was well aware of the mechanism of [Demon Face], which was the materialization of the Authority user¡¯s persona. Once Wojtek wore the mask, he would fallpletely under Chang-Sun¡¯s control. Chang-Sun could even just throw him away after enving him around. Nevertheless¡­ ¡®That¡¯s no different from when I worked for Czestochowa!¡¯?Wojtek clenched his teeth as he politely epted the swan mask. After a couple of deep breaths, Wojtek wore it. Click¨D! The swan mask fit him perfectly, making it seem as if it was his from the start. [The yer ¡®Wojtek¡¯ has put on your ¡®Swan Demon Face¡¯!] [The yer ¡®Wojtek¡¯ isn¡¯t your Subordinate.] [Starting the subordination process!] ¡°Arggghh!¡± Wojtek groaned. Chang-Sun¡¯s mana dug into Wojtek from the swan mask. Wojtek paled as his veins bulged, making his condition seem critical enough for him to die any time soon. [Eradicating the Divinity fragment of the Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ inside the yer ¡®Wojtek¡¯ as part of the subordination process.] [5% of the Divinity fragment has been eradicated.] [11% of the Divinity fragment has been eradicated.] ¡­ [The Divinity of the Celestial ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ has been eradicated! Granting the yer ¡®Wojtek¡¯ new Divinity(Attribute: Darkness)!] [Carving a ¡®Stigma.¡¯] Xue Yong used to be the Guardian of the Crna Ruka. However, now that he had been sealed, all his Channelings had been terminated. Without its owner, Xue Yong¡¯s Divinity in Wojtek was fading, so Chang-Sun decided to destroy it and rece it with his. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t have his own Divinity because he hadn¡¯t yet, but he could still control the Crna Ruka assassins using the from his [Ferocious Heart]. A mortal could die from mana deviation if the Divinity inside them was reced, but¡­ ¡®That¡¯s their problem,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He wanted to take over only the best the Crna Ruka had to offer, so this was the perfect opportunity to get rid of assassins who would break down from this. ¡°Urgggh¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Keugh!¡± ¡°Ahhh! What¡ª?!¡± The more Wojtek suffered, the more his subordinates retched and grabbed their chests. They, too, seemed to be having their Divinity reced with Chang-Sun¡¯s darkness. Chang-Sun watched them coldly for a moment before entering the safehouse. * * * [The number of Celestials watching you has increased!] [The current total: 1,861 viewers.] [The Celestial ¡®Geminus¡¯ frowns as he watches you.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ covers the eyes of the Celestial ¡®Geminus,¡¯ protecting you.] Ever since Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinate resurrected as Kali, the number of the Celestials watching over him kept on increasing. ¡ºYou said Xerxes¡¯ son is here, didn¡¯t you?¡»Kali asked. Yes.¡¯ ¡ºA son¡­ It¡¯s fortunate that he managed to leave a trace.¡» When Kali¡¯s personality woke up, the first thing she requested was to see Xerxes¡¯ son. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Gyeo-Ul would look, considering he had a part of Xerxes¡¯ personality in his subconsciousness. ¡ºDidn¡¯t you make him your shadow? Why isn¡¯t he with you right now?¡» Before Chang-Sun headed to ¡°Owl¡¯s Nest,¡¯ he instructed Gyeo-Ul to go to Frankfurt and keep the Crna Ruka in check while staying in the shadows. He then told the Team L members to stay with Joachim. That allowed him to keep track of things while he was away. He had to get to the U.S. and take his first step in conquering Europe quickly, so he decided to deploy them to different missions. ¡®I needed him to do a job for me,¡¯?Chang-Sun replied. ¡ºYou were just worried about him getting hurt, weren¡¯t you?¡» ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡ºI knew it.¡»Kali sighed. ¡ºPhew! Based on what I¡¯ve seen from the Elfin¡¯s memory, I think he can take care of himself.¡» ¡®Not enough to be involved with Celestials.¡¯ ¡ºYou¡¯re just not trying to give him a chance to be involved.¡»Kali now sounded serious. ¡ºYou probably haven¡¯t even told him about his father yet. The boy is trying hard in his own way just so he can fight alongside you, so you should be proud of him and his efforts. If you keep coddling him to protect him, he won¡¯t be able to improve, which will frustrate him in the end.¡» Chang-Sun smiled bitterly. Kali sounded as if she was scolding Chang-Sun for protecting their nephew too much. Kali had a point, though. If Chang-Sun continued keeping the whole story from Gyeo-Ul, Gyeo-Ul would be more and more curious. ¡ºYou¡¯re probably being careful because there are many eyes on you, but you don¡¯t have to act that cautiously anymore, do you?¡» Kali was right again, so Chang-Sun could only nod quietly. Looking at Chang-Sun, Kali quietly chuckled. ¡ºIt would be best to tell him the whole story now. It will be my first time meeting him, so let me do the honor.¡» ¡®What are you going to do¡ª?!¡¯?Chang-Sun asked, unsure of what exactly Kali was trying to do. [Your Subordinate ¡®Kali¡¯ has revealed herself!] Without answering, Kali jumped out from the wide-open Changgwi Cave. At that moment, the safehouse¡¯s door also opened, and Gyeo-Ul entered. ¡°Hyung¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul looked confused. Hearing themotion outside, he decided toe out. However, he didn¡¯t expect to run into Chang-Sun. His face brightened up, but Kali suddenly stood between him and Chang-Sun, thrusting her wooden staff toward Gyeo-Ul¡¯s neck. Gyeo-Ul was surprised, but he still calmly drew up his shadows and deflected Kali¡¯s wooden staff to the side. Boom! ¡¸You¡¯re calm and collected! Very good. You have a very solid foundation, but¡­¡¹ Kali wasn¡¯t done. She turned and swung her wooden staff against Gyeo-Ul¡¯s lower body, demonstrating her precise and exceptional techniques. While Chang-Sun had excellentbat skills, which he developed on battlefields, Kali was great at traditional martial arts and training people. Whirl! ¡¸... it¡¯s too early to finalize my assessment of you.¡¹ ¡°¡­ Hup!¡± Gyeo-Ul inhaled sharply. Continuing this exchange of attacks with Kali made him feel as if he would use up his shadows. Hence, he instead covered himself with them. Even his ck Dragon Fang turned pitch-ck as he thrust it forward. [The yer ¡®Baek Gyeo-Ul¡¯ has activated the Trait ¡®Shadow y¡¯!] Boom, boom, boom! As they shed multiple times in seconds, Kali sharply assessed Gyeo-Ul. ¡¸Bnce, grip, footwork¡­ All your skills are below average. It seems you tried to mimic Twil¡ªChang-Sun¡¯s skills to improve those youck. However, without a perfect understanding of what you¡¯re trying to replicate, they will only be a problem for you in the future. You won¡¯t be able to improve yourself enough to get out of Chang-Sun¡¯s shelter. Youck stamina and are slow to learn, so how can you even think of mimicking Chang-Sun? If a sparrow tries to keep up with an eagle, the sparrow is bound to run into a problem one day. That being said, you arecking in too many areas.¡¹ Boom, boom, boom! Gyeo-Ul actually couldn¡¯t hear a word of what Kali said because he was too busy getting beaten up. Although he had initially managed to block Kali¡¯s attacks several times, he was rendered helpless when sheunched a barrage of attacks with her wooden staff. Kali moved like a snake. Whenever Gyeo-Ul tried to attack her, she dodged, and whenever he tried to flee from her, she tenaciously chased after him, aiming for his vital spots. Boom¨D! Kali eventually struck the pit of Gyeo-Ul¡¯s stomach with her wooden staff and unleashed an explosion. The attack destroyed half of Gyeo-Ul¡¯s shining ck [Shadow Armor] and sent him flying quite a distance away. It was a miracle that he even managed tost this long. ¡°rrghh!!!¡± Gyeo-Ul put his hands on the floor and vomited blood and everything in his stomach. ¡ºMaster,¡»Jin Prezia called, silently asking if it was okay to leave Gyeo-Ul and Kali like that. It seemed that working with Gyeo-Ul several times had made Jin care about him. Hence, he was bound to feel worried and confused. After all, Gyeo-Ul was getting beaten up without any exnation. ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯?Chang-Sun shook his head. ¡ºBut¡­¡» ¡®Kali must have a reason.¡¯ ¡º¡­ if you say so, master.¡» Jin didn¡¯t argue further. Kiyoo¡­ Even Cadmus became worried, which it expressed by howling quietly on Chang-Sun¡¯s shoulder. Tap¨D! ¡¸I like one thing about you, though.¡¹ Kali chuckled while looking down at Gyeo-Ul, who was coughing up blood. ¡¸Your eyes are the same as your father¡¯s.¡¹ [A curtain of your envelops the area!] [Separating the area!] [All the Channelings connected to the outside world have temporarily been disconnected.] Chang-Sun cut all the Channelings to the outside world as a precaution. ¡°¡­ As I thought, you know my father,¡± Gyeo-Ul murmured. Gyeo-Ul forcefully raised his head. Despite Kali¡¯s slightly scrawny physique, she looked and was strong. For some reason, Kali didn¡¯t look like a stranger to Gyeo-Ul. ¡¸As you thought?¡¹Kali tilted her head in confusion.¡¸This is your first time meeting me.¡¹ ¡°I met you in my dreams.¡± Gyeo-Ul slowly stood up, wiping blood off his mouth using the back of his hand. Although he was wobbling, his eyes were still glued on Kali. ¡¸Dream?¡¹ ¡°Yes, my father was always with four people in the dreams, and you were one of them. And¡ª!¡± Gyeo-Ul nced at Chang-Sun, who was standing behind Kali, then turned his head back to Kali. ¡° Let me ask you one question¡­ Who are you?¡± Kali smirked and sped her hands behind her back, her deep eyes reflecting Gyeo-Ul. At that moment, she didn¡¯t look like a goddess of destruction. She was the great sage who cultivated in Himavat the snow mountain. ¡¸From now on, I will be your teacher.¡¹ ¡°Teacher¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul repeated nkly. ¡¸Yes. I happened to be the martial art teacher to the other three idiots you saw in your dreams. Does that suffice as an introduction?¡¹ Gyro-Ul¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing Kali¡¯s response. He swiftly turned his head to Chang-Sun. ¡°The Twilight that my father kept talking about¡­ was you, hyung.¡± Chapter 246: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (5)

Chapter 246: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (5)

In the dream that Baek Gyeo-Ul repeatedly had, a man that looked exactly like him, whom he believed to be his father, always mentioned Twilight. ¡°I have to find Twilight.¡±? ¡°Twilight will save everyone.¡±? ¡°Twilight wille back someday¡­¡± Whenever Gyeo-Ul¡¯s father talked about Twilight, his voice would always be full of hope. That was why Gyeo-Ul instinctively knew that the Twilight his father talked about was Chang-Sun. When Chang-Sun told Gyeo-Ul that his father was Chang-Sun¡¯s good friend, Gyeo-Ul didn¡¯t pry into it any further. He thought the reason Chang-Sun hadn¡¯t exined the whole story was that Gyeo-Ul wasn¡¯t ready to hear about it yet. ¡®Hyung bes stronger every day. I have to always be at least good enough to fight alongside him¡­ No, even if all I can do is stay behind him, I still have to be strong enough to fight for him. That¡¯s my first goal.¡¯? Gyeo-Ul tried excruciatingly hard to aplish his objective. After merging with Bardiya, he focused on using Bardiya¡¯s ability and bing more proficient in using shadows. He believed bing stronger in this way would someday make him Chang-Sun¡¯s proper shadow, which should lead to him finally hearing the story about his father, whom he only knew by face. However, Gyeo-Ul was now in the presence of a woman who introduced herself as another friend of his father Xerxes. ¡®¡­ I¡¯m really weak,¡¯?Gyeo-Ul thought, facing the limit of reality once again. It seemed no matter how much effort he put in, he could never close and ovee the gap in power between him and his father¡¯s friends. It made him feel powerless. ¡ºLook at him. This is exactly what I was talking about.¡» After listening to Gyeo-Ul¡¯s story about his dreams, Kali sent a telepathic message to Chang-Sun with her eyes narrowed, rendering Chang-Sun speechless. Gyeo-Ul was emotionally wounded like a puppy in the rain right now, which finally made Chang-Sun realize his mistake: in his attempt to protect Gyeo-Ul, he ended up hurting him even more instead. ¡ºIt sounds like the boy received a part of Xerxes¡¯ memory when he merged with Bardiya¡­ That¡¯s probably the reason why he became more impatient and put excruciatingly immense efforts into matching your level,¡»Kali scolded Chang-Sun, who couldn¡¯t say or do anything but nod in silence. Chang-Sun shouldn¡¯t have treated Gyeo-Ul like a child or protected him blindly. Gyeo-Ul should be in charge of his own destiny. Kali¡¯s next telepathic message brought him back to reality. ¡ºBut it¡¯s not toote.¡» ¡º¡­ What are you going to do?¡» ¡ºCan I take him with me?¡» ¡ºTake him with you¡­?¡» Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t understand what Kali was saying. ¡ºI introduced myself as his future teacher for a reason. Let me train him. You and the others are alreadypleted on some level, but this boy is a new sprout. I¡¯m certain he can change if given the right nutrients, so leave him to me.¡» ¡ºWhat are you going to do with him?¡» ¡ºIf this boy agrees, I¡¯ll bring him to Himavat.¡» Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened. Himavat was Kali¡¯s divine ground. It used to have evesting snow and a Divine Tree, but it was now in ruins. ¡ºHimavat is still intact?¡»Chang-Sun asked. ¡ºOf course not. There is no way the ¡®Gemini¡¯ would have left the ce in one piece.¡» ¡ºThen¡­?¡» ¡ºAlthough it is in ruins, its foundation likely still exists. If I cultivate thend again, the Divine Tree will once again grow and rally my scattered priests to me.¡» ¡ºIt¡¯s the perfect ce for Gyeo-Ul to focus solely on training.¡» ¡ºExactly.¡»Kali nodded. Himavat the snow mountain was also known as Tribtion Mountain because the way up to the mountain was filled with trials and tribtions. Although it was a paradise for ascetics, it was hell for ordinary people. It forcefully eliminated desires and emotions that people had in the secr world. ¡ºThis boy is born with divine blood, so he¡¯ll definitely bloom someday even if he stays by your side. However, that will take too long. His techniques have to be trained systemically, and his foundation could use some work, ¡»Kali said, having assessed Gyeo-Ul. Having been trained by Kali in martial arts as well, Chang-Sun was quite familiar with how great a teacher Kali was. Hence, he couldn¡¯t help but ept with Kali¡¯s offer for the sake of the despairing Gyeo-Ul. However, her offer came with two problems. ¡ºHow will you avoid getting detected by the ¡®Gemini¡¯?¡» Chang-Sun asked. Although the offer itself was good, the ¡®Gemini¡¯, the other Celestials, and the Celestials wouldn¡¯t just leave Kali alone. ¡ºI doubt I have to worry about that for a while.¡» Why¡¯s that?¡» ¡ºShe¡¯s looking in this direction.¡» Kali pointed beyond the curtain of , bringing to Chang-Sun¡¯s awareness a familiar yet foreign presence. [The Celestial ¡®Wrath Incarnation¡¯ wanders around your mind pce.] Durga, Kali¡¯s mother and someone whom she had cut off ties with long ago, was paying attention to Chang-Sun and the others. ¡ºShe didn¡¯t really care about me until I ended up in this state, so I¡¯m not sure why she¡¯s acting like that now. Still, this is beneficial for me. I¡¯m going to seek shelter from her before I get to Himavat.¡» Durga was also known as the Nine Heavens¡¯ Red Heaven, which was located southwest of . No matter how hard the and Celestials hunted Kali down, they couldn¡¯t enter the Red Heaven¡¯s territory with ease. Fortunately, Chang-Sun knew the story between Kali and Durga. ¡ºBut if you did that¡­¡»Chang-Sun trailed off. ¡ºI¡¯ll have to yield to seek her protection,¡»Kali nonchntly replied. Chang-Sun bit his lower lip, knowing how difficult it had to have been for her to make such a decision. Chuckling, she tapped his shoulder to reassure him.¡ºDon¡¯t think about it too hard. You have given up a lot in your own ways and have been running around all over the ce to get some work done, so why shouldn¡¯t I do the same for you?¡»Kali¡¯s smile deepened. ¡ºBesides, when I heard his story, I realized Xerxes is probably wandering around the Imaginary ne again. I¡¯ll be able to track him down while cultivating Himavat.¡» ¡ºSo you¡¯re advising to tackle this on two fronts.¡» ¡ºThat is correct.¡» ¡ºWhat about your priests on Earth?¡» ¡ºWell, I¡¯m sure you can save them,¡»Kali answered as if she had put her entire faith in him. Realizing how much his friend trusted him made Chang-Sun smile bitterly. Thinking he should do his best to live up to his friend¡¯s expectations, he finally reached a decision. ¡°Gyeo-Ul.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, hyung.¡± Gyeo-Ul slowly raised his head. Looking at Chang-Sun in confusion, Gyeo-Ul was a little surprised to see Chang-Sun¡¯s agglomerating on top of his palm and transforming into a mask. ¡°Catch.¡± Chang-Sun tossed the mask to Gyeo-Ul. [The ¡®Crow Demon Face¡¯ has been created!] [Crow Demon Face] The secretive persona of the yer Lee Chang-Sun. Wearing the mask unlocks the wearer¡¯s powers and talents for as long as the mask owner remembers them. It will also enhance rted attributes and weaken the ones that are not. ¡°This is¡­?¡± Gyeo-Ul trailed off. A part of the description caught his eye. He knew the person that the mask owner remembered. ¡°You said you wanted to be stronger, right? That will change you,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°However, if you wear this, there is no going back,¡± Chang-Sun continued. The persona in the crow mask that Chang-Sun handed Gyeo-Ul was made based on his memory of Xerxes. Wearing it would allow Gyeo-Ul to use [Shadow y] to its full potential as his shadow. However, wearing it would turn Gyeo-Ul into a half-spirit again. The tight rope between a Celestial and a human¡ªno, a human and a monster¡ªthat he had been walking on would be severed once he put it on. ¡°If you wear that, you will be more than just a half-spirit. You will reach a level where you can¡¯t be called a human anymore. Monster, spirit, M¨­ry¨­¡­ you¡¯ll be one of them. Are you okay with that?¡± Chang-Sun asked. He knew how much Gyeo-Ul had wanted to undo his curse as a half-spirit, so he wanted Gyeo-Ul to think hard about it. However, contrary to his expectations, Gyeo-Ul grabbed the crow mask without hesitation as he asked, ¡°How do I use this?¡± Chang-Sun was about to tell Gyeo-Ul to give it some more thought when he abruptly chuckled. He shouldn¡¯t bother asking him that question. Gyeo-Ul was not a child anymore. ¡°No, don¡¯t use it yet.¡± Chang-Sun shook his head. ¡°Any power that you can¡¯t control will harm you.¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°Follow Kali first. She¡¯ll guide you down the path that you desire.¡± Chang-Sun gestured at Kali with his chin. Gyeo-Ul looked at Kali, who nodded silently. ¡°That path won¡¯t be easy, however,¡° Chang-Sun continued. ¡°You¡¯ll face tribtion after tribtion. There will be a lot more challenges than you can ever anticipate. You¡¯ll find yourself wanting to give up, but you must never sumb to that thought. That¡¯s all I can say.¡± Gyeo-Ul nodded as he put the [Crow Demon Face] deep into his inner pocket. ¡°Kali,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡¸Haha! Don¡¯t worry.¡¹Kali chuckled. Although Chang-Sun wondered if she could move independently from him since she was his subordinate, he quickly stopped worrying. Kali would have already thought of that problem ande up with a solution like using her Divinity or Divine ss. ¡¸Now, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Kali held out her hand to Gyeo-Ul. Gyeo-Ul stared at it for a brief moment. As he took it, he bowed to Chang-Sun to bid him farewell. Paah! [The Celestial ¡®Wrath Incarnation¡¯ has invited your Subordinate ¡®Kali¡¯ and the yer ¡®Baek Gyeo-Ul¡¯ to her divine ground!] Gyeo-Ul and Kali disappeared in a pool of light. * * * After Kali and Gyeo-Ul left, Chang-Sun headed out to the front yard again and found Wojtek¡¯s subordination process nearlyplete. Fortunately, he seeded in eliminating Xue Yong¡¯s Divinity and embracing Chang-Sun¡¯s . Pzzzz¨D! ck fog surrounded Wojtek. The fog had a tinge of purple¡ªthe color that symbolized Chang-Sun. [The subordination process of the yer ¡®Wojtek¡¯ has beenpleted!] [The previous Divinity in the yer ¡®Wojtek¡¯ has sessfully been eliminated and reced with your .] [The yer ¡®Wojtek¡¯ has been selected as your Subordinate.] [The race of the yer ¡®Wojtek¡¯ has been changed to Chooyi.] [A Soul Link has been created between the yer ¡®Wojtek¡¯ and you, his master.] ¡­ [The other yers¡¯ subordination processes have beenpleted. 49 out of 161 has seeded.] [You have sessfully taken over the n ¡®Crna Ruka¡¯!] [The Guardian of the n ¡®Crna Ruka¡¯ has been reced by ???.] [You have sessfully built an that idolizes you. You can now acquire Faith through your .] [The seed of your Divinity has sprouted. Expand your and recruit more believers by propagating and spreading your doctrines. The more Faith you have, the more your Divinity will grow.] [Grand achievement unlocked!] ¡°Order Establishment.¡± Reward: menu unlocked. Faith Creation. Level increase fo the Skill ¡®Stigma.¡¯ Pzzzzz¨D! The [Stigma] on Chang-Sun¡¯s chest began to transform, increasing in size and now reaching the part just below his chin. Feeling somewhat familiar with it, Chang-Sun quietly tapped his [Stigma] twice. [Checking your !] [Crna Ruka] Rank: D¨D Size: 49 members. Leader: Wojtek the Thumb Finger. Faith Level: 1. Description: The Guardian of this newly created is a hero who has not yet acquired divine rank and essence, preventing him from blessing its members. However, the members harbor such intense fear of their Guardian that it is almost impossible for them to betray him. The Crna Ruka¡¯s rank drastically decreased when Chang-Sun reced Xue Yong, but he paid it no heed since he couldn¡¯t prevent it from happening. ¡®I¡¯m just getting started,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. To Chang-Sun, the Crna Ruka was just another stepping stone toward Earth domination. He already had his next target in mind. ¡®I have to take over the White Tiger n to do some proper work.¡¯ Chang-Sun would be a cuckoo, a bird that takes over another bird¡¯s nest by invading it and fooling the mother bird through brood parasitism. Sorting his n in mind, Chang-Sun looked at Wojtek. Chang-Sun¡¯s had already devoured those who had failed the subordination process, so there were less than fifty assassins left in front of him. However, those who survived exuded sharp and strong auras beyond their cloaks, which had been dyed ck with Chang-Sun¡¯s , as they bowed to him. Despite losing their power, these assassins were skilled enough to eliminate an entire Illuminati faction. Now that they had regained their power, they were once again full of potential. Still, despite being rulers of the criminal underworld, they couldn¡¯t even think about defying Chang-Sun. Since they seemed to be waiting for his orders, he decided to give them one now. ¡°From what I heard, the Four Overlord Conference is taking ce in the Illuminati headquarters,¡± Chang-Sun said. Wearing [Swan Demon Face], Wojtek raised his head a little, then bowed again as he responded, ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°I feel like I should be at that conference. What do you think?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Those frauds failed to recognize the real ¡®king,¡¯ so they dared masquerade as one. They should be punished. We¡¯ll prepare ordingly,¡± Wojtek answered. He and the other assassins disappeared, nning to follow and protect Chang-Sun from the darkness. Chang-Sun left the safe house to im the seat of a ¡®king.¡¯ 1. Another supernatural enemy of a tiger. Chapter 247: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (6)

Chapter 247: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (6)

¡®They have to be crazy!¡¯ Joachim Wolff stopped himself from cursing out aloud. Did they know what they were talking about right now? ¡°This is tyranny,¡± Joachim gritted his teeth. Sergei Zolotov was the one holding a hanger sword against Joachim¡¯s neck, but Ben Eddy, who was just leisurely sitting and watching Joachim, looked more dangerous. ¡°Tyranny¡­ Yes, you might be right, but we¡¯re living in a world where someone can bite your head off if youy yourself open to attack for even just a second. If bing a tyrant is the only way to survive in this world, then I¡¯ll dly be one.¡± Ben smiled. ¡°Besides, the Immortal Overlord has already set up a sparring¡ªno, abat event between the Tyrant and the apostles. We¡¯re simply participating in that inevitable event, so we have a justifiable cause.¡± Every European high ranker knew about the quest Celestials¡¯ Curiosity, which pitted the Tyrant against the apostles and had Jacque Valentine as the mediator. Although the quest had been postponed due to the [World Net] of the , it was still technically ongoing. Ben, Sergei, and the other n leaders nned to participate in that sparring match. ¡®If he dies during the battle by an ident, no one will be able to hold us ountable,¡¯?Ben thought. The White Tiger n was rising so high that they seemed so close to reaching the sun. However, if the other n leaders could kill the Tyrant, they would be able to keep them in check. Ben would never miss this chance. ¡®Lee Chang-Sun, although you were lucky enough to escape the [World Net], you won¡¯t have it as easy this time.¡¯ No matter how talented or strong Chang-Sun was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat everyone in this building. ¡®I¡¯ll deliver the final blow once he¡¯s exhausted.¡¯ Delivering the final blow would transfer all of Chang-Sun¡¯s fame to Mage Overlord Ben Eddy, making him more famous than the Tyrant and putting him in a position to represent the entirety of Europe. Perhaps Ben could even be considered as strong as or more powerful than the Immortal Overlord. ¡°The decision is yours to make, Blue Wolf Overlord. Will you choose the Tyrant or the greater good? The Illuminati represents Germany and symbolizes Europe, so if you take your n¡¯s future into consideration, then I say everything has already been decided.¡± Remaining silent, Joachim slightly lowered his head. Ben smiled crookedly. ¡®Joachim Wolff is known to be inflexible, but as a n leader, he has no other choice.¡¯ As the Head of the Illuminati, Joachim had no choice but to abandon his personal reasons. ¡®Still, this also means he¡¯s a man of inferior caliber. He is not fit to be a ¡®king¡¯ worthy enough to be mypetition.¡¯ Ben was a little disappointed to see Joachim yield too easily. He wanted him to resist on some level so he could subdue him by force and show the gap between their levels. ¡®It¡¯s a shame. I was nning on beating the Blue Wolf Overlord to start weakening the Illuminati. Well, I¡¯ll still be able to do that soon enough.¡¯? ns led by someone so pathetic had to be eliminated in this age of unbridledpetition. Ben¡¯s final goal was to take over the Illuminati little by little and subjugate it under the Hellfire Club¡ªno, put it under the control of themunity that they would soon create. [The Celestial ¡®World-Supporting Pir¡¯ughs contentedly together with his ambitious apostle!] Even Saxnot, Ben¡¯s Guardian, chuckled at the sight. ¡°Well, who decided that?¡± Joachim slowly raised his head. Despite Ben¡¯s belief that they had scared Joachim, the usually calm gentleman¡¯s eyes had turned cold. ¡°Do you know what the Tyrant would say at a time like this?¡± Joachim asked. Sergei, who was still holding a sword against Joachim¡¯s neck, flinched. ¡®His strength¡ª!¡¯ The aura Joachim exuded was stronger than Sergei had expected. He felt as if Joachim had bared his sharp fangs to bite off his neck. Noticing something was up, Ben¡¯s expression also darkened. ¡°Bullshit.¡± Joachim smirked. [The Skill ¡®Divine Creature Instinct¡¯ has been enhanced with the blessing of the Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯!] Woosh! Joachim¡¯s mana spread out to the entire room in a sh. Like an owl opening its wings, a pool of golden light rippled through the area. ¡°Keugh!¡± Sergei grunted in shock as a strong whirlwind blew him away before he could even swing his hanger sword. He had been looking down upon Joachim all this time, so he did not expect him to hold such power. Every person in the room reacted the same way. Subdued by Joachim¡¯s aura, no one could even bring themselves to move. It was as if Joachim was telling everyone who the ruler of this ce was. In response, all they could do was tremble. ¡®Th-this is¡­!¡¯ ¡®The Illuminati¡¯s power¡­!¡¯ ¡®I underestimated him too much!¡¯ Since Jacque, Ben, and Sergei were present, peoplecently believed that Joachim would be forced to yield. However, Joachim, who was already considered the strongest Duke-ss yer, had just be even more powerful. He was by no means weak enough for other people to belittle. [The yer ¡®Joachim Wolff¡¯ is dominating the area!] [The Guardians of the yers in the area feel somber.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Supporting Pir¡¯ gives the Celestial ¡®Twillight-Piercing Owl¡¯ a death re.] ¡°If you believe you can intimidate me and make me grant everyst one of your requests just because I am a newly appointed apostle, then you¡¯re gravely mistaken.¡± Joachim looked at the crowd with his [Blue Divine Wolf Eyes] wide open. He had so much arrogance in his eyes that those around him couldn¡¯t help but think that had to be how the famous Tyrant Lee Chang-Sun would look. In fact, after pondering how to react to the situation, Joachim had decided to imitate Chang-Sun. The others looked at Jacque, hoping he would step forward, but he just nonchntly watched the situation as he always did. Screech! After a while, Ben slowly stood up and released his mana as well, thinking he shouldn¡¯t let Joachim run wild any further. If Ben let Joachim take the initiative, this wholemunity-founding agenda could fizzle out. Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! The collision between the manas from the two ¡®kings¡¯ faintly shook the building. Boom! However, before a fight could break out, a thunderous explosion echoed outside, resulting in an aftershock so powerful it almost tore down the building. Themotion made Joachim and Ben look outside the window. Even Jacque, who had been showing not an ounce of care in his seat, uncrossed his arms and turned his head toward the window. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ happening?¡± Rumble! The annex pce, which was where the entourages of the countries and ns¡¯ delegates were, was crumbling down, creating clouds of dust. ¡°¡­Hup!¡± ¡°Wait, he¡¯s¡­?¡± Ben inhaled sharply as he realized who was walking out of the clouds of dust. He looked as if he just met a demon he should never meet. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ trembling?¡¯?Ben held his breath upon noticing his hands faintly trembling. Chang-Sun was sharply looking straight in their direction. * * * Thirty minutes ago, in the hall of the Illuminati annex pce¡­ ¡°Ahh¡­ I don¡¯t know how long I should stay here.¡± Shin Eun-Seo, who was nearly lying down on the sofa, let out a long sigh. Ever since Chang-Sun and Baek Gyeo-Ul left because of the [World Net], Team L¡¯s three remaining members had been in agony. The only person they could rely on right now was Joachim, but ever since he did the ¡®Frankfurt Miracle,¡¯ they were rarely able to meet him. They essentially became fifth wheels. Aside from being unable to speak German anding from a different nationality, the Team L members were also currently on a business trip, which meant they couldn¡¯t even go sightseeing. Practically locked up in the Illuminati annex pce, they couldn¡¯t help but feel suffocated. ¡®Well, I can bear being stuck inside this ce if not for those guys¡­!¡¯?Eun-Seo turned her head and red at the Europeans who were busy talking among themselves and acting as if they couldn¡¯t see her and the other Team L members. It was worse than the time they went to France. Although they were here for the Four Overlord Conference, they also tantly and childishly ignored Team L. Some of them didn¡¯t even hesitate to scoff whenever they met a Team L member¡¯s eyes. If it hadn¡¯t been for Chang-Sun¡¯s instruction to meet him in the Illuminati headquarters, Team L would have already turned this ce upside down and headed to the airport. ¡°Stop rolling around and stay still. If you¡¯re bored, read a book,¡± Geum-Gyu said after he stopped reading his book just to look at Eun-Seo as if she was pathetic. Eun-Seo frowned. ¡°People die when they do stuff they don¡¯t usually do!¡± ¡°¡­ I wonder why you still believe that old superstition, but fine. Do what you want.¡± ¡°Arrgghh¡­ It¡¯s so boring.¡± ¡°Watch and learn from Hye-Bin. I¡¯m begging you.¡± Geum-Gyu narrowed his eyes. Unable to say anything else, Eun-So pouted. Even by her standards, Woo Hye-Bin was very calm. ¡®Yeah, an adult should behave like Hye-Bin, not me,¡¯?Eun-Seo thought. During this business trip, Hye-Bin grew the most in terms of mentality. Issues asionally came up while Chang-Sun was away, but Hye-Bin took care of them very calmly, making the others feel as if they were with Chang-Sun¡¯s female version. It was no different now. Hye-Bin¡¯s eyes remained sharp as she cautiously wiped the de of [Lightning Deity¡¯s Dagger] with her handkerchief. It seemed she was focusing on exchanging her mana with the sword, which was one of the training methods that Chang-Sun had taught the Team L members. By exchanging mana with an item, one could detect the magic forms that made up the item¡¯s Effects and learn its mechanism. ¡®He said learning the entirety of my weapon¡¯s magic form structure and mechanism will allow me to use it to its full potential in times of crisis.¡¯ Hye-Bin repeated everything Chang-Sun had said in her mind. ¡°You have too many relics.¡±? ¡°Although you can use your items without any problems right now, the higher your level and the more you learn, the more you¡¯ll find yourself relying on them. Eventually, you¡¯ll reach the point where your items will be the ones controlling you instead of the other way around.¡± The [Lightning Deity¡¯s Dagger], [Storm Deity¡¯s Dagger], [Mana Deity¡¯s Armor], and [Monster Deity¡¯s Shoes] were precariously bnced right now, allowing them to help Hye-Bin improve. However, just as Chang-Sun warned, Hye-Bin had recently been feeling as if the artifacts were using her instead of her using them. ¡°What should I do, then?¡± Hye-Bin asked.? ¡°You gave to talk to them.¡± ¡°Talk¡­?¡± Hye-Bin nkly repeated.? ¡°A weapon isn¡¯t just a tool to sh and cut. It contains the history of its previous owners¡¯ resolve and energies. When the weapon is in your hand, it bes a talisman that protects and brings you victories.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡± Hye-Bin shook her head.? ¡°The point is how much you know about your weapons,¡± Chang-Sun summarized.? Chang-Sun also mentioned that mana exchange was part of the preparation process that would enable her to start having conversations with weapons. To make a friend, one should first build a rapport. The same applied to weapons. Before Hye-Bin could be closer with her weapons, she first had to understand their magic form structures through mana exchange. Since then, whenever Hye-Bin had time, she would grab the [Lightning Deity¡¯s Dagger], infuse her mana into it little by little, and poke around its magic forms. Its structure was soplicated that just thinking about whether she could memorize it used to be enough to mentally exhaust her. However, after several mana exchanges with her weapon, she eventually got the hang of its magic form. When she did, she began circting her mana to imitate the part of the magic forms that caught her eye the most. ¡®Integrate, integrate, integrate,press¡­ Breaking point, property change¡­ One in positive charge, and another in minus charge,¡¯?Hye-Bin thought.? Pzzz¨D! Hye-Bin¡¯s concentration deepened as a blue sphere and a red sphere hovered above her palm. The strong gravity between the two spheres, which had different electrical charges, constantly dragged the charges from one sphere to the other sphere. If Hye-Bin lost her focus, she would fail to maintain the two. ¡®Enhance¡­ the gravity!¡¯? Pzz! Tiny sparks flew up in the air the moment she infused more of her mana into the mana current between the two spheres. Pzz, pzzz, pzzz! However, those yellow lightning sparks soon increased in size and number. ¡®I got it!¡¯ Ding! [You have acquired the lightning attribute!] [Your understanding of the ¡®Lightning Deity¡¯s Dagger¡¯ has deepened, unlocking a part of its Effects.] [The Skill ¡®Sword Mastery¡¯ has been acquired.] [The Trait ¡®Weapon-Handling Skill Comprehender¡¯ has been acquired.] [The relic owner stares at you quietly.] Hye-Bin was delighted. Even though mana with lightning attribute was known to be the hardest to control, she managed to learn how to use it. Perhaps because of her achievement, Indra, the original owner of the [Lightning Deity¡¯s Dagger] showed interest in her. A message from a Celestial like Indra could never be taken lightly, but it didn¡¯t really impress her. She was far too happy because of some other reason right now. ¡®My mana has finally be more simr to Mister¡¯s!¡¯? Chang-Sun had always been Hye-Bin¡¯s role model, so she hoped to walk down the same path as him. Since Chang-Sun mainly used lightning energy, she tried her best to acquire lightning mana attribute first before the other mana attributes. [Sword Mastery] and [Weapon-Handling Skill Comprehender] were also abilities that Chang-Sun had rmended to her as must-haves. ¡®I can ask Mister Chang-Sun to teach me the rest when he gets back!¡¯ Hye-Bin smiled faintly. ¡°What is with that kid? Why does she have a relic? It¡¯s like putting lipstick on a pig.¡± Casually throwing insults around in English, a ck man swaggered toward Hye-Bin and looked at the [Lightning Deity¡¯s Dagger] with sparkling eyes. Detecting the hostility in the man¡¯s tone, Hye-bin stopped smiling. ¡°The Tyrant calls a child his team member? Well, I don¡¯t have to meet him to see his¡ªKeugh!¡± Smack! Before the man could finish speaking, Hye-Bin kicked his chest, sending him rolling on the ground. Crash¨D! With cold eyes, Hye-Bin stood up from her seat. ¡°Cut your nonsense. Juste at me if you want to fight me.¡± Hye-Bin was certain that if Chang-Sun was here right now, this was how he would have reacted. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ clenches her fists and cheers you on, saying that you remind her of someone!] Chapter 248: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (7)

Chapter 248: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (7)

¡®What the¡ª?¡¯ Eric Gordon rolled on the floor, clearly dumbstruck. He couldn¡¯t understand what just happened. When he finally skidded to a stop and raised his head, all the eyes on him brought him back to his senses and made him realize how pathetic he looked in front of so many people. ¡®Shit!¡¯?Eric cursed in his head. ¡°You¡¯ve met those Koreans, haven¡¯t you? Provoke them and make them realize where they belong and how big the gap is between our levels.¡± Ben Eddy told Eric.? Ben had reassured Eric that he didn¡¯t have to worry about consequences, which was why he provoked Woo Hye-Bin. However, that only made him realize how powerful the Koreans truly were. The pce hall silenced down. It was as if someone had thrown a wet nket over the ce. Eric¡¯s fellow Hellfire Club members froze up, and the other ns had mixed emotions. The Team L members had been the ones getting ostracized, and Hye-Bin was just a middle school student, so they never expected her to respond to Eric¡¯s provocation in such a way. ¡®... Was Eric Gordon that weak?¡¯ ¡®No way. He¡¯s a ranker.¡¯ ¡®He had his guard down, but still¡­!¡¯ Frowning deeply, Eric stood up from his seat. ¡°You little sh¡ª!¡± Rumble! However, before he could finish speaking, a yellow lightning bolt flew right toward his face. Feeling the imminent danger, Eric hurriedly rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the electric projectile. His face reddened with humiliation for being forced to roll twice now. The desire to kill Hye-Bin rose within him. Paah! However, before he could react, Hye-Bin was already right in front of Eric, leaving a gust of wind in her path. ¡°You have too many weak spots. You look older than Mister Chang-Sun, yet your skills are far worse than his,¡± Hye-Bin murmured. ¡®When in the world¡ª!¡¯?Eric gaped, trembling. Hye-Bin expressionlessly sent Eric flying with a kick to his chin, breaking three to four of his teeth. Having lost consciousness due to a concussion, Eric rolled on the ground like a ragdoll as he foamed around the mouth. ¡°That bitch!¡± ¡°How dare she attack Eric?!¡± The Hellfire Club n members reacted first, but the Team L members joined the fight just in time. Eun-Seo quickly stood in front of Hye-Bin and mmed the floor with her tower shield. Holding a mace bigger than her, she growled, ¡°Bastards! Don¡¯t even think about messing with my Hye-Bin!¡± Thump! Rumble! Above Eun-Seo¡¯s head, Geum-Gyu¡¯s Magical Core quickly spun. It was engulfed in a fiery ck fire known as [ck me] the lesser version of [Hellfire]. He had recently learned to use the fires of , which melted everything in its way. ¡°Phew! Hyung told us to never cause a problem¡­¡± Geum-Gyu mumbled to himself. ¡°Are you just going to let them attack us, then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an option either. If we do that, hyung will scold us even harderter.¡± Geum-Gyu shook his head. Despite the silly conversation Geum-Gyu had with Eun-Seo, his eyes remained as sharp as a snake¡¯s. He used to be timid, but he was more confident now that he had quickly improved his magic skills. The Team L exuded sharp auras. It wasn¡¯t just Hye-Bin who responded based on how Chang-Sun would have reacted to the situation. Filled with animosity, all the Team L members were ready to turn everything upside down if anyone else dared mess with them. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t intimidate the Hellfire Club members or the other one hundred twenty-nine ns. After all, they were drastically outnumbered. Most of the Europeans in the annex pce were rankers or high rankers, which meant they could singlehandedly subdue the Team L members if they worked together. No one dared start a fight, however, since the first ones to take on Team L would likely suffer significant damage. As a result, Team L gained the initiative ¡°Tsk! What a mess.¡± A middle-aged man clicked his tongue and frowned amid the staredown. With a big staff in hand, he stepped forward. The long ck robe he was wearing couldn¡¯t hide his bulky physique and sharp aura. ¡°Hahaha¡­ Things seem to be getting out of hand¡­¡± Geum-Gyu chuckled dryly upon recognizing who the middle-aged man was. Any magic practitioner would know David Brown the White Sky. After all, he was famous enough to be mentioned in textbooks. Known as the White Sky Duke in Korea, David was a Duke-ss mage, the vice-leader of the Hellfire Club, and the pioneer of white night magic. Feeling too shameful to look David in the eyes, the Hellfire Club members slightly lowered their heads, but that only made David more furious. ¡°Even the internationalmunity admits that Korea, despite its many talented yers, has constantly been underestimated. However¡­¡± David smiled crookedly as he mmed the bottom of his staff on the floor. Plunk¡­! The sound of a stone plunging into ake echoed. From where David mmed his staff, a ripple spread that created a white fog and distorted the space around David. ¡°... That only applies when Korea ispared to other trashy countries. Several other centuries like ours ruled the world. Hence, Korean yers naturally can¡¯t bepared to us.¡± The fog spread all over the area, covering everything in white. At that moment, Hye-Bin and the other Team L members tensed up as shivers ran down their spines, making them break into cold sweats. There was nothing in the white fog, but it felt as if it was about to swallow them. David¡¯s white night magic spell revolved around trapping his enemies in an empty white space and slowing the time down inside it to break down his opponent¡¯s minds. ¡°U-uhhh!¡± ¡°He¡¯s using his white night magic spell!¡± ¡°Shit! We¡¯ll be in danger as well if we get swept away by that! Get back!¡± Knowing how scary David¡¯s white night magic spell was, the Hellfire Club members walked back quite a distance. ¡°Eat them.¡± David tapped the floor with his staff again. The white fog headed toward the Team L members, leaving a long afterimage. Holding her [Lightning Deity¡¯s Dagger] and [Storm Deity¡¯s Dagger] tightly, Hye-Bin prepared to spring forward. A lightning storm revolved around her. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ warns you that it is dangerous to fight him!] Pabilsag urgently sent Hye-Bin a message, but Hye-Bin still darted forward, gritting her teeth. ¡®I can deal the most damage among my team members, so I should stop him,¡¯?Hye-Bin thought. She learned from Chang-Sun that avoiding the fight was never an option. [The relic owner observes your fighting spirit.] Hye-Bin didn¡¯t notice it, but Indra, the owner of the [Lightning Deity¡¯s Dagger], showed interest in Hye-Bin again. [The relic owner ponders about offering you his help.] More lightning sparks flew up from the [Lightning Deity¡¯s Dagger] as it shed with the white fog. Rumble¨D! The white fog split when Hye-Bin¡¯s lightning bolt struck it, but instead of dissipating, it surrounded Hye-Bin and the Team L members. It revealed sharp fangs at its edges, making it seem as if a giant beast was about to devour them. They resisted harder, but the white fog didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Hahaha, you all put up quite a fight, but resistance is useless.¡± David chuckled like a gentle next-door neighbor, but his eyes were menacing. ¡®That idiot Eric acted pathetic, but this is actually for the better. The Korean girl used violence first, so her team members or the Tyrant can¡¯tin if I also use force. With hostages in my hand, even the Tyrant will think twice before he makes a move,¡¯?David thought. David and Ben were actually the ones who came up with the n of ostracizing and provoking Team L. Although the n seemed childish, they required justifiable cause to arrest the Team L members. ording to their investigation of Chang-Sun, the fearless Tyrant¡¯s only weaknesses were his family and team members. ¡®Their sacrifice will allow the Hellfire Club to rise!¡¯?David smiled wickedly and clenched his fist, signaling the white fog to finally swallow the Team L members into the white space. Through his staff, David started infusing the white space with his mana. However, much to his surprise, the flow of his mana into the staffpletely stopped. ¡®When did he¡ª!¡¯ David hadn¡¯t noticed it, but someone had grabbed and stopped the mana flow within the hand holding his staff. Frantically turning around, he immediately realized who the culprit was. The man¡¯s hair was gray, unlike in the photos, but there was no doubt about it. Lee Chang-Sun was right beside him. ¡°You put up quite a fight, but resistance is useless.¡± Smiling coldly, Chang-Sun repeated what David had just told the Team L members. Crack! ¡°Keugh¡­!¡± David groaned. Chang-Sun twisted David¡¯s right arm, causing thetter¡¯s bones and muscles to mush into each other. With bloodshot eyes, David drew up as much of his mana as he could in an attempt to break away from Chang-Sun¡¯s grip. Craack! ¡°Argggh!¡± The lower part of David¡¯s right arm was ripped out, rendering his efforts futile. However, Chang-Sun still wasn¡¯t done. He poured mana into David, and the lightning energy imbued in it exploded as soon as he stopped controlling it. ¡®N-no¡­!¡¯? David screamed in pain as the explosion impacted his entire mana road, making him feel as if hundreds of ants were gnawing at it. He had an abundant amount of mana like the Thames River, but the heat from the explosion dried all of it up. Spells? Barriers? He had no time to use any of that. Trembling as if he was having a seizure, his eyes lost focus. Foam bubbled up around his mouth, and ck smoke rose up from his nose and ears. ¡°¡­Urggh!¡± Thud! David helplessly copsed on the floor. The proud mage of the Hellfire Club lost before he could even counterattack. Everyone watching the scene knew that David would never be able to use magic again. ¡°Mister¡­!¡± ¡°Hyung, you came!¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be thiste, oppa! And what¡¯s wrong with your hair? It looks great on you, but¡ª!¡± The Team L members¡¯ faces brightened up as they called out to Chang-Sun, but their reunion was soon interrupted. Paah¨D! ¡°The Tyrant!¡± ¡°How dare you attack our vice-leader!¡± Having lost theirposure because their vice-leader, whom they respected deeply, got injured, the Hellfire Club members drew their weapons and pounced at Chang-Sun. Swooosh! Chang-Sun quietly scoffed as he looked at the people who were darting toward him. They were such small fries that he didn¡¯t even have to pull out [Prti¡¯s Spellbook]. Pzzz, pzzz! Purple sparks flew up from his fingertips. * * * All of the three hundred thirty ns¡¯ members in the annex pce prepared to join the fray since it had been agreed that everyone would simultaneously attack the Tyrant as soon as he showed up. Paah! ¡°You better stay still.¡± However, before they could even take a few steps, a group of people showed up and held their daggers against the yers¡¯ necks, sending shivers down their spines. ¡°Wh-when¡­?¡± ¡°H-hiihh!¡± [The ¡®Crna Ruka¡¯ assassins threaten your enemies¡¯ lives!] Just like Chang-Sun, the Crna Ruka had also entered the pce using the Concealment Skill. As soon as they deactivated the Skill, they seized control of all the prominent n executives¡¯ lives. Dmitri Cherchesov, the second-inmand of the Zmei n, gasped as he nced behind him. ¡°Cr-Crna Ruka¡­? I thought you people have gone out of business!¡± Dmitri soon realized that the assassin was the ¡®Inverted Cross¡¯ Wojtek, the second-inmand of the Crna Ruka. Although he was wearing a ridiculous-looking swan mask, he couldn¡¯t be taken lightly since he could easily slit Dmitri¡¯s neck. They were both vs and the right-hand man of an Overlord, so they were acquainted. Despite their friendship, however, Wojtek still scoffed at Dmitri. ¡°We ¡®were¡¯ out of business, but thanks to him, we rose again.¡± Dmitri was bewildered. ¡®The Crna Ruka assassins are back? And they¡¯re under the Tyrant¡¯smand? I heard the Tyrant has no Guardian. Has he chosen one? Or did he just subjugate them¡­?¡¯ The thoughts in Dmitri¡¯s head jumbled up, but none of them considered the possibility of Crna Ruka¡¯s Guardian going missing and Chang-Sun filling in for the role. However, he was certain of one thing. Just like the European yers, Chang-Sun had been hiding his fangs as well. To make matters worse, he was now biting off their necks harder and more ferociously than they ever could! ¡®I have to do whatever it takes to tell the n leader!¡¯?Dmitri thought desperately. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to do anything rash?¡± Wojtek said. The cold feeling of his dagger, which was digging into Dmitri¡¯s neck, brought Dmitri back to reality and prevented him from moving an inch. ¡°You¡¯ll never understand the level of his greatness.¡± Wojtek nced at Chang-Sun with zing eyes. It had always been Wojtek¡¯s dream to conquer the world, and now that he followed Chang-Sun, he had a feeling that it could actuallye true. Hence, he was naturally thrilled! Pzzzz! Chang-Sun conjured more energy as he began to fight the Hellfire Club members. [The Skill ¡®Stomp¡¯ has been activated, creating a strong earthquake!] Booom! Chang-Sun mmed his foot into the floor, causing cracks to spread across the ground like a cobweb. The hall began to wobble. ¡°The g-ground¡­!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand straight!¡± . The Hellfire Club members staggered and lost bnce, preventing them from pouncing at Chang-Sun. [The Skill ¡®Fiery Lightning Bolt¡¯ has been activated and is spreading through the cracks!] Chang-Sun¡¯s bolts flew up from the cracks, further aggravating the earthquake. Along with clouds of dust, his bolts instantly filled the hall and catapulted all the yers away. Not long after, Chang-Sun prepared to blow up the whole building. Booooom! Rumble, rumble, rumble¨D When the cracks reached the ceiling, the annex pce exploded, allowing his bolts to soar into the sky like a giant Dragon. The ruins muffled the screams of the yers pinned down under the rockslide, while those sent flying outside were electrified by Chang-Sun¡¯s , preventing them from pulling themselves together. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°A-amazing¡­!¡± Kept safe from the chaos by Chang-Sun¡¯s protection, the Team L members watched Chang-Sun with captivated eyes. His gray hair, navy blue eyes, purple lightning energy¡­ He looked as if he was from another world, which only made Hye-Bin idolize him more. When Chang-Sun turned toward a direction, Hye-Bin and the others followed his gaze. [The Skill ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ has been activated, dominating the battlefield!] Ben, who was in the Illuminati main pce for the Four Overlord Conference, instinctively trembled when he met Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes. Chang-Sun nonchntly swung his hand at the main pce, causing his swirling bolts to gather up and strike it like a whip. Rumble¨D! Booom, boom, boom! Chapter 249: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (8)

Chapter 249: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (8)

[You have attacked the yer ¡®Ben Eddy¡¯!] [You have struck the yer ¡®Sergei Zolotov¡¯!] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®World-Supporting Pir¡¯ takes your attack as an act of provocation against him!] [The Celestial ''Shepherd at the Bottom of a Hill¡¯ frowns because you attacked his sheep!] [The Celestial ¡®Cloud in the Sky¡¯ deres his intention to join the fight!] ¡­ [The Sudden Quest (Celestials¡¯ Quest) has begun!] Ding¨D! Ding¨D! Over a hundred messages continuously popped up in front of Chang-Sun. Since Chang-Sun had struck the main pce where many people were gathered with his whip, the people¡¯s Guardians were bound to take his attack as an act of provocation against them. [Current Quest Participant List] 1. World-Supporting Pir *Representative: Ben Eddy 2. Shepherd at the Bottom of a Hill *Representative: Sergei Zolotov 3. Cloud in the Sky ¡­ Total participants: 136/??? [Many Celestials have be intrigued after hearing the news about the quest and wish to watch your channel!] [Some Celestials have started a wager regarding the oue of the current quest.] [The Celestials participating in the Quest threaten their representatives that they will suffer consequences if they lose to you.] ¡­ [The number of viewers: 7???.] ¡­ [The number of viewers: 8???.] ¡­ [The number of viewers is increasing quickly!] [The employees put you on a watch list.] It seemed the number of viewers would soon break five digits, which evidenced Chang-Sun¡¯s great achievements. Destroying the [World Net] of the , defeating the ¡®Gemini,¡¯ wreaking havoc in ... Every one of those incidents was headline-worthy. ¡®It¡¯s possible for a skilled mortal to break through the [World Net], but not the other two incidents,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, proving he was skilled enough to operate in now. ¡®Kali bing my subordinate must have shocked them greatly too.¡¯ How could they leave Chang-Sun alone after all those events? Analyzing the situation, Chang-Sun realized he could divide the viewers into four categories. Celestials like Saxnot and Veles, who wanted to subdue Chang-Sun using their apostles, belonged in the first category. ¡®The second category isposed of Celestials who want to see how things turn out first.¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ is waiting.] [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ is intrigued by the quest and wishes to watch how it turns out.] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ crosses his arms.] [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ tells you to call her anytime you need her help while swinging a bottle of medicine that is good for men.] ¡­ Most of them were the great Celestials that held high-ranking positions in their or had quite a high divine ss. Since they valued their reputations, they didn¡¯t recklessly make a move. However, since they had personally shown up in to search for Chang-Sun, they were probably waiting for the right moment to interfere in the quest. [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ grins, wishing you good luck.] [The Celestial ¡®Garden Keeper¡¯ rages, unable to wait for your performance any longer.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ smiles because his brokerage fees keeping in!] ¡®The Celestials who have zero intention to interfere in this quest are in the third category. They are either watching just to cheer for me or because they hate me very much.¡¯ Tiamat was probably eating popcorn without worry after she forced Pabilsag to sit by her side. On the other hand, it seemed Uriel was furious because he couldn¡¯t intervene in the due to thew of causality. ¡®Thest category is¡­¡¯ The Celestials who stood by Chang-Sun¡¯s side and blessed him. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ grants you her heroic protection!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ blesses you as fast as she could amid her surprise, then tells you not to get hurt!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ cheers for you and tells you to put this to good use even though it won¡¯t really help you that much!] Paah, paah! Rays of light from the sky shone down on Chang-Sun, he could feel the amount of his mana increasing more than his usual limit. ¡®Oh, yeah. Thest category is for...¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ warns you that he will retrieve everything he gave you if you disgrace him.] ¡®... the one who gave me a test.¡¯? Although he hadn¡¯t been sending messages, Mephistopheles was still watching Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun smirked. ¡®I have a feeling that he¡¯ll give me another present if I pass his test with flying colors.¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ frowns and says you will go bald if you like free stuff too much.] ¡°Like you, teacher?¡± Chang-Sun asked. [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ says he just looks like a skeleton. He adds a little threat that he will really turn you bald if you continue your nonsense.] Their casual conversation before the battle made him smile a little. ¡°§ä§Ú¨D §â§Ñ§ß¨D!¡± Not long after, a roar echoed from the sky, causing the ground to shake and the clouds of dust in the area to dissipate. Judging from the pressure on his shoulders, Chang-Sun concluded that Overlord was releasing their mana. He didn¡¯t understand what the Overlord said, but he had a rough idea of what it meant. The person was saying tyrant in Russian. Sergei Zolotov the Flying Dragon Overlord, Zmei n leader, and Veles apostle, was the only Russian this powerful. Sergei Zolotov plunged straight down to Chang-Sun with his sword pointed at him. The Wyvern he rode, also called a Flying Dragon, was a little different from ordinary Wyverns. While Wyverns were normally three meters tall, Sergei¡¯s Wyvern was twice that. It also had threeyers of ferocious fangs. ¡°It¡¯s the Flying Dragon Overlord!¡± ¡°Mr. Zolotov is here!¡± ¡°Tyrant! Your arrogance stops now!¡± After finally pulling themselves together in the ruins of the annex pce, the yers cursed Chang-Sun as they gritted their teeth. They thought he would soon go down on his knees now that Sergei was on the move. Chang-Sun paid them no attention, however. ¡®So Veles is his Guardian, huh?¡¯ Veles, the ruler of the Nether ne, oversaw magic and good harvest, making him the shepherd of demonic and phantom creatures. Back when he was still the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ Chang-Sun had shed with Veles several times. ¡®I heard that the Flying Dragon Overlord controls dragon-type monsters using the ability he received from Veles. Maybe that¡¯s why his Wyvern is a bit different.¡¯ If Sergei sped up his Wyvern¡¯s charge and made it use [Wyvern Breath], most of them would copse on the ground, unable to withstand the damage. ¡®Well¡­¡¯ Pzzzzz! Chang-Sun smirked as he unleashed energy. ¡®... It would probably work if he wasn¡¯t up against me.¡¯ Chang-Sun grabbed the handle of [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], which was hung on his belt. He didn¡¯t even have to unseal the swordpletely against Sergei. Just showing him what [Dragon Breath] was like had to be enough. Inhaling deeply, Chang-Sun straightened his posture. He then put one foot backward and bent a little as he squeezed the sword handle tighter. At that moment, his memory of learning proper martial art from Kali shed across his mind. ¡°Your martial art techniques are specialized in killing, so it¡¯s very powerful, destructive, and effective. However, they aren¡¯t systematic. At the rate you¡¯re going, you¡¯ll be in real danger when you go up against someone equal to you. A vessel made with random soldering is naturally far worse than a vessel made with systemic expertise,¡± Kali said.? ¡°Hmm¡­ How can I improve it, then?¡± ¡°Work on your breathing method first,¡± Kali rmended.? Chang-Sun inhaled for a short moment, making him feel as if the world around him quieted down. As soon as he exhaled, he twisted his upper torso and unsheathed [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], which emitted ck light. The first martial art technique Chang-Sun learned from Kali was battojutsu¡ªkilling an enemy in one breath. aaash! Ruuummble¨D! Chang-Sun swung [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] in an arc, unleashing a highly concentrated purple lightning bolt toward Sergei and his Wyvern. ¡°Hmph! Do you really think you can defeat me with such a cheap tri¡ª!¡± Kieeh¡­! The impact sent Sergei helplessly plunging to his death before he could finish his sentence. His scorched Wyvern broke into dozens of pulps as it dropped to the ground. [The yer ¡®Sergei Zolotov¡¯ has failed the Sudden Quest!] [The Celestial ¡®Shepherd at the Bottom of a Hill¡¯ screams in disbelief.] [You have eliminated an apostle, giving you a significant amount of experience points.] [Level up!] ¡°W-w-what¡­?!¡± ¡°Impossible¡­!¡± The yers looking forward to seeing Sergi¡¯s payback turned pale. They did not expect him to lose so quickly. At that moment, everyone realized that Chang-Sun was already at the level of an Overlord¡ªno, he had gone even past that. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t even look at them. He focused solely on his target: the Mage Overlord, who was behind this ludicrous sight. [The yer ¡®Ben Eddy¡¯ distances himself and prepares to cast his magic spells!] Chang-Sun saw Ben quickly getting away from the main pce by repeatedly using [Teleport] and [Blink] through the ck cloud of dust. ¡®I¡¯ll take down their head first,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Everyst one of the hundred thirty-six apostles here was just a small fry. They would quiet down once he had taken down their leader. Paah¨D! [The Skill¡¯ Wind-Stalking Tiger¡¯ has been activated, manifesting the Skill ¡®Lightness¡¯!] Following the guide of [Monster Excursion], Chang-Sun darted forward. [The number of viewers: 10???.] * * * [The Skill ¡®Teleport¡¯ has been activated!] [The Skill ¡®Blink¡¯ has been activated!] [The Skill ¡®Teleport¡¯ has been activated!] ¡­ Paah! Paah! ¡®How can this happen?¡¯?Ben wondered as he bit his lower lip. Using the magic spells engraved in his magic wand multiple times, Ben tried to get away from the main pce¡ªno, he tried to distance himself from the Tyrant as much as he could, believing he would lose in a head-on battle. [The Celestial ¡®World-Supporting Pir¡¯ advises you to as stay calm as possible during times like this!] Ben knew that Chang-Sun was strong. After all, Chang-Sun was clearly the one who had defeated Czestochowa, and he also destroyed the [World Net], which was certainly a remarkable aplishment. Nevertheless, Chang-Sun¡¯s power still surpassed his expectations. Ben had always been confident in his ability. Although Sergei thought of Ben as his rival, Ben was far stronger than him. In fact, Ben believed that he was skilled enough to stand toe-to-toe against Jaque Valentine, so a first-year yer wouldn¡¯t¡ªno, shouldn¡¯t be able to match his level. ¡®But he¡¯s doing just that!¡¯ The level of Chang-Sun¡¯s power far exceeded Ben¡¯s expectations. Chang-Sun was a first-year yer and had no Guardian, so Ben really couldn¡¯t understand how Chang-Sun became that powerful. Regardless, Ben shouldn¡¯t be running away from reality and sitting on his hands. ¡®...I¡¯llplete [Hellfire] first.¡¯ Engaging in close-quartersbat against Chang-Sun would be suicide. He had to fight his zing lightning bolts, which sent shivers down his spine, using even stronger firepower. Fortunately, Ben could use [Hellfire], a fire magic spell that could nullify Chang-Sun¡¯s lightning with ease. After all, it dragged out hellfire straight from the . However, although the Authority that Saxnot had given him allowed him to use it, it had a very long incantation. Since there was no way Chang-Sun would give him enough time to cast it, someone had to stall Chang-Sun on his behalf. ¡°Blood, it¡¯s your time,¡± Ben murmured. Reaching deep enough into the forest to throw Chang-Sun off his track, he pulled out a red sphere¡ªa [Golem Core]¡ªfrom his inner pocket. Vein-like lines bulged out from it. [Golem Cores] were essential in creating a Golem, but the one he had waspletely different from normal ones. After all, his [Golem Core] could be used to create a brilliant yer using Ben¡¯s DNA. ¡®The Golem will also be an Overlord¡­ Tyrant, no matter how great you are, you cannot win against two of me!¡¯ While his Blood Golem fought Chang-Sun, Ben nned to finish the [Hellfire]¡¯s incantation and send him to the otherworld. ¡°Levitate,¡± Ben incanted, making the [Golem Core] float in the air. When the [Golem Core] started spinning, Ben pulled out [Blood Breaker], a relic in the shape of a dagger, and slit his left palm. The dagger allowed him to infuse a considerable amount of mana in his blood if he used it to cut himself. Woosh, woosh, woosh! The blood that sttered in the air was quickly absorbed into the [Golem Core], causing it to grow into a three-meter-tall monster through a process simr to cell division. Roarrr¡­! ¡°Go,¡± Benmanded. Grrrrr! The Blood Golem pounded its chest with its fists, then darted forward, smashing every tree in its way and sinking the ground it stepped on. Ben felt thrilled. He had a feeling that his Blood Golem could defeat Chang-Sun before he could even make a move. While incanting [Hellfire], Ben used a mudra to activate [View Share] with his Blood Golem, allowing him to see what was going to happen to Chang-Sun. ¡ºGolem¡­?¡» Chang-Sun was baffled when he ran into Ben¡¯s Blood Golem. Golems were normally very slow due to their weights, but Ben¡¯s Blood Golem was far from slow. It was also five times stronger than ordinary Golems, so Chang-Sun likely felt as if boulders were flying in his direction. ¡ºHe¡¯s using blood to fight me?¡» Just as Ben expected, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t dare draw his weapons and instead reached out his hand toward the Blood Golem. If he was trying to stop it in that way, then Ben thought Chang-Sun had just made the worst possible choice inbat. . ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Ben burst intoughter. ¡®I don¡¯t know how he became that strong, but hecks experience. That is his weakness¡ª!¡¯ Ben abruptly stopped. ¡º[Bloodshed].¡» Light suddenly emanated from Chang-Sun¡¯s hand, and¡­ Boooom! ¡­ an explosion suddenly engulfed the surroundings. At the same time, the screen turned ck. ¡ºI never thought I would receive such a gift¡­¡» Chang-Sun¡¯s iprehensible murmuring was thest thing Ben could hear. [The yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ has activated an unknown skill that blew up your Blood Golem!] ¡°¡­?!¡± Ben nked out for quite some time when a message popped up. He couldn¡¯t understand what just happened. ¡®...A gift?¡¯ 1. It¡¯s a really old joke in Korea. 2. It¡¯s a sword-drawing technique. Chapter 250: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (9)

Chapter 250: Star, the Four Overlord Conference (9)

¡¸That¡¯s a pity. It must have been his ace in the hole. Hehehehe!¡¹ Simon Magus chuckled inside Chang-Sun¡¯s head. To take out Ben Eddy¡¯s Blood Golem, Chang-Sun simply fed it his own blood and activated [Bloodshed], forcing the Blood Golem to self-destruct. Golems normally tended to absorb their main material through their cores to sustain their bodies. Just as the Iron Golems absorbed iron and Mud Golems absorbed mud, Blood Golems absorbed blood. It consumed the blood of the enemies it killed, used that to replenish its stamina and strength, and continued fighting. That was why Blood Golems specialized in fighting chaotic battles and could grow even stronger as they fought more battles. Ben, known to be the best mage in the world, chose a Blood Golem to guard him for that very reason. Thump! Chang-Sun picked up the [Golem Core] that had dropped on the ground. Although he had no use for it right now, he had no reason to throw away a gift. However, just as he was about to put it into his inventory¡­ ¡¸Huh? W-wait! Stopppp!¡¹ Simon suddenly shouted after making odd sounds. ¡¸M-master! Can I have that?¡¹ For some reason, his voice was shaking. ¡°Why?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡¸That isn¡¯t just an ordinary [Golem Core]! It¡¯s a relic made using Saxnot¡¯s secret technique!¡¹ The Celestial Saxnot knew all sorts of unknown sorcery, which was a little different from magic. Sorcery revolved around borrowing mystical and supernatural power from a third party, so it had no set system or theories. That was why even thought of Saxnot as a mystery. Chang-Sun had acquired a myriad of trophies, but none of them caught Simon¡¯s attention. However, having spent his entire life uncovering a variety of mysteries, Simon really didn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity to do that again. He had a hunch that sessfully analyzing the mechanism and sorcery spell engraved in the [Golem Core] in Chang-Sun¡¯s hand would significantly improve his ability. ¡°Why should I?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head in response. ¡¸Huh?¡¹ ¡°Why should I give this to you?¡± ¡¸¡­!¡¹ Simon, who was lost in excitement, instantly came to his senses and finally realized what Chang-Sun meant. Although Simon couldn¡¯t defy or resist Chang-Sun because he was trapped in the iron mask right now, that situation could change. If Simon acquired this [Golem Core], he could free himself by transforming into a Golem, and since he also happened to be an expert in ck magic, there was no telling how he would use the Blood Golem. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t trust Simon enough to let him have the relic. ¡¸That¡¯s¡ª!¡¹ Simon subconsciously held his breath even though he knew that he didn¡¯t have a mouth. He had a feeling that he had to give the right answer right now since his destiny depended on it. ¡®I can control the Blood Golem remotely to protect or assist you in fights.¡¯?Simon quickly came up with a list of advantages in his mind. ¡®In case of an emergency, my ability to control a Golem can be useful, and¡ª!¡¯? ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± Chang-Sun chuckled. ¡¸¡­Huh?¡¹ ¡°Take it.¡± Chang-Sun handed the [Golem Core] over to Simon. Watching everything through Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes, Simon held his breath again as he wondered if this was another test. ¡°You don¡¯t need it? I have no other choice, then¡­¡± Chang-Sun pretended to open his inventory. ¡¸N-no! I need it! I am in desperate need of it, my great master! Bahahaha! I can¡¯t believe I have a Blood Golem now! Hooray! Hooray!¡¹ Simon hurriedly yelled. Chang-Sun quietly chuckled once more as he transferred the ownership of the [Golem Core]to Simon and allowed him to project his mana into it. Oooooong! [Golem Core] shone. ¡®... Was he really joking?¡¯?Simon wondered. This new side of Chang-Sun surprised Simon. Did Chang-Sun go through some kind of emotional change when he met his friend Kali? ¡®Still, who makes a joke that menacingly?! Gosh!¡¯ Simon was terrified either way. * * * [The ¡®Golem Core¡¯ refuses the new type of mana that it has detected!] [Your Subordinate ¡®Simon Magus¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Magic Engraving to reformat the existing operating system in the ¡®Golem Core¡¯ and install a new one!] [Installing¡­] ¡­ [The Celestial ''World-Supporting Pir¡¯ actively protests against you, telling you not toy a finger on his relic!] [The instation process has beenpleted!] ¡¸Ha! Piece of cake.¡¹ Simonughed pompously. Although the [Golem Core] was Saxnot¡¯s relic, Ben was the one who used it. No matter how great he was, he couldn¡¯t outwit a demigod who had lived for over a thousand years. Turning Saxnot¡¯s relic into Simon¡¯s was easy as pie. ¡¸It¡¯s really funny this was all that guy could do with this kind of relic. Ha! Rise.¡¹ At Simon¡¯smand, the [Golem Core] levitated and spun like a top. At the same time, Chang-Sun cut his palm a little with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] and let his blood stter in the air. His blood multiplied dozens of times and converged in the [Golem Core] with the blood that had been maintaining the Blood Golem. into a five-meter-tall Golem. ¡¸The mana injection process is proceeding seamlessly. Hehehe.¡¹ Simon¡¯sughter was getting louder by the minute. ¡¸Nextes separation.¡¹ Again at Simon¡¯smand, the Blood Golem lost its form and dropped to the ground. It didn¡¯t break down, but the red blood used to make it spread on the ground and floated in the air. ¡¸This is also going well. I expected nothing less from Saxnot.¡¹ Unlike Ben, Simon didn¡¯t intend to use the Blood Golem as just a powerfulbat machine. The [Golem Core] was just the Blood Golem¡¯s medium and enhancer to physically interact with the world, not everything it had. ¡¸Blood Arrow¡¹ Simon incanted, causing the blood drops to immediately transform into arrows. Chang-Sun was a bit surprised. ¡®Well, he did study [Prti¡¯s Spellbook] and [Bes¡¯s Poem] nonstop. Still, he made quite quick and huge developments to his skills.¡¯? He had a feeling that Simon would soon exceed his level as a demigod and be a Celestial. ¡¸He¡¯ll soak his pants once he sees this. Fire.¡¹ Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! When numerous blood arrows were let loose, Chang-Sun turned in the opposite direction. He didn¡¯t have to see the oue. After all, what was about to happen was already apparent. Ben could somehow stop the rain of arrows, but he would be helpless against Simon¡¯s Blood Golem. As Chang-Sun expected, the message that he was waiting for popped up. [The yer ¡®Ben Eddy¡¯ has failed the Sudden Quest!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Supporting Pir¡¯ copses on the ground.] * * * Rumbbble¡­! The ground around the main pce¡¯s ruins still shook faintly due to the aftershocks. With each tremor, clouds of dust puffed up. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Aside from Joachim Wolff, the over one hundred thirty n leaders were far too focused on the message that popped up before them to actually care about the aftershocks. [Eliminated Participants List] Sergei Zolotov. Ben Eddy. They were all far too shocked by the fact that both the Flying Dragon Overlord and Mage Overlord had lost. The two Overlords had been the symbols of Europe for so long, yet they were easily eliminated the moment the Sudden Quest began. The n leaders had mixed emotions. The Tyrant had already surpassed the level of Overlords. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Immortal Overlord Jacque Valentine, who had been silent during the Four Overlord Conference, suddenly burst intoughter. He seemed to be having so much fun. The other n leaders couldn¡¯t help feeling ufortable. Jacque was usually expressionless and silent, so he looked like he wasughing at them for being too greedy. Nevertheless, Jacque paid them no heed and just stroked his face, staring at the people who were watching him. ¡°I knew it would turn out this way,¡± Jacque murmured. ¡°¡­ You already expected this oue, Immortal Overlord?¡± Miguel Panza, the representative of the Don Quixote n in Europe, frowned a little. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you stop us¡ª!¡± ¡°Would you have listened if I did?¡± Jacque smirked. ¡°Those two suggested building amunity or something, and I lent them my name. I think I¡¯ve done more than I had to for you all and my country. Besides, I¡¯m this quest¡¯s mediator, not a participant.¡± When Jacque mentioned the word ¡®mediator,¡¯ Miguel turned pale and realized that Jacque had zero intention to help them in this quest even though he was theirst hope. Now that he thought about it, Jacque Valentine was actually not on the list of the quest participants, which meant¡­ ¡°Why are you all just sitting around?¡± Jacque tilted his head. ¡°The Tyrant is probably on his way to this ce now.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± If they didn¡¯t do anything, Chang-Sun would crush them all. Finally realizing the magnitude of the situation, the n leaders hurriedly activated their Skills and asked their Guardians for their blessings. ~ [Granting blessings!] [Granting protections!] ¡­ However, the situation took an unexpected turn. [The yer ¡®Vasco Faiba¡¯ has given up the Sudden Quest!] [The yer ¡®Antonio Costa¡¯ has given up the Sudden Quest!] ¡­ ¡°Vasco¡­!¡± ¡°Tony! Why would you give up?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want to be on the wrong end of this ughter.¡± ¡°How can you still not see it?! The Tyrant defeated both the Flying Dragon Overlord and Mage Overlord with one strike! Yet you still want to fight that monster? That¡¯s simply madness!¡± Messages about yers giving up the quest popped up from everywhere in the room. Although they were here with one goal, their two leaders had been defeated, so no one could stop them from fleeing. Besides, Jacque also had no ns to join in. ¡°O-oh, no. I think I l-left the stove on at home. L-let me go and ch-check!¡± Some people even ripped their teleportation scroll to escape. In an instant, arge chunk of their group disappeared. ¡®I-it all fell apart too easily¡­!¡¯?Miguel thought in despair. As the most fervent supporter of Ben Eddy¡¯s propaganda about Europe taking the world hegemony once again, he wanted to sink down to the floor now. His hope for a brilliant future was disappearing like a sandcastle being devoured by ocean waves. ¡°Everyone is going nuts.¡± Joachim Wolff smiled bitterly as he looked at the yers in confusion. Although Joachim was watching the fight without worry, he could feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins and his heart racing. That gave him a rough idea of how much despair Chang-Sun¡¯s enemies were in. Up until a moment ago, they had been at his neck, so seeing them mess up was funny yet left a bad taste in his mouth. On the other hand, he was just grateful that Chang-Sun was his ally. ¡®I was right. Mr. Lee Chang-Sun is more than just a ¡®king.¡¯ Joachim clenched his fists. ¡®He¡¯s going to be an emperor ruling over kings.¡¯ At that moment, Chang-Sunnded on the highest pir. Tap! ¡°T-the Tyrant is here!¡± ¡°Get ready to defend¡­!¡± He appeared so quietly that the n leaders noticed him a littlete. Sixty of the yers who were still pondering about fleeing quickly gave up the quest. Although almost half of the yers had already given up, that also meant half of them chose to continue with the quest. Some of those yers, like Miguel, believed in the fact that they outnumbered Chang-Sun, while some were just forced to continue by their Guardians¡¯ scolding. Regardless of their reasons, fighting against Chang-Sun was inevitable. The yers simultaneously activated their Skills, causing brilliant rays of light to shine from all over the ce. After receiving multiple blessings and protections, the fear in their hearts started to disappear. ¡®Maybe, just maybe, we can win this¡­¡¯ Groundless belief filled the yers'' heads. All the delegates present were renowned high-rankers, and some of the Guardians that were blessing them right now were very powerful, like ¡®Garden Gatekeeper¡¯ Uriel. Taking those into consideration, they thought they still had a chance to win. Once they had made Chang-Sun kneel, they could hit the jackpot by delivering the final blow and clearing the quest. All kinds of possibilities shed across their heads. ¡°Kneel,¡± Chang-Sun said coldly, shattering all their dreams. [The Skill ¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ has been activated, dominating the battlefield!] ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s purple lightning energy spread throughout the main pce and covered the entire Illuminati headquarters, turning the world around them purple. A purple Giant stood up from behind Chang-Sun and looked downward. It looked like the Giant in legends that prevailed on battlefields. Feeling as if it would immediately pull out a hammer and strike them with it, the yers became suffocatingly pressured. If they made just one wrong move, they would turn into pulps. ng! ng, ng¨D! Thump¡­ One after another, the yers eventually dropped their weapons. Some even threw away their weapons and copsed on the floor, unable to withstand the pressure anymore. Those who still resisted were turning pale, making it clear that they would soon yield as well. [The yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ is dominating the battlefield!] [All participants have given up the Sudden Quest (Celestials¡¯ Quest)!] ¡­ [The nickname ¡®Tyrant¡¯ and the name ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ have be known to all the yers in the Channel ¡®Europe¡¯ of the Server ¡®Earth.¡¯] [You have unlocked a new achievement (Fable), establishing an environment within the Channel and Server to create Faith.] [Fable: Apostle Defeat.] [A new ¡®Narrative¡¯ is being created!] Chapter 251: Star, the Apostle Battle (1)

Chapter 251: Star, the Apostle Battle (1)

¡°I heard Heoju was back,¡± Richardus said. Cackling, the Eunuch Star nodded and replied, ¡°Hohohoho, you¡¯llugh really hard if you see the look on his face.¡± Heoju was actually a fifth wheel in the society, as he had failed to be one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits or the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends. Thus, he was supposed to be treated as a low-ranking Celestial, but he had recently begun rising through the ranks. After quickly filling in for Xue Yong, Heoju had participated in a ranked battle in and defeated Zhu Wu the Leader Star, the strongest Earthly Fiend monster Celestial. Still, Heoju was not content, so he had begun trying to be a Heavenly Spirit. Things were already chaotic in because they were trying to get revenge for what had happened in the ¡®Owl¡¯s Nest¡¯, but Heoju was making things worse. Naturally, not many people recognized Heoju within due to his humble background, despite how much his fighting techniques reminded them of someone else.. Heoju was a loner, but the Eunuch Star had recruited him. After the children of the former ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ had left , the was in need of manpower, so the Eunuch Star had tried to resolve the matter by embracing Heoju. Afterward, low-ranking Celestials had started considering Richardus¡¯ faction a good ce to break out of the existing system and achieve their ambitions. Meanwhile, Heoju had gone away under Richardus¡¯ orders, and only now returned; he had shown up at the for a reason. ¡°No luck on his end, unfortunately. The traitors sessfully fled, and that Lee Chang-Sun boy, whom Heoju wanted, also escaped,¡± the Eunuch Star reported. ¡°That¡¯s to be expected from the traitors because of Nu Chuang¡¯s [Insight], but Lee Chang-Sun also fled?¡± Richardus asked. ¡°That¡¯s what he said,¡± the Eunuch Star said. ¡°With whose help? Is there anyone in who¡¯s still that powerful?¡± Richardus asked. ¡°Those guys are already old news. It was the ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯,¡± the Eunuch Star answered. ¡°Tiamat¡­? Why would that olddy suddenly jump in?¡± Richardus wondered. The Eunuch Star shrugged and replied, ¡°Everyone in knows that her bull-headed youngest daughter adores Lee Chang-Sun.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Richardus murmured as he tapped the throne¡¯s armrest with his index finger, resting his chin on his other palm. Tap. Tap¡­ The Eunuch Star knew that was Richardus¡¯ habit when he was lost in thought, so he just waited and smiled until Richardus continued, ¡°You think Lee Chang-Sun is the guy, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...Are you talking about the secret weapon trained by the ?¡± the Eunuch Star asked. ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± Richardus answered with a nod. ¡°It is true that no one else is suspected to be the weapon right now,¡± the Eunuch Star remarked. The Eunuch Star had eyes and ears all over Trailokya and Six Paths, and also had someone in the , so he had found out that Thanatos, the King of the Underworld, had summoned a number of to his pce. Although the Eunuch Star had been unable to discover anything else, he had a few conjectures. ¡®Thanatos won¡¯t sit by any longer and is ready to draw his sword,¡¯ the Eunuch Star thought. Due to its uniqueness, Earth was under the jurisdiction of the , not . The home for all legends and myths, the stronghold of the sleeping R¡¯lyeh, the starting point of all universes¡­ Earth had such magnificent titles for a reason. Up until now, ¡ªno, the and Celestials¡ªhad been disregarding that fact for a reason. Circumventing the Oath, they had opened up Dungeons and Gates to exploit the people of Earth for Faith. The more believers they had on Earth, the faster they could approach R¡¯lyeh, so they had installed a ¡®straw¡¯ on Earth¡­. However, Thanatos was no fool, so he would not sit on his hands forever. That meant he would also circumvent the Oath and take action. As such, the Eunuch Star had reached the conclusion that Thanatos had trained a secret weapon in the , a sword to destroy the apparatus that the two Celestials had installed to exploit something called the ¡®Source¡¯. Of course, the Eunuch Star did not know how many secret weapons were out there, but the prime suspect was Chang-Sun, whose every aplishment was abnormally exceptional. ¡®The odd part is that the reports I¡¯ve been receiving add up too perfectly, as if the people in the are leaking the information on purpose¡­¡¯?the Eunuch Star wondered. The Eunuch Star¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when Richardus said, ¡°It means the secret weapon is one of those ... Who could it be?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t find anything about Lee Chang-Sun¡¯s real identity, but we do know that he¡¯s just getting started and more of the secret weapons will continue to show up,¡± the Eunuch Star said. Richardus¡¯ gaze turned sharp, as he had discovered one piece of very ssified information after bing the ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯. He had believed a certain friend of his to be dead, but it turned out that his old friend had not been executed after the and had instead been transferred to the based on an agreement between and the ... ¡°Twilight,¡± Richardus muttered. ¡°Is he really going to show up¡­?¡± * * * A Narrative was essential for one to be a Celestial. Anyone who performed great achievements could leave a record in the world through the system, but achieving Narrative-Grade aplishments was a little different. From that point on, one would gradually be known in human society, starting their Narrative and building their own Faith. Faith! It was the source of power for Celestials. Consciousness was a foundational element of thew of the universe; an individual¡¯s Divine Rank and ss was based on what the people who sent them Faith thought about them. Of course, the more shocking a Narrative was, the greater the impression it left on people, which resulted in more followers. Thus, the event of Chang-Sun bringing numerous Overlords and high rankers to their knees all at once was enough to leave countless people of the current generation in shock. [The Order ¡®Crna Ruka¡¯ feels more loyal to you.] [You have gained 1 Faith.] [The Order ¡®Illuminati¡¯ feels a strong connection to you.] [You have gained 1 Faith.] [You have sessfully defeated the Order ¡®Hellfire Club¡¯, making the members fear you.] [You have gained 1 Faith.] [The Order ¡®Zmei¡¯ has lost the will to fight and epted its defeat.] [You have gained 1 Faith.] ¡­ [Your Narrative is being written.] [Your Narrative is notplete yet, so umte greater achievements.] However, the aplishment was insufficient to be a Narrative for a simple reason. ¡®I have one more left,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, narrowing his eyes and looking down at the only person who was standing still withposure. Jacque Valentine, the Immortal Overlord, was the strongest yer in the world, but he was just smiling faintly now. As always, it was difficult to read him. ¡¸¡­He¡¯s the same as ever.¡¹ Simon Magus grumbled quietly, not liking how calm Jacque was. Just as Simon had mentioned when he and Chang-Sun met for the first time, the bad blood between the two ran deep. ¡®Simon said that Jacque was his student, but betrayed him. Then, Jacque joined Peter the Apostle,¡¯?Chang-Sun recalled. However, it seemed Jacque had also betrayed Peter the Apostle. Otherwise, Jacque would not have Satan as his Guardian when Satan was part of the Absolute Evil Faction. By constantly going back and forth between the Absolute Good and Absolute Evil factions, Jacque had learned countless secret techniques and raised his ss enough to be a demigod. What had led Jacque to live such an extraordinary life? Including both Earth and Arcadia, Jacque was one of the most unique people Chang-Sun had ever met. ¡®So¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Pzzz, pzzz! ¡®...it¡¯s now or never.¡¯ Rumbbble¨D! Chang-Sun drew the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. His began to twirl around him and intensified. Although Jacque was a mere demigod, he was more skilled than most low-ranking Celestials from Chang-Sun¡¯s perspective. No, Jacque would be able toplete his and acquire a Divine ss to ascend to if he wanted to, but he had remained on Earth, which meant he had to have a reason. Chang-Sun nned to find out what that reason was. Perhaps because he had noticed Chang-Sun¡¯s fighting spirit, Jacque¡¯s smile deepened. He said, ¡°I think I told you I was just a mediator¡­ but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re convinced.¡± Paaah! Mystical light spread outward from Jacque. It was undoubtedly sacred light, which was the halo one could use when their ss reached a certain level. However, as Jacque¡¯s halo became bigger, he stopped looking like a human and gradually transformed into a monster. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ quietly licks his lips!] ¡°M-Manticore¡­!¡± ¡°The Immortal Overlord and Tyrant are about to fight! Get back! Quick!¡± The high rankers hurriedly distanced themselves from Jacque and Chang-Sun and watched them fervently. Joachim was even clenching his fists. Paaah! Jacque finished transforming into a Manticore, and his draconic wings beat powerfully as he charged toward Chang-Sun, resembling a ray of light bearing down fiercely on him. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun fell toward the ground, calling forth his to the fullest extent. [The fourth chapter of ¡®Prti¡¯s Spellbook¡¯ has opened!] [Creating Atra Fulmen.] Chang-Sun dropped onto Jacque as his lightning bolts changed from purple to ck. Two lights shed in the air. Booom! Rumble¨D! The collision between two pr opposite colors of light, ck and white, made the yers feel as if they were going to go blind. The explosion created as Chang-Sun¡¯s lightning bolts and Jacque¡¯s halo shed struck their eardrums, and the subsequent sonic booms disrupted all their senses. Just barely holding back the urge to vomit, the high rankers finally pulled themselves together and opened their eyes, realizing that the positions of the ck and white lights had changed. Chang-Sun was where Jacque had just been, while, the Manticore was at the edge of the ruins where Chang-Sun had stood. However, something was different. There was more than one Manticore now, as if they had been cloned. Dozens of Manticores were surrounding Chang-Sun. ¡®W-What happened¡­?¡¯ ¡®Who won?¡¯ ¡®Monsters¡­!¡¯ Although Jacque and Chang-Sun had only exchanged attacks once, the onlookers could tell that they had used their full power. As they all held their breath¡­ Crack¨D! The face of the Manticore in the center cracked, and pieces began to fall away. The cracks audibly spread across the Manticore¡¯s entire face and reached his neck. Even the pool of light began to break down in a strange-looking way. ¡ºYou are indeed strong. This is why I didn¡¯t want to do this.¡» Jacque¡¯s voice echoed, tinged withughter, but it was enough for the yers to realize what had just happened. ¡®The Immortal Overlord¡­ lost!¡¯ ¡®The first ce in the yer ranking has changed! It¡¯s the Tyrant now!¡¯ Jacque had admitted his defeat. Thump! The onlookers had thought that Jacque had a chance in this fight, so the fact that Europe¡¯s remaining hope had been defeated made their hearts sink. Regardless, Jacque the Manticoreughed even more loudly. ncing at the sky, he looked at Chang-Sun as he asked a question. ¡ºBut they aren¡¯t satisfied yet. What are you going to do?¡» ¡®Aren¡¯t satisfied¡­?¡¯ ¡®Does it mean the Quest isn¡¯t over yet?¡¯ The yers became noticeably confused, unable to understand what was going on. Everyone present had admitted their defeat, and even Jacque had epted the fact that he was weaker than Chang-Sun. Then, who was going to fight Chang-Sun¡­? Nevertheless, Chang-Sun quietly scoffed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not as if they¡¯re going to take no for an answer.¡± ¡ºWell, you¡¯re right. Those stars in the sky don¡¯t care about the feelings of the people on the ground.¡» At that moment¡­ [An additional Sudden Quest has been created!] [Many of the Celestials that were only watching the previous Sudden Quest have dered their intent to participate.] [Due to the restriction of thew of casualty and the changes made to the previous Sudden Quest, the Celestials¡¯ representatives will participate on their behalf.] [A field has been created!] An enormous magic circle appeared, surrounding Chang-Sun and Jacque, and a new magic barrier was established; several Celestials temporarily created a separate space so as not to cause damage on Earth due to the Quest. The other Manticores started to glow brightly. [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ stands up!] [A ¡®Sea King Creature¡¯ enters the field as a representative.] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ smiles coldly, saying that he can finally test you!] [An ¡®Elemental Spirit Knight¡¯ enters the field as the representative.] [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ hurriedly appoints a representative.] [A ¡®gue Monster¡¯ enters the field as the representative.] ¡­ The glowing Manticores were vessels provided by Jacque, so the representatives could use their full power within the temporary field. Each glowing Manticore transformed into a different form and created shockwaves due to their high ss, making Chang-Sun¡¯s gray hair and coat rustle violently. One of the Manticores turned into a ten-meter-tall Kraken, while another took on a form resembling a human; the third became an amorphous, awful-smelling creature covered in green poison. ¡¸¡­Those damned bastards areing from everywhere. Did they n this from the start?¡¹ Simon grumbled. A Sea King Creature, an Elemental Spirit Knight, a gue Monster¡­ They all had different looks and names but shared one thing inmon. They had sufficient dignity and ss to rule a civilization, or even a. Each and every one of them was as strong as Jacque. They were the real overlords. People on Earth had the tendency to call individuals Overlords as an embellishment, but the people in this ce were truly worthy of the title. They had forged their own path and reached a whole new level. [The Celestial ¡®Grand Duke of Destruction and Madness¡¯ sends his apostle to take the key!] [The ¡®Hell Monarch¡¯ has entered the field as a representative.] [The Celestial ¡®Garden Keeper¡¯ steps forward, saying that he will punish you for what you did in the !] [The ¡®Archangel Leader¡¯ has entered the field as a representative.] ¡­ The angels and demons had also sent their representatives. ¡®I must be on their cklist or something,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought with a dry chuckle, observing a man who exuded ck demonic energy and a woman in white clothes with her eyes narrowed. The man and woman were gritting their teeth as if they wanted to rip Chang-Sun to shreds at that instant, so he assumed that they would definitely leap toward him right after the end of the countdown. [The deadline for the applications of the Sudden Quest is in 3 seconds. ] [3.] [2.] [1.] [Finished counting the applications.] [Total participants: 366.] [Total viewers: 22???.] [The Sudden Quest has begun!] Paah¨D! As soon as the message popped up, the archangel sprinted toward Chang-Sun in delight, spreading her white wings wide to leap high into the air. She cried, ¡°I¡¯ll avenge Sir Uriel¡­!¡± However, she could not finish speaking, as something shed before her eyes and she lost consciousness. Paah! Her white feathersnded on her body as she fell pathetically like a butchered chicken. The [Jin Can Axe] was lodged deep in the center of her head. [The Archangel Leader has died!] ¡¸¡­Wow, it¡¯s your first opponent and you already crush a head?¡¹ Simonughed, dumbfounded. 1. The character in Water Margin. Chapter 252: Star, the Apostle Battle (2)

Chapter 252: Star, the Apostle Battle (2)

[Announcement regarding the changes in the Quest!] [Description: Testing the subject Lee Chang-Sun is important for the participating Celestials, but they also wish to prove that their apostles are the strongest. Thus, they have just agreed to make several changes to the Quest. The Quest was previously going to follow the format of a 1:1 tournament, but it has been changed to an elimination match. Fight until only one remains. If you die or surrender, you will automatically be able to abandon the Quest. Good luck.] The elimination match format was more poprly known as a battle royale. This quest was technically a battle of pride for the participating Celestials. Their initial reason for participating in the quest was to test Chang-Sun, but the scale of the quest had grown toorge, turning into a contest of skill. Neptune, Cernunnos, and the other Celestials were influential in and had high Divine sses, enough to be a symbol of their own . Since these Celestials valued their honor and pride the most, losing was not an option. That was how the elimination match had started. Due to thew of causality, the Celestials could not directly participate in the match, but they wished to prove their greatness by sending their representatives, whom they had trained personally, to fight on their behalf. The final winner of this match would earn a great achievement¡ªno, be a ¡®myth¡¯¡ªso the Celestials could never miss out on the opportunity. That was why 366 Celestials had joined the quest. On top of that, the number of viewers was far above 40,000 Celestials now. As the countdown began, tension had filled the air¡­ As soon as the message announcing the start of the second round appeared, the onlookers had expected a pitched battle to break out, but strangely, that was not the case. ¡º¡­!¡» ¡º¡­!¡» ¡º¡­!¡» All the representatives had frozen up like statues, even after the announcement message disappeared. In fact, no one really read the announcement properly, as their eyes were glued on Chang-Sun after witnessing an unbelievable sight. It was the same for the Celestials. [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ springs up from his seat in surprise!] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ stays silent!] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ bursts intoughter, having a great deal of fun!] ¡­ Among the Celestials, Uriel reacted the most fervently. [The Celestial ¡®Garden Gatekeeper¡¯ screams in disbelief!] Uriel was one of the proud Four Seraphim of the . Working as the gatekeeper of the Garden of Eden, he had trained many angel warriors, and one of them was the leader of the archangels. He had favored her the most, and thus made her his apostle. Although her rank was low at the moment, her tendency to hate evil and desire to protect justice was on par with that of a seraph. Thus, Uriel had thought she had great potential, adoring her as if she were his daughter. That was what he had believed¡­ And yet, she was the first one to get eliminated¡ªno, killed as soon as the quest began. [The Celestial ¡®Garden Gatekeeper¡¯ is furious with you!] The archangel had said she would take revenge for her father and bring honor to the once again by retaliating against Chang-Sun. However, she had been defeated while trying to stay true to her word, so Uriel was bound to be infuriated. However, the other Celestials¡¯ gazes were cold as they looked at Uriel. [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ smirks at a certain Celestial, saying that he is uselessly frail-minded.] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ yells at the Celestial ¡®Garden Gatekeeper¡¯, telling him to get lost if he is just going to take up space.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ warns the Celestial ¡®Garden Gatekeeper¡¯ that she herself will take action if he tries to meddle in the Quest.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ stays on alert.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Garden Gatekeeper¡¯ deres that the yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ is officially an enemy of the Society !] [The viewing Celestials are having fun, watching the scale of the Quest increase.] [The viewing Celestials wonder how you will respond to the angels.] [The Celestial ¡®Garden Gatekeeper¡¯ deres that he will exit the channel.] [The Celestial ¡®Garden Gatekeeper ¡® has exited the channel.] ¡¸So you¡¯ve done it, huh?¡¹ Simon Magus chuckled dumbfoundedly, remembering how Uriel had kept scowling at Chang-Sun furiously until the end. Even as someone who was called a demon king, Simon was surprised to see the archangel leader¡¯s head being smashed. However, Chang-Sun frowned slightly and murmured, ¡°Mmm¡­?¡± ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Are you worried about actually bing Uriel¡¯s enemy?¡¹ Simon thought that perhaps his inhumane master was still a human. While going up against countless enemies, Chang-Sun had not really worried about anything, but it seemed that he felt ufortable about making Uriel¡ªno, the entirety of ¡ªhis enemy. ¡°No, it was just¡­¡± Chang-Sun replied, shaking his head. ¡¸¡­?¡¹ ¡°...too easy,¡± Chang-Sun finished, tilting his head. At that moment, Simon was rendered speechless after hearing such an unexpected response. ¡°She was an archangel. In fact, she was the leader of the archangels, so why was she that weak?¡± Chang-Sun wondered, feeling genuinely confused. Although Uriel¡¯s representative was merely an archangel, she was the leader of the archangels, which meant she was as strong as a Power or a Principality. Besides, the main job of the archangels was to fight against the demons of , so they were natural-born warriors. On top of that, she was Uriel¡¯s apostle, so she was supposed to be strong. That was why Chang-Sun had thrown the [Jin Can Axe] to stop the archangel leader from approaching him as soon as she starteding at him. However, there was one thing Chang-Sun had not considered, which was the Effect of the [Jin Can Axe]. [Jin Can Axe] The relic and Authority of the Celestial ¡®Impetuous Dragon Horse General¡¯. Regardless of what the axe strikes, it can reduce the target¡¯s durability by 80 percent, making it extremely destructive. ¡¤ Type: Relic. Authority. Two-handed weapon. ¡¤ Effect: Defense Nullification. Power Strike. Damage Explosion. The Effect [Defense Nullification]pletely disregarded any defensive Effects on the weapons and defensive equipment the [Jin Can Axe] struck. While [Power Strike] shook the inside of the target to reduce its durability, [Damage Explosion] increased the damage of its owner¡¯s attacks by creating artificial explosions upon impact. In other words¡­ It was a weapon focused on destruction. Anyone and anything the axe shed against became useless trash as it was shaken to the core. As the axe had also been infused by Chang-Sun¡¯s Atra Fulmen lightning energy, which was also infused with his and , his attack with the [Jin Can Axe] was much more destructive than he had expected. No one, not even Chang-Sun, had followed the movements of the [Jin Can Axe]. Of course, the Archangel Leader had only seen a brief sh, so before she could even realize what was going on, her helmet and head had been split in half. The whole sequence had taken mere seconds. Rumble! On top of that, the explosion that urred upon impact had spread Chang-Sun¡¯s Atra Fulmen sparks everywhere. As ck sparksnded on multiple points, ck lightning bolts struck the ground like pirs. The Archangel Leader¡¯s corpse was ripped to shreds without leaving a trace. Rumble, rumble, rumbleeee¨D! Boooooom! [The Skill ¡®Fiery Lightning Bolt¡¯ has been activated, creating a rain of lightning bolts!] ¡ºRun! Come on¡­!¡» ¡ºWhat in the world¡­!¡» Large and small ck lightning bolts indiscriminately traveled through the air and struck the ground like rain. The remaining 365 apostles had begun fleeing, activating the Authorities they had received from their Guardians. The battle stage was shattered, and the air heated up while thick ck smoke spread through the air. It was mayhem. ¡¸So you never thought of it that way, huh?¡¹ Simonughed dumbfoundedly as he watched the sight. In this quest, they were supposed to fight each other until only one survivor remained, but for some reason, Chang-Sun was going up against¡ªno, overwhelming¡ªthe other 364 people. ¡°Thought of it in what way?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡¸It¡¯s just that you¡¯re too strong, master.¡¹ ¡°Well,¡± Chang-Sun said, chuckling quietly. Considering his current level, he was definitely skilled, but he was still not content with himself. ¡®I¡¯m still weaker than in my ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ years, but I need to be way stronger than that,¡¯?he thought. His goal had be clearer and firmer after his encounter with Tiamat. He had to be strong enough to at least fight the Zodiacs or the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions on equal footing. Once he reached that level, he then had to grow to match the Nine Skies in . ¡®Still¡­¡¯ Chang-Sun thought as he reached out toward the [Jin Can Axe] stuck in the ground. ¡®...It¡¯s not a far-fetched goal. This method is going toe in handy.¡¯ From now on, throwing the [Jin Can Axe] toward his enemy in battle would surely be a useful technique, as there would be no better method to subdue or intimidate his enemies. At that moment, the [Jin Can Axe], which was half embedded in the ground, shook violently before returning to Chang-Sun¡¯s hand. He had not engraved the axe with a magic spell to retrieve it; rather, he was using the maism of Atra Fulmen. By imbuing the [Jin Can Axe] with a negative charge and his hand with a positive charge, he created a maic pull. Boom! Whirl¨D! Although it was his first time trying such a thing, he got a very satisfying result. As if someone had pressed a rewind button, the [Jin Can Axe] flew out of the ground and returned to Chang-Sun¡¯s right hand. Pzzzz, pzzzzz! Still, the [Jin Can Axe] continued to shake, emitting Chang-Sun¡¯s ck lightning energy sparks like fangs as if it could still keep fighting. The space around it distorted noticeably. The sight was truly menacing. Just then, however¡­ ¡¸Above you!¡¹ Simon hurriedly shouted a warning. However, Chang-Sun just looked quietly to the left and replied, ¡°I know.¡± While he had been ying around with the [Jin Can Axe], someone had taken the moment as an opportunity to approach him, targeting his blind spot. Swooosh¨D! [Hell Monarch ¡®Granul¡¯ Lv.142] ¡®Is he Agares¡¯ apostle?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. In many ways, the man reminded Chang-Sun of Agares, whom he had seen in the . The man¡¯s ankle-length ck hair fluttered in the air as he approached Chang-Sun with his ck wings spread wide. The man looked as cold as ice, but he was also filled with a sense of destructive madness, as if he intended to rip Chang-Sun to shreds. Unusually, the man was using two swords. It seemed that Agares had intentionally chosen someone whose fighting techniques were simr to Chang-Sun¡¯s. [The fifth chapter ¡®Abrupt? Procell?¡¯ has been applied, creating a Atra Fulmen storm!] Chang-Sun¡¯s Atra Fulmen energy had already been charged to maximum output after being blended with his and . Since he also had the [Double Retribution Fire] Trait and the Skills [Dust Devil] and [Fiery Lightning Bolt], he had no problem unlocking the chapter of ¡®Abrupt? Procell?¡¯. At that level, the Atra Fulmen energy ceased to be ordinary lightning. By creating a gigantic storm, Chang-Sun could devastate the nearby area with Abrupt? Procell?, as it was a damage-over-time technique. In other words, he could turn any battlefield into his territory. On top of that, this stage was limited, so it was obvious how effective Chang-Sun¡¯s Abrupt? Procell? would be. A sandstorm obscured the participants¡¯ view, and the rain of Atra Fulmen bolts muffled their voices. On top of that, the participants felt pressured by the fact that it was impossible to tell when an Atra Fulmen bolt would strike them from the sandstorm. [The Seokgun King has died!] [The Thousand-Year Mage has died!] ¡­ [A total of 152 participants have died or surrendered. ] ¡­ [Remaining participants: 110.] [Remaining participants: 92.] [Remaining participants: 58.] ¡­ [A massacre is taking ce!] [A Narrative is being written.] Boom, boom, boom¨D! Rumble¡­! 1. Archangels aremonly thought to be some of the strongest angels, but the angelic hierarchy in Christianity is a little different. It consists of Seraphim (Uriel) > Cherubim > Thrones > Dominions > Virtues > Powers > Principalities > Archangels (The one that was killed just now) > Angels. Chapter 253: Star, the Apostle Battle (3)

Chapter 253: Star, the Apostle Battle (3)

¡®I tried to fight that guy? Shit! I had to be fucking crazy!¡¯?Wojtek, the new leader of the Crna Ruka, thought as he bit his lower lip. Right at that moment, he was cursing his old self, while feeling d that he was wearing a mask. His subordinate assassins, who were wearing ck swan masks just like him, had to be feeling the same way. Ever since Chang-Sun had given him the odd mask, which restored his lost Authorities, Wojtek had had a strange feeling that Chang-Sun was not a human like them. Otherwise, there was no way he could have surpassed the leader of the religious order, Crna Ruka¡­! ¡®A god!¡¯ Yes, Chang-Sun was a god, not a human. [Crna Ruka] Guardian: ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö *The Divine Name is currently nondisclosed. The guardian of Crna Ruka was no longer the ¡®Big Sick Bug¡¯ Xue Yong; he had been reced by someone else, whose name was censored. Although Wojtek could not tell what exactly that divine name was, he knew for certain that it belonged to Chang-Sun! As if he were actually trying to prove it, Chang-Sun was earning amazing aplishments. [Your Narrative is being written!] [You have achieved a Great Aplishment: the King of Kings¡¯ Birth.] [You havepleted the exposition of your Narrative.] ¡­ [You have started the process of creating the rising action of your Narrative.] ¡­ [Many Celestials have be aware of the yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯.] [Many Celestials have be aware of the Order ¡®Crna Ruka¡¯.] [The yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ and the Order ¡®Crna Ruka¡¯ have started to leave a minuscule trace in Idea. Several Orders now consider the yer and Order threats.] ¡­ [The Faith of your Order has increased by 1.] [The Faith of your Order has increased by 1.] ¡­ Every Narrative was different. Even after gaining poprity in onemunity, some Narratives disappeared due to Narratives from the othermunities. Narratives often became forgotten because the number of people who remembered them decreased over time. In contrast, it was also possible for a Narrative to influence the more after enough Celestials showed interest in it. The Celestials¡¯ priests remembered the Narratives and left a record of them in their religious orders, so their followers continued to talk about them in the future. The more they did, the less likely the Narratives were to be forgotten, bing more influential in the . In other words, the greater Chang-Sun¡¯s achievements were, the more powerful his order would be, and the more its rank would automatically increase! [The rank of your Order has been adjusted. D- ¡ú D] [The rank of your Order has been readjusted. D+ ¡ú C] Wojtek was happy, as he felt more power rushing through his veins; but on the other hand, he was also terrified. What would have happened if he had been with Czestochowa at the time of her death? When Chang-Sun gave them onest chance, Hyacinth had approached him. What would have happened if Wojtek had joined forces with Hyacinth? ¡®¡­I¡¯d better stop thinking about this,¡¯?Wojtek thought, shaking his head and deciding to stop thinking about what-ifs. The four European Overlords had all been defeated, and one of them was the Immortal Overlord, the number one yer in the ranking. Now, the apostles from the other nes hade swarming in, but they were being ughtered by Chang-Sun. Thus, Wojtek had to use such a golden opportunity properly. From now on, Earth would be ruled by Chang-Sun, so Wojtek had to have his head in the game in order to establish the Crna Ruka and position himself as the second-inmand of the n. That meant he had to show his loyalty to Chang-Sun. ¡®No, it¡¯s not enough¡­ I need to devote my absolute Faith!¡¯ To Wojtek, Chang-Sun was already a Guardian whom he had to follow unconditionally. ¡ºEveryone, listen.¡» As Wojtek sent his telepathic messages to his subordinate assassins, they all turned to look at him. ¡ºI can see some rats who still haven¡¯te to their senses and are looking for opportunities. Subdue them all.¡» ¡ºYes, sir!¡» ¡ºYes, sir!¡» The assassins with the ck swan masks quickly began to take action. Shortly after, screams and groans filled the air, causing the other yers¡¯ hands to tremble faintly. [Total viewers: 45???.] * * * As the Hell Monarch Granul approached Chang-Sun, a sandstorm suddenly appeared that clouded both his vision and his other senses, making him frown. [The Skill ¡®Dust Devil¡¯ has been activated, creating a dominating sandstorm over the battlefield!] ¡®Where is he? Where are you!¡¯?Granul thought, biting his lower lip. Chang-Sun was no longer where he had been a moment ago. All that remained in his ce were his ck lightning bolts, which had appeared from the sandstorm as soon as Granul showed up. With great difficulty, Granul deflected the lightning bolts. If not for his [Preta Senses], which had enabled him to conquer the of , he would already have been split in half. Not only that; if not for [Gram], which he had received from his Guardian Agares, Granul could not have deflected the lightning bolts even if he detected them approaching him. [Gram], which was more poprly known as the dragon-yer sword, was a sword made from the body of an Ancient Dragon. Just as its infamous title suggested, many dragons had been ughtered by the owners of [Gram], and the sword had helped Granul be the ruler of the after defeating numerous arrogant Evil Dragons. As a result, he had always been assured of victory as long as he held [Gram]... but not now. ¡°Kill Chang-Sun and bring me his ne no matter what happens,¡± Agares said. Granul knew his Guardian better than anyone. The grand duke of madness would not be sad in the slightest even if his apostle died. Whenever Granul looked into Agares¡¯ decadent and cold eyes, he always felt cowed. When Agares had said ¡®no matter what¡¯, it meant Granul had to use any means necessary. If Granul failed, he could not go back, because Agares would then kill him for his uselessness. Besides, there were many hyenas lying in wait for an opportunity to be the monarch of the . [The Celestial ¡®Grand Duke of Destruction and Madness¡¯ quietly watches you.] ¡°Come out! If you¡¯re a warrior, fight like one!¡± Granul shouted, using his demonic energy to hold back his anxiety. In the of , he had made many demonic creatures and Evil Dragons bow to him in fear, but his shout was now dispersed by the sound of the ck lightning sandstorm. No answer came back, as if no one had heard anything, but Granul was certain that Chang-Sun was watching him from somewhere beyond that damned sandstorm. ¡®He¡¯s a very efficient hunter¡­ Waiting for me to get tired and leave myself open to attack!¡¯?Granul thought in shock. If he could do as he pleased, he would break through the sandstorm, but the possibility of a ck lightning bolt striking the back of his head stopped him. ¡®...I¡¯ve heard about this fighting technique. Let¡¯s stay calm, calm,¡¯ Granul repeated in his mind, trying to regain hisposure. He thought that analyzing Chang-Sun¡¯s fighting techniques would help hime up with a solution. Come to think of it, the whole fight brought back old memories to Granul. The previous owner of [Gram], which was in his hands right now, had fought like Chang-Sun. ¡®¡­I heard that ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ often fought like this in the .¡¯ ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ was so famous that all people who hadpleted their and wished to ascend to knew about him. A mere mortal had be a fiend and a star in the . He was a great symbol of hope to them, so the records of him were sold at high prices. From those records, Granul had found out that although ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ had a reputation for causing indiscriminate destruction and massacres, he was actually an efficient fighter. He rationally analyzed the difference in strength between him and his enemy. When he was stronger, he defeated his enemy with his overwhelming power, but when he was at a disadvantage, he turned the tide of the battle using any means necessary. Once in a while, he assassinated his enemies or used political maneuvers to instigate a fight among them, but his most used technique was to create a sandstorm to change the terrain of the battlefield by force and dull his enemies¡¯ senses. Afterward, he eliminated his enemies one by one as he moved like a ghost in the sandstorm, his [Storm Era] earning notoriety¡­ The fight right now was simr¡ªno, the same! The way the sandstorm moved, the way it disrupted the senses of Granul and the other apostles, the way Chang-Sun defeated his enemies one by one¡­ The only difference was that this sandstorm was more dangerous. It was saturated with Chang-Sun¡¯s lightning energy, and a rain of ck lightning bolts constantly emerged from the storm. ¡®No, that can¡¯t be it,¡¯?Granul thought. Kiyaaaaah¨D! Kikikiki! The sound of ghosts screaming ominously emanated from the raging sandstorm. Although it could simply be the wind, that did not truly seem to be the case. The distorted images of ghosts asionally emerged from the surface of the storm. Everything about the sandstorm was horrific. A storm that tore apart spirits, fired lightning bolts, and sounded like wailing ghosts¡­ Granul had never seen or heard such a thing before. It looked like an upgraded version of [Storm Era]. However, those were not the only ways in which it exceeded [Storm Era]. Part of the sandstorm at the top took the form of a sinister fiend that looked down on them. It was literally a dust devil, a devil created by the sandstorm! After being mixed with Chang-Sun¡¯s Atra Fulmen energy, the sandstorm fiend had turned pitch-ck, like the giant Granul had seen while investigating Chang-Sun before participating in the quest. ¡®But that looks even bigger and more ferocious¡­!¡¯ Grrrr¨D! Granul had to stop analyzing the situation, because the sandstorm fiend suddenly turned toward him after he stopped shouting. The fiend raised its arm high into the air with a thunderp; lightning sparks flew up from the sandstorm and umted in its hand, transforming into a giant spear. ¡°¡­!¡± Granul gritted his teeth, feeling a shiver running down his spine. He spread his wings wide, pulling [Gram] toward his chest. At that moment, the fiend threw the lightning bolt at Granul. Rumble! The thunder was so horrific that Granul felt as if his soul would be shattered. However, the real problem was that light traveled faster than sound; causing the ck lightning bolt to appear near-instantly before him. aaang! Granul was pushed back a great distance, and [Gram] shook violently, as if it could shatter at any moment. Ooooong, ooooong, oooong¡­ Granul swallowed the blood that rose up through his throat. ¡®I¡¯m going to be in real danger at this rate¡­!¡¯?he thought desperately. Although he wanted to fight back, he had no time tounch a counterattack. The fiend kept throwing ck lightning bolts toward Granul, filling him with despair. * * * [The Hell Monarch has died!] [Remaining participants: 11.] At first, the Celestials and their representatives had thought that the quest would result in a close match, but ny percent of the participants had died in under thirty minutes. Only the exceptionally strong participants had survived. The eliminated participants had not been able to find Chang-Sun no matter what, but those who remained were skilled enough to track him down and instigate a fight. [Remaining participants: 5.] Neptune¡¯s Sea King Creature, Cernunnos¡¯ Elemental Spirit Knight, Serket¡¯s gue Monster, and¡­ ¡®Urash, Bel-Marduk¡¯s apostle,¡¯?Chang-Sun recalled. ¡®Taurus¡¯ Bel-Marduk, the leader of the Zodiacs, had four favorite subordinates; ¡®Babylon Guard¡¯ Urash was one of those four. Of course, Urash¡¯ ss had decreased significantly due to thew of causality after he descended into the . Nevertheless, he exuded an aura greater than that of the other apostles. [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ strokes his chin, doubting you!] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ silently res at the Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯.] Urash did not attack Chang-Sun, unlike the other apostles. As if he had received an order from Bel-Marduk, he merely watched Chang-Sun from a distance with suspicion, while the other three apostles confronted Chang-Sun. ¡ºWho in the world are you?¡» The Kraken, the Sea King Creature that was also known as the ¡®ruthless ouw of the ocean¡¯, scowled at Chang-Sun through a spatial crack. Perhaps because it was too risky to reveal his whole body when he was dozens of meters tall, he remained in hiding and only reached out his tentacles through the spatial crack when he saw an opportunity. Whenever one of his tentacles moved or struck the battle stage, the spatial crack became bigger, and an intense tsunami rose. Thus, even Chang-Sun could not approach him. Neither the Elemental Spirit Knight with short, shining scarlet hair nor the putrid gue Monster said anything, but they looked at Chang-Sun as if they were in agreement with the Kraken. Chang-Sun noticed that their sses were on par with the Kraken¡¯s. ¡°Haven¡¯t you read the quest description?¡± Chang-Sun asked sarcastically. Of course, there was no way he would be dispirited. The Kraken narrowed his red eyes as he replied. ¡ºDon¡¯t try to im you¡¯re just a human named Lee Chang-Sun. No human could be as powerful as you in a year.¡» The Kraken and other apostles were already starting to doubt Chang-Sun¡¯s identity. The level of ability he had revealed, his fighting techniques¡­ Many things about him were suspicious, but in the past, the Celestials had simply marveled at Chang-Sun rather than doubting him. They had questioned it from time to time, but they had eventually reached the conclusion that Chang-Sun¡¯s fighting techniques were reminiscent of a certain ¡®someone¡¯. From the incidents in the to this apostle battle, it was hard to think of Chang-Sun as a mere human named Lee Chang-Sun. Urash had likely shown up in person to get answers to his questions. However, Chang-Sun did not give the Kraken the answer he was looking for, causing him to shout furiously at Chang-Sun. ¡ºTell me. Who in the world are you? Why are you simr to h¡­ Argghhhh!¡» Crack! The [Jin Can Axe] suddenly flew toward the Kraken through the spatial crack and crushed his eye, making him scream. ck ink dripped like blood, and his tentacles iled out of the spatial crack and smashed the stage wildly. Avoiding the uncoordinated attacks with ease, Chang-Sun smirked and said, ¡°Stop whining and bring it on.¡± ¡ºHow dare you¡­ How dare you!¡» ¡°If you¡¯re a man, fight like a man. I¡¯ll give you the real answer if I lose,¡± Chang-Sun offered. ¡ºI¡¯ll make you regret it!¡» Another spatial crack appeared, revealing the Kraken¡¯s other eyes. A pool of blue light manifested in front of the crack, and a man with a menacing appearance emerged; the Kraken had taken on his human form. ncing at the Kraken and Chang-Sun, the Elemental Spirit Knight and gue Monster moved far back from the stage, trying to give the two the space to fight. After all, the two had no reason to stop them when they were voluntarily using up all their stamina. After the Kraken finished polymorphing, he was certain of his victory. Without that damned sandstorm and its ck lightning bolts, he was sure that his odds in this fight against Chang-Sun were good. He prepared to draw his weapon through the spatial crack. Whirl, stab! Even before the Kraken could draw his weapon, he saw a sh. It was thest thing he saw before he was struck in the face with the [Jin Can Axe]. At that moment, the Elemental Spirit Knight and gue Monster were bewildered. ¡°Huh? Wait¡­?¡± ¡°He said they were going to fight fair and square, didn¡¯t he¡­?¡± Since Chang-Sun had thrown his axe even before the Kraken could bring out his weapon, he had clearly broken his promise. However, he scoffed coldly and said, ¡°Of course I was lying, you idiots.¡± 1. A preta is a supernatural being that appears in several religions and folktales. The term basically refers to a hungry ghost. Their hunger and thirst can never be satisfied. Chapter 254: Star, the Apostle Battle (4)

Chapter 254: Star, the Apostle Battle (4)

¡¸¡­You had so many other methods, but you had to crush their heads with an axe. Wasn¡¯t it an unwrittenw to not interfere with another person¡¯s transformation?¡¹ Upon hearing Simon Magus muttering, Chang-Sun tilted his head and replied, ¡°Why would I?¡± ¡¸Hmm?¡¹ ¡°Why would I bother with that?¡± Chang-Sun replied with a cold smile. ¡°If he¡¯s going to die anyway, it¡¯s better to die quickly.¡± ¡¸W-Well, that¡¯s true¡­¡¹ Simon chuckled dryly, thinking it was a good thing that hecked a body. If he had one, he would already be sweating profusely. Regardless, he felt pity when he saw the heads of the Archangel Leader and the Kraken, who were overlords of the , being split apart whenever Chang-Sun threw his axe. In truth, Simon himself was also a demigod. Perhaps it would be different to die honorably as a warrior after directly fighting a one-on-one battle, but he really did not want to be butchered like that. ¡®¡­No, maybe it¡¯s not that different, because I¡¯d die either way,¡¯?Simon thought as he nced in the other direction through Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes. Although he had tried to run away from death, he could not avoid it in the end; in contrast, a certain person still lived, standing far away from him. Looking at Jacque the Manticore, whose halo shone around him, Simon quietly spoke up. ¡¸Master.¡¹ ¡°What is it?¡± Chang-Sun answered. ¡¸Can I¡­?!¡¹ ¡°Go on,¡± Chang-Sun said with a nod. ¡¸¡­Can I really go?¡¹ ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you asked for the [Golem Core]?¡± Chang-Sun replied with a chuckle. Simon gasped. Although that actually was one of the reasons why he had asked forthea [Golem Core], he had never expected Chang-Sun to give permission this easily. He grumbled. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true, but I might run away or betray you, you know.¡¹ The [Golem Core] left by Ben Eddy was Saxnot¡¯s relic. Simon had been learning the secrets of sorcery and magic through [Prti¡¯s Spellbook] and [Bes¡¯s Poem], which meant could put the [Golem Core] to better use than Ben. Of course, once he merged with the [Golem Core], he would be as powerful as¡ªno, stronger than those apostles. Still, Chang-Sun did not seem to care about that. ¡°You can betray me if you want,¡± Chang-Sun said with a shrug. ¡¸What¡­?!¡¹ ¡°But you¡¯d better prepare yourself to deal with the consequences,¡± Chang-Sun continued with a chilling tone. Simon chuckled dumbfoundedly. ¡¸Yeah, I knew it, but¡­¡¹ He gradually burst into genuineughter. ¡¸..Yeah. Simon Magus¡¯ master should be like this.¡¹ Ooooong! The [Golem Core] appeared above Chang-Sun¡¯s head, then spun and quickly absorbed the blood sttered all across the battle stage. Since the blood belonged to the representatives of civilizations ands, it contained a lot of Divinities. As it entered the [Golem Core], the silhouette of a human began to manifest, traced in dark red light. Soon after, something that resembled a robe fell from the air and covered the figure, and what appeared to be its hand put an iron mask on its face. Click¨D! Once the figure put on the in iron mask, a strange set of lights began to emanate from it. It reminded Chang-Sun of the ¡®Iron Mask¡¯ Grizman Adelie, who had actually been Simon. [Your Subordinate ¡®Simon Magus¡¯ has sessfully merged with a Golem!] [Starting now, your Subordinate ¡®Simon Magus¡¯ can use all his Skills.] [Starting now, your Subordinate ¡®Simon Magus¡¯ can use all his magic spells.]. Jacque Valentine silently looked at Simon with an emotionless expression. ¡¸Jacque Valentine¡ªno, Vercingetorix, the king of Gauls.¡¹ Tap! Landing opposite from Jacque, Simon spoke coldly. ¡¸Our feud hassted for two thousand years. It¡¯s time to end this.¡¹ * * * Chang-Sun had not yet retrieved the [Jin Can Axe], because the Elemental Spirit Knight, gue Monster, and Urash were still present. Above all¡­ ¡®I haven¡¯t seen a message about the Sea King Creature¡¯s death,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Just as expected, arge amount of seawater appeared in the air and transformed into the Kraken, which shouted. ¡ºHow dare you fool me?!¡» Although Chang-Sun had gone for the head, it turned out that his attack had not quite dealt critical damage; still, it had been destructive on some level. The Kraken¡¯s remaining eye had been crushed, rendering him blind. The Kraken could not maintain his form and his body distorted, indicating that his ss was also very unstable. ¡ºI¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll make you end up the same way!¡» The Kraken opened his mouth wide and fired a waterfall of ink, dyeing the battle stage ck. Chang-Sun¡¯s storm ¡®disappeared¡¯ as soon as it came into contact with the Kraken¡¯s ink, and the world around him turned pitch-ck. ¡®Oh, this is a bit troublesome,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, realizing that the Kraken was going to blow himself up. It seemed that the Kraken, seeing no chance to escape alive, had decided to blind Chang-Sun in turn. With such a high ss and massive body, his self-detonation would no doubt have a powerful impact. Pzzzz! Chang-Sun swung the [Yuchang Sword] fiercely, creating a lightning bolt infused with white divine energy to split the Kraken in half. However, the Kraken self-detonated first with a shout. ¡ºSee you in hell, Lee Chang-Sun!¡» Boooom! The Kraken¡¯s ink sttered everywhere, covering the entire battle stage and Chang-Sun. [The Sea King Creature has activated the Authority ¡®Unholy Creature¡¯!] [You have be trapped in the Sea King Creature¡¯s mind pce, your consciousness subsiding.] ¡­ [Escape the mind pce safely.] [The world is turning dark.] ¡­ ¡­ ¨E ¡¤ ¡¤ Beep, beep! Chang-Sun woke up from the noise of the rm clock and looked around, soon recognizing where he was. A high-spec desktop, twoputer monitors, a poster on the wall, over a dozen trophies disyed in the bookcase¡­ It was his room. He was in his room right now. ¡®When did I get here?¡¯ he thought in annoyance, but the door to his room suddenly opened. ¡°Chang-Sun! If you¡¯re up, you shoulde out and eat breakfast! Don¡¯t you have a game today?¡± So Yu-Ha, his mother, called out as she appeared in the doorway, holding adle in her right hand and wearing an apron. For a moment, Chang-Sun looked nkly at Yu-Ha. Although she was always full of concern, she looked unusually young today. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re just looking at me without saying anything,¡± Yu-Ha said, tilting her head and looking at Chang-Sun worriedly. ¡°¡­Nothing. I wasn¡¯t fully awake,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°Okay,e on out. Everyone is waiting for you,¡± Yu-Ha said with a smile. Wait for him? Not understanding what Yu-Ha meant, Chang-Sun followed her and trudged to the living room. He felt very sluggish and tired for some reason, as if he had not slept for days. ¡°Hey, did you sleep well?¡± his brother asked with a smile. ¡°Woah! Look at the dark bags under your eyes. When was thest time you slept?¡± His sister, Lee Yu-Seon, added with a frown. The table was full of delicious dishes, and the rest of the family was sitting around it. Although Chang-Sun¡¯s father did not even try to look him in the eyes, his brother and sister happily weed him. Although Yu-Seon might have scolded Chang-Sun, her tone was yful. It was one of the mornings he had experienced in the past. ¡°Sit,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s father said, putting his spoon into a bowl of seaweed soup. Chang-Sun sat down in his seat as if he had been bewitched by something. When he looked down, he saw warm bowls of rice and seaweed soup. At that moment, Yu-Ha sat down on the opposite side and put down a te of spicy stir-fried pork in the center of the table. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot left, so help yourselves,¡± Yu-Ha said, gesturing at the family members. ¡°What?! Wow, this is really unfair,¡± Yu-Seon grumbled in disbelief. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s brother asked, looking at Yu-Seon. . ¡°Mom is ying favorites. On the day of my musicpetition, she cooked me a pot of kimchi-jjigae and that was it, but when Chang-Sun enters apetition, he gets spicy stir-fried pork, seaweed soup, skate fish sd, and other seasoned vegetables¡­ It¡¯s a wonder that the table legs didn¡¯t give out,¡± Yu-Seon said, pointing at the tes on the table one by one. Yu-Ha gasped and eximed, ¡°Yu-Seon! You always eat well even if I don¡¯t cook for you, but Chang-Sun doesn¡¯t. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! Then I¡¯m going to starve from now on!¡± Yu-Seon yelled. Yu-Ha was about to scold her childish daughter when Chang-Sun¡¯s brother blurted out, ¡°You can¡¯t, Yu-Seon.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I do that?¡± Yu-Seon replied with a pout. ¡°Can you starve yourself for three days? You can¡¯t eat bread for a snack,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s brother answered. ¡°Are you crazy? How can I do that?!¡± Yu-Seon eximed in shock. She loved bread so much that she could not go a day without eating a piece of bread. ¡°He can,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s brother said, pointing at Chang-Sun with his chin. ¡°I saw him eating instant cup noodles in front of hisputer for a week. Can you at least do that much?¡± ¡°¡­Impossible,¡± Yu-Seon said, shaking her head firmly. ¡°There is one more reason,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s brother added. ¡°What is it now?¡± Yu-Seon asked. ¡°You should earn as much money as him,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s brother said with a raised brow. ¡°Psh!?My sry isn¡¯t low, you know!¡± Yu-Seon protested. ¡°One-tenth of Chang-Sun¡¯s? No, one-twentieth of his sry,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s brother said. ¡°Then what about you?¡± Yu-Seon asked. ¡°Mine is one-fifth of Chang-Sun¡¯s, so it¡¯s impossible for me too,¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s brother replied. ¡°¡­Man, it¡¯s really unfair for people who can¡¯t earn much money,¡± Yu-Seon said with a pout. ¡°Guys! When have I discriminated against you all for your sries?!¡± Yu-Ha scolded Yu-Seon and Chang-Sun¡¯s brother to stop their strange conversation, but the two continued regardless. It was a peaceful and ordinary morning¡­ but Chang-Sun could not pick up his spoon for some reason. ¡°Do you not feel like eating? Or is the soup too salty?¡± Yu-Ha asked cautiously, worrying about Chang-Sun after noticing his condition. Chang-Sun¡¯s brother and Yu-Seon also stopped talking and looked at Chang-Sun. Although his father had not said anything the whole time, he had begun watching Chang-Sun with a worried gaze. ¡°I knew it,¡± Chang-Sun muttered inaudibly. He really could not remember his family members looking at him in that way. As the scene took ce before he had even passed through the Door of Reincarnation, it had to have happened at least hundreds of years ago. His family members had never liked his upation, but the only people he had been on bad terms with were his father and his other rtives. In fact, his siblings and mother had supported Chang-Sun¡¯s work as a professional gamer, saying that the best way to live a life was to do what one wanted to do, so he had enjoyed spending time with his family members. Everyone in the family was always busy, but they were close enough to always have breakfast together. However, their peaceful lives hade to an end ever since Chang-Sun retired. He had entered a downward spiral and be an alcoholic. During that time, the rtionship between him and his siblings had soured so badly that they even started to have fistfights. In the end, everything had been Chang-Sun¡¯s fault. Thus, Chang-Sun had needed to set things straight after he had returned to Earth, but he could not¡ªno, had not. He had been unsure where to start and dyed making amends, under the pretext that it was just too difficult a matter. Comcently thinking that his family members would eventually know how he truly felt, he had just continued running away. His lingering feelings, left deep in his heart, had just shown up as a hallucination. Everything he was watching right now was part of the past memories he had buried deep in his mind. It was a happy memory, but he had just replied in annoyance at the time, being stupid and arrogant. However, he really wanted these mornings back. ¡°Mom,¡± Chang-Sun said, finally managing to swallow something back down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you not feel good?¡± Yu-Ha asked, approaching Chang-Sun with a worried expression. ¡°Dad,¡± Chang-Sun continued. Noticing something was strange, his father put down his spoon and paid attention to him. ¡°Hyung, noona,¡± Chang-Sun continued. His brother and Yu-Seon looked at him, blinking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Chang-Sun said. The moment he finally said the words he had buried deep in his heart¡­ Crack! ¡­cracks spread in every direction, revealing a ck void. The world around Chang-Sun ceased to be. ¡°I¡¯ll give you all a proper apology in person no matter what,¡± Chang-Sun said, clenching his fists. [Your ¡®Gnostic Eye¡¯ has opened!] Crrrack¨D! Shatter! Cracks spread across the ck space, and it copsed. ¡ºHow¡­ My Authority¡­!¡» Chang-Sun could see the Kraken¡¯s soul wavering in front of him. The Kraken had sacrificed his soul to activate his Authority, but it had been nullified with too much ease. [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ dwells on your past, which he saw through his apostle, feeling intrigued!] Swoosh! Chang-Sun drew up divine energy from the [Yuchang Sword] and slew the Kraken¡¯s soul on the spot. While the soul disappeared with a scream, he slowly walked forward. Ssh. Ssh. Sshes echoed from the puddles of ink on the floor. [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ groans.] [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ tilts her head in confusion.] ¡°...Indeed, it was you.¡± The first person Chang-Sun ran into was the Elemental Spirit Knight, a woman with short red hair who was wearing a blindfold. She was carrying a greatsword that was taller than her, making her stand out. She was definitely a martial artist, but she exuded a mystical aura like that of a prophet. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°The reason why the Kraken put you under a hallucination even at the cost of his life was to dig into your past, but he unexpectedly uncovered another fact,¡± the Elemental Spirit Knight replied, the ends of her mouth curling up slightly. She continued, ¡°You¡¯re Odin¡¯s reincarnation.¡± 1. A Korean dish called ???. 2. A Korean dish called ????. 3. A Korean dish called ????. Chapter 255: Star, the Apostle Battle (5)

Chapter 255: Star, the Apostle Battle (5)

Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes as the Elemental Spirit Knight mentioned Odin. When Chang-Sun had fallen into Mimisbrunnr, he had met an old man who could have been his previous incarnation in his subconsciousness. The man had one eye and a ferocious demeanor; two crows had sat on his shoulders, and hungry wolves had roamed around him. At the time, Chang-Sun had instinctively realized that the old man was Odin, the Ruling Celestial of the extinct . No one else would have such a unique appearance, nor would they talk about ¡®gnosis¡¯ the way he had. However, Chang-Sun was unsure whether he was really Odin¡¯s reincarnation, because there was no physical proof. He had thought he could simply be the reincarnation of someone who looked simr to Odin, but the Elemental Spirit Knight told him with certainty that he was indeed Odin¡¯s reincarnation. ¡°Did the Kraken¡¯s hallucination also show the dormant memories in my soul?¡± Chang-Sun asked, because the only hallucination he had seen was a memory of his family when things had been good. The Elemental Spirit Knight smiled faintly and said, ¡°No. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to see it, since you woke up before I did.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°But you have all the indicators. No matter how you passed away, began your samsara, or lost all your memories, you¡¯re bound to subconsciously retain the habits you had as a Celestial,¡± the Elemental Spirit Knight said. ¡°So that¡¯s why I have to be Odin?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Your storms, lightning, Undead Army, runes, madness, fights, belligerent temper, [Magical Eye]...¡± the Elemental Spirit Knight said, pointing at Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun stroked his left eye. It seemed that his [Gnostic Eye] looked like a [Magical Eye] to the apostles. ¡°Who could you possibly be other than Odin?¡± the Elemental Spirit Knight shouted in delight. Having gained a rough idea of what the apostles thought, Chang-Sun chuckled. ¡°Nonsense! He¡¯s obviously Balor,¡± the gue Monster said with a scoff after watching the conversation between Chang-Sun and the Elemental Spirit Knight. Pouting slightly, the Elemental Spirit Knight asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°One eye, death, magic, a Giant, a fighter¡­ These indicators point to Balor,¡± the gue Monster said with a shrug. Balor was a Giant Warrior who had died long ago after bing the enemy of the named . He was also the son of Buarainech, the Celestial of magic, and had a about how one of his eyes had been ruined after identally inhaling the poisonous fumes of a potion that his father¡¯s subordinates had been creating. Whenever anyone ,ade eye contact with his ruined eye, they all died, so it was no wonder that the gue Monster had mentioned Balor after meeting Chang-Sun. [The Celestial ¡®Aquarius¡¯ says that you could be the deceased Tomte.][2] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ adds that you should not forget about the Forgotten Star Perkwunos.][3] ¡­ [The Dungeon Channel KR-9,721 has erupted into an uproar due to the viewing Celestials giving their opinions!] [The employees are pulling out their hair.] Chang-Sun chuckled dumbfoundedly, watching the Celestials who were busy discussing who he could be the reincarnation of. All the names they mentioned belonged to Celestials who had died, plummeted, or been forgotten. However, they shared some things inmon: They were fighters who had primarily used lightning, storm, magic, and spears. ¡°Someday, many people will doubt your real identity. We need to hide it as long as we can, but you¡¯ll stand out after earning all those achievements,¡± Thanatos said.? ¡°Of course. Not everyone in is a fool,¡± Chang-Sun remarked. ¡°At first, they¡¯ll want to find out who¡¯s behind you, then uncover your identity. After that, they¡¯ll consider the possibility of you being a Fallen Star. That¡¯s when I¡¯m going to create a distraction,¡± Thanatos continued.? ¡°A distraction?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll need to use one, since we can¡¯t keep things secret forever,¡± Thanatos said with a nod. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°¡®The will release a number of Fallen Stars to the in secret to keep in check.¡¯ Something along those lines,¡± Thanatos said, smiling mischievously.? ¡°¡­ won¡¯t take that rumor well,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°After that, the rumor of ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ being one of those Fallen Stars is also going to spread. Then, they¡¯ll pay attention to the other yers who are also performing brilliantly,¡± Thanatos concluded. Thanatos¡¯ n was very simple. By creating a rumor about the , he would make the Celestials in tense. On the other hand, he would also divert the Celestials¡¯ attention using the Fallen Stars of the . The goal was to make it difficult for the Celestials in to ascertain that Chang-Sun was ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ even if they paid attention to him. There was an additional benefit that the could gain. Once the Celestials in tensed up, they would naturally make several mistakes and leave themselves open to attacks. That was the moment Thanatos was waiting for. ¡°Be honest. How many reapers are there? I think there have to be a lot more than me,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°Hahaha! Well, let¡¯s leave it as a mystery for fun,¡± Thanatos replied. Standing on the chaotic battlefield, Urash had previously remained silent. For the first time, he said, ¡°He could be the reincarnation ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯.¡± The Elemental Spirit Knight and gue Monster simultaneously looked at Urash. Smiling very crookedly, Urash continued, ¡°Why are you all looking at me like that? It¡¯s more than possible. Besides, haven¡¯t you all heard the rumors about the making a move?¡± Urash was looking at all the Celestials who were watching this apostle battle, not just the other two apostles and Chang-Sun. In truth, however, it was not Urash who was talking at the moment. It was Bel-Marduk. [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ is watching you!] [Total viewers: 58???.] ¡°One of the reasons this quest started was to find out whether he was the secret weapon of the , so it¡¯s a reasonable doubt to¡­!¡± Urash began, raising a brow. ¡°Of course. That is also a possibility,¡± the Elemental Spirit Knight said, interrupting him. Urash red at her, but she did not seem to care very much as she continued, ¡°But I think the possibility of him being Odin¡¯s reincarnation is still more likely. Who knows what the could do with Odin¡¯s soul? Besides¡­¡± Despite the blindfold that covered her eyes, Chang-Sun had a feeling that the Elemental Spirit Knight was looking at him¡ªno, she was observing something that could not be seen with the naked eye. ¡°Don¡¯t his subordinates also resemble Odin¡¯s? His two ghost subordinates remind me of Geri and Freki. Odin¡¯s Huginn and Muninn are like his Evil Dragon and Demon King,¡± the Elemental Spirit Knight said, pointing at Chang-Sun. Geri and Freki were Odin¡¯s two hungry wolves. They could bite the souls of warriors right out of their bodies, turning them into einherjar, Odin¡¯s soldiers. As Jin Prezia and Simara fought in the frontline and assisted Chang-Sun in battle, they truly did resemble Geri and Freki. On the other hand, Huginn and Muninn were Odin¡¯s crows, their names meaning ¡®emotion¡¯[4] and ¡®memory¡¯ respectively. They left each daybreak and returned the next morning with all sorts of information and knowledge, delivering it to Odin. Based on that information, Odin had ruled over his ne with ease. Since Cadmus was Chang-Sun¡¯s ¡®emotion¡¯ that shared [Ferocious Heart], and Simon Magus assisted Chang-Sun with his mastery of gnosis as his ¡®memory¡¯, the Elemental Spirit Knight had a point. ¡°Besides, Lee Chang-Sun is currently the king of . Suppose that the resurrected Odin and led him to conquer the Giants, who were his old enemies. The final goal would be to unite and , and plete¡¯ Bes. In that case, no one else could be a more dangerous secret weapon of the than Odin, no?¡± the Elemental Spirit Knight continued. Many people thought that Odin¡¯s archenemy was Loki, the ruling Celestial of , but that was a misunderstanding that was caused after Loki became poprter on. Bes was the real archenemy Odin had stayed on high alert around. Bes was the Giant King who had be a Deity King after uniting , , and . Thus, what would happen if the resurrected Odin and allowed him to earn all the same achievements Bes had gained? Then, the would be able to create the most powerful weapon. The conjecture actually sounded very usible even to Chang-Sun. ¡®I think Thanatos is actually capable of doing that,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. As no one could tell what was going on in the King of the Underworld¡¯s mind, the Elemental Spirit Knight¡¯s hypothesis was possible. Chang-Sun was using him, so Thanatos could be nning something using him too. There were undoubtedly many things about the Celestial-sealing n that Chang-Sun did not know about. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ licks his dry lip with his scarlet tongue.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ consoles the Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯, asking him if he is okay.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ chuckles, saying that it is funny to beforted by a child.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ angrily shouts that she is not a child!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ soothes the Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯, saying that he hears her with augh.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ jumps in anger!] J?rmungandr was a key member of , so he seemed a bit nervous after hearing the Elemental Spirit Knight¡¯s conjecture. It was understandable, because if Chang-Sun was really Odin¡¯s reincarnation, that meant J?rmungandr had been supporting his old enemy. Since Pabilsag knew that, she wasforting J?rmungandr. ¡°Well, that sounds pretty convincing,¡± Urash said with a chuckle, looking at Chang-Sun. Despite his answer, however, he seemed to be convinced of something else. ¡°Of course, I could be wrong. The rumor about Lee Chang-Sun being the secret weapon of the could just be false. He may have be who he is today by being born with as much talent as¡ªno, more talent than¡ªthe deceased ¡®Divine Twilight,¡± the Elemental Spirit Knight concluded before continuing, ¡°Regardless of what the truth is, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re the man of talent that everyone wants, Lee Chang-Sun, so¡­¡± . ¡°I should join you?¡± Chang-Sun asked. The Elemental Spirit Knight nodded fervently and said, ¡°If you¡¯re really with the , you should join me¡­ But why not do so even if you aren¡¯t? You might have reached your current level with your talent, but you¡¯ll eventually run into a wall. Let me and myrades help you¡­!¡± The moment the Elemental Spirit Knight was about to finish speaking, Chang-Sun pierced the ground with the swords he was holding. It was unclear what he was trying to do. Feeling nervous for some reason, the Elemental Spirit Knight stopped speaking and looked at him. The gue Monster and Urash did the same. Chang-Sun suddenly reached out his hand in another direction and said, ¡°Come.¡± Whoosh! [Gram], which had been stuck in the center of the stage, rattled and floated into the air, before quicklynding in Chang-Sun¡¯s palm. Ooooong, ooooong¨D! [Gram] shook violently as if to say that it was d to meet Chang-Sun again. ¨DWhere have you been. ¨DI have returned ¨Dto you. Chang-Sun also heard the voice of [Gram]. Although [Gram] could not speak in full sentences, Chang-Sun was able to sense positive emotions in its voice; the sword was happy and thrilled to meet its previous owner again. ¡°You said I wouldn¡¯t be able to uncover the secrets of my soul, right?¡± Chang-Sun asked, one side of his mouth curling up as he looked at the Elemental Spirit Knight. Although one of his reasons for listening to their hypotheses without saying anything was that he was following Thanatos¡¯ n, the other reason was that he wanted to know how far they would go with their ridiculous theories. Chang-Sun was right there, but they had kepting up with ideas and discussing which one was more right without listening to what Chang-Sun had to say. It was absurd. Who were they to decide what was possible or impossible? Chang-Sun was Odin, Balor, Tomte, or Perkwunos? So? So what? He did not care who they were, because they were just ancient remnants he could not even remember. Regardless of everything else, the person who was here today was Lee Chang-Sun, the fiend ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯¡ªno, the Fiend Star who had caused the fall of countless Celestials. ¡°You can just see for yourself,¡± Chang-Sun said. Pzzzzz! His Atra Fulmen energy covered [Gram] in a sh. The relic that had been used to hunt dragons shone brilliantly once Chang-Sun expelled the demonic energy from it. [You have sessfully connected with ¡®Gram¡¯, your old weapon!] [The Trait ¡®Close-Combat Master¡¯ has been applied, awakening the dormant energy in ¡®Gram¡¯.] [Some of your limitations have been temporarily removed, revealing the Divine ss of ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯!] 1. This actually refers to a supernatural race in Irish mythology. ?? 2. While a Tomte is a mythological creature from Nordic folklore, and is normally said to take the form of a gnome typically associated with the winter solstice and the Christmas season, in TDTR the name Tomte has something to do with fighting. ?? 3. A weather deity in Proto-Indo-European Mythology. ?? 4. This was tranted ording to the raws, but Huginn actually means ¡®thought.¡¯ ?? Chapter 256: Star, the Apostle Battle (6)

Chapter 256: Star, the Apostle Battle (6)

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡­! Kiyaaaah¨D! ¡°What¡­?!¡± The Elemental Spirit Knight muttered. A storm started raging once again, Chang-Sun¡¯s Atra Fulmen energy ring up hotter than ever. The ghosts¡¯ wails echoed even more loudly, leaving the Elemental Spirit Knight baffled. Up until a moment before, Chang-Sun had been fatigued, and his mana and HP had been depleted. Although the Elemental Spirit Knight¡¯s eyes were covered, her other senses were extremely developed, so she could urately assess another¡¯s condition just by hearing their breathing. Even Cernunnos himself had admitted how great her ability was. Thus, she had known that Chang-Sun could not possibly be in worse condition, in contrast to how calm he looked. However, the moment Chang-Sun grabbed [Gram], which Granul had lost, he changedpletely. For some reason, his lightning sparks seemed to be even more powerful than when the quest first started¡­ ¡®Twilight¡­?¡¯?the Elemental Spirit Knight wondered as the world around Chang-Sun distorted and began glowing faintly red like a sunset. [The true name of ¡®Gram¡¯ has been revealed, recreating a part of its ¡®Myth¡¯.] [Myth: Evil Dragon Elimination.] [Gram] was known as the dragon-yer sword. It had been used to kill dragons and extract their power and Authorities, so the sword¡¯s energy resembled [Dragon Fear], which could induce terror in anything that lived. Grrrrr¡­.! A growl rang out, like that of an animal encountering an opponent, and the space nearby distorted. Above the sword, which had a pattern that resembled a dragon¡¯s scales, runes floated and shone radiantly. Zinnnng, zinnnng. [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], which was embedded in the ground, shook violently as if it disliked [Gram]. [The Celestial ¡®Grand Duke of Destruction and Madness¡¯ is displeased that you took away his weapon without his permission!] [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ cheers for you, clenching his fists!] Paaah¨D! Holding [Gram] low, Chang-Sun began to run again. His Atra Fulmen sparks flew fiercely into the air and gathered there, transforming into a tiger. [The Skill ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s First w¡¯ has been activated!] sh! Chang-Sun swung [Gram] through the air,unching an attack that resembled a tiger¡¯s w and striking the Elemental Spirit Knight. Holding up her greatsword, she managed to deflect his attack with great difficulty, but she was unable to nullify itpletely. ¡®What the¡­?!¡¯?the Elemental Spirit Knight thought. When her Guardian Cernunnos first sent her here, she had been sure of her victory. Apart from her absolute belief in her ability, that was mainly because of her ¡®eyes¡¯ that were as powerful as an Authority. However, she sensed imminent danger at that moment. [The Skills ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s Second w¡¯ and ¡®ck Mountain Third w¡¯ have been activated!] Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¨D! It was just like the time when [Gram] had been used to eliminate Evil Dragons. In order to pierce dragonhide, which was tougher than diamond, [Gram] had to be incredibly sharp. Cracks instantly spread across the Elemental Spirit Knight¡¯s greatsword, making it shake so violently that it looked as if it would break apart. Chang-Sun activated the [ck Mountain King¡¯s Fourth w], shing diagonally. The Elemental Spirit Knight¡¯s greatsword shattered, its fragments flying into the air. ¡®I-I can¡¯t avoid them!¡¯?the Elemental Spirit Knight thought, gasping. With her ¡®eyes¡¯, the Elemental Spirit Knight could find her enemies¡¯ weaknesses, but she could not do that with Chang-Sun right now¡­ No, he definitely had weaknesses. In fact, there were far too many of them. Arms, legs, waist, thighs, temples¡­ The problem was that she had no opportunity to counterattack even if she knew where the weaknesses were, because Chang-Sun did not give her the time. Her breathing became rough, and blood dripped from her mouth. She wanted to say something to Chang-Sun, but he unleashed hisst w before she could, shing across her chest. [The Skill ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s Fifth w¡¯ has been activated!] Booooom! The more Chang-Sun used the [ck Mountain King¡¯s ws], the more his attacks¡¯ damage was amplified. As the [ck Mountain King¡¯s Fifth w] had been created specifically to hunt Heoju, it was as strong as an Authority. On top of that, he had regained part of his power as ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯... The Elemental Spirit Knight was instantly swept away by the explosion. [The Elemental Spirit Knight has died.] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ widens his eyes!] . [Total participants: 3.] Although Chang-Sun had taken out many apostles, Cernunnos had never expected Chang-Sun to also eliminate the Elemental Spirit Knight, leaving him bewildered. Meanwhile, however, Chang-Sun ran in the other direction to finish the quest. Swoooosh¨D! ¡°Ha! Your next target is me, huh?¡± Urash muttered in disbelief, uncrossing his arms. He clenched his fists, causing lightning sparks to fly as well; unlike Chang-Sun¡¯s, however, his were golden. He yelled, ¡°Alright,e on!¡± ¡®I¡¯ll finish him quickly,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, having no intention to drag things out. After retrieving [Gram], he had regained a part of his lost ss, but it would onlyst temporarily. Just as the Elemental Spirit Knight had observed, his HP and mana were almost depleted. [HP: 314/10,912] [Mana: 115/24,500] He had less than ten percent of either remaining, so he knew he was overexerting himself by initiating a fight against Bel-Marduk¡¯s apostle. However, there was no telling when he would get another opportunity to weaken Bel-Marduk. ¡®One strike. I¡¯ll kill him with one strike¡­!¡¯ Chang-Sun decided, formting a course of attack in his mind. ¡°Take that!¡± a voice called out. Something suddenly flew toward Chang-Sun. In the confusion of the moment, Chang-Sun caught it with his left hand, and was surprised. It was a foul-smelling potion bottle. Laughing, the gue Monster continued, ¡°I have no desire to fight against you! The only reason I participated in this quest was that my shydy asked me to deliver this. Bye-bye now!¡± [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ twiddles her fingers.] ¡°Ah, on a side note, drink every drop of it, since it¡¯s good for hair loss. After she saw your hair turning white, she said you were in danger of¡­ Anyway, cheer up,¡± the gue Monster advised Chang-Sun sincerely for an inexplicable reason. Chang-Sun suddenly felt annoyed, but the gue Monster had already disappeared. [The gue Monster has abandoned the Quest.] [Total participants: 2.] Chang-Sun opened the lid and drank the potion. Judging from its pungent smell, there was a possibility that it was poisonous, but Chang-Sun did not care. He had [Hundred Toxin Immunity] and knew that Serket was not that sinister. [You have consumed an unidentifiable potion.] [The Effect ¡®Hundred Toxin Immunity¡¯ has been applied, detoxifying all poisons and turning them into medicines.] [Your HP is replenishing quickly.] [Your Mana is replenishing quickly.] [Your Willpower has increased.] [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ says that the potion is good for hair loss and men in general, clenching her fists.] Although Chang-Sun was unsure what was in it, the potion seemed to be some sort of elixir. Not only did he recover, he also felt his maximum mana capacity increasing permanently. Boooom! [Gram] shed with Urash¡¯s iron-hard fist, and an intense explosion erupted as Chang-Sun¡¯s ck lightning energy shed with Urash¡¯s golden lightning energy. Two storms ran into each other, creating a bizarre noise upon impact. Bel-Marduk was also a fighting Celestial who created storms and lightning, so he had a lot inmon with the current Chang-Sun. However, the key difference was that Bel-Marduk¡¯s storms originated from water and life, while Chang-Sun''s originated from fire and death. Boom, boom, boom! Rumble¨D! ¡®I¡¯ll¡­¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, gritting his teeth. ¡®I¡¯ll have to at least kill him no matter what.¡¯ Bel-Marduk was Chang-Sun¡¯s biggest enemy, so in order to hurt his pride, Chang-Sun needed to eliminate Urash. The Urash who had manifested was weaker than the real Urash due to thew of causality, and was basically just an avatar of his real self; nheless, Chang-Sun had no intention to let him go. It would serve as a warning that Chang-Sun would not leave the Celestials of alone. [The battle stage shakes violently!] [The viewing Celestials hold their breath as they watch the start of the final battle in the Quest.] [Total viewers: 72???.] [Total viewers: 86???.] [Total viewers: 91???.] ¡­ [Total viewers: 98???.] [The number of viewers has exceeded 100,000!] [The number of viewers has exceeded 150,000!] ¡­ [You have unlocked a Great Aplishment: Celestials¡¯ Attention!] [You havepleted the rising action of your Narrative.] [You have unlocked a Great Aplishment: Exceptional Warrior!] [You havepleted the climax of your Narrative.] Like a scene from a legend, two storms shed, and a rain of lightning bolts came down from the sky. The stars in the sky shone more radiantly than ever. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ cheers for you!] [The Celestial ¡®Sky and Earth¡¯s Connecting Wing¡¯ has blessed you!] Chang-Sun felt as if Minerva and Mercury had appeared at his side and were supporting him from behind. Indeed, the two Celestials were smiling and rooting for him as they looked at him from the world he saw through his [Gnostic Eye]. Additionally¡­ [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ demands that you be his apostle, as he is going to give you a gift first!] Whirl, stab! Something fell from the sky andnded right in front of Chang-Sun¡¯s left foot. Oooong, ooooong! [Balmung] howled, as if to tell Chang-Sun that it was here too. Although the demonic blood-yer sword was in Mars¡¯ possession, he had given it to Chang-Sun after pondering for a long time. Chang-Sun could picture Mars walking back and forth in his room, filled with lingering conflict even after giving [Balmung] to him. ¡®I should thank himter,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, kicking [Balmung] up into the air. While [Balmung] twirled in the air like a pinwheel, Chang-Sun pushed Urash away using [Gram], then reached his hand out to [Balmung]. The moment Chang-Sun grabbed the sword, [Balmung] fired off a stream of words. ¨DBlood. ¨DBlood. ¨DGive me more blood. ¨DIt¡¯s my master. Master. ¨DThe master who gave me a lot of blood. ¨DI missed your blood. ¨DYour blood¡­! ¨DThat guy is. ¨DStill crazy. Thest two remarks came from [Gram], sounding as if it felt sick of [Balmung], who was still¡ªno, it was crazier than before. Nevertheless, the voice of [Gram] was tinged with happiness for having reunited with its old friend. Therge and small wounds Chang-Sun sustained while carrying out the quest had begun recovering after he drank Serket¡¯s potion, but they opened up again, covering him in blood. Shortly after, all his blood was absorbed by [Balmung]. Ooooong! Just as [Gram] had before, [Balmung] shone brilliantly with beautiful yet wicked light, as if it were waking up from a long slumber. Runes began floating above its de, which meant¡­ ¨DBlood Tear. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The more Chang-Sun moved, the stronger the storm that blew around him became. [You have synchronized with ¡®Gram¡¯ and ¡®Balmung¡¯, awakening more of their dormant energies!] [Some of the limitations on your Divine ss have been removed.] [Some of the limitations on your Divine ss have been removed.] ¡­ [Part of the of ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ has been applied, significantly increasing the mastery of the Skill ¡®Dust Devil¡¯.] [The Skill ¡®Dust Devil¡¯ has reached its maximum level, creating the Authority ¡®Storm Era¡¯.] [You have regained part of your lost Divine ss.] The moment Chang-Sun recovered one part of the , the five famous Authorities of ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯, he began moving a lot more quickly as he swung [Balmung]. Although [Balmung] shed with Urash¡¯s fist, Chang-Sun was no longer blown back. Instead, he drew closer to Urash, and [Balmung] slid up Urash¡¯s arm. Paah! After Chang-Sun¡¯s Atra Fulmen energybined with the energy of [Balmung], his lightning had turned scarlet; he fired a red lightning bolt, leaving a deep cut on Urash¡¯s arm. Urash¡¯s blood sttered into the air, and [Balmung] sucked in all the blood as it aimed for Urash¡¯s neck. ¡°Hup¡­!¡± Urash grunted, leaning backward in surprise. However, Chang-Sun swung [Gram] upward to strike Urash¡¯s right armpit. The dragon-yer sword could shred a dragon¡¯s skin, so it had extremely ferocious teeth. Gritting his teeth, Urash spun like a top, causing golden lightning sparks to fly as he narrowly deflected [Gram]. He then folded his arm and used his elbow to strike Chang-Sun¡¯s waist, which was left open to attack. As swords had more reach than fists, Urash had decided to close the gap to deliver his fist attacks more effectively. Smaaack! ¡®Taurus¡¯ was the strongest among the Zodiacs, and Urash was his apostle. Living up to his title, Urash¡¯s strike was extremely powerful. He had broken through Chang-Sun¡¯s raging storm and Atra Fulmen sparks to punch Chang-Sun; the impact was strong enough to make Chang-Sun feel as if every bone in his body would shatter. However, the pain was actually a great stimnt for Chang-Sun. [The Authority ¡®Kalokagathia¡¯ has been applied, reducing the shock andparing your selected enemy¡¯s stat points to yours.] [Your stat points that are inferior to theirs will be temporarily increased!] Crrk! Chang-Sun intentionally turned his torso toward the direction where he had been hit, aggravating his wounds and breaking his ribs. Despite that, even through the horrific pain, he was able to close the distance between him and Urash even more than the first time he had been attacked. Chang-Sun was now so close to Urash that he could hear Urash¡¯s panting, as loud as thunder. As Urash had not expected Chang-Sun to close in on him to such an extent, he tried to distance himself, but Chang-Sun was already thrusting a hand toward his temple. [The Skill ¡®Jade Smashing Fist¡¯ has been activated!] Due to the fact that he had many sacred weapons, Chang-Sun had never found much use for [Jade Smashing Fist]. However, it was finally showing its value at that moment. As he had kept practicing the Skill, it had already reached the maximum level; naturally, his fist attack carried indescribable strength. Smash¨D! Urash¡¯s head exploded like a watermelon. Rummmble! A shockwave spread outward, and Chang-Sun¡¯s Atra Fulmen energy created dozens of ripples that spread throughout the battle stage. [Urash¡¯s Sculpture has died!] [You have sessfullypleted the Quest!] [You have unlocked a Great Aplishment: Potential Warring Deity.] [You havepleted the resolution of your Narrative.] [You havepleted your !] [You have acquired the qualifications to be a demigod.] [Your ss has increased.] [Your ss has increased.] ¡­ [Your level is 92.] [You are soon going to reach the required level to start your third ss acquisition quest.] ¡­ [All the viewing Celestials are variously cheering, moaning, and despairing!] [Final viewers: 419???.] [All Celestials have be aware of you!] There were now hundreds of thousands of stars in the ceiling now, forming a beautiful gxy, and all those stars shone their light on Chang-Sun. Chapter 257: Star, the Old Secret (1)

Chapter 257: Star, the Old Secret (1)

[The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ bursts intoughter!] Chang-Sun looked up at the sky and read a message from someone he was familiar with. Using Urash, his apostle, Bel-Marduk said that Chang-Sun could be the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ but he wasn¡¯t making guesses. Bel-Marduk was certain of it. After all, among the Zodiacs, he knew Chang-Sun best. Although Chang-Sun was also aware of what Bel-Marduk was thinking, he didn¡¯t try to hide his identity. He would have had toy low back if he had been weak, but since it had been proven that no one from the could defeat him, he no longer had any reason to hide it. That was why he hadpleted [Dust Devil]¡ªno, [Storm Era]. Of course, he didn¡¯t say aloud that he was the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ There were still advantages to hiding his identity. Confused, the Celestials mentioned names like Odin and Balor. The chaos would slow them down. Still, Bel-Marduk and the other Celestials who knew the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ very well had likely noticed on some level. However, Bel-Marduk had no way of interfering in the affairs of the due to thew of causality. All he could do was use his apostle, but his apostle had just been killed. [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ smirks.] [You have received a private message.] [Message: I don¡¯t know how you were able to rise again.] [You have received a private message.] [Message: You¡¯ll soon have to retrace the path you used toe here.] Chang-Sun chuckled quietly, seemingly urging Bel-Marduk to do it if he could. [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ bursts intoughter, exiting the channel!] Hahahaha. For some reason, Chang-Sun felt as if he could hear Bel-Marduk¡¯sughter, which was loud enough to shake the arena. [You havepleted the Quest!] [Selecting rewards.] ¡­ [Retrieving the battle stage.] * * * Thump! Thump¡­.! One after another, the yers copsed on the ground, no longer able to stand up straight. ¡°Mo-monster¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I think calling him a monster is an understatement.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a great monster, then?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­ Have you gone crazy or something?¡± ¡°I feel like I actually will if I don¡¯t keep babbling.¡± ¡°... I must have been out of my mind when I thought I could defeat him.¡± The magic barrier around the battle stage disappeared, revealing Chang-Sun and an odd sight. His divine and demonic swords had been thrust into the ground, and he was holding a yer sword in each hand. His hair was ash-gray, and his eyes were navy blue. ck lightning sparks also flew up in the air around him, causing the yers to hold their breath. The sparks seemed about to sh with them. The yers med their stupidity. They could not help but feel embarrassed for talking about hegemony and the future when this monster was right in front of them. If Chang-Sun had been a little more cruel, he would have killed them already, putting an end to all the European yers. Instead, although some were critically wounded, none of them actually died. Considering that alone evidenced that Chang-Sun had gone extremely easy on them, the yers couldn¡¯t help feeling more tense. ¡®That means even if all the European yers attack him all at once, it would still be impossible to defeat the Tyrant.¡¯ ¡®A yer who¡¯s as strong as all the yers in a continent? No, he¡¯s way more powerful than that. How is anyone supposed to defeat him?¡¯ ¡®He isn¡¯t human.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re just children before him¡­¡¯ Those who were sufficiently better than others were seen as objects of envy and jealousy. However, those so great that others couldn¡¯t even imagine catching up to them were praised in awe and made the people feel only one emotion¡ªworship. Such individuals were no longer seen as belonging to the same species. From the public¡¯s perspective, they had gone far beyond the limitations of humans. [You have gained 11 Faiths.] [You have gained 15 Faiths.] ¡­ [The rank of your Order ¡®Crna Ruka¡¯ has been readjusted. C+ ¡ú B-] [The Celestial ¡®World-Supporting Pir¡¯ frowns as he watches his Faith quickly decrease.] [The Celestial ''Shepherd at the Bottom of a Hill¡¯ feels displeased to see his followers¡¯ Faith wavering.] ¡­ The change in how the people viewed Chang-Sun naturally greatly affected his Faith and weakened the Faith of the influential Celestials on Earth like Saxnot and Veles. To fix this, their apostles Ben Eddy and Sergei Zolotov would have to step in and pacify their n members, but they could not pull themselves together either and were losing faith in themselves. Meanwhile, the yers were bing more bewildered. Rumble, rumble! In the distance, Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinate and Jacque Valentine could be seen fighting. However, Jacque was losing. As the two mages¡¯ magic attacks crashed into each other¡­ Smash! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡­ Simon Magus pierced through Jacque¡¯s heart with a knife-hand strike. * * * ¡ºAh¡­¡» ¡°¡­ It hurts,¡± Jacque mumbled. The halo around Jacque the Manticore diminished little by little, revealing Jacque in his human form. He had a slight frown on his lips. He was usually as emotionless as a statue, but it seemed that the pain of his own heart getting destroyed was too much even for him. Unable to maintain his Manticore form, he spoke in his human voice now. ¡¸What are you doing?!¡¹ Simon shouted, his face crumpling up despite being the winner. ¡°Haha, you wanted to kill me so badly, but why aren¡¯t you happier now that you have finally seeded?¡± Jacque chuckled quietly. ¡¸Stop your bullshit! This isn¡¯t what I wanted¡ª!¡¹Simon screamed, his face contorting. However, Jacque just calmly continued, ¡°You wanted to see me in despair as I realize that I¡¯m about to lose¡­ Something along that line.¡± When he noticed Simon flinch, Jacque¡¯s smirk deepened. ¡°Sadly, I don¡¯t think I can do that for you, teacher.¡± ¡¸¡­!¡¹ Simon¡¯s lip trembled under his iron mask. He had forgotten the word long ago, and he did not expect to hear it now. ¡¸... I¡¯m not your teacher!¡¹ Simon yelled, gritting his teeth. His eyes zed up in fury, thinking Jacque was mocking him. Before Gates opened up on Earth, there first came an era when magic and wonders were treated as superstition. While Europe had been in unprecedented peace thanks to the great empire named Rome back then, not much had changed for the peasants. That was when Simon and Peter the Apostle rose. Born from the same hometown, they studied in the same ss and were both fascinated by magic and wonders. They eventually became certain that magic was the only way to break the damned system of the world, but Simon and Peter had differences in opinion about what method to use. Simon studied magic in depth in an attempt to overthrow everything and create a new world. However, Peter disagreed with Simon¡¯s method because he believed it would cause bigger chaos among the peasants and make their lives worse. Hence, Peter instead went to the son of a god who had received a prophecy from his father. Peter became his disciple, walking down the path of light and earning the title of apostle. In contrast, Simon had chosen the path of darkness and became a demon king. Apostle and demon king. Light and darkness. Those two concepts could never coexist. Although Simon and Peter shared the same goal of saving the poor, they studied different areas. They eventually ended up in a conflict, in which Peter the Apostle tried to eliminate Simon before he became even more corrupted. Simon survived in the end, albeit barely, and managed to flee. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll have my revenge one day no matter what, Peter!¡± Simon shouted. Simon the Demon King hid in the darkness where Peter the Apostle could never find him. After a long time, Simon heard the news about Vercingetorix, the great king of Gauls, where modern-day France was now located. After Caesar of Rome defeated Vercingetorix, he was regarded as a rebel and died alone at the execution site. ¡°You¡­ You can exact my revenge! If I can prove I¡¯m greater than him through you, then I can have my revenge against Peter!¡± Vercingetorix¡ªno, Jacque Valentine was talented. His family was traditionally proficient in all sorts of unorthodox magic, and he was the greatest mage in his family. Hence, he was bound to catch Simon¡¯s attention. Just like Simon, Jacque would loathe the entire world more than anyone else, so despite his ruined body and albeit with difficulty, Simon managed to rescue Jacque. Simon then taught him everything he knew. Jacque quickly mastered Simon¡¯s teachings and lived up to his expectations. However, when he became plete¡¯... he shattered Simon¡¯s heart. ¡°...Why?¡± Simon asked. ¡°The only thing I wanted was your knowledge,¡± Jacque replied. Jacque left, leaving Simon in despair. After his friend, Simon was also betrayed by his student, shattering his trust for the second time. What made him even more miserable was that Jacque immediately became Peter¡¯s student afterward. ¡°H-how could you two do this to me?!¡± Simon screamed in misery.? Simon made a decision: No matter how long it took, he would resurrect, rise once more, and make Jacque and Peter experience the same frustration and misery that he did. Fortunately, he managed to transfer his soul to an iron mask without losing his high mastery of gnosis. Changing his identity countless times, he lived for two thousand years for this moment. Two thousand years ago, Jacque was the one who sessfully destroyed Simon. Now that the tables had turned, however, Simon didn¡¯t feel as if he won because he had a strong feeling that Jacque didn¡¯t give his all in the battle. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ grins as he asks his contracting party if he is satisfied now.] Jacque was now Satan¡¯s contracting party, not his apostle. Noticing how his status changed so quickly, Jacque smiled bitterly. He couldn¡¯t help but think that his Guardian never ceased to be consistent. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ says that since the long contract hase to an end, he will now take your soul as promised. ] [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ reaches out his hand.] Jacque saw a hallucination of Satan reaching out to him through a spatial gap with his hand, which was tinged with darkness. ¡®I can finally rest now. My life has been all too boring,¡¯ Jacque thought. However, he would at least finish hisst mission before he rested. ¡°Since I don¡¯t have much time left, I¡¯ll make one thing clear, teacher,¡± Jacque said. Simon¡¯s eyes widened. He could clearly see Jacque¡¯s soul, emitting holy light, exiting his body and getting sucked into Satan¡¯s hand. It looked¡­ too odd. Why was Jacque¡¯s soul emitting holy light? When Jacque left the Absolute Good faction and joined the Absolute Evil Faction, his soul was corrupted, but Simon couldn¡¯t see any trace of corruption on Jacque¡¯s soul right now. It was as if he never got corrupted in the first ce. The lighting out of Jacque was that of a saint¡ªone only a holy martyr could have. ¡°My old teacher never betrayed you,¡± Jacque continued. ¡¸¡­What?¡¹ ¡°Everything that is happening right now is in ordance with his great n. Until the end, Peter thought of you as his friend and knew that you were the only one who could go down the path of saving this world. That is why he sent me to you.¡± ¡¸¡­!¡¹ ¡®I¡¯m happy I finally got to do my part in my old teacher¡¯s n. I can rest now.¡¯ Jacque wished to say those words out loud, but Satan¡¯s hand was now covering his entire soul. The great demon king¡¯s darknesspletely blinded him. ¡¸Wai¡ª!¡¹ [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ has gained a ¡®Saint¡¯s Soul¡¯ in exchange for the contract that they made a long time ago!] Paah¡­! Every particle of light that made up Jacque dissipated in the air. Although Simon wanted to say wait, Jacque had already vanished, leaving not even a trace. Just as Simon so desperately wanted, he finally got his revenge. However, it only left his mindpletely jumbled up. What did Jacque mean by contract or saint? What was Peter¡¯s great n? The fact that Jacque was smiling as he met his end bugged Simon too. He raised his head, wanting to ask Satan about everything, but Satan was already gone. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ exits the channel quite contented!] Chang-Sun quietly approached Simon. ¡¸Master¡­!¡¹ Simon looked up at Chang-Sun with mixed emotions. He had given all that big talk about wanting to have his revenge, but he was now left with only unanswered questions. Instead of saying anything, Chang-Sun bent over and picked up something, making Simon realize that a tightly locked wooden box with a big keyhole was left where Jacque had died. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­?¡¹ ¡°I don¡¯t know what is happening right now, but doesn¡¯t this key look like it¡¯s for this box?¡± Chang-Sun pulled out his golden key and waved it. Simon¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing [Peter¡¯s Key], the relic that Peter the Apostle had used before he died. Simon had been really shocked the first time he had seen it in Chang-Sun¡¯s possession. That aside, just like what Chang-Sun said, the shape of the key matched the keyhole. Jacque definitely said that everything was going ording to Peter¡¯s n. What if Simon was really connected to saving this world and Peter had left his key for this moment? Simon couldn¡¯t say all of this was bullshit even if he wanted to. Peter the Apostle had been a great prophet that many Celestials hade to listen to his prophecies. Hence, he could have definitely seen what was going to happen in the current generation. ¡¸Please open it. I want to know what¡¯s going on.¡¹Due to how nervous he was, his tone was more polite than usual. ¡°Sure.¡± Chang-Sun nodded, having a strong feeling that he himself, not just Simon, was strongly involved in this. However, just as he was about to insert the golden key into the wooden box¡¯s keyhole... Wooosh¡­! A faint puff of wind blew from the wooden box. It was very weak, but Chang-Sun was very familiar with it. ¡¸Master¡­ This is¡­¡¹ Having noticed it as well, Armand showed up with her eyes wide open. ¡®Why is Ithaca¡¯s wind here¡­?¡¯ Chang-Sun wondered. Chang-Sun¡¯s thoughts jumbled up. From what Chang-Sun knew, Ithaca and Peter the Apostle had no connection, yet he unexpectedly found a trace of his old lover through the box. Not wanting to wait any longer, Chang-Sun inserted the golden key. Click¨D! The golden key matched the keyhole perfectly. When Chang-Sun rotated it, the wooden box immediately opened. [You have found the Hidden Piece(Peter¡¯s n)!] At that moment, a pool of light came out of the wooden box and swallowed Chang-Sun and Simon. Woosh! By the time Chang-Sun opened his eyes again, he found himself in a world made of white light. When he lowered his head, he realized he was standing on a breezy green field. With him was a gentle-looking middle-aged man with a cane. The man was looking down at the vast ocean below the ridge. The middle-aged man lookedpletely normal, but he was exuding the light of a saint in the color of [Peter¡¯s Key]. Considering his light was iparably brighter than Jacque¡¯s, Chang-Sun immediately realized who he was. ¡®Peter.¡¯ The owner of this golden key and the great saint of the Absolute Good faction. For some reason, Agares was obsessed with him. Had Peter been trying to deliver a message to Chang-Sun all this time? Chang-Sun was about to approach Peter the Apostle but abruptly stopped when he saw a woman quietly approach and stand beside the man. She had hair as blue as the ocean and ears with slightly pointed tips. She also had a snow-whiteplexion and somehow looked both stubborn and elegantly beautiful. ¡®Ithaca, why are you here¡­?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered in disbelief. His old lover was right in front of him. [ying saved data!] Chapter 258: Star, the Old Secret (2)

Chapter 258: Star, the Old Secret (2)

[The characters¡¯ thoughts are also automatically disyed.] [ying a memory.] For a moment, Ithaca wondered how she should deal with the man in front of her. He abruptly showed up in her dreams, introduced himself as the ¡®Star Wanderer,¡¯ and started talking to her. If it hadn¡¯t been for his aura and the fact that he smelled like her lover, she would have immediately gone for his head. Her lover often indulged in nostalgia and thought of a faraway ce. Whenever he did, he would exude a certain scent that was totally different from Arcadia¡¯s. The smell was stuffy and dry yet somehow fresh, but above all, it came from another ne. ¡°Is it true that Sun is going to die?¡± Ithaca asked. Her lover had many nicknames, including Ghost Spear and Monster, but she always called him Sun even though he hated it. Smiling elegantly, the man answered, ¡°You have the , so you must have seen it. I assume that is why you are here.¡± Ithaca bit her lower lip. He was right. Not much was known about the . When a being who could be called the disappeared from the universe, they left a trace, a fragment. However, Ithaca knew for certain that each worldline only had one and each fragment brought omniscience and omnipotence to whoever possessed it. Some said that the fragment was a guidebook from an absolute being that pitied the humans. In this worldline, the , which was also famous as the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant, was currently in Ithaca¡¯s possession. The emitted , which originated from the . Unfortunately, although Ithaca didn¡¯t know why, she wasn¡¯t good at using the fragment. It could be because the fragment was too bigpared to her Divine ss or because the fragment asionally took control over her instead. One thing that Ithaca knew for sure was that she and the fragment weren''t a good match. It even made her suffer from divine fever from time to time. That was why her lover protected her. As his Guardian, she should be the one protecting her lover. He was her apostle, after all. However, their positions were all in reverse because of the fragment. She didn¡¯tpletely fail to embrace the fragment, though. Ithaca asionally and unintentionally saw the future that the man was talking about. ¡°Your lover, who is also your apostle, is destined to die several times,¡± the man told Ithaca. Thanks to the man, Ithaca saw her lover bleeding and lying helplessly on a smoky battlefield with numerous swords, spears, and arrows embedded in the ground. ¡°Those in the sky are all tenacious. They once possessed the as well. However, unlike you, they seeded inpletely making it their own. Using its very power, they filled their worldlines with their light and led them to ¡­ They¡¯re monsters,¡± the man said. Ithaca remained silent. ¡°Yet they hunger for more. Wishing for more of the fragments, they traveled to several other worldlines and formed a with the other that share simr goals. They now want the fragment here in worldline eight hundred two¡ªno, Arcadia. At this rate, you will not fail to protect not only your fragment but also your lover from them.¡± The , , and her fragment¡­ Ithaca recalled the Celestials who had been tenaciously hunting her down to steal her . ¡°Ever since they joined hands, they have never failed to acquire a fragment or lead a worldline to . There is only one person who can stop them.¡± ¡°¡­ And that is Sun?¡± Ithaca closed her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°How can you know that? Are you saying this because Sun is protecting me from the Celestials that want me? Unless you can see the future, how can you possibly¡ª!¡± Ithaca abruptly stopped, having reached a realization. ¡°¡­ You have the too.¡± The man elegantly bowed. ¡°Let me introduce myself again. I¡¯m Peter the Apostle. I came from where the ¡ªno, from what the people outside the worldlines call worldline eight hundred one.¡± * * * While watching the scene unfold, Chang-Sun nervously swallowed his saliva and unknowingly clenched his fists. Ooooong, ooooong! As if it was speaking on Chang-Sun¡¯s behalf, [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], which was on his waist, shook profusely. However, Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to the sword. Sun was Ithaca¡¯s nickname for Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun had rejected the tradition of Ithaca¡¯s apostles to name themselves Cadmus, so Ithaca called him by thest three letters of his name instead. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t like the nickname because of what the sun represented on Earth. Since Chang-Sun hated Celestials, the name was very far from his liking. He was also an outsider in Arcadia since he came from Earth, so he couldn¡¯t help thinking that he really wasn¡¯t anything like the sun that always shone radiantly. Since Chang-Sun refused the nickname that Ithaca came up with as well, Ithaca asked him in annoyance if he wanted to be called Moon instead. However, he also turned that nickname down because he was nothing like the moon sparkling in the dark night sky. He thought that twilight, which was his nickname at the time, was a better match for him. It eventer got included in his Divine Name. ¡°Ah, cut it out! You¡¯re acting foolish. What does it matter if it¡¯s Twilight or Moon? Gosh, it¡¯s my fault for trying to be romantic with an idiot like you. You know what? Let¡¯s just call you idiot or fo¡ª!¡± For some reason, Ithaca¡¯s yelling echoed in Chang-Sun¡¯s ears. Although he wasn¡¯t sure if Ithaca knew that her lover was watching everything from the future, Ithaca continued talking to Peter the Apostle. ¡°A prophet?¡± Ithaca repeated as her eyes narrowed. ¡°Yes, I see the far future and make preparations to stop the that will arrive at my worldline someday, so doesn¡¯t the word fit me quite well?¡± ¡°¡­ You said you saw your worldline¡¯s . What was it like?¡± Ithaca asked. ¡°It was really horrible, and I could not do anything about it. I was helpless. A worldline without the is very fragile. Fortunately, someone is ceaselessly fighting the .¡± Peter shook his head in disbelief. ¡°¡­ And that is Sun?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Peter nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. Sun is in Arcadia, not in your worldline¡ª!¡± At that moment, Ithaca came to another realization. ¡°Was it you who sent Sun to Arcadia?¡± ¡®¡­ What?¡¯ Chang-Sun clenched his fists tighter upon hearing the unexpected truth. Many of his memories shed across his mind. He remembered getting caught in an Unpredictable Gate and ending up in Arcadia, the people of which didn¡¯t even speak the samenguage, so the first thing he did was grab a spear lying around on the ground. He then met Gramps, Ithaca, and his colleagues¡­ Chang-Sun red at Peter, but Peter simply nodded, seeminglypletely unaware of his scowling. ¡°Yes, it was me,¡± Peter answered. ¡°Why? Do you have any idea how many hardships Sun had to go through because of you?¡± Ithaca¡¯s voice became louder due to anger. ¡°He would have died otherwise.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Ithaca¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Do you know how many times Mr. Chang-Sun died until now?¡± Peter abruptly asked. ¡°¡­ What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I mean it literally. Do you know how many times Mr. Chang-Sun died during his samsara?¡± Peter asked again. ¡°That is under the jurisdiction of the , so how am I supposed to¡ª!¡± ¡°six hundred sixty-five times.¡± Peter interrupted. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°He suffered a tragic death each time. A soul¡¯s destiny in each life is very simr to one another. Although they don¡¯t have memories of their past lives, they subconsciously retain their habits, so they continue to lead a life simr to the ones they lived before. Mr. Chang-Sun is no different,¡± Peter exined. ¡°¡­What is Sun¡¯s destiny like?¡± ¡°He always finds himself inbat, ceaselessly fighting like a demon until he meets a tragic death. Leaving corpses in his every step and reeking of blood, he rarely haspany and fights all alone. Death wanders around him like a ghost, and loneliness suppresses his soul like a curse,¡± Peter continued. Ithaca clenched her teeth. Chang-Sun was going through the same thing at the time. Chang-Sun, who was watching everything from the future, felt no different. He recalled how things had been like before he had been brought to a . Even now, he had never stopped fighting. ¡°He was first a great Celestial named Odin. In one of his lives, he also became a one-eyed Giant named Balor. He was also Tomte and Perkwunos. He had naturally also been an ordinary farmer, hunter, and barbarian. However, it was always the same in the end,¡± Peter said. At that moment, everything made sense to Ithaca. Despite being Chang-Sun¡¯s Guardian, she also wondered about Chang-Sun¡¯s unbelievable talent and abilities. Her lover had never held a spear throughout his entire life, but he had awakened his talent uponnding in Arcadia, earning the title of Ghost Spear. ¡°In his every life, he went through a war against the .¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ithaca asked. Smiling bitterly, Peter shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t really know why either, but those experiences became his soul¡¯s karmas. That¡¯s why he¡¯s the only one in the countless worldlines that can fight against the .¡± Chang-Sun closed his mouth tightly. Ithaca did the same. ¡°However, to do that, Mr. Chang-Sun needed time to realize everything himself and be stronger¡­ That is why I sent him here, Arcadia. Even if he remained in his hometown, Mr. Chang-Sun would still have ended up going through an Unpredictable Gate and caught the attention of the . After that, he would have incessantly gone through a war against them until the impending .¡± Smiling bitterly again, Peter continued, ¡°Nevertheless, it¡¯s the same here¡­ Everything is my fault. No matter where he goes, he can¡¯t escape his destiny for as long as the can reach him. I assume that he¡¯ll soon meet a simr end to his previous lives. He¡¯ll fight like a demon against the but will eventually be defeated and die. That is the future you¡¯ve seen.¡± Gritting her teeth, Ithaca slowly said, ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t take your word for it right now. You suddenly came to my dreams and started going on and on about something I can¡¯t really understand.¡± ¡°I understand, but you also have the fragment. I believe you¡¯ll soon realize that I¡¯m speaking the truth and that we¡¯re the same.¡± Peter nodded. Ithaca didn¡¯t say he was wrong. Just like Peter said, she could easily tell who he was; they both refused to be one of the that beautifully decorated the gxy. ¡°I don¡¯t know and care if we¡¯re the same, but I know one thing for certain.¡± Still gritting her teeth, Ithaca asked, ¡°You said it¡¯s your fault, but you¡¯re here right now. Doesn¡¯t that mean you have a way to save Sun?¡± Peter¡¯s eyes turned sharp. ¡°Would it be possible for you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ithaca frowned slightly. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to bend thew of causality, defying the deterrent again, so you¡¯ll be gravely injured. You¡¯re already in bad shape, but you¡¯ll be even more ruined afterward¡­ Do you still feel like you¡¯re up to it?¡± Ithaca tightly clenched her fists. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake! What then? Should I not do it? Of course I should! Sun helped me get back on my feet again when I was almost broken! The one who helps him when he falls down should be¡­¡± Barely holding back her anger, Ithaca continued, ¡°Of course, it should be me!¡± For some time, Peter just stared into Ithaca¡¯s eyes, and Ithaca scowled back at him. Peter faintly smiled. ¡°Your heart is sincere. What will you do if Mr. Chang-Sun doesn¡¯t die here and gets to live a ¡®spare¡¯ life?¡± ¡°Spare¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯ll continue his six hundred sixty-sixth life on Earth.¡± Peter nodded. * * * Afterward, the memories of Ithaca and Peter working together to make several preparations for the future quickly shed before Chang-Sun. * * * Ithaca saw Chang-Sun burst into tears as he hugged her corpse as tightly as possible. He had always been expressionless, but in the future that she was watching, he could not hold back his tears. She had never seen this side of him. Hence, she only realized then that even Chang-Sun could cry like that. Not long after, Chang-Sun became a fighting deity. * * * Ithaca saw Chang-Sun¡¯s future of waging war against the in the name of avenging her. Using the , the fragment she gave him, Chang-Sun rose up and fought tirelessly. Although he had close to zero chances of victory, he endured through everything and became a fiend. * * * Ithaca saw Chang-Sun copsing on the battlefield. Twilight fell on the smoky battlefield, turning him into a ghost. * * * After going through the , Chang-Sun was released and crossed the River Styx in the . That was when he met Thanatos and received an opportunity to start over again. Not long after, he returned to his hometown and started a new life, turning him human again. * * * ¡®Is¡­ Is there anything I can do for him?¡¯ Ithaca wondered. Peter said that he made several preparations that would allow Chang-Sun to fight the once he returned to Earth from Arcadia. To make sure Chang-Sun would always walk down the right path, Peter buried his golden key and released his friend, Simon. He also left Jacque, his student, on Earth. ¡®In that case, I¡¯ll also help Sun using my .¡¯? Ithaca decided to do something in secret so Chang-Sun could rise again after her death and his return to his hometown. Hoping Chang-Sun would never get hurt in his spare life, she finished her preparation. ¡°Hey,¡± Ithaca called just as Peter was about to leave, making him stop in his tracks. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Chang-Sun? Why are you willing to do this much for him?¡± Ithaca asked. She initially believed that Peter¡¯s only reason was to save the world from . However, Peter would sound affectionate and as if he was missing Chang-Sun whenever he talked about him. It was close to familial love, but Peter never wished to meet Chang-Sun in person. ¡°Me? Hmm, how do I put this¡­¡± Peter took his time before he answered, ¡°I¡¯m¡­!¡± Hearing an unexpected answer, Ithaca¡¯s eyes widened. * * * After a while, the time that Peter talked about finally came. When Ithaca took her final breath in Chang-Sun¡¯s arms, she desperately made a wish, one that she had told Peter before. Chang-Sun helped her stand on her feet again when she was almost broken, so she wanted to be the one who helped him stand up if he fell down. For that reason, Ithaca divided her remaining power, diminishing , and fading soul into seven pieces and spread them far and wide. * * * Chang-Sun took a deep breath, but his lips would not stop trembling. The truth that he had just discovered confused him. He couldn¡¯t even understand some parts of it. However, he knew one thing for certain. Considering Ithaca¡¯s soul had been divided into seven pieces, Chang-Sun could guess what preparation she made to help him rise again. ¡°¡­ This is not what I wanted,¡± Chang-Sun muttered. Rustle, rustle, rustle. The sound of papers unfolding echoed, and two scrolls quietlynded on Chang-Sun¡¯s palm. Heoju wanted to have these scrolls really badly and searched for them desperately to imitate Chang-Sun¡¯s . All things considered, it seemed Ithaca had made the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] for Chang-Sun. Chapter 259: Star, the Old Secret (3)

Chapter 259: Star, the Old Secret (3)

¡°Hmmm?¡± Cha Ye-Eun¡¯s eyes widened as he put down her luggage in her first-ss seat, having juste across someone familiar. ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Though also surprised, the man on the opposite side of her soon smiled. ¡°Saintess! Nice to see you¡­¡± Click! ¡°¡­ here.¡± ¡°Would you like your brain to fly like this airne?¡± Ye-Eun asked, holding her revolver against the man¡¯s temple. Woo Yeong-Geun, the man, held his breath as his back profusely sweated. Although he was just joking, it seemed that he got on this bad-tempered witch¡¯s nerve. This witch loathed the word ¡®saintess¡¯ the most in the world even though it was her first title. ¡°¡­ Firing a gun inside a ne is considered terrorism ording to internationalw.¡± Yeong-Geum smiled nervously. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have a license to kill. Does not matter how, who, where, and when.¡± ¡°That is domest¡ª!¡± ¡°Mine is actually international. I¡¯m pretty expensive.¡± Grinning, Ye-Eun put her revolver closer to Yeong-Geun¡¯s temple. ¡°Why don¡¯t you continue?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that apology.¡± Ye-Eun withdrew her revolver and put it back in her inventory, allowing Yeong-Geun to finally heave a sigh of relief. ¡®Using an inventory within a ne has to be prohibited¡­ So how in the world is she using it?¡¯?Yeong-Geun wondered. yers¡¯ inventories could be used to create all sorts ofmotions in secret, but people were now in the third era since Dungeons and Gates opened up on Earth. They now had many jammer magic spells that locked inventories. However, none of them seemed to work on Ye-Eun. She was indeed a world-ss witch and was considered the most promising candidate to be the new ¡®king¡¯ of Korea. Living up to her titles, she was exceptional in magic. ¡®We have two of those ¡®kings¡¯ in Korea now, though.¡¯?Yeong-Geum chuckled dumbfoundedly, recalling the news article he had read from his phone before he boarded the ne. The ¡®whirlwind¡¯ that started in Korea turned into a storm that now raged all over Europe. After Chang-Sun defeated four of the Overlords, he officially became the strongest yer in the world. The people on the inte were already busy discussing who should be considered the number one yer, Chang-Sun or Munseong. Since they were both in the White Tiger n, the n¡¯s stock price skyrocketed. ¡°Since you¡¯re also on this ne, the Council agents must be urgently looking for Mr. Lee Chang-Sun as well. Am I correct, Agent Cha?¡± Yeong-Geun asked, taking off his suit jacket. Thinking it was a bit ridiculous to exin everything in detail, Ye-Eun just nodded and concisely answered, ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡± ¡°Can I ask what the Council agents think of this matter?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ye-Eun tilted her head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to feign it. You and I both know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t know the Sword of Ohsung n¡¯s intelligencework was this good.¡± Ye-Eun raised one of her eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s more of the Ohsung Group¡¯s.¡± ¡°From what I heard, your niece is with Mr. Lee Chang-Sun.¡± ¡°Yes. She looks up to him very much.¡± Yeong-Geun nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m very worried about this situation.¡± Everyone knew that Yeong-Geun was a fool for his niece anyway, so he didn¡¯t bother to hide his weakness. The White Tiger n could be a group of demonic beings, and it was doubtful Chang-Sun could be so much stronger using orthodox methods alone. Woo Hye-Bin, Yeong-Geun¡¯s niece, was with Chang-Sun right now, so he was naturally worried. The employees of the Ohsung Group¡¯s Europe division were probably watching Chang-Sun¡¯s every move right now. Ye-Eun nodded, then sat down and put her seatbelt on. ¡°I am as well. That¡¯s why I want to check this out myself.¡± Click. The clicking sound of Ye-Eun¡¯s seatbelt was unusually loud. It was as if it conveyed her determination. * * * Nothing was known about Hsan except for the fact that they existed outside Worldlines just like Mephistopheles and that they observed the universes. These old great rulers, also called Great Ancients, meaninglessly wandered around , but they asionally interfered in the affairs of Worldlines as well. Whenever Hsan did, a very abnormal phenomenon urred in the Worldlines, leaving a big impact. That was what Ithaca wanted. She was dying, so she didn¡¯t have enough power to influence the world Chang-Sun hade from. With Hsan¡¯s help, it was more than possible, but it came with a great cost. ¡ªAre. You. Sure. You. Will. Not. Regret. It? Ithaca had just offered her soul to Hsan. After one¡¯s death, one¡¯s soul was supposed to join samsara again, but she sacrificed hers to form a contract instead. ¡°My soul has the , which means I¡¯m also the avatar and incarnation of the . I¡¯m sure you would find some value in me,¡± Ithaca answered. ¡ªThe. . Became. An. Emperor. Shone. On. Their. Own. Then. Grew. Dark. And. The. Dull. Father. Wanted. To. Be. Like. Him. So. The. Avatar. Of. Such. Being. Is. Surely. Valuable. Up until that moment, Ithaca didn¡¯t know who the was, but she knew their mere fragments were enough to create numerous . The and Celestials were born from those fragments, and they were currently ruling the universe. Taking everything into consideration, the had to have been a great being. Nevertheless, Ithaca did not expect that even the Great Ancients would be in awe of the . Even the looked up to the despite being the one who oversaw thew of all nes and universes. For those reasons, Ithaca knew deep down that her wish would be granted without a hitch. ¡®Sun.¡¯?After looking down at Arcadia, the world and she had left, she shut her eyes. ¡®Please be happy.¡¯ ¡ªThen. I. Will. Take. The. Deal. Hsan divided Ithaca¡¯s power into seven pieces and scattered them all over Worldline eight hundred one. Afterward, Hsan made Ithaca¡¯s seven daughters, whom Ithaca had created before her death, guard each cryptical book. That was the hidden story behind the creation of the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]. * * * The [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] were always meant to be used only by Chang-Sun. Worrying about her lover getting injured in the future, Ithaca made every preparation she could to ensure he could rise again and recover his after he plummeted. If Chang-Sun found all of the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] and overcame the books¡¯ trials, he would naturally regain his and shine more radiantly than anyone else. He would be a brighter than any in the and . ¡®¡­ But Heoju snatched them first,¡¯?Chang-Sun frowned. It was a genuine coincidence that Heoju found the cryptical books. He idolized and had an inferiorplex against the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ so to ovee it, he decided to be the new ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ While scouring the hometown of the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ Heoju found some of the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan], which Ithaca, Hsan, and Peter did not anticipate. For Chang-Sun, the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] were Ithaca¡¯s legacy. He had to recover them no matter what. [Completed ying all the stored memories.] [Would you like to y them again?] The screen in front of him slowly paused. He ended up with even more thoughts. ¡®... Who in the world is Peter the Apostle?¡¯ Peter the Apostle had taken a peek at Chang-Sun¡¯s destiny and life, which had repeated six hundred sixty-six times. Was Peter really just another possessee of the ? ¡®Is Thanatos aware of this?¡¯ Thanatos saved Chang-Sun from starting his samsara again and helped him get a new life. How much was the King of the Underworld involved with Peter the Apostle? Everything was still a mystery to him, but one thing was certain. ¡®I feel shitty.¡¯ In the past, Sinmara had asked him if he wanted to know what she had seen. If so, then she could tell him all about his past, present, and future destinies. Although Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure if her predictions were as urate as Peter the Apostle¡¯s, she would surely have seen a lot. ¡ºYou are ¡ö¡ö¡ö, and ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö will ¡ö¡ö. That ¡ö¡ö a ¡ö¡ö¡ö, but in ¡ö¡ö¡­!¡»? At the time, many parts of Sinmara¡¯s remark had been censored, leaving Chang-Sun intrigued. Chang-Sun did not ask about his destinies in depth either because he hated¡ªno, loathed destiny, future, past, previous lives, and simr concepts. He didn¡¯t want to get involved with potential restrictions. ¡®I?don¡¯t need any of this either,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The end of this world, his future, his defeats¡­ Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t really curious about what Peter the Apostle saw. He would just keep moving forward and remove anything in his way. Crack! [The memory video is breaking up for an unknown reason!] So¡­ Crack¨D! [The disruption in the memory video has worsened.] Since Chang-Sun didn¡¯t have to know about it, he decided to get everything out of his way. Crrrck! [The disruption has affected the entire video.] [The durability of the memory video is drastically decreasing.] [Warning! The world you are standing in will soon copse. Take caution not to get buried.] Crash! [The memory video has broken down.] [You have rejected the n of ¡®Peter the Apostle.¡¯] ¡­ [A Scenario Quest has been canceled.] ¡­ The message about a Scenario Quest quickly shed before Chang-Sun. It seemed that Peter the Apostle wanted to deliver a message to Chang-Sun with the help of his student Jacque Valentine. However, Chang-Sun got rid of the message because he didn¡¯t need it. That seemed to be why the Scenario Quest was removed. On the one hand, considering Peter had seen Chang-Sun¡¯s every life, Chang-Sun wondered whether or not Peter knew that he would make such a decision as well. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter now.¡¯?Chang-Sun watched the world crumbling down like a broken window. After a moment, he turned away only to abruptly stop in his tracks because of who was in front of him. Ithaca¡¯s soul slowly closed her eyes and was about to disintegrate as Hsan reached out their hand toward her. While scattering into particles, Ithaca stared at Chang-Sun. Their eyes met. It was faint, but Ithaca was smiling. He knew she would definitely not hear him, but he felt otherwise when she met his gaze. ¡°Ithaca¡ª!¡± Chang-Sun called. ¨DIdiot. He could see Ithaca¡¯s smile deepening and her moving her lips to say something; she was calling him with the nickname she had used more than the nickname ¡®Sun¡¯. Paah¨D! Chang-Sun started to run toward her. He didn¡¯t feel like he should or decided to, but he still found himself running to her anyway. The closer Chang-Sun got to Ithaca, the more Ithaca beamed. ¨DWhy. Are youing? Rumble¨D! The world around them shook, and numerous fragments fell down. Each fragment was so big that one¡¯s soul and body would both get crushed and disappear if one were buried under it. [Warning.] [Warning.] The messages weren¡¯t even in full sentences anymore. The word ¡®warning¡¯ repeatedly popped up in red before Chang-Sun, clearly evidencing that what he was doing was very dangerous. Nevertheless, Chang-Sun kept running. Thud¡­! With a cloud of dust, something dropped in front of Chang-Sun. He quickly took a look around his surroundings. Right? Left? Which direction should he go? Which way should he detour to see Ithaca¡­?! ¡®¡­ What the hell I am detouring for?!¡¯?Chang-Sun soon changed his n. ¡®I¡¯ll destroy it!¡¯ Pzzzzz! Atra Fulmen sparks flew up from him. Rumble¨D! He activated [Fiery Lightning Bolt], firing bolts everywhere that caused huge explosions. [The fifth chapter ¡®Abrupt? Procell?¡¯ has been applied, creating an Atra Fulmen storm!] Rumble, rumble, rumble¨D! Booom! Clouds of dust rose up again. The fragments of the world scattered, allowing Chang-Sun to see what was in front of him again. When the world ran out of the energy that maintained it, it filled up with darkness, disrupting Chang-Sun¡¯s senses. Nheless, Chang-Sun kept running. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was going front or back, but he didn¡¯t hesitate. He could tell where Ithaca was even though the fragments of the world kept blocking his way and slowing him down. ¡°Shit!¡± Chang-Sun cursed. He drew up his mana to the maximum¡ªno, far beyond his limit. Chang-Sun could now use five of [Prti¡¯s Spellbook], but now wasn¡¯t the time to care about it. [Caution! Your mana output is exceeding your limit!] [Warning! Your ¡®Integrated Mana Circuit¡¯ has overheated. Your cooling device is malfunctioning.] [Warning!] [Warning!] ¡­ [You have opened the sixth chapter of ¡®Prti¡¯s Spellbook¡¯ by force.] [A part of the sixth chapter ¡®Fulgurator¡¯ has been applied!] Pzzzzz! The Atra Fulmen and his , which had created a lightning storm together, now circled around Chang-Sun. The Giant that had been running behind Chang-Sun broke into parts and merged with him little by little, its parts bing his armor, weapons, and helmet. The part of the Giant that merged with Chang-Sun¡¯s back turned into a new set of wings, making him look like the legendary Lei Gong.[1] Wearing a bird-beak mask, Lei Gong was depicted to have the body of a monkey and an axe and hammer in each hand. Due to the ck-purple lightning armor that Chang-Sun now wore, he resembled Lei Gong a lot. Due to his ss limitations, he could no longerplete the transformation, but everything was still certainly sturdy. The falling fragments could no longer hurt Chang-Sun. Boom, boom, boom¨D! After smashing the fragments that blocked his path, Chang-Sun finally reached Ithaca. ¡°I¡­¡± Chang-Sun panted hard. He did not shed a single drop of sweat when he fought against numerous apostles, yet his nose bridge and forehead were now covered in sweat. He had already depleted all his lightning, deactivating his Lei Gong form. ¡°...am here,¡± Chang-Sun continued. ¨DYou¡¯re really an idiot. You know very well that I¡¯m fake. Ithaca was smiling right before him. She was beautiful as always. He really couldn¡¯t¡ªno, he didn¡¯t want to believe that she was fake. She couldn¡¯t speak, though, and she only had her upper body left now. Ithaca was seeing the future through her prediction ability, and Chang-Sun was watching the stored memories of the past. This whole ce where the future and past met was artificial, but none of that was important to Chang-Sun right now. All that mattered to him was that Ithaca was here. ¨DStill. I knew you woulde. So. Chang-Sun wanted to tell her to stop, but they didn¡¯t have much time left. The world was almostpletely disintegrated, leaving them with only a few seconds at most. Deep in her heart, Ithaca had buried words that she couldn¡¯t say even though she wanted to tell Chang-Sun. Those words turned into thorns that dug into her heart. For those few seconds, Chang-Sun had to help her say them, and he himself had to say the words he had hidden away just like she did. ¨DYou wille again, right? Chang-Sun beamed, which he hadn¡¯t done ever since he had be the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ ¡°Just a little more.¡± He nodded. ¡°Wait for me just a little longer. It won¡¯t take long.¡± ¨DOkay¡­! With teary eyes, Ithaca nodded. At the same time¡­ Rumble¡­ [The memory video has broken down.] [Logging out.] ¡­ the world around Chang-Sun turned dark. 1. Also known as Raijin. He is basically a thunder god that appears in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese mythologies. He eventually became part of Daoism. ?? Chapter 260: Star, Hoshikjang (1)

Chapter 260: Star, Hoshikjang (1)

Whoosh. Chang-Sun opened his eyes again. As if it had all been a dream, everything he had just seen disappeared. [The temporarily-closed server has opened again.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ frustratedly asks you why you vanished again.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ tilts his head in confusion, saying that something is odd.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ is worried about you because you look sad for some reason.] ¡­ ¡®¡­Were they not able to see what I saw?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Judging from the Celestials¡¯ messages, it seemed that Peter the Apostle had taken measures to ensure that only Chang-Sun would be able to see the memories. It was understandable, as it would be best for others not to find out about Chang-Sun¡¯s secrets and Ithaca¡¯s gift. * * * After pulling himself together, Chang-Sun took a look around and realized that Simon Magus was still in the same ce, his shoulders drooping. However, nothing else remained. ¡¸¡­Fool.¡¹ Simon muttered to himself, his voice tinged with various emotions such as resentment, discontentment, regret, bitterness, sadness¡­ It took a long time before he raised his head and looked up at Chang-Sun. Still wearing the iron mask, Simon looked at Chang-Sun calmly and spoke. ¡¸Master.¡¹ ¡°Go on,¡± Chang-Sun said, nodding. ¡¸Do you think we¡¯ll be able to recover my idiotic student?¡¹ Simon asked quietly, suppressing his emotions. Without answering, Chang-Sun looked up at the sky. [The Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ meets your gaze, grinning!] Satan had plummeted down to from , but he had risen and be one of the Seven Deadly Sin Monarchs. And yet, he regarded all worldly affairs as entertainment. In fact, Chang-Sun had already witnessed that very side of Satan. The moment chaos had broken out in the , Satan had happilymitted a massacre. The deal he had made with Jacque Valentine, volunteering to be the mediator in the apostle battle¡­ It all had to have been a game to him. However, Jacque¡¯s soul had still ended up in Satan¡¯s hands, so it was obvious how he would be treated¡ªas a toy that would suffer for eternity. ¡°I made a promise to you when we first formed a contract,¡± Chang-Sun said suddenly. ¡¸¡­?¡¹ ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡¸The Immortal Overlord¡­ Seal the Immortal Overlord¡¯s Guardian too. If you promise to do so, you¡¯ll have my full cooperation.¡¹ Simon voiced a sincere request. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do that,¡± Chang-Sun eventually replied. ¡¸¡­!¡¹ Simon¡¯s eyes widened. At the time, he had only spoken up because he hated the fact that he was bound to Chang-Sun against his will, but Chang-Sun still remembered it¡­! ¡°Let me help you,¡± Chang-Sun said with a nod. At that moment¡­ Ding, ding! [You have promised to grant your Subordinate¡¯s request just now, dering war against the Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯, one of the seven leaders of !] [Your deration has been delivered to the Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯.] [The smile of the Celestial ¡®Malignity-Drinking Saturn¡¯ deepens!] As always, Satan merely thought of Chang-Sun¡¯s promation of war as a very interesting game. [Your rtionship with has worsened drastically!] [The Celestial ¡®Sun-Hostile Venus¡¯ sneers at you arrogantly.] [The Celestial ¡®Wealth-Wanting Deception¡¯ wishes to take your previous incarnations¡¯ wealth as his trophies.] [The Celestial ¡®Chaos-Ocean-Stirring Mercury¡¯ envies your boldness.] [The Celestial ¡®Lust Moon¡¯ feels lust for your recklessness.] [The Celestial ¡®Hungry Fly King¡¯ is looking forward to gnawing at you.] [The Celestial ¡®Goat-Horned Old Man¡¯ smiles enigmatically and slyly.] The messages were from the Seven Deadly Sin Monarchs of : Lucifer of pride, Mammon of greed, Slyt[1] of envy, Asmodeus of lust, Beelzebub of gluttony, and Belphegor of sloth. They allughed at Chang-Sun for his reckless bravado. Even though he was spected to be Odin¡¯s reincarnation or the secret weapon of the , the monarchs found Chang-Sun¡¯s arrogant deration of intent to fight against one of their own funny. However, Chang-Sun did not bother to respond. He had already gone through many incidents in the , so there was no way he would grow close to them. Besides, he also disliked Satan for making things tooplicated and chaotic. ¡¸¡­T-Thank you.¡¹ Simon lowered his head. As a ck mage and demon king, he knew what it meant to fight against one of the Seven Deadly Sin Monarchs better than anyone else. Thus, he was very grateful to Chang-Sun. [Your Subordinate ¡®Simon Magus¡¯ has sworn absolute loyalty to you!] [Your Control over your Subordinate has increased by 30.] [Your Leadership has increased by 30.] ¡­ [Your ss has increased!] nk¨D! Chang-Sun sensed that the invisible link between him and Simon had strengthened. [The Celestial ¡®Garden Gatekeeper¡¯ quietly res at you.] * * * Two shocking incidents urred on the 21st, and breaking news has hit the entire world. The four European Overlords and the high rankers gathered in one ce to talk about the hegemony of the new era, but the ¡®Tyrant¡¯ Lee Chang-Sun (25) appeared in Europe at the same time. Then, he subdued all the Overlords and high rankers on his own. [...] Ever since the era of Dungeons and Gates started, the ¡®Immortal Overlord¡¯ Jacque Valentine remained undefeated, but it has been confirmed that he was killed in battle. [...] Over one hundred n representatives who were at the conference site have dered their membership in themunity the Tyrant created, but they have practically submittedpletely to him. The ¡®Blue Wolf Overlord¡¯ Joachim of the Illuminati supported themunity especially fervently and encouraged the other representatives to join, which is a significant development. A ¡®second axis¡¯ has now been created, with the European Continent and Antic Ocean in the center, after the ¡®first axis¡¯ in America and the Pacific Ocean. However, the Tyrant¡¯s move has made many people wonder, because the leading n of the second axis is the Crna Ruka, not the White Tiger n. Some people say that the ¡®Tyrant¡¯ is trying to draw a line between him and the White Tiger n. [...] It is unclear if there is a conflict between the Tyrant and White Tiger n, but the second axis has finished establishing itself, and will soone onto the world stage and start operating. China, Central Asia, and Africa have been directly contacting each other, so with this event, it is assumed that the foundation of the ¡®third axis¡¯ will speed up. [...] On the other hand, the Tyrant, who is the de facto leader of the second axis, will head to the U.S. in ordance with his schedule. In Chicago, he will meet personnel from the White Tiger n, whom he is officially a member of. [...] [emailprotected] Reporter Kim Ji-Na. Awakening Newspaper. * * * 3:00 P.M., in Frankfurt Airport¡­ ¡°Uuurgh! I feel like I¡¯m going to die¡­!¡± Jin Seok-Tae groaned as he left the airport, stretching as hard as he could. He felt very sore after staying in the airne for over ten hours, but his fatigue seemed to be disappearing little by little after some stretching. ¡°You weren¡¯t even in an economy seat, so why are you tired? Tsk, I used my own money to let you travel on an expensive seat,¡± Cha Ye-Eun remarked, clicking her tongue. Of course, stretching could not stop Ye-Eun from scolding Seok-Tae as she followed him. However, it seemed that she had been craving cigarettes on the airne a great deal, because she was already holding a cigarette in his mouth. ¡°¡­Smoking is prohibited here,¡± Seok-Tae said, ncing at the sign. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have the license,¡± Ye-Eun replied. ¡°I never heard that the license to kill could grant you immunity from an illegal act like this,¡± Seok-Tae grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as I don¡¯t get caught,¡± Ye-Eun said. Seok-Tae nced at Ye-Eun and saw mana particles circling around her, indicating that she had activated [Mana Scan], which she was using to detect any iing security guards. For a very short moment, Seok-Tae wondered whether ¡®Saintess¡¯ was really the right title for his gangster-like seonbae. ¡®A heavy-smoking, alcoholic saintess¡­ How has the world not ended? Saintess, my ass. Maybe an ill-tempered witch,¡¯?Seok-Tae thought. At that moment, Ye-Eun¡¯s eyes narrowed and she snapped, ¡°You badmouthed me in your head just now, didn¡¯t you?¡± Seok-Tae flinched, but he tried to regain hisposure as much as possible. Then he shook his head, replying, ¡°N-No way, m-ma¡¯am! Ha, hahaha!¡± ¡°You¡¯re sweating,¡± Ye-Eun said. ¡°Ha, hahaha¡­¡± Seok-Tae keptughing awkwardly, really wanting to cry. At that moment, however, he saw Woo Yeong-Geun trudging away with his suitcase behind Ye-Eun. He quickly ran toward his lifeline, crying out, ¡°Director Woo!¡± ¡°Just once. If I catch him just once, then¡­¡± Ye-Eun muttered under her breath. Pretending not to have heard anything, Seok-Tae asked, ¡°Are you going to go right away?¡± ¡°Yes, that seems to be for the best¡­¡± Yeong-Geun replied, his face haggard. He had be more worried over time about the fact that his niece was with Chang-Sun right now. After seeing how grim Yeong-Geun¡¯s expression was, Seok-Tae became concerned. He was about to say something, but he ended up murmuring, ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Seok-Tae and Yeong-Geun saw a group of people rushing to the opposite airport gate. The chaotic crowd of people was holding cameras and lights, and they soon encircled some people Seok-Tae and Yeong-Geun were familiar with. ¡°¡­The Tyrant?¡± ¡°Hye-Bin!¡± It was Chang-Sun¡¯s group. Joachim Wolff had instructed his n members to safely escort Chang-Sun and the others to the airport. Seok-Tae became very surprised after he saw Chang-Sun, whose hair had turnedpletely gray; however, it was a sort of gray that could not be achieved just by bleaching one¡¯s hair. The problem was that the color just suited him too well, making him look enigmatic. On top of that, Chang-Sun walked with so much confidence that Seok-Tae felt as if the world revolved around him. ¡®That kind of a person is a ¡®king¡¯. The world is really unfair.¡¯ That slightly depressing thought quickly shed through Seok-Tae¡¯s mind. At that moment, Chang-Sun looked in the direction of Seok-Tae and Yeong-Geun. He even lowered his sunsses, seemingly not having expected to hear someone speaking Korean in a German airport. ¡°Samchon? Why are you here?¡± Woo Hye-Bin asked with a frown, looking at Yeong-Geun as he ran toward her. She was feeling exactly like a daughter who became embarrassed when her parents visited her at the office. However, parents were bound to be nervous if their children traveled far away from them, so Yeong-Geun could not help but treat her like a child. ¡°Are you hurt? Have you been eating regrly? O-Oh, m-my god. Your ch-cheeks are hollow¡­! Your skin is tanned. Oh, how hard has it been¡­?!¡± Yeong-Geun cried, cutting Ye-Eun¡¯s face. ¡°Ah, stop it, samchon!¡± Hye-Bin cried, pushing away Yeong-Geun. Meanwhile, the crowd around Chang-Sun split and made way for Ye-Eun, and she quietly approached him. Although Ye-Eun had not specifically made a request, the onlookers felt as if it was only right to do so. Tap. Tap. The sound of Ye-Eun¡¯s shoes echoed loudly. She exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke and said, ¡°Mr. Lee Chang-Sun.¡± Chang-Sun lowered his sunssespletely, and his sharp eyes met Ye-Eun¡¯s lethargic gaze. At that moment, Ye-Eun could not help but think that Chang-Sun was really too handsome. His appearance was actually her ideal type; if not for the fact that he was a yer, she would already have considered making advances on him. However, if his handsome appearance was a mask that hid his monstrous nature and his confidence had been built by eating fellow humans, then she had to ¡®extinguish¡¯ him like the cigarette she had just dropped to the ground. With a cold gaze, Ye-Eun asked, ¡°May I have a word with you?¡± An indescribable tension filled the air around the two. Chang-Sun concisely answered, ¡°No, you may not.¡± The ¡®ill-tempered witch¡¯, as Seok-Tae described her, raised a brow. 1. The devil of envy is usually known as Leviathan, but there is a theory that Leviathan originated from this creature from Ugaritic mythology. ?? Chapter 261: Star, Hoshikjang (2)

Chapter 261: Star, Hoshikjang (2)

At 6:42 P.M., on a ne from France to O''Hare International Airport in Chicago¡­ ¡°¡­Being on a ne for twelve hours was hard enough, but I can¡¯t believe I have to be on one for another nine hours. Sob, sob, sob,¡± Jin Seok-Tae whined. ¡°Get some sleep,¡± Cha Ye-Eun said. ¡°I want to, but I can¡¯t,¡± Seok-Tae wailed. Not paying much attention to Seok-Tae, Ye-Eun leaned back against her seat. She normally spent her flights restingfortably in first-ss seats, but she was now in a business-ss seat, leaving her somewhat ufortable. However, Ye-Eun had no other choice, as these two seats were the only ones she had been able to choose. Usually, fewer than half of the first-ss seats would be booked, but there were no empty seats today. Considering that Yeong-Geun was in an economy-ss seat at that moment, Ye-Eun and Seok-Tae were in thep of luxury. After their coincidental encounter with Chang-Sun¡¯s group at the airport, Ye-Eun and the others had needed to hurriedly buy tickets on the same ne because the Team L members were heading to Chicago. That was why they were on this ne right now. Thump! ¡®¡­Man, this is exhausting,¡¯ Ye-Eun thought as she massaged her right shoulder, almost burying herself in the seat. Even though her seat on the previous ne had beenfortable, since it was a first-ss seat, she had still felt tense; now, she was on a ne once again, but without the same luxury. She stretched in her seat, her gaze turning sharp. ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡­ The Tyrant isn¡¯t a demonic being.¡¯? Her demonic being screening test was not foolproof. If that had been the case, she would already have found out that the White Tiger n was a group of demonic beings. Still, the uracy of her test was high. Consequently, it was highly unlikely for Chang-Sun to be a demonic being. ¡®Besides, there have been people vouching for him like this¡­¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ shakes her head in disbelief, telling you that she told you so.] [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ says that there is no way he would make a demonic being his apostle, guffawing.] [The Celestial ¡®Sky and Earth¡¯s Connecting Wing¡¯ sarcastically asks the Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ why he is calling that person his apostle.] [The Celestial ¡®''A cksmith in a Volcano¡¯ tilts his head in confusion, asking the others whether that person is talented.] [The Celestial ¡®Madness Infuser¡¯ strokes his chin, watching his siblings¡¯ conversation with interest.] ¡­ Not a day went by without the Celestials sending Ye-Eun messages because of her lineage, which had helped her gain her title and Trait, [Saintess]. The public believed that she had been born with a very exceptional gift; in truth, she was actually a human deity[1] who had been born with divine blood. Her lineage had such a high ss that she had been receiving blessings from the Celestials ever since she was born. If she wanted to, she could achieve and with ease, but she had sealed most of her Authorities and divine power, and decided to live as a human. Although one of the reasons behind her choice was that she valued the people she had met on Earth, it was mainly due to the divine punishment that followed her around like a curse: The more she used her Authorities and divine power, the more the divine blood of her lineage awakened, and the more her soul was worn away. In the end, her ¡®self¡¯ would be annihted. Since the cause was unknown, she had focused on living as a human and avoiding her divine punishment. Fortunately, even the small amount she had been left with after sealing most of her power was enough to make her one of the strongest yers on Earth, so she did not have much to worry about. In any event, due to her secret, the Celestials always paid attention to Ye-Eun. Minerva, Mars, Mercury, Vulcanus, and Bhus chatted incessantly around her, to the point that it asionally became annoying. Now, three of those great Celestials were taking Chang-Sun¡¯s side. Ye-Eun could understand why Minerva was standing up for him, but it was no everyday sight for the prideful Mars to talk about making one his apostle. More significantly, Mercury had also vouched for Chang-Sun. Despite his gentle appearance, Mercury was calcting and always distanced himself from other people. Thus, it seemed that Ye-Eun could trust Chang-Sun. However, the Celestials¡¯ responses only made Ye-Eun even more confused. It was a confirmed fact that the White Tiger n was a group of demonic beings. ¡®¡­All the agents who were shadowing Munseong disappeared. Thest message from them was that they found something,¡¯?Ye-Eun recalled. The Celestials vouching for Chang-Sun meant that he had been able to be who he was today in less than a year without bing a demonic being. Was he a human deity like her? Or was he a Celestial who had plummeted to Earth? However, his background was too solid and his past was too well known for Ye-Eun¡¯s conjectures to be correct. ¡®...I should keep an eye on him. It¡¯s possible that even the Celestials are being deceived.¡¯ On this business trip to the U.S., Ye-Eun would be able to find out Chang-Sun¡¯s identity, ns, and goals for sure. That was what she believed; thus, the Council employees would soon be very busy. ¡­The war against the White Tiger n was imminent. * * * ¡ºHello,dies and gentlemen. Thank you for using our airline today¡­¡» Chang-Sun closed his eyes as he felt the ne glide down toward the runway. His stay in Europe had not been particrly long, but he felt as if he had spent half a year there. ¡®Well, I did go through a lot,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He had be the king of , used the [Execution Sword] for the first time, broken through the [World Net], started the war against , and defeated four of the Overlords in Europe. He was now on track to bing the only Celestial on Earth. Considering that he had nned to get started in earnest after clearing three Dungeons, Chang-Sun was far ahead of schedule and had ovee many obstacles. However, that lead only meant he would be elerating his pace even further. ¡®I promised Ithaca.¡¯ Ithaca had met the future Chang-Sun, and Chang-Sun had met the past Ithaca. Although the ce they had met was artificial, the promise he had made to her was genuine. He had already finisheding up with a n for dealing with the beings named ¡®Hsan¡¯ on some level. At that moment, Armand, the wind elemental spirit, showed up beside Chang-Sun and spoke. ¡ºYou¡¯re trying to finish your conquest, aren¡¯t you?¡» Armand looked just like Ithaca from Chang-Sun¡¯s stored memories. Feeling his heart starting to ache again, Chang-Sun answered, ¡°Just as I promised, I have to save your sisters and¡­ bring back Ithaca.¡± Armand nodded without saying anything else. As she had also seen everything through Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes, she could not talk about how she hated her mother, so she just hoped her poor master could walk down the right path. ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Chang-Sun said, closing his eyes. The countdown came to an end just in time, and the world around him changed. [24 hours have passed.] [The Curse ¡®Changgwi Cave¡¯ has been activated!] Whoosh. Chang-Sun arrived in the reeking world with the scarlet sky. [You have entered the ¡®Changgwi Cave¡¯.] [Day 241 mission has started.] [Survive for 168 hours from now on.] [168:00:00] [167:59:59:99] [167:59:59:98] ¡­ [Current Location: Seventy-First Sector of the Ninth Floor.] Chang-Sun had been using the Changgwi Cave constantly until now. Although one of the reasons for his abnormally rapid increase in strength was his knowledge from his ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ years, the conquest of the Changgwi Cave was another of the main reasons. However, he had begun to use the Changgwi Cave mainly for training his Undead Army, because there was no ce more efficient for raising their strength. ¡®Monsters with experience points keep spawning, and it¡¯s hard to find a ce that amodates this many people at once.¡¯ The Changgwi Cave was a great hunting ground and camp for his army. What would have happened if he tried to train his Undead Army¡¯s soldiers on Earth? It would have been very inefficient, as Chang-Sun would have to distribute his experience points to his soldiers. That was why Chang-Sun had let the Undead Army loose in the Changgwi Cave to make them stronger before summoning them into battle. Due to that method, there were now almost sixty soldiers in the Undead Army, and their ss was also quite high. Jin Prezia and Simara in particr had be astoundingly powerful. They alone were stronger than the Overlords on Earth, and could bepared to Great Celestials¡¯ apostles. Chang-Sun had actually finished constructing a long-term n for training his army, too. ¡®I¡¯ll make all of them into Einherjar,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. He had gotten the idea from Valha. ¡®Einherjar¡¯ was the plural form of ¡®Einheri¡¯, and the term referred to the soldiers trained by Odin himself in preparation for the great war that would happen someday. Along with the Valkyries, they were members of Valha. As it had been confirmed that Odin was one of his past lives, it would not be too difficult. ¡®I can just make them do the same thing as me to turn them into Einherjar.¡¯ Chang-Sun had already chosen his third ss in ordance with his n, but he actually had no need to, as it was a part of the n he had formted with Thanatos before returning to Earth. was one of the two absolute beings that ruled the entire universe, the embodiment of light itself; it was the being the god Eros answered to. ¡®¡­I¡¯ll be their ¡®face¡¯.¡¯ Bing the meant that Chang-Sun would voluntarily be part of that absolute being. Perhaps he would end up foolishly handing over his soul, but it would mean nothing to a being such as . Thus, he would have little cause for concern. In fact, it would make him iparably stronger than everyone else. Even the would fear him, and the , who always unted their light, would be no exception; after all, Chang-Sun would then be light itself. Up until now, Chang-Sun had acquired all sorts of fire and created lightning by condensing it. That had all been a means to reach the ¡®light¡¯. It was the Fallen Star known as Sixth Elder who had suggested this n. ¡°Light! You want to be light?!¡± Sixth Elder shouted in disbelief, his voice tinged with amusement.? ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°Bwahaha! The King of the Underworld must be out of his mind! He really isn''t respecting the dead, leading you on like that¡­!¡± Sixth Elder guffawed.? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re serious,¡± Sixth Elder eventually said. ¡°Otherwise, I would have no reason to drag you out from the abyss and talk to you,¡± Chang-Sun said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by lunatics! He knows damn well why I ended up in this mess!¡± Sixth Elder was a being who had once been called a great sage, and even the Celestials had respected him. However, his insatiable thirst for knowledge had led him to pursue forbidden information which he should never have gotten his hands on¡­ The knowledge of the world before the beginning of the universe had brought Sixth Elder to ruin. ¡°Fine, if that is your n¡­ Do it! I¡¯ll help you! As ofte, I¡¯ve been hoping to get an experimental subject anyway, but your soul will melt in the ¡®light¡¯ if we fail,¡± Sixth Elder said, narrowing his eyes.? ¡°I know the risks,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking this too lightly? Your soul willpletely disappear, not just be destroyed! The ¡®light¡¯ isn¡¯t a means to acquire power in the first ce, so¡­!¡± Sixth Elder shouted at the top of his lungs.? ¡°You can just walk away if you don¡¯t like it,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°No way!¡± Sixth Elder replied, shaking his head fervently.? Sixth Elder was a mad scientist, but Chang-Sun could finish formting the main part of his n using the Sixth Elder¡¯s crazy methods. On the other hand, the other Fallen Stars had helped Chang-Sun in getting the other tools he needed. Bing a Celestial, and then a ... Chang-Sun¡¯s would not be extinguished after a mere moment of brilliance, because his goal was to be a light that burned brilliantly. [You have arrived at the Seventy-Second Sector.] [Thest Dungeon Quest has begun!] At that moment, messages popped up before Chang-Sun, so he returned his focus to the present. He was standing in thest sector of the Changgwi Cave; that meant he would finish his conquest of the Changgwi Cave today and save Armand¡¯s sister, who was asleep within. [The Seventy-Second Sector is very vast. It is bigger than all the other sectors of the Ninth Floorbined. The terrain¡¯s geography is soplex that it is very difficult to even walk around the sector.] [The Seventy-Second Sector currently consists of five areas. A Gulhon, one of the leaders of the Changgwi Cave, is living in each area.] [Subdue these five Gulhons and finish conquering the Changgwi Cave.] [Caution! Each Gulhon has a special ability and unlimited ess to the resources in their territory.] Chang-Sun was now at the point where he had to defeat the Gulhons, the leaders of the Chaggwi Cave. He thought with certainty, ¡®One of the five?Gulhons?is Ithaca¡¯s daughter.¡¯ Although the time provided was seven days, Chang-Sun had already decided to finish his conquest, so there was no need to drag things out. He nned to wrap things up as quickly as possible. ¡°Jin. Sinmara,¡± Chang-Sun called out. Pssss¨D! Gray gusts of wind quietly blew behind Chang-Sun, and Jin Prezia and Sinmara appeared. ¡°I¡¯ll give you half of the soldiers each, so capture two Gulhons per person,¡± Chang-Sun instructed them. ¡¸Do we need to capture them alive?¡¹ Jin asked a question first. ¡¸How about trophies?¡¹ Sinmara tilted her head. Their questions were different, just like their personalities. Jin was a soldier who followed orders, while Sinmara was a warrior who fought for honor. Thus, Jin asked about how to deal with his enemies after the fight, and Sinmara asked about aplishments. However, they both wanted the same thing¡ªabsolute victory. In fact, they did not even consider the possibility of defeat. ¡°Do as you wish,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡¸Then I¡¯ll get to it.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ll be right back. Hey, Jin.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ After hearing Sinmara¡¯s voice, Jin stopped leading the soldiers away and turned to look at her before replying. ¡¸Do you want to make a bet?¡¹ Sinmara grinned as she made a suggestion. ¡¸A bet?¡¹ ¡¸The one who finishes the conquest first will be the winner. How does that sound?¡¹ Sinmara continued. ¡¸What¡¯s the prize?¡¹ Jin replied with a chuckle. ¡¸Do we need one? The loser will just get embarrassed. Why? Are you not going to do it? Are you scared?¡¹ Sinmara replied jokingly. Jin kept on chuckling quietly. Before he was a soldier, he was a noble who had led a prestigious noble family, so he had pursued great glory more than anyone else. Sinmara had no need to provoke him that way, as such a bet was exactly what he wanted. ¡¸No way. I¡¯m in.¡¹ Jin shook his head and replied. ¡¸Hahaha! Indeed, as expected of a Prezia. Then let¡¯s get to it.¡¹ Sinmara guffawed. While Jin and Sinmara discussed the details of the bet, Armand shook her head as she watched the two. For some reason, she felt as if they resembled Chang-Sun. ¡ºThey¡¯re a bunch of children.¡» Armand murmured quietly to herself. Kiyooooo! Cadmus nodded in agreement, but then yawned for a long time, perhaps because it was sleepy. For people who were on a battlefield, they all seemed quite carefree. 1. Simr to the Japanese concept of arahitogami, but she¡¯s Korean, so the term doesn¡¯t fit as well. ?? Chapter 262: Star, Hoshikjang (3)

Chapter 262: Star, Hoshikjang (3)

Meanwhile, in a small room, where the floor and wallpaper were adorned with all sorts of cute characters, andce curtains that seemed as if they belonged in a princess¡¯ room hung beautifully from the ceiling... Below the verycy curtains, a girl was ying house with several adorable dolls. ¡°Pssssh, boom! Teddy Bear said, ¡®Mwahaha, anyone who challenges me gets eaten! I¡¯m the king of this mountain!¡¯ Teddy Bear was very scary, so the shepherds and puppies were really, really scared of Teddy Bear¡­¡± the girl cried out as she picked up a teddy bear that was as big as her torso. She then swung the teddy bear¡¯s fist, destroying a toy block castle. She continued, ¡°The people on the mountain became scared too, because Teddy Bear told them, ¡®Give me something tasty right now.¡¯ Then¡­¡± ¡°Mydy! Mydy, mydy!¡± The girl¡¯s doll y quickly came to an end as she was suddenly interrupted by an uninvited guest. With a thud, the door to her room mmed open, and Sebastian, the girl¡¯s butler, hurriedly ran inside. ¡°Ah, what now?! I was in the middle of my¡­!¡± the girl began. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to care about that kind of thing! It¡¯s an emergency!¡± Sebastian interrupted her. ¡°¡­That kind of thing?¡± the girl suddenly asked. ¡°They showed up at the end¡­!¡± Sebastian shouted. ¡°¡­What I¡¯m doing is just stuff?!¡± the girl continued. Sebastian was about to continue, but he realized that his tongue had slipped after hearing the girl¡¯s voice turn cold. Up until a moment before, she had been a very adorable and lovely girl, but as her gaze turned chilly, the air around her became wicked and gloomy. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡­! It was Eon Wind, the wind that normally only appeared in a ne that was on the verge of . However, the girl¡¯s Eon Wind was also infused with demonic and evil energies; it turned into a whirlwind that brutally tore up the walls and floor. Her blocks and other toys were swept away in the wind, as if the world inside the room wereing to an end. The girl¡¯s dolls, however, underwent many changes. One end of the cute teddy bear¡¯s mouth turned up, revealing a set of hideous fangs. Meanwhile, her Barbie dolls turned into ominous witches wearing ck cloaks. All the dolls turned evil and acted as if they were going to attack Sebastian. ¡°Eeeeekkk!¡± Sebastian cried, turning pale. He was also a Changgwi, so he could see many things at that moment. The shadow of death¡­ was slowly approaching him. [Doll y] was the Trait and Authority of Dria, Sebastian¡¯s master. Although Dria had fallen and was now just one of the five Gulhons trapped in this small Changgwi Cave, she had been a notorious Celestial with the divine name ¡®Not-So-Adorable Puppeteer¡¯. [Doll y] was the technique Dria had created using her Eon Wind, which she had inherited from her mother, Ithaca. However, it was mainly focused on controlling a target precisely rather than delivering a destructive attack. By controlling the wind around her target, she could make said target her puppet, ignoring their free will. Dria¡¯snd did not seem particrly different from the other Gulhons¡¯nds, but her subordinates were vastly better than the other Gulhons¡¯. Not only could she kidnap famous Changgwis from other floors to make them into her puppets, she could also put restrictions on other Gulhons. That was precisely what happened next. The moment Dria gave her order, the dolls she had been ying with began acting like living creatures. As she had the Eon Wind, the air of death always followed her, so Sebastian could not help but be afraid, thinking he could be eaten on the spot. He shivered, unable to even think about running away. The more the dolls strode toward him, the more the shadow of death deepened, and the louder his fearful hups got. At that moment, a woman in a maid outfit showed up and saw how messy the room had be. She heaved a very long sigh and said, ¡°¡­I was wondering what was going on. Phew!¡± ¡°E-Emma! P-P-Please s-save me! Lady Dria is trying to kill¡­ Eeeeek! I¡¯m going to die! I¡¯m going to die! Save meeee!¡± Sebastian shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°¡­Her snail doll touched your leg. That¡¯s all,¡± Emma said, ncing down. Sebastian was easily frightened and overdramatic; in contrast, Emma was calm and rational. Thus, Emma shook her head in disbelief as she looked at Sebastian, who shivered as he grabbed onto her skirt tightly. Emma only wished for one quiet day, but it seemed that today would not be that day. Sighing, she looked at her master, who was pouting girlishly, and asked, ¡°Did this idiot make a mistake again, mydy?¡± Although it was unbefitting of the air in the room, Dria puffed her cheeks up and said, ¡°That bastard¡­!¡± ¡°Language, mydy,¡± Emma said. ¡°¡­He said that me ying house was just stuff!¡± Dria continued, pointing at Sebastian. Emma quickly looked at Sebastian, asking, ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°N-No! That¡¯s not what I said! I-I just said ¡®that kind of thing¡¯¡­!¡± Sebastian protested. ¡°It was a mistake, but it was still wrong of you to do so. Pay for your mistake,¡± Emma said politely. ¡°W-W-Wait¡­!¡± Sebastian stuttered. ¡°Mydy, do as you wish,¡± Emma said. ¡°Okay!¡± Dria eximed. ¡°Noooooo!¡± Sebastian shouted in despair, but Dria¡¯s dolls had already grabbed his legs and started dragging him away. Crash, tter¡­ ¡°Arrrrggghhh!¡± Sebastian yelled as he squirmed around, trying to avoid the dolls¡¯ grip. As a punishment(?) for getting on Dria¡¯s nerves, he would have to be a toy soldier for three days. Meanwhile, Emma looked around the messy room and sighed; she had a feeling that the room was irreparable. On top of that, all of Dria¡¯s toys were shattered. She requested, ¡°I don¡¯t mind you ying house or making more toys, but can you please y while keeping your room tidy?¡± Putting her hands on her waist, Dria pompously said, ¡°Hmph! Everything is mine anyway, so it¡¯s up to me!¡± ¡°Cleaning all these things is actually my job, mydy,¡± Emma said. ¡°Hmph! I can clean up well enough!¡± Dria protested. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you cleaning up,¡± Emma said, tilting her head. ¡°I just need a little more time than other people!¡± Dria replied. ¡°...Yup, I see,¡± Emma said with a nod. ¡°What¡¯s with the pause? You don¡¯t believe me, do you?¡± Dria asked, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Pfft. I do. Pfft. Disrespectfully think so. Pfft,¡± Emma said, suppressing augh. ¡°Youughed at me! Besides, you just said that you do, not that you don¡¯t!¡± Dria shrieked. ¡°You know the idiom ¡®making your bed and having to lie in it¡¯, don¡¯t you?¡± Emma replied. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re going to keep making fun of me, huh? If you continue to do this, I¡¯ll make you into a toy soldier, just like Sebastian!¡± Dria dered. ¡°Yes, please. Then I¡¯ll be able to rest in the meantime,¡± Emma said. ¡°Huh? That wasn¡¯t the answer I was looking for¡­¡± Dria trailed off. Dria and Emma bickered incessantly, but it was always Emma, Dria¡¯s nanny, who won the quarrels. Quietly sighing again, Emma said, ¡°Anyway, please don¡¯t disregard Sebastian¡¯s report.¡± ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s basically those guys showing up in our front yard!¡± Dria remarked. ¡®Those guys¡¯ were the main cause of themotion that had started in the Changgwi Cave at some point. Dria rarely mentioned anyone specific like this, not even her fellow Gulhons. When the neer first appeared, Dria had not cared about him one bit. Even after she heard the news that the rookie had eliminated the Hongsal King, the ruler of the first and second floors, she had just thought of it as another talented neer entering the Changgwi Cave. There had asionally been others who caused suchmotions among the people who had entered the Changgwi Cave after being bewitched by . Nevertheless, Dria had believed that the neer would eventually give up and be defeated. However, that was not because the difficulty level of the Changgwi Cave went up as a neer went to a higher floor. It was due to the Changgwi Cave¡¯s curse, which was being trapped in a boundless swamp. Even if one managed to survive in the Changgwi Cave, which was filled with death, and return to the real world, the curse activated every twenty hours and ruined one¡¯s life¡­ It was enough to make one feel suffocated. Thus, Dria had believed that the neer would meet the same end, but she waspletely wrong. Conquering floors one after another, the neer had been building up a group and conducting experiments. After acquiring all sorts of Skills and Traits in the Changgwi Cave, the group had tried them out, practiced organizing themselves into formations, and trained themselves. Now, they were on the ninth andst floor. Dria assumed that the other Gulhons were no doubt panicking right now. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No matter how skilled they are, they won¡¯t be able to defeat me,¡± Dria said without a single hint of concern. She was very confident in her skills, and besides, she had been a Celestial. As such, she found the thought of a mere mortal posing a threat funny. She continued, ¡°Even if they¡¯re stronger than I expected, they¡¯ll be helpless within mynd.¡± The reason why Gulhons were called the kings of the Changgwis was that they became as powerful as demigods within theirnd. However, Emma¡¯s expression was still grim. She firmly shook her head and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think this is a matter you can think lightly of.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Wait, are you doubting my¡­?!¡± Dria protested. ¡°That isn¡¯t what I¡¯m talking about. I¡¯ve been your servant for the longest time, so I know what you¡¯re capable of better than anyone else,¡± Emma interrupted. ¡°Then?¡± Dria asked. ¡°Although no traces were found until now, we recently detected the traces of a familiar power,¡± Emma said. ¡°A familiar power¡­?¡± Dria asked, tilting her head in confusion. She eventually came to a realization, herrge eyes widening as she began, ¡°Wait?¡± ¡°It was Eon Wind, and one of the traces¡­ was actually Retribution Wind,¡± Emma said. Retribution Wind was practically the origin of the Eon Wind. With a heavy heart, she nodded grimly and continued, ¡°It seems master¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m your master, so watch it!¡± Dria snapped. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, mydy. It seems your mother or someone rted to her showed up with your sister,¡± Emma said. Dria bit her lower lip hard. It had already been thousands of years since she was trapped here, so she had believed that she would not be able to meet any of those people. However, one of them had showed up here, so she could no longer say anything. * * * [You have entered ¡®Maze Mountain¡¯!] [The Stage you have just entered has three rules.] [Firstly, ¡®night¡¯ can arrive at any time in this Stage. At ¡®night¡¯, the roads beplicated and can lead a person anywhere, so take caution.] [Secondly, no matter how many times you hear intive wailing, gesturing, or pleading, do not look in that direction.] [Thirdly, do not believe your instincts, senses, or even colleagues. Always doubt everything.] [Follow the rules while preparing for the invasion of a ¡®Gulhon¡¯, which can start at any time.] After Jin and Sinmara left, Chang-Sun arrived at the entrance of a craggy mountain, which his [Gnostic Eye] had led him to. Among the five Gulhons, this was thend of a Gulhon that smelled simr to Armand. It seemed ¡®Maze Mountain¡¯ was the name of that Gulhon¡¯snd. ¡°Cadmus,¡± Chang-Sun called out. Kiyoooo¨D! The answer to Chang-Sun¡¯s call came from the sky. When Chang-Sun looked up, he saw Cadmus circling around the mountain to observe it, one of its eyes shining radiantly like Chang-Sun¡¯s [Gnostic Eye]. [Sharing your ¡®Gnostic Eye¡¯ through your ¡®Ferocious Heart¡¯!] [Ferocious Heart] could now be used to share Chang-Sun¡¯s Skills and Authorities. ¡°What can you see?¡± Chang-Sun asked. Kiyoo, kiyoooo! Cadmus howled iprehensibly, but Chang-Sun quickly understood what it meant. He said, ¡°Do it properly, or else you won¡¯t have any dinner today.¡± Kiyooo! Kiyoooo! Cadmus howled for a very long time. What it was saying could roughly be summed up as¡­ ¨DStop the overtime! ¨DNo more freebor! ¡°¡­Where did you hear all those words?¡± Chang-Sun wondered, starting to feel that Cadmus had recently started to ck off more often. Cadmus had undoubtedly grown up a lot, so had it entered a rebellious phase or something? [Sharing the view of your Subordinate ¡®Cadmus¡¯ through your ¡®Gnostic Eye¡¯.] Chang-Sun now had a full view of the mountain range through Cadmus¡¯ eyes. Although he had the [Gnostic Eye], he had not umted a sufficient amount of gnosis, so he could see very little with the eye. However, it was different for Cadmus. It was an Evil Dragon, a dragon that embodied the evil attribute, and on top of that, it had a dormant power granted by Mephistopheles. Perhaps because of those reasons, Cadmus could see more with the [Gnostic Eye] than Chang-Sun. Thanks to Cadmus, Chang-Sun was able to observe all the changes across ¡®Maze Mountain¡¯. Red energy surrounded the mountain, but the trees and terrain were not particrly uniquepared to other mountains. One key difference was that Changgwis were roaming all around the forest. However, those Changgwis were very different from the ones on the other floors. All their eyes were nk, and their flesh was rotten, exuding white poison. They looked a great deal like zombies. ¡®Ordinary Changgwis are still rational even if they aren¡¯t strong, but those?Changgwis?seem incapable of reasoning¡­ Did they be stronger because they were only left with instinct?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Judging from their auras alone, they all appeared to be as strong as a Yiol, a noble ss Changgwi. Somehow, Chang-Sun was able to tell who those Changgwis were. ¡®They were trapped in the Changgwi Cave for too long, so their personalities and egos broke down¡­¡¯ In other words, this was what came of the demise of a Changgwi. As Chang-Sun had sent all his soldiers elsewhere due to the fact that there were too many of them, it would be quite bothersome to deal with them all at once on his own. ¡®She¡¯s pretty remarkable, to be able to control that many Changgwis at once.¡¯ Besides¡­ ¡®That must be the ¡®night¡¯ mentioned in the quest description.¡¯ ¡­behind those Changgwis, a thick cloud of darkness crept down the mountain, slowly passing through the trees. Once the darkness swallowed those Changgwis, they began howling even more loudly. Kieeeh! Keeeeh! Eeeek! That was not all. Creeaaak! Rumble¡­ ¡®It seems that when the ¡®night¡¯ arrives, the entire forest and the terrain both change. That¡¯s why this ce is called a maze.¡¯ The entire mountain range was changing, leaving small aftershocks in its wake. Be careful not to get lost in the ¡®night¡¯, ignore wailing and pleading, don¡¯t believe his senses¡­ Chang-Sun could now tell why such rules existed. ¡®This kind of abnormal phenomenon normally has a cause,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, focusing his mana into his [Gnostic Eye]. He could see more clearly through Cadmus¡¯ eyes and observe the inside of the dark cloud in more detail. Although Chang-Sun had initially thought the darkness spread over the mountain like fog, it actually behaved more like a breeze that blew at regr intervals. If Chang-Sun observed the breeze upstream¡­! ¡®I got her,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, smiling crookedly. A girl who appeared to be twelve years old sat on a ledge, sucking on a big lollipop. Seemingly having fun, she hummed and waved her legs in the air. Just like the other Changgwis, her skin was pale, but she looked like a younger version of Ithaca. ¡ºCan I ask for a favor?¡» At that moment, Armand showed up beside Cadmus and asked Chang-Sun a question. ¡°What is it?¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡ºBefore you attack her, give me time to persuade my sister. I¡¯ll get her to join our side.¡» Armand voiced her request. ¡°I can do that much, but I have no other choice if she doesn¡¯t listen,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡ºThank you.¡» Armand heaved a sigh of relief. Just then, the girl stopped humming and looked to the right, noticing something. She saw through the ¡®night¡¯ and met Cadmus¡¯ [Gnostic Eye]. The girl jumped down from the ledge in surprise, but¡­ ¡®It¡¯s toote,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. His [Ferocious Heart] was already beginning to race. Badump,?badump, badump¨D! Chapter 263: Star, Hoshikjang (4)

Chapter 263: Star, Hoshikjang (4)

[The fourth chapter of ¡®Prti¡¯s Spellbook¡¯ has been opened!] [Creating Atra Fulmen energy.] [The Skill ¡®Fiery Lightning Bolt¡¯ has been activated!] The girl was none other than Ithaca¡¯s daughter and Armand¡¯s sibling. She had made one mistake, which was to think that Chang-Sun, the challenger, would immediately be consumed by the darkness after entering hernd. Gulhons were absolute beings as strong as demigods within theirnd. Due to that characteristic, numerous Changgwis had needed to give up on conquering the Changgwi Cave in the end, because they were unable to defeat the Gulhons in their own territory. Of course, some of the Changgwis from the lower floors were quite powerful and capable, and had undoubtedly tried long-range attacks from outside the Gulhons¡¯ territories. However, the Gulhons¡¯nds were too vast, so unless the attackers knew exactly where the Gulhons were, those attacks were futile. The girl had to have also used that advantage in the past. If she hid in the darkness, none of her enemies would know where she was. Even if her enemies located her somehow, it would be difficult tounch a destructive attack when she was very far away. Nevertheless, it was different for Chang-Sun, as he was capable of both urately locating his target andunching long-range attacks. The red sky shed, and a ck lightning bolt that was darker than the darkness over ¡®Maze Mountain¡¯ struck the ground, followed by a ground-shaking thunderp. sh¨D! Rumble¡­! Chang-Sun¡¯s [Fiery Lightning Bolt] pierced through the darkness. When it struck, a shockwave shredded what remained of the dark cloud, and the heat of the lightning bolt created an intense storm. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¨D! A fire tsunami spread everywhere. It silently melted the trees, burned the forest, and incinerated the Changgwis. [The fifth chapter ¡®Abrupt? Procell?¡¯ has been applied, creating an Atra Fulmen storm!] sh! sh! Boom, boom, boom¨D! Rumble¨D! The storm that had swept away hundreds of apostles at once arrived at ¡®Maze Mountain¡¯. After the appearance of such a catastrophe, the darkness that had spread all over the girl¡¯snd was long gone. Her territory had already be Chang-Sun¡¯s. Paah¨D! [The Skill ¡®Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been activated, manifesting the Skill ¡®Lightness¡¯!] Spreading his Jigwi wings wide, Chang-Sun quickly sprang toward the lightning storm. Kiyaaahhhh¨D! The ghostly wails created by the colliding winds died out, allowing Chang-Sun to see Dria, the girl Gulhon, suffering in the storm. The delicious lollipop she had been sucking delightedly was shattered, leaving only the stick in her hand. Her previously clean clothes were dirty with soot. Her smile was gone, reced with a spiteful expression. ¡°I was wondering who it was¡­ It was you, Armand!¡± Dria cried, pointing at Armand. ¡ºLong time no see, sister.¡» Armand, who had arrived before Chang-Sun, remained unfazed by Dria¡¯s hostility. ¡°...Have you sold your soul to a human? How pathetic!¡± Dria remarked, her face wrinkling as she looked at Chang-Sun, who was flying in her direction. Even though she had fallen, she had once been a lofty Celestial from . Thus, she could not help but be furious about the fact that her sibling, who had the same as her, was bound to a mere human. ¡ºI have.¡» ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me¡­!¡± Dria eximed. in disbelief. ¡ºIf I can save all our sisters, I¡¯ll do more than sell my soul.¡» Armand replied decisively. ¡°¡­What?¡± Dria asked nkly. ¡ºDria, I¡±m here, so can¡¯t you tell? Let¡¯s get out of this horrible eternal prison.¡» ¡°¡­!¡± ¡ºI know it¡¯s too sudden and you¡¯re confused right now, but I can tell you one thing for sure. Take my hand, and you can be saved.¡» Armand¡¯s gaze became deep as she held out her adorable hand to Dria and continued. ¡ºThat human is our life-saving rope, so take my ha¡­!¡» However, Armand could not finish speaking. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Dria snapped. Crack! Revealing her canines, Dria smiled cruelly as she clenched her fist, fragments of the lollipop stick falling to the ground. She continued, ¡°Getting out of this ce? Sure, that sounds nice, but what difference does it make?¡± ¡º¡­What?¡» ¡°We¡¯re just the discarded leftovers of beings who have fallen again and again, so even if we go out there, Celestials will just mock us and mortals will enve us, just like you were by him!¡± Dria continued, pointing in Chang-Sun¡¯s direction. ¡ºDria¡­!¡» ¡°But it¡¯s different here. There¡¯s a bunch of delicious prey, and I can do anything I want here. I¡¯m a god in here, but you¡¯re asking me to leave with you? Ridiculous!¡± Dria sneered. Armand¡¯s lips trembled as she realized she should have expected such a response. Dria¡¯s answer took her by surprise, leaving her in grave shock. It was a mistake on her part to think that all her sisters were innocent and would want to escape the cryptical books. In truth, Dria was right. Even if they escaped to the outside world, there was no guarantee that Armand and her sisters would regain their Divine ss. That was what it meant for a Celestial to fall. Falling from the sky happened quite easily, but it was very difficult to return to the sky. Thus, those who fell usually failed to escape from the depths of despair. Perhaps it was indeed better to stay in a ce where one could be a god-king. Dria was already content with her current life. ¡°And besides, if you were going to say such things, you should have visited me politely before you tainted mynd!¡± Dria added. ¡ºThat¡¯s¡­!¡» Armand tried to reach Dria somehow. Chang-Sun flew past Armand and said, ¡°Persuading her won¡¯t work, so we¡¯ll bring her in by force.¡± He was already drawing the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. The swords enveloped in milky-white sacred light and pitch-ck darkness respectively were each covered with runes¡ªa Reinforcement Rune, Explosion Rune, and a Sharpening Rune. ¡°Human, do you really think you can defeat me?¡± Dria asked aggressively, looking at Chang-Sun. Summoning a storm of Eon Wind, she revealed her divine power. ¡°Why not?¡± Chang-Sun replied. Rumbleeee¨D! A bolt of Atra Fulmen lightning shed. ¡°Emma!¡± Dria shouted. The Atra Fulmen lightning bolt appeared right in front of Dria, but her sneer remained¡ªno, it seemed as if she wanted Chang-Sun to use the technique. Paah! [The Subordinate of the Celestial ¡®Not-So-Adorable Puppeteer¡¯ has shown up!] [The Subordinate has received buffs.] A spatial rift appeared behind Chang-Sun, and Emma jumped out from it, swinging a saw-toothed sword downward. The sword¡¯s name was Sword Breaker, and it had a single-edged, serrated de; it could tear out chunks of an opponent¡¯s flesh almost as soon as it touched them. On top of that, Eon Wind circted around the de, allowing it to shred anything it struck. Emma¡¯s talenty in her Stealth Skill. Before meeting Dria, Emma had originally been a very famous assassin in Arcadia. However, the problem was that Chang-Sun was also very skilled in the Concealment and Stealth Skills. Swoosh¨D! Chang-Sun was already gone by the time Emma finished swinging her sword, resulting in Emma''s Eon Wind sweeping away everything in the vacated space to no avail. ¡°¡­!¡± Emma¡¯s eyes widened. At that moment, Chang-Sun appeared behind Emma and ominously called out, ¡°Where are you looking?¡± Emma tried to look backward, but she was toote. [The sixth chapter of ¡®Prti¡¯s Spellbook¡¯ is opening!] [A part of the sixth chapter ¡®Fulgurator¡¯ has been applied!] Rumbleee¨D! Sacred light burst out of the [Yuchang Sword], the runes carved onto the sword shining more brilliantly than ever. Booooom! Emma tried to stop Chang-Sun, but a tremendous explosion catapulted her away in the opposite direction, coughing blood. Fragments of her shattered de flewthrough the air. ¡°No¡­! Emma¡­!¡± Dria screamed. Nevertheless, the fight was not yet over. The ground Chang-Sun was standing on suddenly shook, and several toys, including teddy bears, jumped out and attacked him. Among them, there was the toy soldier that Sebastian had been transformed into. Every one of the toys was Dria¡¯s dear friend¡ªno, her family. However, despite carrying Dria¡¯s Authority and being as strong as Yiols, they were still not enough to pierce through Chang-Sun¡¯s lightning armor. Boom, boom, boom! ¡°No¡­!¡± Dria murmured. Boooom, booom, booom! ¡°No! Stop, you idiots!¡± Dria screamed. However, her toys continued to attack Chang-Sun and were blown away. They had been scorched by his Atra Fulmen strikes, leaving them in terrible shape. Still, they seemed not to care, trying to stop Chang-Sun from approaching Dria by any means necessary. ¡°Why¡­ Why are you guys doing this¡­?! Why¡­!¡± Dria cried, tears welling up in her eyes. More and more dolls appeared, and toys both small andrge swarmed toward Chang-Sun. At that moment, however, Chang-Sun started running toward Dria. Swooosh¨D! In response to Chang-Sun¡¯s sudden movements, more toys appeared to resist his advance even more fiercely. ¡°I got this, so why are you guys meddling in my fight?!¡± Dria shrieked resentfully while bawling, but in truth, she knew why her dolls and toys were acting like that. Although Dria was a Gulhon, her subordinates held most of her power. Her [Doll y] was mostly focused on controlling her subordinates, so she was no expert in closebat. That was why she had seized the ¡®night¡¯ and used it to stop other Changgwis from approaching hernd. However, as the ¡®night¡¯ was useless against Chang-Sun and he was overwhelming her toys, there was no way she could counterattack. She was unable to even run away. [The Skill ¡®Fiery Lightning Bolt¡¯ has been activated, raging!] [Creating an enormous prison.] Rumbleee¨D! Atra Fulmen lightning bolts fell from the sky and surrounded Dria; if she tried to flee, she would only be electrified. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun was quickly approaching her head-on while guarded by his lightning armor. Dria was practically a bird in a cage. Boooom! At that moment, the munchkin cat doll that Dria had received from Emma for her 2,100th birthday was shredded. The sight of the cotton inside the cat doll burning away made Dria feel dizzy. Boom, boom, boom¨D! Dria also had a triple transformation robot that always yed alone, so it was difficult to y with. However, that very robot¡¯s arm was blown away just then. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Every morning, Dria and the Barbie doll had pondered what to wear that day, and they were the perfect partners while ying house. That Barbie doll¡¯s neck snapped then and there. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡­! Sebastian, Dria¡¯s butler who was in the form of a toy soldier, had been at her side for over three hundred years, but he was pulverized instantly. Half of his head helplessly rolled in Dria¡¯s direction. Tap. ¨DMydy. ¨DRun. Sebastian pleaded with her, forcing his broken jaw to move. Dria could not say anything. The difference in power between her and Chang-Sun was beyond her wildest expectations. Tap! As Chang-Sun stood in front of her, Dria bit her lower lip and red at him, determined not to cower in front of him. Her eyes were bloodshot, but she held back her tears as much as she could. However, Chang-Sun sneered and remarked, ¡°I guess you wanted to make a family or something, huh¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s Atra Fulmen armor only red up more intensely using Dria¡¯s toys as firewood. Dria began to strongly suspect that she herself would join them any minute. In fact, Chang-Sun could easily rip her to shreds with his lightning energy. However, he had not, making Dria wonder whether Chang-Sun was trying to mock her. ¡°You say you don¡¯t need your mother or your sisters, but you y house with these fakes?¡± Chang-Sun remarked, tilting his head. Dria became certain that Chang-Sun was trying to humiliate her, so she gritted her teeth. Even if she was going to die, she wanted to scream before she did. She cried, ¡°So what?! What¡¯s wrong with that?!¡± She felt strangely choked up with emotion as she continued, ¡°No one was here! When I got trapped in this damned ce, nothing was here! That¡¯s why I created my own family! I hate being alone¡­! Mom wasn¡¯t here! My sisters weren¡¯t either! So what was I supposed to do?!¡± Something that had been buried deep in her heart finally emerged. As her pent-up anger spilled out, she continued, ¡°What in the world was I supposed to do then¡­?¡± Just then, however¡­ ¡­Chang-Sun held Dria tightly in his arms and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be your family, so stop. It¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Dria wanted to yell ¡®What are you doing?!¡¯, but she could not say anything. Up until a moment before, Chang-Sun¡¯s lightning energy had been so menacing that she had felt as if she would be torn to shreds. However, it was warm now, and she could smell a familiar scent in his arms for some reason. It belonged to a certain person she could no longer meet, but still remembered. Although Dria had always missed that person, she had never been able to say it out loud. She had gone on and on about how much she hated that person, and yet she was unable to forget how warm their gaze and touch were. Chang-Sun smelled just like that person. It was the smell of Ithaca, Dria¡¯s mother, whom she missed. Chapter 264: Star, Hoshikjang (5)

Chapter 264: Star, Hoshikjang (5)

Before meeting Dria, there was something Armand had said. ¡ºJudging from that presence¡­ It must be Dria.¡» ¡°Dria?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡ºShe is my youngest, weakest, and most warm-hearted sister.¡» ¡°¡­¡± ¡ºThat was why she loved Mother¡ªno, Ithaca the most, but she also became the one who resented Ithaca the most after she abandoned us.¡» However, Armand now knew that their mother had not abandoned them by choice. Due to Ithaca¡¯s diminishing and the continuous attacks she had endured from , her eventual defeat had been inevitable, so she had let her daughters go for their safety. ¡ºI assume she¡¯ll miss the family more than any of my sisters, so I believe I can reach her that way, eventually persuading her to join our side.¡» Armand exined the situation. Among Armand¡¯s sisters, Dria was the one with the most fragile heart, so she had not wanted to see Dria getting hurt. That was why she had volunteered to persuade Dria, but she had failed. As a result, Chang-Sun and Dria had met face-to-face. * * * It had not been Chang-Sun¡¯s initial n to embrace Dria in his arms. With his resolve to retrieve everything left by Ithaca, he had been more than willing to get Dria out of the way if she continued to be an obstacle. However, he had undergone a change of heart after looking at Dria¡¯s dolls and other toys. The sight of those toys trying to protect Dria had somehow reminded Chang-Sun of Ithaca. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that without saying anything?¡± Ithaca asked.? ¡°I always had this feeling that you really liked children.¡± ¡°So what? Is that weird?¡±? ¡°No, not at all,¡± Chang-Sun said, shaking his head.? Ithaca liked babies, puppies, and flowers. Even though she often grumbled, she loved all the adorable things that could be seen in everyday life. That was how warm-hearted Ithaca was, and Dria was just like her. Thus, Chang-Sun had realized that Dria was lonely. After being driven away to a deste ce, she had been longing for her family every day, but she had eventually given up on meeting them again. However, she had still been left with an empty heart, and tried as hard as she could to somehow fill it up. Chang-Sun had embraced Dria because he wanted to, and for no other reason¡­ Although perhaps Ithaca¡¯s , whichy dormant deep in his soul, was driving his actions. In a sense, Ithaca¡¯s daughters were technically his too. ¡°¡­Ithaca¡¯s ,¡± Dria murmured nkly. ¡°Yes, I was her apostle,¡± Chang-Sun replied. Biting her lower lip, Dria began, ¡°No matter what you say, the fact that Ithaca abandoned us doesn¡¯t ch¡­!¡± ¡°Let me just get one thing straight, because you¡¯re misunderstanding something here. This Changgwi Cave and the other cryptical books were never built to lock you and the others up. They were your shelters,¡± Chang-Sun exined. ¡°¡­What?¡± Dria eximed, her eyes widening upon hearing Chang-Sun¡¯s unexpected exnation. It was also Armand¡¯s first time hearing about such a thing, so she looked at Chang-Sun in surprise too. ¡°She knew you and the other sisters were going to be the next targets of the after her death,¡± Chang-Sun continued. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡º¡­!¡» In the end, Chang-Sun had not forgotten what Ithaca was like whilepleting the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]. As much as Ithaca had been worried about Chang-Sun, she had also hoped for her daughters¡¯ safety and decided to ¡®imprison¡¯ them for that reason. ¡°Sun, I don¡¯t know when it¡¯ll happen, but please save those children,¡± Ithaca requested. Someday, Chang-Sun would find all of the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan], so he would be able to liberate Ithaca¡¯s daughters. Meanwhile, her daughters could be strong again in artificial worlds that had been created for them. ¡°This ce is a shelter your mother created to protect you, so don¡¯t hate her too much,¡± Chang-Sun said. Dria clenched her lips and looked down, seemingly holding back tears. In fact, the tears around her eyes were bigger than before. Chang-Sun became certain that it was his responsibility to save these children, just as Ithaca requested. Saving one¡¯s children was a parent¡¯s duty, after all. ¡°¡­¡± ¡º¡­¡» Perhaps because Dria also sensed Chang-Sun¡¯s determination, she said nothing for a long time, and Armand watched them silently. Then, Dria pushed Chang-Sun away and said brusquely, ¡°¡­Whatever.¡± And yet, her cold expression from before was gone, along with the tears around her eyes. Her eyes remained red, however. ¡°But¡­¡± Dria began, fidgeting idly with her fingers. There was no telling what had melted her frozen heart. She looked away from Chang-Sun as she continued, ¡°Armand told me to trust you, so I¡¯ll give it a go.¡± Regardless, there was no trace of hostility on Dria¡¯s face now, but due to her typical childish pride, she acted as if she would never yield to Chang-Sun. She pointed at Chang-Sun and cried, ¡°B-But don¡¯t be mistaken! I¡¯ll make you pay for my humiliation and harassing my children!¡± Chang-Sun nodded silently, letting her do as she wished, but she seemed to have not liked that. ring at Chang-Sun sullenly, Dria swiftly looked away and eximed, ¡°Hmph!¡± Flick. Dria quietly flicked her fingers, activating [Doll y] again. The scattered fragments of her toys shook and floated in the air, returning to their original forms. The pieces stuck together, and the soot on them disappeared. The dolls with cotton bursting out of them were stitched up with invisible threads. In truth, one of the reasons why Dria had opened up her heart was that Chang-Sun had not killed her subordinates. The toy soldier, Sebastian, opened and closed his mouth incessantly with delight as he looked at Dria. Crack, crack, crack! ¨DMydy? ¡°What?¡± Dria asked. ¨DEeeek! This is bad! Bad! It¡¯s an emergency! Emergency! Wondering what was wrong with her damned butler again, Dria frowned, but even though Sebastian saw the look on her face, he jumped dramatically around her. ¨DMydy cried! ¡°¡­Don¡¯t say any nonsense,¡± Dria said, narrowing her eyes. ¨DIf you smile after you cry¡­! ¡°I told you not to do it!¡± Dria continued, raising her voice. ¨DYour bum¡­![1] ¡°Quit it, you idiot!¡± Dria cried, striking Sebastian with her wind whip. ¡º¡­Phew, I¡¯m d everything turned out okay. This actually reminds me of old times.¡» Armand smiled faintly as she looked at the two. Her heart stung because she could recall the chaotic, yet good old days. Thus, she decided that she would get those old days back. With all her sisters around her, it would be really lively and messy, and her mother would happily watch them with her ¡®father¡¯ beside them. [The Celestial ¡®Not-So-Adorable Puppeteer¡¯ has dered her surrender.] [You have defeated the first Gulhon.] * * * [The Boss Monster ¡®Changgwi King¡¯ has died!] [Biggest Contributor: Lee Chang-Sun] [You have earned an achievement that no one has ever seeded in.] [You have acquired 50,000,000 Karma.] ¡­ [As a reward¡­] [You have seeded in deciphering and reading the ¡®Fourth Cryptical Book of Hsan¡¯ to the end!] [The Curse ¡®Changgwi Cave¡¯ has been undone.] [You have acquired the secret of the Cryptical Books: Hoshikjang.] ¡­ [Dungeon Closure has started.] ¡­ After Dria¡¯s surrender, Chang-Sun¡¯s subordinates brought the other Gulhons¡¯ heads back one after another. Judging from their injuries, Jin and Sinmara had likely gone through intense battles, but they were both smiling with contentment. That meant the battles against the Gulhons had been quite fun for them. Whoosh. When Chang-Sun opened his eyes again, he was sitting back in his ne seat, but a message he had not seen before popped up before him. [The rank of the Hidden Quest (The Hidden Path in the Starlight) has been upgraded to ¡®Scenario¡¯.] [The Scenario Quest (Hoshikjang) has been created!] As it was a scenario quest,pleting it would definitely be a remarkable achievement for Chang-Sun¡¯s ss. At that moment, he instinctively realized that it was rted to his destiny. [Hoshikjang] Type: Scenario. Description: Up until now, many people have obtained these seven cryptical books. While many of them acquired abilities, you are the only one to have finished deciphering and reading them. Due to your achievements, you discovered the identity of the owner of the in the cryptical books, and are strongly sensing your destiny calling you. From now on, retrieve all the remaining cryptical books. If you save the trapped children of the inside the cryptical books and earn their recognition, you will be able to revive the of the . Prerequisite: Finish reading the ¡®Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan¡¯. Time limit: ¨D Objectives: 1. Retrieve all ¡®Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan¡¯. 2. Finish reading all ¡®Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan¡¯. 3. Complete the . Quest Failure Penalty: Mental contamination. Quest Reward: ??? ¡®Complete the ?¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, narrowing his eyes. He had thought that the would automatically bepleted if he finished gathering all the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan], so it was really iprehensible. ¡®The quest name bothers me too,¡¯ he thought in confusion. The word ¡®Hoshikjang¡¯ was also a little odd, as he was unsure what it had to do with Ithaca. Considering that a quest name was the keyword that described the whole quest, he could not take it lightly. ¡®Does it only mean I have to take the books away from Heoju?¡¯ Chang-Sun wondered. As Heoju was a tiger monster, his assumption could be right, but he had a feeling that was not it. However, he soon had to stop analyzing the quest. [Part of your restriction has been removed for the smooth progress of the Scenario Quest!] ¡®What?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought in surprise upon hearing an unexpected message. Before he couldprehend what was going on, some of the restraining devices on his soul fell off one by one. nk, nk! His soul¡­ was growing once again. [Your ss has increased.] ¡­ [You have regained part of your hidden Authorities.] [The Authority ¡®False Belief¡¯ has been restored.] Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡­! When the restrictions on Chang-Sun¡¯s soul were removed, his aura inadvertently leaked out due to his heightened ss, making the ne shake violently. ¡°Huh? Huuuhhhh?¡± ¡°W-What is wrong with the ne¡­?!¡± ¡°Everyone, please remain seated!¡± As the ne was acting as if it were going through turbulence, the passengers¡¯ eyes widened in shock as they nervously waited. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun, the only one not aware of the situation, was ring at the message that had appeared in front of him. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ is scowling at you!] * * * ¡®What in the world is this guy doing again?!¡¯?Cha Ye-Eun thought in rm. Not long after the start of the incident, she realized that it had been caused by Chang-Sun. While the other passengers shivered in fear of the ne going down, she pursued the source of the mana storm, finding Chang-Sun at its center. The problem was that the very culprit behind themotion seemed unaware of what he had started and was staring at the air. His already sharp gaze had be even sharper and colder, as if he had met his enemy. ¡®Dammit! If only he weren¡¯t my type! Urgh!¡¯?Ye-Eun thought. She wanted to smack him in the back of his head and ask him what in the world he was doing, but¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ persuades you to give him a break because he has a good reason.] [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ guffaws, saying he would expect no less from his apostle.] [The Celestial ¡®Sky and Earth¡¯s Connecting Wing¡¯ advises his brother to quiet down a little, as his brother¡¯s voice is harsh to the ears.] ¡­ ¡­the Numen of the had stood up for Chang-Sun. Thus, Ye-Eun could not do that. ¡®Seriously, how is he connected with those guys? Does he really have mortgages on them or something?¡¯ Ye-Eun thought, chuckling in disbelief. She was unable to figure out the mysterious rtionship between Chang-Sun and the Numen. Next, she held out her hand in the air and quickly drew a magic circle. If she did nothing, the ne would break into pieces and sink to the bottom of the ocean, so she slowly drew forth her mana. ¡°Cough!¡± Ye-Eun unwittingly coughed up something. ¡°S-Seonbae?¡± Jin Seok-Tae, who was at Ye-Eun¡¯s side, almost screamed upon seeing the amount of blood on her palm. ¡°I¡¯m fine, so don¡¯t worry,¡± Ye-Eun replied. ¡°B-But¡­!¡± Seok-Tae protested. ¡°I. Am. Fine,¡± Ye-Eun said, enunciating every word with a re. ¡°¡­Y-Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Seok-Tae said. He slowly took a step backward, but his gaze was filled with concern. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ covers her mouth with her hands in surprise.] [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ clenches his lips.] [The Celestial ¡®Sky and Earth¡¯s Connecting Wing¡¯ shuts his eyes.] ¡­ ¡®If anyone saw you guys, they would think I¡¯m dying. Alright, cut it out. You¡¯re all distracting me,¡¯?Ye-Eun grumbled at the Numen who were making a fuss. However, her expression darkened as she looked at her bloody hand. She thought, ¡®¡­I really don¡¯t have much time left.¡¯ 1. The literal trantion of the full phrase is ¡°If you smile right after you cry, a horn or hair will grow up from your butthole.¡± It¡¯s a Korean phrase mainly used to tease children for their emotional vtility, as if to say that a child¡¯s emotional fluctuations are as funny as something that shouldn¡¯t emerge from one¡¯s body parting out. ?? Chapter 265: Star, Hoshikjang (6)

Chapter 265: Star, Hoshikjang (6)

At a building in downtown Chicago, U.S.A¡­ ¡°¡­Alright, so he¡¯s here?¡± Executive Director Oh Shi-Hwan said some time after receiving his subordinate¡¯s report. Behind Executive Director Oh was a breathtaking view that included the most magnificent, brilliant skyscrapers in the U.S. and a vastke. Despite that, he did not look particrly happy. It was understandable, as the report he had just received made his heart heavy; Chang-Sun wasing to the U.S. as they spoke. ¡®Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have let him go,¡¯?Executive Director Oh thought. When he first sent Chang-Sun to Europe, he had not particrly cared what Chang-Sun¡¯s n was, having believed that he would not suffer a loss no matter what. He had thought that if Chang-Sun¡¯s n worked out, it would give the White Tiger n an opportunity to branch out to Europe. Otherwise, Executive Director Oh could just wipe the te clean. Although it would be sad to lose the talented rookie known as the Tyrant, Executive Director Oh had believed he would be able to find a recement regardless. ¡®At the time, I thought time was on our side.¡¯ The Gildals Executive Director Oh was raising in secret also had quite a lot of potential, so if he kept improving them, he would have an unlimited resource of rookies that were just as talented as the Tyrant. No, even if he was wrong, he believed that Munseong could put an end to everything once he drew his hidden de. Executive Director Oh was well aware of the fact that Munseong was already a demigod¡ªno, he was technically more than a demigod. The ¡®Immortal Overlord¡¯ Jacque Valentine had always been recognized as the number one yer, but he had never mattered to Executive Director Oh in the first ce. In fact, there were many yers on par with Jacque in the White Tiger n¡¯s Council of Elders. ¡®Evil Wu Hou¡¯ Jaegal Hyeon-Ryong alone was unfathomably strong. However, the reality was that all the members of the Council of Eldersbined would still not be enough to take on Munseong. Which apostle in the world could negotiate an equal contract with their Guardian in person? Ever since Executive Director Oh had found out that Munseong and Heoju were equal partners, he had given up on the thought of defying Munseong and started studying and raising Gildals in secret. However, he was not trying to stand against Munseong. It was simply a way to weather the storm as much as possible if Munseong tried to abandon him. Besides, Executive Director Oh felt as if he would lose his mind with fear if he did not do at least that much. Just like that, the future of the White Tiger n had been set to be bright forever. Perhaps even the sort of world domination that the third-rate viins of many old animated films would not be all that far-fetched. In fact, the White Tiger n members had already begun their journey of conquest. By allying with the Jaynix Company of the U.S., they had conquered both North and South Americas and spread the name of ¡®Sword Sky Tiger¡¯ across the world. All of those miracles had been made possible by the mystical books named the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]. Powers, talents, Authorities¡­ That source of their omnipotence had made all their dreamse true. ¡®But¡­ You, Lee Chang-Sun, came out of nowhere,¡¯?Executive Director Oh thought. Everyone in the White Tiger n knew about Chang-Sun¡¯s series of shocking aplishments. ¡®He said he was going to find the [Fourth Cryptical Book of Hsan], but he suddenly became strong enough to defeat the Immortal Overlord¡­ He must have decrypted the cryptical book. Damn it!¡¯ Executive Director Oh was well aware of the fact that Chang-Sun was more ambitious and greedy than anyone else, but he had still let Chang-Sun go to Europe with ease, firmly believing that Chang-Sun would never be able to decipher the books. Even within the White Tiger n, he and the others had consumed tremendous time and resources to start interpreting the cryptical books, so he had not thought that Chang-Sun could do it so easily. ¡®It was my mistake.¡¯ Perhaps things would have been different if the [Fourth Cryptical Book of Hsan] was in Executive Director Oh¡¯s hands, but before he could acquire it, Chang-Sun had begun to cause a sensation. Thus, Munseong no doubt knew that Chang-Sun had the [Fourth Cryptical Book of Hsan]. Of course, Munseong would eventually wonder whether Executive Director Oh was behind Chang-Sun, so Executive Director Oh¡¯s hands were tied. On top of that, Director Gwon Hyo-Hae, Executive Director Oh¡¯s political rival, continued to attack him, so many of the people on his side had turned their back on him. The existence of the Secret Tiger Lab had been revealed, while the Ghost Soldiers and Gildals were also at risk of exposure. Chang-Sun had practically incited Executive Director Oh¡¯s demise¡­ and thus, Executive Director Oh¡¯s hatred toward Chang-Sun was bound to be deep. Of course, Executive Director Oh had no time to vent his hatred, because there was currently no guarantee he would live to see the next sunrise. If Munseng called for his execution, he would have to obediently put his neck in a guillotine. ¡®But I¡¯m still alive, so it must be one of two reasons,¡¯ Executive Director Oh thought, shutting his eyes.?¡®One possibility is that the n leaderpletely forgot I exist.¡¯ It was actually more than possible. The way Munseong saw the world waspletely different from ordinary people. In his eyes, other people looked like mere ants. ¡®The second possibility is that he¡¯s giving me the chance to aplish a feat if I want to live.¡¯ Of course, that feat would be voluntarily bringing the [Fourth Cryptical Book of Hsan] to Munseong, along with theplete trantion. Executive Director Oh slowly opened his eyes. Although he still had a lot on his mind, now was not the time to sit idly. He said quietly, ¡°Department Head Shim.¡± ¡°Yes, Executive Director Oh,¡± Department Head Shim Geon-Ho replied. ¡°I¡¯m ever grateful to you,¡± Executive Director Oh continued. ¡°Please don¡¯t say such a thing.¡± Department Head Shim said with a bow. All the Future Strategy Department members, who had practically been Executive Director Oh¡¯s children, had turned their backs on him, but Geon-Ho had continued to stay by his side. It was because Executive Director Oh had saved Geon-Ho, who was an orphan. ¡°No, no. I can now tell what is mine and who my people truly are after undergoing countless difficulties,¡± Executive Director Oh said, waving his hand. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, for the sake of my dear treasures, I can¡¯t just sit on my hands and wait to ¡®sink¡¯, can I?¡± Executive Director Oh continued, leaning back against his chair. Geon-Ho sensed the fury hidden in Executive Director Oh¡¯s calm voice. Executive Director Oh was the Sandstorm Shadow Tiger, the legendary and sly monster that could escape from hunters with ease after devouring numerous humans. This old monster was still too vigorous to go down without a fight. ¡°Finally¡­! Have you decided to take action?¡± Geon-Ho asked delightedly. ¡°Since my master wants me to be his executioner¡­ I should, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± Executive Director Oh remarked. ¡°You¡¯re right, Executive Director Oh. Then I¡¯ll get ready right away,¡± Geon-Ho said. Executive Director Oh nodded, his eyes shining more menacingly than ever. However, that meant he uncharacteristically missed the cold sneer that spread across Geon-Ho¡¯s face as he bowed. * * * The staredown between Chang-Sun and Heoju had ended up fizzling out. Although Chang-Sun had thought that Heoju would try to do something to him, Heoju simply retreated more quietly than he had expected. [The Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯ disappears quietly, gritting his teeth.] Although Heoju had shown up so briefly that it seemed meaningless, Chang-Sun knew Heoju very well, and realized that Heoju had dered war against him in his own way. Since the White Tiger n was Heoju¡¯s , everyone in the n would put their best effort into killing Chang-Sun, but that was actually what Chang-Sun wanted. ¡®This¡¯ll be perfect for fighting a war against Heoju,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. [False Belief] One of the five trademark Authorities of the Celestial ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯. It is used to protect oneself from a barrage of weapon and magic attacks by discovering and utilizing several runes. Furthermore, the Authority user bes an Aberration, a magical being that is not bound by thews of nature. ¡¤ Skill level: 1. ¡¤ Type: Authority. ¡¤ Effect: Letter Engraving. Aberration Manifestation. Aberration Awakening. Chang-Sun had definitely not expected that [False Belief], the second Authority he retrieved from among his Inverted Pentagrams, would be restored this suddenly, as he had not even recovered the main Skills that made up the Authority. ¡®So that isn¡¯t the only way to restore my previous powers,¡¯?he thought with a nod. Although Chang-Sun had not recovered the Skillponents, he had earned more than enough achievements rted to [False Belief]. The mainponent of [False Belief] was runes, which were Divine Scripts that embodied mystical wonders. Thus, a being engraved with runes would be as mystical as the number of runes on them. Chang-Sun¡¯s first ss was Rune Master, and his second ss was Einheri, a ss that originated from Rune Master. In other words, he had numerous achievements pertaining to runes. ¡®No, I have [Gnostic Eye], so maybe it¡¯s a given.¡¯? Chang-Sun was well aware of his origin now. Odin had been the Ruling Celestial of and the creator of rune magic, so [Gnostic Eye] was part of his power. After the acquisition of [Gnostic Eye], Chang-Sun had formed a deeper rtionship with rune magic, and thus he was bound to achieve a bigger result. Thus, the more his [False Belief] improved, the more effective it would be, iparable even to when he had used it as the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯. Perhaps¡­ ¡®...it can even be a Signature, although I¡¯ve only heard rumors about those.¡¯? Above Skills, Authorities, and Divine Rights, there were Signatures, which were a kind of a conceptual phenomenon. A Celestial needed to obtain a Signature of their own to surpass the limit of their divine rank and be aplete concept, thus bing a part of Idea as aw of nature. From that point, a Celestial would be able to be a Conceptual Celestial, which was considered a Celestial among Celestials. However, there were very few Conceptual Celestials; only the Nine Heavens and the few beings who were as strong as them had reached that level. [False Belief] had the potential to be a Signature, and that was what it meant to be an Aberration, a creature outside the rules. Additionally¡­ Ding! Ding! [All the Effects of the Skills ¡®Rune Research¡¯ and ¡®Rune Creation¡¯ have been applied to the Authority ¡®False Belief¡¯.] [The two Skills have merged with the Authority, ] [The Authority level has increased!] [The Authority level has increased!] As if to prove Chang-Sun¡¯s thoughts, the level of [False Belief] swiftly increased twice. ¡®In that case¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He had five hours left before the ne reached its destination, so he would try utilizing [False Belief]. In order to make it a Signature, he had to get to work as soon as possible. [The Authority ¡®False Belief¡¯ has been activated, engraving runes on yourself!] Chang-Sun reached into the air as he drew forth his mana, and his lit up like a candle. Pzzzzz¡­. Starting with the back of his hand, runes began to manifest on his skin. [A Divine Power Rune has been engraved.] [A Guidance Rune has been engraved.] [A Protection Rune has been engraved.] [A Shelter Rune has been engraved.] ¡­ [A series of runes has been listed, forming a rune sentence!] Once a rune waspleted, another rune appeared, and another¡­ The list of runes began to symbolize one coherent thing, eventually bing a sentence that could bepletely interpreted. It was a sentence that embodied mystical wonders! ¨DGod be with us. Letters were only able to deliver fragments of information, but sentences could be used to convey much moreplicated ideas, allowing a Rune Master to describe what they wanted to do to the world. Thus, rune sentences were more effective, produced better results, andsted longer than rune letters. The sentence Chang-Sun was trying toplete was amon one that usually served as the start of many scriptures within the various gods¡¯ gospels. ¡®It¡¯s the sentence that best summarizes a follower¡¯s wish to always have their god¡¯s protection and blessings,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. If the sentence was the start of many scriptures, that meant it was the wish of many devoted followers, so no sentence could be more effective. However, the god Chang-Sun served in practice was himself. Thus, the sentence had a whole new meaning, which was to amplify the effectiveness of all the Authorities and Skills Chang-Sun cast on himself. The more he believed in himself, the more he would improve himself, and the more effective the rune sentence would be. The sentence had be about his own belief in himself, so he was actually bing a Celestial of his own faith¡­ ¡®It might have been different if I decided to engrave runes on myself to make a sentence.¡¯? In the past, Chang-Sun had acquired [False Belief] long after he awakened to be the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯. When he was a notorious fiend, he had tried to take on many enemies at once, so he had needed a way to effectively defend himself while continuing his attacks. After thinking it through, he had created [False Belief]. Whenever Chang-Sun had used [False Belief], he wondered what it would have been like if he had obtained [False Belief] sooner. Although it had been toote to wonder about that in the past, it was different now. Pzzzz¨D! ¡®Six runespleted¡­ It really hurts like hell.¡¯ Although he had had [Rune Creation] and [Rune Engraving] all along, he had not attempted to create a rune sentence, because [False Belief] was essential for doing so. Once he finished engraving runes, it would be nearly impossible to modify them, so what would happen if he made a mistake with insufficient mastery in rune magic? One wrong stroke could change the whole meaning of a rune, so the results could be catastrophic. In other words, he could end up suffering from harmful side-effects while trying to obtain mystical wonders. In order for a rune sentence to work properly, each rune had to be written in the same size and handwriting. In addition, even aspects such as indentation and spacing had to be urate. Since runes were very delicate, the engraving process required a lot of time and a high level of mental stamina and concentration. [You are in horrible pain, and your condition is deteriorating.] [Your Pain Resistance has increased by 15.] [Your Burn Resistance has increased by 21.] ¡­ However, the pain caused during the engraving process was unbearable even for Chang-Sun, who was usually unfazed by injury, and it did not take long for his abundant mana to be nearly depleted. That was how much effort was needed to permanently engrave mystical wonders on oneself. However Chang-Sun had to do it because he knew how sweet the fruit of hisbor would be. By the time he got to the tenth and final rune¡­ ¡®Wait.¡¯ An idea shed through Chang-Sun¡¯s mind. ¡®If I can engrave sentences¡­ Can¡¯t I use [Bes¡¯s Poem]?¡¯ It seemed the number of effective sentences¡ªno, paragraphs and uses he was going to engrave on himself would be far greater than he had originally nned. After reading Chang-Sun¡¯s thoughts¡­ ¡º¡­Is he a pervert?¡» ¡ºSomething along those lines.¡» ¡­Dria and Armand chuckled dumbfoundedly. Chapter 266: Star, the U.S. (1)

Chapter 266: Star, the U.S. (1)

When the ne passed over the Antic Ocean, Woo Yeong-Geun saw a glimpse of the U.S. through his window. At the same time, he heard someone call for him. ¡°Uncle.¡± Yeong-Geun cautiously turned his head. ¡°¡­ Yup?¡± ¡°Stop trembling like a puppy in the rain.¡± Yeong-Geun stayed silent. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, but you¡¯re wrong.¡± Throughout their flight, Woo Hye-Bin had been sullen. From her perspective, she couldn¡¯t help thinking that Yeong-Geun was here because he didn¡¯t trust her. The way he acted in front of her colleagues deeply hurt her pride. To top it all off, Yeong-Geun visited mainly because he had doubts about Chang-Sun. Hence, Hye-Bin didn¡¯t even look at Yeong-Geun, which made him fidgety. It was terrifying whenever his niece acted icy cold. [The Celestial ¡®Nameless GIant¡¯ shakes her head in disbelief and says that it would be an understatement to call you a mere fool for your niece at this point.] Ueopwang clicked her tongue, seemingly finding Yeong-Geun a lost cause to her too. ¡°You tested everyone, so you should be well aware of that,¡± Hye-Bin said calmly. Yeong-Geun nodded, awkwardly scratching his cheek. Hye-Bin and the other Team L members tested negative in the demonic being screening test. ¡°I probably still look young and childish in your eyes, so you likely think I followed Mister Chang-Sun without thinking it through. But I¡¯m not a child anymore. I believe that I¡¯m at least capable enough to judge whether what I¡¯m doing is right or wrong,¡± Hye-Bin articted, looking straight into Yeong-Geun¡¯s eyes. Yeong-Geun bit his lower lip. Unlike her young appearance, her calm eyes were the same as the eyes of the individual that Yeong-Geun had seen in the past. ¡°Yeong-Geun.¡± ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Yeong-Geun replied.? ¡°I know you resent me, but you¡¯ll understand why I did this someday.¡± Yeong-Geun¡¯s father singlehandedly brought the Ohsung Group the sess it currently enjoyed, so people praised and criticized him at the same time. The circumstances made him force Yeong-Geun to break up with the first woman to make him want to get married and settle down. Hye-Bin¡¯s eyes looked just like her grandfather¡¯s when Yeong-Geun poured out his resentment to her grandfather. ¡°I hope you can believe in me now,¡± Hye-Bin continued. People regarded Yeong-Geun¡¯s father as a ¡®giant¡¯ for bringing the Ohsung Group to its current level of sess. Since the Ohsung Group itself was also a ¡®giant,¡¯ the Celestial ¡®Nameless Giant¡¯ came to them, resulting in the foundation of the current Sword of Ohsung n. ¡®Adult¡­¡¯ Yeong-Geun had to admit it now. ¡®She¡¯s an adult now.¡¯ Yeong-Geun remembered a passage he liked so much in the novel ¡¶Demian¡·, which was written by Hermann Hesse, that he ended up memorizing it. Der Vogel k?mpft sich aus dem Ei. The bird fought its way out of the egg, which was its world. Das Ei ist die Welt. Wer geboren werden will, mu? eine Welt zerst?ren. To be born, one had to first destroy a world. Emil Sinir, the protagonist of ¡¶Demian¡·, spent his youth wandering in despair, but he found spiritual enlightenment when he met his ideal partner. Why did Yeong-Geun keep seeing the image of Emil Sinir ovepping Hye-Bin? The Jamsil Gate incident had been an awfully traumatic experience for Hye-Bin, but the experience dissipated like an eggshell. Now, only the new Hye-Bin, who was ready to soar into the sky, remained. That made Yeong-Geun happy and proud, but it also saddened him because he could no longer hold her in his arms. ¡®My Hye-Bin is already¡­ Sob! She was so tiny! Sob! Sob!¡¯ Yeong-Geun furtively turned his head to hide the fact that he was moved to tears. Messages immediately popped up. [The Celestial ¡®Nameless Giant¡¯ tells you to stop weeping and asks if you are already going through menopause.] [The Celestial ¡®Nameless Giant¡¯ pulls her hair out in frustration, telling you to please stop it because you are embarrassing her.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Nameless Giant¡¯ seriously ponders whether or not she should look for a new apostle candidate.] * * * At Terminal 5 of O''Hare International Airport in Chicago¡­ Click! Cha Ye-Eun bit on a cigarette and lit it up with her Zippo. ¡°Phew¡­!¡± Ye-Eun deeply exhaled, letting out a thick cloud of smoke. Jin Seok-Tae looked at her, amazed by howrge her lung capacity was. How long did she inhale to exhale such a big cloud of smoke? At that moment, Shin Geum-Gyu, who was beside Seok-Tae, looked at Ye-Eun and tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Hmmm¡­?¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Seok-Tae asked. ¡°Umm¡­ Is Agent Cha feeling unwell?¡± Geum-Gyu said. ¡°Pardon?¡± Seok-Tae couldn¡¯tprehend what Geum-Gyu meant. ¡®The¡¯ Iron Witch feeling unwell? The Ye-Eun that Seok-Tae knew was the type of person who would go to the otherworld toin and fix things as soon as she found something that didn¡¯t sit well with her. ¡°Her cigarette¡¯s magic spell¡ª!¡± Geum-Gyu stopped himself and waved his hand from side to side. ¡°N-no, I must have been mistaken.¡± Feeling uneasy for some reason, Seok-Tae tried to prod Geum-Gyu, but he stopped when he noticed Ye-Eun putting out her cigarette and returning to the group. ¡°Where are you headed next?¡± Ye-Eun asked Chang-Sun. Standing still, Chang-Sun slowly opened his eyes. His mana, which was being used to settle the rune sentence in him, subsided. Since the rune sentence was bestowed with his , the process was proceeding seamlessly. [Two sentences are currently engraved in the Authority ¡®False Belief.¡¯] ©°God be with us. ©¸When Her Majesty swung her sword, a lightning bolt swept across the battlefield. [Your soul is synchronizing with the sentences.] [17 hours 36 minutes and 59 seconds remaining.] Chang-Sun was very curious about how he would change once the synchronization process finished. ¡¸Using runes like this¡­. Ha. Haha¡­ Ha¡­¡¹ Simon Magus chuckled dumbfoundedly. He was assisting Chang-Sun with the engraving process, but he didn¡¯t think Chang-Sun could pull it off this great. Although Chang-Sun certainly had great knowledge in tranting the poem into runes, the ability itself toe up with such an idea seemed greater to Simon. It made him feel as if all his prejudice against rune magic had been shattered. ¡¸You would have made a fine wizard¡­ Wait, your origin is Odin, so that technically makes you a Celestial of magic too. Wowsa,¡¹ Simon uncharacteristically babbled out of great shock. On the other hand, Simon was half-certain that once they had finished the rune-engraving process and the trantion process of [Bes¡¯s Poem] to upgrade [False Belief], he would witness his dreame true: Bes¡¯s return. Although Simon wasn¡¯t sure if Chang-Sun knew about that, considering Chang-Sun only focused on checking the sentences¡¯ status. ¡°I¡¯m going to go meet the Sword Sky Tiger¡ªno, Sword Overlord first,¡± Chang-Sun answered Ye-Eun. Chang-Sun had actually been pondering about his destination too. His initial goal in Chicago was to clear ¡®Doomsday City.¡¯ ¡®Red, green, and blue¡­ I definitely need to have the [Tricolored Brilliant Light],¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The three primary colors that made up light were a must-have in upgrading Chang-Sun¡¯s since they could help him exceed the limit of his lightning-attribute power and acquire the light attribute. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the other parts, but if you¡¯re really going to be the ¡®light¡¯... hehe! Get ¡®colors¡¯ first.¡± The Sixth Elder giggled.? ¡°Colors?¡±? ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m talking about Panca Skandha[1] ¡¯s rupa[2], not actual colors. They¡¯re the colors that make up the material world,¡± the Sixth Elder exined.? Panca Skandha was the Buddhist term for the five factors that distinguished the spiritual and material worlds. Among those five factors, rupa was the material world¡¯sponent. ¡°¡­ The light of a being that even Celestials look up to doesn¡¯t just mean that it¡¯s bright. Knowledge, civilization,ws of nature, material, phenomena¡­ It represents everything that makes up this universe, which would have been empty otherwise. This is where the act of creation starts,¡± the Sixth Elder exined.? ¡°So that is why I need rupa, the foundation of materials.¡±? ¡°Hehehehe, that¡¯s it! However, there are many different kinds of colors. You can¡¯t pick up all of them, can you? Hence, get their sources instead.¡± ¡°You must mean the three primary colors,¡± Chang-Sun assumed.? ¡°That is correct. With those three colors, you can create all kinds of other colors.¡± ¡°Is there a way to get them?¡± ¡°Yes, there is! But¡­ Hehehehe, there is a teeeeeeeny tinnnnny issue.¡± The Sixth Elder elongated his words.? ¡°Issue?¡± ¡°The moment you pick them up, you¡¯ll die immediately. Like I did.¡± The Sixth Elder pretended to choke himself.? Determined not to make the same mistake, the Sixth Elder had created several countermeasures in the abyss. He taught Chang-Sun those countermeasures and formted a n to get the three primary colors. [Tricolored Brilliant Light] was the result of that n and endeavor. However, he needed something in ¡®Doomsday City¡¯ to get it. ¡®Unfortunately, that isn¡¯t my only task in the U.S.,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. He had already parted ways with Heoju, so there was no way Heoju would let him clear ¡®Doomsday City¡¯ in peace. However, Chang-Sun also thought that it was time to put an end to this feud. ¡®Now that I know the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] is Ithaca¡¯s legacy, I refuse to let Heoju hold onto them any longer.¡¯ Moreover, he also heard the news about Kali¡¯s priests working as resistance fighters in the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. With so many tasks to take care of, he had to set his priorities straight, but that was easier said than done. ¡®I can get my hands on [Tricolored Brilliant Light] after finishing?Heoju. While dealing with?Heoju, I can contact Kali¡¯s priests¡­ so¡­¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes turned sharp. ¡®I¡¯ll go after?Heoju?first.¡¯ Nothing was more important than his lover¡¯s legacy. ¡°... The Sword Overlord, huh? You¡¯ve always known that Munseong is a demonic being, haven¡¯t you?¡± Ye-Eun red at Chang-Sun, no longer talking formally. The others also noticed the change, making Seok-Tae and the Team L members noticeably tense up. Yeong-Geun was the only one who observed with sharp eyes, trying to figure out what to do as a third party. ¡°Yet you¡¯ve left him alone all this time¡­ If so, then you must have needed the power as well,¡± Ye-Eun assumed. ¡°Is there something wrong with that?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head. Chang-Sun technically joined the White Tiger n to hunt Heoju, but Ye-Eun wasn¡¯t wrong either since he did actually try to use Munseong. ¡°All of it is wrong! Very much so! Do you even know what a demonic being is? They have abandoned their humanity and¡ª!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Chang-Sun interrupted. ¡°What matters to me is whether or not something can benefit me. I joined the White Tiger n because I found the n useful. Now that they no longer have any use for me, I¡¯m going to devour them. That should suffice as an exnation.¡± ¡°¡­ So it was a lucky timing. You could have be a demonic being if you found bing one necessary.¡± Ye-Eun chuckled dryly, then smirked. ¡°Fine. Thank you very much for making things clear. Judging from what you said about devouring the White Tiger n or something, it seems you won¡¯t ally with them.¡± No longer finding any reason to continue the conversation, Ye-Eun turned in the opposite direction in annoyance and shouted, ¡°Seok-Tae!¡± ¡°Y-yes! Seonbae¡ª!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re heading to the Council¡¯s Chicago branch.¡± Ye-Eun gestured at Seok-Tea. Seok-Tae quickly bowed at Chang-Sun and the Team L members, then followed Ye-Eun. ~ [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ says that he is not the type of person who would do that!] [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ is not sure if he should remain in this channel or his apostle¡¯s channel..] [The Celestial ¡®Sky and Earth¡¯s Connecting Wing¡¯ smiles bitterly.] ¡­ ¡®He¡¯s a good person?¡¯ Ye-Eun scrolled down the Numen¡¯s messages. Contrary to her irritated tone, her eyes had turned cold. ¡®No way.¡¯ The Council was an outdated organization that wasn¡¯t really much of a help to Ye-Eun, but she chose to remain with them anyway. She despised demonic beings more than anything in the world, and the Council was the only organization that actively fought against demonic beings. Hence, Ye-Eun hated Chang-Sun¡¯s remark about him remaining in the White Tiger n even though he knew that the n was a group of demonic beings. Even if Chang-Sun didn¡¯t directlymit a crime with the White Tiger n, abetting was still a crime. ¡®I don¡¯t care how the Tyrant ns to hunt the White Tiger n. I¡¯ll hunt them in my own way,¡¯?Ye-Eun decided. At that moment, the pain in her shoulder spread to her entire body through her spine. It had only been ten minutes since she smoked her cigarette¡ªno, tranquilizer, but the pain was already back. The duration of her rpse was getting shorter. ¡®This will be myst job in this life.¡¯?Ye-Eun lit up her Zippo in annoyance. Click! * * * With bitterness in his eyes, Yeong-Geun looked back and forth between Ye-Eun and Chang-Sun. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun greeted those who came to the airport to wee his group. ¡®Smilodon¡¯ Seo Jeong-Gwon, a robust man with hair akin to a lion''s mane, stood in Chang-Sun¡¯s way with his Raid Team Two members. ¡°Long time no see, Chang-Sun.¡± Jeong-Gwonughed gently. However, his eyes were so menacing it was as if he would snap Chang-Sun¡¯s neck as soon as Chang-Sun refused to obey hismand. ¡°Come with me. We¡¯ve got somewhere to be,¡± Jeong-Gwon said. 1. The concept can actually be interpreted in two ways. One version is that they¡¯re the fiveponents of a human, and another version is that they¡¯re the fiveponents of the world. ?? 2. Rupa and color sound the same in Korean. Although the hanja for rupa does mean color, rupa is more known to be about physical form and material image. ?? Chapter 267: Star, the U.S. (2)

Chapter 267: Star, the U.S. (2)

¡®They moved quicker than I thought. Well, this is technically the right move.¡¯?Chang-Sun unwittingly chuckled. It hadn¡¯t been long since Chang-Sun decided to wage a war against Heoju, but the White Tiger n members had already shown up. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t expect Seo Jeong-Gwon himself to get him, though, considering Jeong-Gwon was the tenth-highest-ranking executive in the White Tiger n. Although Chang-Sun was officially a White Tiger n team leader, the White Tiger n members only saw him as a low-ranking employee who joined the n a year ago. The White Tiger n also deeply valued its internal hierarchy. For those reasons, he thought they would intentionally disregard the fact that he was now a ¡®king.¡¯ ¡°Lee Chang-Sun.¡± Jeong-Gwon looked serious for some reason. ¡°Come with me.¡± Despite Jeong-Gwon¡¯s authoritative tone and menacing re, Chang-Sun had a feeling that Jeong-Gwon was trying to coax him. ¡®Is the White Tiger n trying to persuade me to stay in the n?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Or¡­ ¡®Is he the one who wants me to stay?¡¯ His reasons aside, Jeong-Gwon had always treated Chang-Sun with cordiality, which meant there was a chance that he still felt the same way toward him. Jeong-Gwon simply couldn¡¯t let it show since his team members were watching him. ¡®... They might be giving me ast chance or something.¡¯?Chang-Sun quietly chuckled again. The Raid Team Two members turned hostile, thinking he was mocking their team leader. However, Moon Yi-Byeol, their assistant team leader, held up her hand, signaling them to stand down. The Team L members looked at Chang-Sun a little nervously. Although they knew very well how strong Chang-Sun was, a conflict against the White Tiger n couldn¡¯t be taken lightly. Meanwhile, Woo Yeong-Geun quietly reached for his sword hung on his waist. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go.¡± Chang-Sun nodded. He thought about subduing the Raid Team Two members here but decided to y along instead. They were at the airport, which was a bad location to start a fight. Besides, he was curious about what their n was. ¡®I also need to get some answers anyway.¡¯?Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply. With a heavy heart, Jeong-Gwon nodded and turned in the opposite direction. ¡°Follow me.¡± * * * Jeong-Gwon and Raid Team Two led Chang-Sun and the others to a big shuttle bus in the parking lot. The Raid Team Two members watched Chang-Sun very menacingly, seemingly intimidating Chang-Sun into answering whether or not he was courageous enough to ride it. Some actually provoked him out loud, but Chang-Sun paid them no attention and just got on the bus. Shortly after, Yeong-Geun and the Team L members joined Chang-Sun inside. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Suffocating silence filled the bus. ¡°Drive,¡± Jeong-Gwon said, gesturing with his chin. The bus driver anxiously nodded and started the engine. Up until this morning, the bus driver had been happy to get a job with good pay. However, he realized now that today could be his death anniversary if things were to go wrong, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel very tense. Vrooom¨D! ¡°Where are we going?¡± Chang-Sun asked, not paying any heed to the tension in the air. ¡°We¡¯re meeting up with Executive Director Oh.¡± ¡°This greeting seems too fancy.¡± ¡°I had to check.¡± Jeong-Gwon¡¯s eyes turned sharp, making him look as if he was ready to bite off Chang-Sun¡¯s neck any minute. ¡°I heard what happened in Europe. It turned the n upside down. Why did you do it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about. You¡¯ll have to narrow it down for me,¡± Chang-Sun nonchntly replied. Unable to take it anymore, Raid Team Two¡¯s squad leader¡ªtheir third-highest-ranking member¡ªsprang up from his seat. ¡°You better watch your mouth when talking to our team leader! Stop ying around!¡± [¡®Tiger Kill¡¯ is spreading in the area.] The group leader growled, wanting to kill Chang-Sun, and the other raid team members exuded [Tiger Kill] as well, pressuring Chang-Sun¡¯s shoulders. It was as if tigers were baring their fangs all around him. Even though the bus had be an inescapable tiger den, Chang-Sun just expressionlessly looked at the group leader. ¡°Name.¡± ¡°What did you just say, you bastard?¡± ¡°What is your name?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡°Did you go nuts or something? Why do you keep speaking nonsense¡ª!¡± The group leader walked out to the aisle, anger clearly evident on his face, when he stopped abruptly. Stab¨D! ¡°H-huh¡­?¡± The group leader gasped in confusion when his neck started to sting. However, he couldn¡¯t speak or even think. After all, his head had already been severed from his body and had dropped to the floor. Ssh! ¡°Sae-Min!¡± ¡°You crazy fuck!¡± ¡°How dare you¡ª!¡± The raid team members looked shocked. They didn¡¯t expect to be attacked this easily or that the attack itself would take ce inside the bus. They soon pulled themselves, however, and grabbed their weapons. They also exuded [Tiger Kill] at its strongest output. ¡°Sit,¡± Chang-Sun said. Booom! At the same time, Chang-Sun exuded a much more ruthless aura, ripping their [Tiger Kill] to shreds and almost crushing their shoulders. Urgh, keough, argh¡­ The raid team members ended up kissing the floor, groaning, but the pressure still intensified so much that blood dripped from their noses and mouths. [Your ¡®Inferno Sights¡¯ have been activated, watching your enemies!] Woosh! As navy-blue mes lit up in his eyes, Chang-Sun looked at each of the raid team members, his legs still crossed in his seat. He had practically subdued them all using only his aura. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ nods and says that violence is the best way to silence those who are noisy.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ snorts sarcastically and says that it¡¯s surprising to see idiots still making meaningless efforts.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ nods in contentment and says that she expected such a response from her husband candidate.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ins to her mother about why she is still talking like that!] ¡­ [A total of 179,992 Celestials are looking forward to seeing your next move!] He had almost 180,000 viewers now, which was an indication of how much the Celestials were interested in Chang-Sun¡¯s journey. The fact that Chang-Sun had parted ways with Heoju could be interpreted as Chang-Sun starting his war against the Celestials in earnest. A human going up against the . Chang-Sun reminded the Celestials of ¡®someone.¡¯ ¡°Urggghhh!¡± Meanwhile, Jeong-Gwon had also been subdued by Chang-Sun¡¯s ruthless aura, but he managed to resist despite being brought down to a knee and clenching his teeth so hard that it looked as if they were going to be shattered any minute. The bulging veins in his eyes popped, making Jeong-Gwon shed blood tears, but his sharp, menacing eyes were still glued to Chang-Sun. ¡°Are you¡­ going to¡­ be our enemy¡­ after all?!¡± Jeong-Gwon yelled. ¡°After all, my ass.¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s sneer got louder. The bus was crossing an overpass now. Chang-Sun continued, ¡°All of you had been my prey from the beginning.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Ask Heoju if I¡¯m lying.¡± Chang-Sun shrugged. Jeong-Gwon¡¯s fists trembled. Heoju was the real name of the White Tiger n members¡¯ Guardian, but they always used their Guardian¡¯s divine name to refer to him, not his real name. A Celestial was too supreme for mere followers to use their Guardian¡¯s real name. Nevertheless, Chang-Sun referred to their Guardian as Heoju, showing hisck of intention to stay as a member of the White Tiger n. ¡°I harbor no grudges against you. Your wishes aside, I got this far thanks to the White Tiger n. I don¡¯t really care that all of you are demonic beings,¡± Chang-Sun said. It wasn¡¯t as if Chang-Sun liked demonic beings or was siding with them. Demonic beings were surely irredeemable trash, but Chang-Sun believed that he had no right to criticize them since he also resorted to several morally wrong methods in Arcadia. However, it was a totally different story if the demonic being was his enemy. ¡°So I¡¯ll make you a proposal instead. Seo Jeong-Gwon, be my subordinate,¡± Chang-Sun offered. The Team L members looked at Chang-Sun in surprise, realizing why Chang-Sun had readily gotten on the bus, which was no different from a cave filled with tigers waiting to eat him. Yeong-Geun¡¯s expression turned grim, unable to understand why Chang-Sun would make a demonic being his subordinate. From an ordinary person¡¯s perspective, a demonic being was a despicable criminal whom no one should get close to. Yeong-Geun¡¯s train of thought was soon interrupted. ¡°Ha. Ha. Hahaha¡­!¡± Jeong-Gwon suddenly burst into manicughter. The pressure on him made him pause often, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Jeong-Gwon¡¯s loudughter echoed throughout the bus, shaking it, and Chang-Sun just looked at him with emotionless eyes. Jeong-Gwon abruptly stoppedughing again. His eyes had be so red that they looked as if they had been that way all this time. ¡°I¡¯m a tiger. Have you ever seen a tiger yield?¡± Jeong-Gwon growled. ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± Chang-Sun said, flicking his fingers to fire a lightning bolt to the middle of Jeong-Gwon¡¯s forehead. ¡°Team leader, get back!¡± Yi-Byeol drew the sword hung on her waist and swung it upward. She moved so fast that it was as if she wasn¡¯t affected by Chang-Sun at all. She also started to exude ghost energy. [The Hohwan Mama rages!] Booom! Yi-Byeol used [Tiger Chaos] with her sword, hitting the bus ceiling. The shock caused the bus to wobble on the road, making it seem as if it would run into a guardrail. Meanwhile, Jeong-Gwon moved very swiftly for someone so bulky, leaping out of the bus through the hole in the ceiling. Pzzzzz! Chang-Sun was going to strike Jeong-Gwon with a whip made of the lightning energy he drew up, but Yi-Byeolunched herself toward him, deflecting his again. Kyaaaah¨D! The collision between Yi-Byeol¡¯s ghost energy and Chang-Sun¡¯s lightning energy produced a loud howl. [The Hohwan Mama intensifies!] ¡°You¡­¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes turned cold as he looked at Yi-Byeol.¡°... are a Gildal.¡± A Gildal was the human weapon that Executive Director Oh had been trying to create using the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]. Chang-Sun had been assuming that the research on Gildals was iplete, but it had seemingly been finished while he had been away. Perhaps Yi-Byeol was thepleted version of a Gildal. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t notice it when he first met a Gildal, but since his Divinity had gradually increased since then, he could now know for sure. ¡ºThis is¡­!¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s Saratina¡¯s power¡­ Our sister must be in their hands and is being exploited for this.¡» Yi-Byeol¡¯s ghost energy was tinged with Ithaca¡¯s scent, but her scent was so distorted that it was nothing like the original. Hence, Yi-Byeol¡¯s energy was only left with insidious evil energy and wicked demonic energy. Chang-Sun had to retrieve Ithaca¡¯s power no matter what, so he couldn¡¯t just leave Yi-Byeol alone. However, she wasn¡¯t the only one who was charging at him now. Yi-Byeol¡¯s explosion attack seemed to have been some sort of a trigger, seeing as how the air around the Raid Team Two members noticeably changed. Krrrrr. They were even drooling, a sign they had lost their rationality. Pzzzzzz¡­.! ¡°So all of you¡­¡± Chang-Sun stood up from his seat. ¡°... are Gildals, huh?¡± Rumble¨D! Chang-Sun unleashed a burst of energy, dyeing the world purple. * * * At the same time, the Team L members quickly sprang into action. Shin Geum-Gyu cast magic spells to prevent the explosion from affecting the urban area, and Shin Eun-Seo brought the bus driver out of the bus. At the same time, Hye-Bin faced Yeong-Geun. They saw Jeong-Gwon flying up to the sky, Chang-Sun going after Jeong-Gwon, and Yi-Byeol and the Raid Team Two members trying to stop Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun¡¯s purple lightning energy spread all over the ce. Lightning bolts then struck straight down to the ground, destroying the road. Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! Amidst the clouds of dust, a several-meter-tall purple Giant stood up. The lightning energy around it turned darker, eventually bing ck. At the same time, the Giant slowly raised its head and roared as if it hade alive. Roooaarr! Like a lion warning a group of tigers, the roar overwhelmed the battlefield and created a sonic boom so strong that it shook the sky. The asphalt roads wobbled and shattered. [The yer ¡®Lee Chang-Sun¡¯ is dominating the battlefield!] Chapter 268: Star, the U.S. (3)

Chapter 268: Star, the U.S. (3)

Honk, hooooonk! Beeeeep¨D! The situation on the roads was messy due to the jammed traffic. ¡°What is this?!¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t everyone going¡ª!¡± The drivers got off their cars and yelled at eacg other at the top of their lungs. However, some screamed upon noticing something odd. They were pointing in a certain direction at the sky. ¡°Th-th-that¡¯s¡ª!¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you? What are you look¡ª! Huuuup!¡± ¡°A Giant¡­?¡± ¡°Run! Now!¡± someone shouted. At the same time, a fireball struck the center of the road. Booom! The car owner managed to survive because he ran away despite how pale he was turning, but his car was ruined beyond recognition like a crushed can. Unfortunately, that only marked the beginning of an even bigger catastrophe. Dozens of fireballs fell from the sky like fiery hail. ¡°It¡¯s a yer! A yer!¡± ¡°Is this a yer¡¯s terror attack?! I didn¡¯t read any news about a Dungeon Break!¡± ¡°Shit! What are the FBI and the Council doing!¡± ¡°Arggghhh!¡± Screaming, the people on the road began to run away from the incident site. Those inside the nearby buildings also started running to an evacuation shelter, which had been prepared as a contingency for situations like this. re! Mayhem erupted in the center of Chicago. * * * ¡®¡­ He¡¯s strong!¡¯ Moon Yi-Byeol gritted her teeth. Seo Jeong-Gwon used to create all sorts of troubles and problems, but Yi-Byeol never lost herposure or her expressionlessness because of him. However, Chang-Sun was so strong that she was having a hard time keeping herself together. Although she was aware that he was now considered the strongest yer in the world, she thought that his reputation had to have some holes in it. Unfortunately, she was proven wrong. ¡®No, my actual mistake was thinking that the Raid Team Two members and I were strong enough to take him on.¡¯ Gildals were surely strong. Once they released their hidden ghost energies, they became unthinkably powerful humans. Their senses, stamina, instincts¡­ Their every part became perfect, turning them into supernatural monsters. That was why Yi-Byeol was confident that she and the other raid team members could subdue an Overlord. However, bing a supernatural monster wasn¡¯t enough to defeat Chang-Sun, who was already a deity. Rumbleee¨D! [The fifth chapter ¡®Abrupt? Procell?¡¯ has been applied, creating an Atra Fulmen storm!] ck lightning bolts struck the ground, creating thick dust clouds that made it impossible for Yi-Byeol and the raid team to see up ahead. Winds shed against one another and produced ghastly wails, dulling the Gildals¡¯ sharp senses. This prevented them from attacking Chang-Sun together, which was their specialty. Wooosh, wooosh, woosh¡­! Kiyaaaah¨D! [The fiend is going on a rampage!] Helpless against the ck Giant, who was running around unhindered by the lightning storm, they were killed one after another. Creeeak. Having drank a lot of blood, the ck Giant went through another change. The bust of a being that seemed to be thebination of a fiend and an evil monster appeared atop the sandstorm. Meanwhile, the being itself could now be seen much more vividly than before and had a much clearer presence. With each swing of its arms, the Giant unleashed ming lightning bolts that eliminated the Raid Team Two members. ¡®I have to find him somehow!¡¯ Yi-Byeol bit her lower lip, barely managing to deflect the ming lightning bolting toward her head. Her arm hurt so much that she felt as if it would be torn away soon, and her sword was overheating, emitting white smoke. Nevertheless, she continued to look around her. She had to stop Chang-Sun from getting out of this ce no matter what. Yi-Byeol and all the other Raid Team Two members unanimously believed that they had to extricate Jeong-Gwon from this ce. Although Jeong-Gwon looked like a simple-minded wild man, he was the only one who could fulfill their long desire that had nothing to do with the White Tiger n. They had been dreaming of it ever since they had be a team¡­ Whirl¨D! Yi-Byeol¡¯s train of thought was stopped by arge axe flying across the air from the sandstorm. By the time she noticed it, it had embedded deep into her head. Smmmack! [The ¡®Jin Can Axe¡¯ has sessfully eliminated the yer ¡®Moon Yi-Byeol¡¯!] Fragments of her skull dropped to the ground. * * * [The sixth chapter of ¡®Prti¡¯s Spellbook¡¯ has opened!] [A part of the sixth chapter, ¡®Fulgurator,¡¯ has been applied!] Just as Jeong-Gwon started thinking that he had escaped the lightning storm, Chang-Sun appeared in front of him. ¡°Toote,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°Hup¡­!¡± Jeong-Gwon¡¯s eyes widened. He didn¡¯t expect Chang-Sun could track him down and block his path so quickly. Nevertheless, Jeong-Gwon crossed his arms in preparation for the imminent attack. His mana was quickly replenished, energizing him. Kyaaah¨D! [The ¡®Hohwan Mama¡¯ is screaming!] Boooom! Chang-Sun thrust the Nameless Spear and unleashed a destructive explosion through thebination of his Atra Fulmen energy and the ice energy of the spear¡¯s [Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Crystal]. To top it all off, he even used a part of Fulgurator. ¡°¡­ Woah,¡± Chang-Sun quietly eximed, looking at Jeong-Gwon, who was getting catapulted to the ground due to the shock. His attack would have already killed most apostles, but Jeong-Gwon was still alive. Chang-Sun did weaken the attack a little right before heunched it because he had no intention to kill Jeong-Gwon right now, but he still left enough power in it to permanently incapacitate him. Nevertheless, Jeong-Gwon remained rtively unscathed, breaking Chang-Sun¡¯s expectations. On the other hand, Jeong-Gwon was going through so much hell right now that if he knew what Chang-Sun was thinking, he would have been furious. They exchanged attacks only once, yet that nearly crushed half of Jeong-Gwon¡¯s upper body. Moreover, Chang-Sun¡¯s lightning energy was creeping inside him, ripping his magic organ to shreds. Jeong-Gwon and Yeong-Gwon were the proud rankers of Korea, yet Jeong-Gwon had been incapacitated in a sh. Smilodon? His title meant nothing now that he was about to be inflicted with the Demonization Syndrome, which he had only ever heard about. Booooom! Jeong-Gwon powerlessly fell to the center of the asphalt road, creating a crater and a cloud of dust upon impact. His spine waspletely shattered, preventing him from moving. All he could do was cough up blood as if he was firing arrows. ¡®When in the world did I get into this state¡­?!¡¯?Jeong-Gwon thought. Judging from how he had trouble breathing, his other intestines had likely been ruined as well. He instinctively tried to survive, but when he took a deep breath, he felt the sharp spearhead of Chang-Sun¡¯s Nameless Spear in his right chest. ¡°Urgggh!¡± Jeong-Gwon groaned. ¡°Pretty rude of you to run away. I¡¯m not done talking,¡± Chang-Sun said. Jeong-Gwon¡¯s lips trembled as he saw Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes emitting navy-blue light. Chang-Sun¡¯s gray hair looked so ominous that it appeared to have abundant ghost energy. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Be my subordinate, Seo Jeong-Gwon,¡± Chang-Sun offered. He didn¡¯t bother to hide how much he wanted Jeong-Gwon on his side. His n was to take over the White Tiger n, and he had a strong feeling that Jeong-Gwon would make a fine n leader for the new White Tiger n. Although Chang-Sun had extended the same proposal earlier, he actually could not care less whether or not Jeong-Gwon agreed, so he had been willing to eliminate Jeong-Gwon if he resisted. However, Chang-Sun thought differently now. Jeong-Gwon managed to withstand his attack, which had a part of Fulgurator applied to it. With that as evidence of Jeong-Gwon¡¯s great skills and abilities, Chang-Sun naturally wanted him to be a part of the new of ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ Jeong-Gwon responded by spitting on Chang-Sun¡¯s face, but Chang-Sun didn¡¯t dodge. He simply wiped it off his face, which remained expressionless. ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you that tigers never move in a group¡ªArrrgghhh!¡± Jeong-Gwon tried to sneer but ended up screaming again when Chang-Sun pushed the spearhead deeper into him. ¡°I admire your guts, but I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s making you so confident,¡± Chang-Sun said. The more Chang-Sun rotated his Nameless Spear, the more Jeong-Gwon writhed due to the unbearable pain. While trembling as if he was having a seizure, Jeong-Gwon¡¯s limbs drooped like a machine that had been powered off. However, though very faint, he was still breathing despite losing consciousness. ¡ºHyung-nim, we should get out of here!¡» Not long after, he received an urgent message from Shin Geum-Gyu. ¡®Oh, yeah. It¡¯s considered a terror attack for yers to have a match downtown,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The U.S. was very strict about terrorism, and it seemed that the police officers and FBI agents were already swarming toward them. He had to leave this ce before things became moreplicated. Chang-Sun raised his head as he picked up and put Jeong-Gwon over his left shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s heavy,¡± Chang-Sun quietly assessed. Paaah! At the same time, he left the area. * * * ¡°¡­ Hup!¡± Jeong-Gwon gasped when he opened his eyes again, but the tremendous pain rushing in like a tsunami abruptly made him groan and grit his teeth. After a while, he heard a familiar voice from above him. ¡°Finally.¡± ¡°You¡ª!¡± Jeong-Gwon swiftly raised his head and saw Chang-Sun looking down at him. The navy-blue fires in Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes were gone, but they were still emotionless. Wanting to somehow fight back, Jeong-Gwon tried to stand up, but he couldn¡¯t even lift a finger. He could always fight like a beast due to how much mana he had, but he couldn¡¯t circte his mana right now either. No, to be precise, he could feel nothing below his neck. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to move because I cut everything off,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°¡­¡± They were currently in pitch-ck darkness, but judging from the musty smell, they seemed to be in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. ¡°This is yourst chance. Be my subordinate,¡± Chang-Sun continued. ¡°Hahahaha! You gotta be bullshitting me! Do you seriously think I¡¯ll join the bastard who killed all my children? Does Seo Jeong-Gwon the Smilodon mean nothing to you?¡± Jeong-Gwon burst intoughter. He had trouble breathing, so hisughter was quiet, but his eyes still zed up with anger. Moon Yi-Byeol and the other Raid Team Two members weren¡¯t just Jeong-Gwon¡¯s subordinates. They were his teeth, ws, and heart. Instinctively knowing that they had all been killed, the grudge he had right now could not be appeased so easily. Chang-Sun smirked as he looked at Jeong-Gwon. ¡°I hope you can keep that spirit up.¡± * * * ¡°¡­ Are there any civilian casualties?¡± Yeong-Geun asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it,¡± Shin Eun-Seo responded. ¡°Thank god¡­¡± Yeong-Geun let out a deep sigh. It had only been half a day, but Yeong-Geun seemed to have aged ten years. That was only natural, though, since Chicago was one of the most famous metropolises in the U.S., so he never expected a battle to break out in it. Moreover, Chang-Sun just extended a recruitment offer to a demonic being¡­ Yeong-Geun had been living as an ordinary yer, so this series of incidents didn¡¯t sit well with him. [The Celestial ¡®Nameless Giant¡¯ advises her apostle candidate not to rashly force your sense of justice on other people! ] Upon reading Ueopwang¡¯s message, Yeong-Geun sighed quietly. Although he knew what Ueopwang meant, he wasn¡¯t really sure if he should just let this matter go. [The Celestial ¡®Nameless Giant¡¯ sighs and says that you are as inflexible as a log of wood.] As Yeong-Geun read Ueopwang¡¯sst message¡­ Creak! ¡­ the door to the abandoned factory where Chang-Sun and Jeong-Gwon were opened up wide. Yeong-Geun smelled the unoiled door¡¯s metallic scent. However, it was tinged with the smell of blood. Yeong-Geun raised his guard once more and unknowingly held his breath. The media had always considered Jeong-Gwon as Yeong-Geun¡¯s rival, yet Chang-Sun had just subdued Jeong-Gwon with ease. Hence, he could not help but find Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes terrifying. The fact that Chang-Sun could look at others and point his sword at them the same way made him nervous However, what made Yeong-Geun truly frightened was¡­ ¡°Have you found them?¡± Eun-Seo asked. ¡­ the fact that Eun-Seo, Geum-Gyu, and Hye-Bin looked at Chang-Sun with absolute trust, which could never be found in ordinary organizations or groups. Although Yeong-Geun was afraid of how this was possible, he could not help but envy their trust at the same time. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun quietly nodded as he looked at his team members. ¡°Downtown Chicago.¡± Chapter 269: Star, the U.S. (4)

Chapter 269: Star, the U.S. (4)

¡°So you¡¯re going to make Lee Chang-Sun and Executive Director Oh fight?¡± Director Gwon Hyo-Hae tilted his head while covered in blood Also known as the ¡®White Cowl Tiger''s Fang,¡¯ Gwon Hyo-Hae was officially the third-highest-ranking White Tiger n member. Department Head Shim Geon-Ho, who made the report, hurriedly lowered his head, worrying he would meet Director Gwon¡¯s eyes. His hands trembled as he thought, ¡®I did hear that he recently became crueler, but he¡¯s no different from a butcherer at this point!¡¯ Geon-Ho was currently standing in a pool of blood that Director Gwon created. Although he wasn¡¯t sure exactly how many had been killed, the vast in waspletely drenched in blood and covered with the corpses of the Gray Elves, the gueri soldiers who had been bothering the White Tiger n in the U.S. Director Gwon¡¯s current mission was to exterminate the Gray Elves who could be a potential problem before the White Tiger n members started clearing ¡®Doomsday City,¡¯ which was supposed tomence soon. Right now, he was holding a half-dead Gray Elf that was panting hard. From what they heard, these Gray Elves were the priests of a Celestial who was now dead and gone. Maybe because of their history, they were quite good fighters. ¡°My¡­ siblings¡­ will have my¡­revenge¡­!¡± the Gray Elf muttered. sh! Not caring much about the Gray Elf¡¯s warning, Director Gwon slit the Gray Elf¡¯s neck with the sword that he had been pressing against it. The Gray Elf drooped powerlessly as their blood sttered. Drip.? Drip. The blood dripping down from his sword made for a truly horrifying sight. ¡°Hunting them is fun, but executing them isn¡¯t really satisfying. Their skin is too thick,¡± Director Gwon coldly and emotionlessly said. Geon-Ho shuddered. Although he was also a demonic being, Director Gwon was iparably crueler than him. Now that he had turned his back on Executive Director Oh to join Director Gwon¡¯s side, he couldn¡¯t afford to make any mistakes. Otherwise, he could end up like that Gray Elf. ¡°I instructed Raid Team Two to wee Lee Chang-Sun and his team,¡± Geon-Ho added. ¡°Team Leader Seo Jeong Gwon and Executive Director Oh are cousins, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°They are.¡± ¡°To save his locked-up cousin, Team Leader Seo will have to follow your instructions. Considering Lee Chang-Sun¡¯s personality, I¡¯m certain they¡¯ll fight each other.¡± Director Gwon examined his sword as he wiped away the Gray Elf¡¯s flesh and blood smeared on it with his handkerchief. The sword was still sharp. ¡°Seo Jeong-Gwon¡­ will die, and Executive Director Oh will lose his mind over his cousin¡¯s death. That will make it easy to eliminate Executive Director Oh, and we¡¯ll also get a preview of Lee Chang-Sun¡¯s full power. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Director Gwon grunted quietly. He seemed neither happy nor unhappy, which made Geon-Ho so nervous and worried about making the wrong analysis that he felt his mouth drying up. ¡°Hey, Department Head Shin,¡± Director Gwon called. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°It was you who wanted me to have the Future Strategy Department, and because of the history we share, I took you under my wings. Am I right?¡± Director Gwon asked. Geon-Ho held himself back from cursing out loud. Up until now, Director Gwon had been the one who wanted the Future Strategy Department, but he was furtively trying to distort the facts. However, Geon-Ho couldn¡¯t say anything about it because he was currently at a disadvantage. ¡°I¡¯m always grateful for your merc¡ª!¡± Geon-Ho lowered his head. ¡°Skip the useless pleasantries. I didn¡¯t think the Future Strategy Department members were this sloppy.¡± Geon-Ho started to think quickly because there was clearly something else that Director Gwon wanted. What could it be? What did he miss¡ª! ¡®Ah!¡¯ Geon-Ho lowered his head even more. ¡°I¡¯ll set a trap where Lee Chang-Sun and Executive Director Oh would have their battle.¡± Instead of answering, Director Gwon continued to wipe his sword. Geon-Ho realized that he said the correct answer. ¡°The Executive Director¡¯s building is the best one in downtown Chicago. If it copses, even Lee Chang-Sun will be in danger. Moreover, even if he survives, he won¡¯t be able to escape being charged with terrorism,¡± Geon-Ho slightly raised his head. Tap! Director Gwon threw the handkerchief he had been using on the ground, his shining de reflecting his smile. ¡°Now that is the Department Head Shim I know.¡± Geon-Ho bowed deeper, appearing to be grateful. * * * Jeong-Gwon was nning to hold out until the very end, but he ended up confessing several pieces of information during the interrogation. Jeong-Gwon¡¯s resolve was not weak, however. It was just that Chang-Sun had fought wars for hundreds of years. He was so used to conducting interrogations that his techniques had be splendid. On top of that, Chang-Sun even gave Jeong-Gwon a tempting offer. ¡°Executive Director Oh is currently in confinement, isn¡¯t he?¡±? ¡°¡­ How did you know that?¡± Jeong-Gwon asked nkly.? ¡°It¡¯s obvious.¡± Followers of an tended to take after their Guardians. It was unclear if like-minded people just naturally gathered in the same or if their Guardian simply caused a change in their personality. Either way, Chang-Sun only had to take Heoju¡¯s personality into consideration to guess how Munseong would respond. ? ¡°You had no choice but to lead your team to meet me to save Executive Director Oh,¡± Chang-Sun assumed. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll save him.¡± . ¡°¡­ What?¡± Jeong-Gwon asked.? ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good enough deal?¡± ¡°How am I supposed to trust you?¡± ¡°Seo Jeong-Gwon,¡± Chang-Sun said.? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What do I look like in your eyes?¡± Chang-Sun looked straight into his eyes.? Jeong-Gwon was rendered speechless. Up until now, he was full of spite, but the fact that he could save Executive Director Oh, whom he treated as his brother, made the fog in his head clear up little by little. As a result, Jeong-Gwon managed to rationally assess the situation.? Chang-Sun¡­ wasn¡¯t the daredevil rookie whom Jeong-Gwon knew anymore. He was now mature and plete¡¯¡ªno, he had already surpassed that league and reached superhuman levels. From what Jeong-Gwon knew, there was only one person in the world who was like Chang-Sun right now. Munseong! ¡°I keep my word. If I promise to help you, I¡¯ll stop at nothing to aplish that, so trust me,¡± Chang-Sun told Jeong-Gwon.? For someone nning to be a Celestial, words weren¡¯t just tools to deliver one¡¯s will. They were also a way to materialize and engrave their will in the world and the universe. Whenever they lied or failed to keep their promise, the rebound they suffered greatly affected their ss. That was why Chang-Sun didn¡¯t lie. Jeong-Gwon didn¡¯t know about that, but he could at least feel himself drawn by Chang-Sun¡¯s remark.? ¡°Where is Executive Director Oh?¡± Chang-Sun asked.? ¡°¡­ Executive Director¡ªShi-Hwan hyung is locked up in a building in downtown Chicago.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll free him.¡± Chang-Sun nodded.? Jeong-Gwon didn¡¯t bother to ask Chang-Sun if that was even possible. When he looked at Chang-Sun¡¯s sharply gleaming eyes, he felt as if Chang-Sun had already gotten Executive Director Oh out of the building.? ? ¡°I¡¯ll start asking my questions now,¡± Chang-Sun said.? ? Chang-Sun received three pieces of information from Jeong-Gwon. The first one was the reason the entire White Tiger n came to the U.S. after the Future Strategy Department.? ? ¡°From what I know, only Executive Director Oh and the Future Strategy Department members were supposed toe to the U.S. Why did the entire White Tiger n fly over here instead?¡± Chang-Sun asked.? ¡°... It¡¯s because of an excavation.¡± ¡°Excavation?¡± ¡°¡­You really don¡¯t know why we had toe to the U.S.?¡± Jeong-Gwon chuckled quietly.? ¡°I have only heard about the White Tiger n entering the hegemonypetition, so stay on the topic.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know what it is aside from the fact that it¡¯s a source of power. From what I heard, it¡¯s a scroll that the higher-ups call a cryptical book,¡± Jeong-Gwon exined. ? Chang-Sun immediately realized that Jeong-Gwon was talking about the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan].? ¡®[Sixth Cryptical Book of Hsan] is in the U.S.!¡¯ he thought. ? ¡°We found it earlier than we expected, so we joined hands with the Gold Overlord and the Jaynix Company. However, the Blood Overlord showed up on the site when he noticed the excavation, causing a battle to erupt,¡± Jeong-Gwon exined. The Blood Overlord, who symbolized the South American continent, died in a battle against Munseong. His death caused his Merdane Cartel to disband, allowing the White Tiger n to take over. The White Tiger n and the Jaynix Company seemed to have joined forces and formed a giantmunity with North America, South America, Australia, and Korea¡ªthe ¡®first pir¡¯¡ªaround the Pacific Ocean. However, that was actually just an additional achievement that they made during their search for the [Sixth Cryptical Book of Hsan]. ¡®Choi Bu-Yong and Hyeong-Gil did mention that the Jaynix Company purchased a lot of [Cold Iron]. Is this the reason behind that?¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes turned sharp.? That wasn¡¯t even the most shocking news he would receive. ? ¡°Where are they?¡±? ¡°¡®Doomsday City,¡¯¡± Jeong-Gwon replied. ¡°¡­!¡±? ? ¡®Doomsday City¡¯ was the Dungeon that the U.S. government and ns had been failing to clear for a long time now. Although Chang-Sun nned to clear the Dungeon, he postponed it to hunt Heoju. Much to his surprise, it was mentioned during the interrogation. At that moment, Chang-Sun came to a realization. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s rted to what Peter saw!¡¯ ? ¡°Where is Munseong? Is he at ¡®Doomsday City¡¯ too?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re with the Jaynix Company employees.¡± ? The second piece of information that Chang-Sun got determined the location of Munseong and Heoju¡¯s graves. He swiftly moved on to the third. ? ¡°One more question. Are there gueri soldiers who are unusually belligerent against the White Tiger n members? They look like Elves, but they¡¯re from a different species. ¡± ¡°That would be correct.¡± Jeong-Gwon nodded. ¡°In fact, arge-scale punitive expedition is underway right now to eliminate them before the excavation in ¡®Doomsday City¡¯ fully begins.¡±? ¡°Who is in charge of the expedition?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head. ¡°Director Gwon Hyo-Hae.¡± ? The location of the [Sixth Cryptical Book of Hsan], Munseong¡¯s whereabouts, and news about Kali¡¯s priests¡­ Chang-Sun had more than enough information now. Considering everything wasplicatedly connected to the White Tiger n, Chang-Sun had to fight them to put an end to all this. ¡®The best method to undo aplex knot is to cut it in one strike,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. Chang-Sun had no reason to make this matter even moreplicated. Once he took over the White Tiger n, he would eventually solve the rest. ? ¡°I know that I¡¯m going to die¡ªno, I know I¡¯m going to be killed,¡± Jeong-Gwon assumed.? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But please keep your promise. Rescue Shi-Hwan hyung¡ª!¡±? ¡°Who¡¯s going to kill you?¡± Chang-Sun asked.? ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten that my offer still stands?¡± ¡°¡­! ¡° * * * Chang-Sun walked out of the abandoned factory with a serious expression. Despite the intense battle he went through in the middle of the city, he wasn¡¯t even out of breath. ¡°Geum-Gyu,¡± he called. ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± ¡°Protect this ce with Hye-Bin and Mr. Woo Yeong-Geun. Stay hidden until I give you new instructions.¡± Chang-Sun looked around the surroundings and saw an opaque dome, which covered the abandoned factory and the nearby area. [A Barrier Rune is at work!] Chang-Sun had made a giant rune barrier around the ce by using abination of Concealment and Cirction Runes. The Concealment Runes made the people inside the barrier inconspicuous to the enemies, and the Cirction Runes assisted the people with their recovery. Chang-Sun had basically just created a safe house in the center of Chicago. ¡°Mister, I¡¯ll also¡ª!¡± Woo Hye-Bin stepped forward, holding up her relics. Chang-Sun firmly shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many people I¡¯ll be bringing to this ce, and I don¡¯t know how many White Tiger n and Jaynix Company members I¡¯ll be facing. To protect the people I¡¯ll be bringing over, someone has to stand guard here.¡± Hye-Bin looked as if she wanted to argue against his decision, but she instead nodded and took a step back after realizing how firm his reply was. Feeling sorry for his niece, Yeong-Geun looked at her for a moment. ¡°Mr. Chang-Sun, the Ohsung Group has a branch within the U.S. Would it be okay if I mobilize the employees of that branch?¡± Chang-Sun knew that Yeong-Geun was just using their U.S. branch as an excuse to bring reinforcements in case Chang-Sun allied with demonic beings. He didn¡¯t mind, though, so he just nodded. Chang-Sun and the others were severely outnumbered anyway. That normally would not be an issue in hunting, but they were defending right now. They would be helpless if they were found. Hence, they could use all the allies they could get. Moreover, this would allow Chang-Sun to establish good terms with Ueopwang. Yeong-Geun heaved a sigh of relief. ¡®Director Gwon isn¡¯t far away from here. Considering many of Kali¡¯s priests have gathered there, I should save them before heading to ¡®Doomsday City.¡¯¡¯ Chang-Sun looked at Shin Eun-Seo, who tensed up because she hadn¡¯t received any instructions yet. ¡°Eun-Seo, you¡­¡± Chang-Sun made a request that made Eun-Seo¡¯s eyes widen in surprise. * * * [The Skill ¡®Windstalking Tiger¡¯ has been activated, manifesting the Skill ¡®Lightness¡¯!] Paah¨D! Chang-Sun quickly moved between the skyscrapers as the sun set on the horizon. ¡°Jin. Sinmara,¡± Chang-Sun called, and thick gray fog spread out from him. Pzzzz! Kiyaaaah¨D! Ghastly wails echoed as ghosts with contorted faces appeared and transformed into humans one by one. The Undead Army had made their entrance. With the Changgwi Cave conquered, the army was nowplete, resulting in a total of one hundred soldiers riding Ghost Devil Horses. Their eyes were inauspiciously and creepily gleaming. Acting as Chang-Sun¡¯s vanguards, Jin Prezia and Sinmara stood on his left and right sides respectively. ¡°We¡¯ll make this ce ours tonight,¡± Chang-Sun dered. ¡¸As you wish.¡¹ ¡¸As youmand, my king.¡¹ Kieeeeee! The shrieking ghost wails filled Chicago¡¯s evening sky. Chapter 270: Star, the U.S. (5)

Chapter 270: Star, the U.S. (5)

A distance from the building where Executive Director Oh was currently locked up in downtown Chicago¡­ Department Head Shim Geon-Ho looked at the subordinate beside him. ¡°What¡¯s the status?¡± ¡°He has just entered the building.¡± The subordinate slowly put down his hands, which he was holding around his eyes like a telescope. He had just used [Scanning Eyes], a skill that helped him see faraway ces by adjusting the magnification ratio of his eyes. It gave him a clear view of the building where Executive Director Oh was. ¡°I knew he would act quickly!¡± Geon-Ho smirked. That was why he sent Seo Jeong-Gwon and Raid Team 2 to wee Chang-Sun¡¯s group. Jeong-Gwon and Chang-Sun both had insanely bad tempers, so they naturally ended up fighting. That was also why Geon-Ho believed that Chang-Sun would eliminate Executive Director Oh as quickly as possible. ¡°Have you finished making preparations?¡± Geon-Ho asked. The yers standing by nodded. Following Geon-Ho, they switched sides from Executive Director Oh to Director Gwon. They also happened to harbor big and small grudges against Chang-Sun. ¡°Pressing this button will simultaneously detonate the explosives installed in the building.¡± The subordinate handed Geon-Ho the detonator. ¡°Is there any chance he¡¯ll survive?¡± ¡°No. Three hundred Gildals and Ghost Soldiers are on standby inside the building. Some parts of the building have turned into Dungeons as well, so it¡¯s crawling with all kinds of monsters that would attack him on sight,¡± the subordinate exined. The entire building had been turned into a trap to capture Chang-Sun. However, Geon-Ho and the others still didn¡¯t let their guard down since Chang-Sun had proven himself by defeating Jeong-Gwon and Raid Team 2 on his own. That was also why they decided to exhaust Chang-Sun¡¯s stamina using the Ghost Soldiers and monsters first before demolishing the building and burying him in its ruins. ¡°What if he still survives?¡± Geon-Ho asked. ¡°All the Future Strategy Department Special Force members are ready to be dispatched to the building.¡± The Future Strategy Department¡¯s special force was considered as skilled as the Raid Teams, but their natures differed from ordinary yers. After all, they specialized in assassinations, not hunting monsters. It would be impossible for Chang-Sun, who would have sustained critical injuries by then, to survive in a fight against the special force members. However, Geon-Ho still sounded discontented. ¡°What if he still survives?¡± ¡°In that case¡­ The federal government of the U.S. will somehow hunt him down.¡± Although Geon-Ho was already aware of that, he smiled with satisfaction only when his subordinate said it out loud. ¡°Good.¡± He nodded. The sole purpose of the traps on the third and fourth floors was to kill Chang-Sun. Moreover, even if he survived, he would have nowhere to go on this Earth since he would be branded as an enemy of the U.S. Even though Chang-Sun had reached superhuman levels, he wouldn¡¯t be able to take on a country, especially not the United States¡ªthe strongest country on Earth. ¡®Lee Chang-Sun, you said that you¡¯ll kill me the next time you meet me.¡¯ Geon-Ho sneered coldly. ¡°It¡¯s a bummer. You never had the chance,¡± Geon-Ho muttered to himself, turning in the opposite direction. All the Future Strategy members were watching him with sparkling eyes. ¡°Everyone, get into position and prepare¡ª!¡± ¡°Huh? Huuuuh?¡± The subordinate using [Scanning Eyes] suddenly screamed, making Geon-Ho turn his head in annoyance. Geon-Ho was initially confused, but his jaw dropped to the floor soon after. Outside the window, a pale man holding a greatsword as big as himself was flying toward Geon-Ho and the others. His lips were purple, and his eyes, which were staring at them, were filled with murderous intent. ¡®This is the 52nd floor¡­¡¯ Geon-Ho thought, unable to make a rational decision. Meanwhile, the window was covered in frost and soon burst into shards. Craaack¨D! Smash! A strong gust of wind blew. At the same time, the shattered ss shards flew into the room, turned the subordinate with [Scanning Eyes] and the several others beside the window into pulps, and disappeared. Tap! ¡¸You all dare bite off my master¡¯s neck? You don¡¯t know your ce. ¡¹ Jin Prezia, the man holding the greatsword,ughed, baring his fangs. His smile looked very cruel. At the same time, a cold wind apanied by a gray fog and ice fragments raged in the room. Woosh, woosh, woosh! [The Subordinate ¡®Jin Prezia¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Snowstorm¡¯!] A Frost Undead¡ªan Undead with ice energy¡ªwas unbelievably powerful. The yers in the front were catapulted away, unable to withstand Jin¡¯s storm, while the yers in the back stiffened due to the air that instantly turned freezing cold. The Future Strategy Department agents in the room were Ghost Soldiers, which meant they also used death energy, so they instinctively realized how great Jin¡¯s death energy was. The man before them was at a higher level than them! If they were jackals or wolves, Jin was a lion, the ruler of the ins. As if to prove his superiority, Jin pulled out the [Lion Demon Face] and put it on. Click! When Jin looked at them all, they saw his eyes ze up through his mask¡¯s eyeholes. They weren¡¯t sure if it was because of Jin or the sudden drop in temperature, but the agents were all noticeably trembling. Geon-Ho btedly pulled himself together and realized that Jin was Chang-Sun¡¯s summon, someone whom he had only heard about. Frantically, he yelled, ¡°H-he¡¯s just a s-summon! Stop him!¡± However, his voice shook. Meanwhile, Jin grinned behind his lion mask as he muttered, ¡°Toote.¡± Kiyyaaaaah! Over a dozen shadows showed up amid the raging snowstorm, stomping on the ground. ¡°Kill them all,¡± Jinmanded. The Undead Army made their horses speed up. ¡°Arrghh!¡± ¡°Urgh! Keough¡ª!¡± ¡°Impossible¡ª!¡± The Future Strategy Department members were massacred within seconds. Crack! Crack! His long hair fluttering, Jin moved forward, covering the floor with ice with each step. * * * [You have entered the Instance Dungeon ¡®Abandoned Building in Chicago¡¯!] ¡­ Roaaaaar! [Your Subordinate ¡®Sinmara¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Giant¡¯s Roar¡¯!] [Your allies¡¯ morale has increased.] [Your enemies¡¯ will to fight has decreased.] ¡­ While Jin and the Ghost Devil Horse Corps were attacking the Future Strategy Department agents, Sinmara and the Undead Warrior Corps were ripping apart the Ghost Soldiers and monsters. Chang-Sun¡¯s Undead Army mainly consisted of two corps. One was a cavalry unit that Jin usually led. Mounted on their Ghost Devil Horses, they used their mobility to overwhelm the enemies. The other corps was a group of warriors led by Sinmara. Although they also rode Ghost Devil Horses from time to time, they became totally different people on foot. In every battle, the Undead Warrior Corps always served as vanguards that crushed the enemies. If the Undead Army had to retreat, they held their position until the end to protect theirrades. Since it was made based on the proud Giant corps of , each of its members was exceptionally skilled. If group battles were the cavalry corps¡¯ specialty, the warrior corps¡¯ were the stars in melees. In addition, while the cavalry corps wore lion cub masks that resembled Jin¡¯s, the warrior corps wore blue lizard masks that looked like Sinmara¡¯s. Boom, boom, boom! Rumble¨D! Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! Sinmara and her warriors ughtered the Ghost Soldiers and monsters before they could even get a chance to retaliate. [The first floor has been conquered!] [The second floor has been conquered!] ¡­ [The twenty-first floor¡­] ¡­ [You have entered the thirty-sixth floor!] Parts of the building had turned into Dungeons, so monsters upied each floor. Every time their habitat was destroyed, messages about Chang-Sun leveling up popped up before him. The Chicago skyline was known to be the highest in the United States, and as if to evidence that, the building they were in was also very tall. However, it wasn¡¯t really difficult for him to go to a higher floor. Chang-Sun just kept climbing the stairs without even equipping a weapon. Even though he hadn¡¯t made a move yet, monster corpses and building fragments were already everywhere he went. When he reached the highest floor, Chang-Sun found Executive Director Oh. ¡°¡­ You¡¯ve be monstrously strong.¡± Executive Director Oh chuckled in disbelief, looking at Chang-Sun. Executive Director Oh had always been confident and unreadable as if he was wearing a mask, but he couldn¡¯t hide his feelings right now. While trying to kill Chang-Sun, he ended up with a noose around his neck and put Jeong-Gwon, his cousin, in danger. That was how overwhelmingly strong Chang-Sun was. Executive Director Oh had realized that Geon-Ho and all the other Future Strategy Department members had turned their backs on him. However, he didn¡¯t really resent them. He felt horrible on some level since he had built the Future Strategy Department from scratch, but his pity for them overshadowed it. ¡®They became his enemies. There is no way they¡¯ll survive,¡¯?Executive Director Oh thought. Executive Director Oh concluded that the department agents had run into Chang-Sun¡¯s summons by now. After all, that was what he would have done. And if he could do it, Chang-Sun could do it several times better. ¡°Are you going to kill this old man now?¡± Executive Director Oh asked nonchntly, sitting on his seat. He still wished to live, but since he couldn¡¯t find any way out of this, he wanted to at least have an elegant death. As someone who ruled the criminal underworld for quite some time, he wished to protect his pride onest time. However, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t answer Executive Director Oh¡¯s question¡ªno, he didn¡¯t even look in his direction. It was as if Chang-Sun wouldn¡¯t be the one going up against Executive Director Oh. Pzzzzz! At that moment, a man appeared from behind Chang-Sun and stood in front of Executive Director Oh. Although he had received a report about Chang-Sun¡¯s [Demon Face], he didn¡¯t recognize the mask on the man¡¯s face, which was a tiger mask with impressive ck stripes. ¡°You¡­?¡± Executive Director Oh¡¯s lips trembled. The man¡¯s face was covered, but there was no way Executive Director Oh wouldn¡¯t recognize his bulky physique. Click! Jeong-Gwon, the masked man, slowly removed his mask. He now looked different than the Jeong-Gwon that Executive Director Oh knew. He was paler, and his lips were so blue that he looked as if he died. ¡°I became his follower,¡± Jeong-Gwon said. Two types of people received Chang-Sun¡¯s masks. They were either his subordinates or his priests, and Jeong-Gwon was thetter. After his defeat against Chang-Sun, Jeong-Gwon converted his belief from Heoju to Chang-Sun. In return, Chang-Sun would rescue Executive Director Oh. However, he also had another reason. [An ¡®Ambush of Tigers¡¯ has appeared!] Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! Undeads wearing ck tiger masks walked out from the storm of gray energy. ¡°¡­ Assistant Team Leader Moon? No, the entire Raid Team Two? How did you¡­?¡± Executive Director Oh mumbled in disbelief. Using a Changgwi as a medium, a deceased person¡¯s soul could be transformed into someone new. Moon Yi-Byeol and the Raid Team Two members used to be Gildals, which lived off of ghost energies, so the transformation process was much smoother for them. Just like Jin and Sinmara, Jeong-Gwon couldn¡¯t let go of the life rope named Chang-Sun. After all, he could resurrect his dear team members. ¡°Huh¡­!¡± Executive Director Oh chuckled. Looking at them gave him a rough idea of Chang-Sun¡¯s goal. ¡®... He¡¯s going to use me as a symbol and take over the entire White Tiger n,¡¯?Executive Director Oh thought. Even though Executive Director Oh had been sidelined, he hadn¡¯t officially been removed from his position, so he still had a big influence over the working-level employees in the White Tiger n. Moreover, he was the man who brought the n its current sess. Someone with power could use Executive Director Oh as a front and take control of the White Tiger n. Chang-Sun having Jeong-Gwon and Raid Team Two basically put a cor on Executive Director Oh. Despite the current situation, Executive Director Oh could feel a fire starting inside him. Just as he was about topletely give up on surviving and his ambitions, he was given a new chance. He could do anything with the n in his hands no matter who became its Guardian. ¡®¡­ I lost.¡¯? He could not help but admit that he hadpletely been subjugated by the very person whom he had once tried to control. Out of respect for his new master and Guardian, he bowed. * * * [The yer ¡®Oh Shi-Hwan¡¯ has recognized you as his new Guardian, converting his belief!] [Your Faith has increased.] ¡­ [Your ownership percentage of the Order ¡®White Tiger¡¯ has increased!] [Current ownership percentage: 12%] ¡­ Several messages popped up before Chang-Sun, who was looking at the ceiling because he felt someone watching him. ¡°Kekeke! I see that a very interesting child has shown up.¡± An inauspicious-looking old man with big dark bags under his eyes hung from the ceiling while looking at Chang-Sun. A small skull dangled from the staff in his hand. [The Boss Monster ¡®Elder Lich¡¯ has appeared!] Chapter 271: Star, the U.S. (6)

Chapter 271: Star, the U.S. (6)

Elder Lich, a cursed immortal. Liches were Undeads created from the death of wizards who dreamed of bing immortal, and Liches who had surpassed their limits turned into Elder Liches. Francois Prti was the icon of those Elder Lichs. He used to be a highly renowned priest in the fifteenth century, but his greed for immmortality led him to pursue forbidden magic spells, which in turn turned him into a Lich upon death. Over five hundred years, Francois lived in the shadows, learning numerous ck magic spells. When the age of Dungeons started, he could finallye out to the world again. To him, the White Tiger n wasn¡¯t just a n for Francois. Its members wererades who gave him a second chance in life and saviors who helped him exceed the limit of Nyx as a Lich. The n also served as a home to all sorts of people who had a past simr to his, so he really liked being an elder in the White Tiger n¡¯s Council of Elders. ¡®With this title, I can do anything,¡¯?Francois thought. His title was the shield that protected him from his hunters and the certification that allowed him to do various experiments. ¡®Kekekeke! It¡¯s not different here.¡¯?Francois coldlyughed as he watched Chang-Sun, who was looking back at him. He thought he would finally get to have a fun experiment for the first time in a long time. ¡®Abandoned Building in Chicago,¡¯ the Instance Dungeon installed within this building, was Francois¡¯ masterpiece among all his other masterpieces. In his mind pce, which was about materializing one¡¯s imagination, he used his advanced illusion magic spells and formations, creating a separate space. With the addition of a Dungeon Core from another Dungeon, the Dungeon could move like a living creature. The sole goal of ¡®Abandoned Building in Chicago¡¯ was to kill their main enemy. Hence, countless monsters were summoned in it. Since it was basically a world made specifically to kill Chang-Sun, Francois was impressed with Chang-Sun for reaching this floor. However, he was also certain that Chang-Sun would soon cry his eyes out and beg not to be killed. ¡®That¡¯s what everyone I met has done!¡¯? Even the pompous cleric from a Catholic church ended up begging Francois not to kill him. Considering his past experience, Francois thought that Chang-Sun would not be any diff¡ª! Rumble! [The Skill ¡®Fiery Lightning Bolt¡¯ has been activated!] Before Francois could even finish his train of thought, the ck electromaic force circling around Chang-Sun was fired at him. The giant ray of light was about to strike him like a rising Dragon, so he was forced to quickly escape Chang-Sun¡¯s attack range. ¡°Where are your manners?! An elder is speaking, so you should ans¡ª!¡± Francois shouted at Chang-Sun, but the consecutive [Fiery Lighting Bolt] attacks forced him to stop abruptly. Boom, boom, boom! Rumble¨D! Still hanging upside down, Francois repeatedly activated [Blink] and reappeared all over the ceiling. Although the sight looked somewhat bizarre, Chang-Sun just kept firing [Fiery Lightning Bolts] wherever Francois showed up as if Chang-Sun could not care less about him and had actually been waiting for him to show himself. After a while, Francois realized that he had to do something about the [Fiery Lightning Bolts]. Boom, boom, boom! Francois mmed his staff against the ceiling, creating smoke of dust. The [Fiery Lightning Bolt] hit the invisible barrier he created, the collision resulting in smoke and a burning smell. At that moment, Chang-Sun showed up before Francois. Swooosh¨D! With his Jigwi¡¯s wings spread open, Chang-Sun flew toward him and concentrated his mes on the Nameless Spear in his right hand to activate [Lance Charging]. An explosion soon took ce. ¡°Hmph! Sloppy!¡± Francois shouted. ang! Living up to his title as a prominent elder in the White Tiger n Council of Elders, Francois narrowly parried Chang-Sun¡¯s Nameless Spear upward with his staff. A strong gust of wind was created upon impact, making Chang-Sun¡¯s hair flutter. ¡°You¡­¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes turned cold upon detecting a scent. Woosh! His Inferno Sights flickered to life. ¡°... opened a cryptical book.¡± A shiver went down Francois¡¯ spine the moment he looked into Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes. Even though Francois was an Undead, there was something about Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes that overwhelmed his soul. He had be a demigod after bing a Elder Lich, however, and he had also been blessed by the in [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] with assistance from the White Tiger n. . He was now powerful enough to escape from his fear. ¡°Kekekeke! You¡¯re right on point! I heard you could be in possession of a couple of the cryptical books, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be rea¡ª!¡± Francois said. Executive Director Oh knew about it, so there was no way that the Council of Elders wouldn¡¯t. Francois was currently more driven by his new goal of bing stronger, so he nned to take Chang-Sun¡¯s cryptical books. Although it onlysted for a split second, Chang-Sun demonstrated a level of power that was strong enough to intimidate Francois, so he thought he would be able to surpass his current level and be a Arch-Elder Lich if he could get his hands on the rest of the books. However, Francois couldn¡¯t keep imagining his rosy future. Before he could finish speaking, Chang-Sun¡¯s spear handle detached in the middle, and Chang-Sun struck Francois¡¯ face with the two short spears. sh! Francois quickly leaned backward, allowing him to dodge Chang-Sun¡¯s attack with only a scratch on his cheek. His artificially-made green blood sttered in the air. ¡°You bas¡ª!¡± ¡°If there are guys like you, then that means there are many more people who have Ithaca¡¯s .¡± Chang-Sun didn¡¯t care how furious Francois was. The only thought he had in mind was how to recover Ithaca¡¯s legacy, which the damned Heoju had taken. Woosh, woosh, woosh¨D! Having no intention to let Francois live, Chang-Sun decided to kill Francois as quickly as possible and retrieve Ithaca¡¯s . If his hypothesis was correct, the other members of the White Tiger n¡¯s Council of Elders would have Ithaca¡¯s as well. Elders like Bu Yeong-Jin and Tae Hong-Gak, who followed Chang-Sun to France, were just pawns in the Council of Elders, so there was a high chance that they were not given Ithaca¡¯s . ¡®The elder named Jaegal Hyeon-Ryong or something is totally different, though,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Sun Wukong the Monkey King¡¯s apostle had to be more than worthy enough to receive . ng, ng, ng! Chang-Sun thrust the Nameless Spear in rapid session. When he felt like it wasn¡¯t enough, he used his whip to not give Francois any time to activate his magic spells. ¡°Y-you!¡± Francois stammered. Francois used [Blink] to escape, but Chang-Sun tenaciously kepting after him. At this rate, he knew he would be in real danger soon. sh¨D! ¡°Keugh¡­!¡± Just as he expected, the [Yuchang Sword] shed before his eyes and shed off his left arm. He could restore his arm anytime, but being unable to use hand seals was a critical problem for a wizard. To make things worse, the divine and lightning energy in the [Yuchang Sword] began to permeate into Francois, disrupting his mana cirction and making him dizzy. ¡®I should have listened to the vice leader about not taking him lightly¡ª!¡¯?Francois thought. ¡°I know how much you want to retrieve the , but it would be best not to take him lightly.¡±? Hyeon-Ryong¡¯s remark popped into Francois¡¯ mind, finally understanding what Hyeon-Ryong meant. Right now, however, he had to focus oning up with a countermeasure. He felt as if now was a good time to activate his Authority. [Space Severance] was the unique Authority that he had created from the he had received. It trapped his target for a certain amount of time in a space he created, and no matter how strong the target was, they would never be able to escape from it. In fact, Francois created the ¡®Abandoned Building in Chicago¡¯ based on his Authority. ¡®I have to suffer for at least several days if I use this, but¡ª!¡¯? Even for Francois, who had an abundant amount of mana, the Authority was still very taxing to use due to how strong it was. It was very effective, though, and it wasn¡¯t like he had any other choice. Woosh, woosh, woosh! At that moment, the world around Francois turned upside down. Click, ck¡­! The small skull on his staff opened and closed its mouth several times. sh! The small skull¡¯s eyes emitted dark red lights,pletely blocking Chang-Sun¡¯s view. * * * [You have been trapped in a severed space!] Swoosh¨D! [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] definitely cut through Francois¡¯ waist, but Chang-Sun felt nothing. ¡®¡­ What?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Francois disappeared, leaving Chang-Sunalone in the pitch-ck darkness. At that moment, he noticed something was wrong. A gust of wind soon agglomerated in front of Chang-Sun and Armand showed up. Her small elemental spirit form was frowning. ¡¸It looks like you¡¯re trapped in an artificially-made space.¡¹ Dria appeared beside Armand and scoffed. ¡¸It¡¯s Chanaz.¡¹ ¡°Chanaz?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡¸She¡¯s one of our sisters, and she¡¯s good at controlling space. It seems your opponent received her .¡¹ Chang-Sun nodded. Space was one of Ithaca¡¯s power attributes along with wind, so one of her daughters having an ability rted to space wasn¡¯t odd at all. Now that he thought about it, he heard that Ithaca was a descendant of Quirinale[1], the n of space that most Celestials did not even know about. Besides, techniques that drove an enemy to madness by trapping them in a certain ce were verymon. Some even changed the flow of time within the space. ¡®Let¡¯s try smashing it first,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Pzzzzz! He didn¡¯t know how different this space¡¯s flow of time was from the real world, so escaping this ce as quickly as possible was for the best. Chang-Sun unleashed as much Fulgurator energy as he could. He hadn¡¯t mastered it yet, but it was already powerful. Atra Fulmen lightning bolts spread all over the ce and ripped the darkness to shreds. Boom, boom, boom! Rumble¨D! However, no matter how many explosions Chang-Sun created, the same message just kept popping up. [You have been trapped in a severed space.] [You have been trapped in a severed space.] ¡­ [You have been trapped in a severed space.] ¡­ [You are currently unable to escape.] ¡¸Getting out of here won¡¯t be easy. Among us, she has the greatest control over space,¡¹ Dria said. Chang-Sun looked at Armand, who nodded in agreement and she added, ¡¸She¡¯s our eldest sister.¡¹ Their exnation gave sense to everything happening right now. ¡®Ithaca¡¯s oldest daughter¡­ If I hadn¡¯t been around, that child would have inherited all of Ithaca¡¯s ,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Chang-Sun was Ithaca¡¯s heir. However, as her eldest daughter, Chanaz had to be as strong as Ithaca during her prime. It was only natural that the space made based on her was capable of trapping Chang-Sun and nullifying his attacks. ¡®It¡¯s safe to assume that the elders who possess in the Council of Elders have and can activate this kind of power. How bothersome.¡¯? If those elders were physically stronger than Gildals and had Ithaca¡¯s Authorities, then it would surely take a long time to exterminate them. On the other hand, Chang-Sun could just turn them into his subordinates using Executive Director Oh and Seo Jeong-Gwon. ¡°Is there any way out of here?¡± ¡¸I don¡¯t know.¡¹ Dria shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡¸Us sisters don¡¯t really reveal what kind of unique powers we have, but I did hear that one has to meet a requirement to dismantle the space Chanaz has created.¡¹ ¡°What requirement would that be?¡± ¡¸This kind of ce usually isn¡¯t sustained solely by one¡¯s mana. It is materialized using somews of nature, so I heard that disassembling it is surprisingly as easy as creating it,¡¹ Dria said. ¡¸Maybe the requirement is rted to time. It should be impossible to maintain this space indefinitely, after all,¡¹Armand added. Chang-Sun nodded in agreement. There certainly had to be a limit to maintaining this kind of ce. However, even if he could hold out until the space was dismantled by itself, he didn¡¯t know how different the flow of time here was from the real world. Moreover, Chang-Sun had no way of knowing how long he had to wait. Escaping this ce seemed far-fetched. Most people would mentally break down once they were locked up in a ce like this. However, Chang-Sun had to first meet a requirement to get out of here. ¡®This is hard.¡¯ Thump! Chang-Sun sat on the ground. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ ¡¸What are you doing?¡¹ ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything I can do about this right now. I can only wait until either the time limit is over or my subordinates outsidee to rescue me. Until then, I should at least do something productive.¡± Chang-Sun held up his arm, revealing the small rune sentences engraved on his forearm. [Your soul is synchronizing with the sentences.] ¡­ [16:27:49] [16:27:48] [16:27:47] ¡­ Fortunately, the process was still going smoothly. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m actually lucky to be here,¡± Chang-Sun murmured. No one would interrupt him here, which meant he had all the time in the world right now toplete [False Belief]. ¡®I¡¯ve been postponing my Secret Darkness Techniques studies. I should use this time to study it and master Fulgurator,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. However, as he did¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ asks you to sleep with her if you have the time!] 1. It¡¯s actually a ce. One of the Seven Hills in Rome. ?? Chapter 272: Star, the U.S. (7)

Chapter 272: Star, the U.S. (7)

The children of ¡®Tian Shi Yuan¡¯ created the named when they left the . However, the did not just leave them be. After all, although the Emperor¡¯s Seat had been sealed, he still had quite a number of followers. However, from the perspective of the , the was just a headless lump of meat. That was why Richardus, who proimed himself as the heir of ¡®Tian Shi Yuan,¡¯ conducted arge-scale punitive expedition and defeated the members several times. Many of the members broke away from the and rejoined the as a result, but it also strengthened the remaining members¡¯ bond. ¡°How are the preparations going?¡± Qi Gong asked. As the acting leader of the , his siblings trusted him as much as they trusted the Emperor¡¯s Seat. ¡°We havepleted them ording to yourmand.¡± Lie Si bowed deeply. Lie Si was one of the Emperor¡¯s Seat¡¯s Thirteen Commanders just like Qi Gong, yet he still volunteered to be Qi Gong¡¯s right-hand man. ¡°I told you this several times already, but we can¡¯t tolerate any mistakes in this mission. Our future depends on this mission,¡± Qi Gong said firmly. His order was very simple¡ªEarth invasion. The itself wasn¡¯t actually special. Among the myriad ofs in this universe, Earth was an especially small one, and the civilization and people it housed were no different¡ªpathetic and barbaric. That was why many Celestials didn¡¯t know about Earth. However, most of the in the and knew about it for a very simple reason: it was the center of the worlds and universes. The universes expanded limitlessly, so they technically had no center, but if one had to be picked, it would be Earth due to its special characteristics. and were the foundations of this universe, and was its representative. Earth was their birthce. Many Celestials¡¯ were born and died on that hidden battlefield, and it also happened to be where ¡¯ body was buried during his long sleep. All desired to have the body of , who was also known as R¡¯lyeh, because of the legend about this universe being his dream. If that legend was true, then obtaining his body would make one the ruler of the universe! For that reason, the and Celestials had been looking for a way to branch out to Earth for quite some time now. They even opened up Dungeons and Gates and turned people of abilities into their apostles. Through them, the Celestials then installed devices everywhere on Earth to search for R¡¯lyeh. Qi Gong was aiming for it as well. What if he could snatch away R¡¯lyeh, which the and the desperately wanted? What if he could keep interfering with their operations to prevent anyone from obtaining R¡¯lyeh, even if it meant he wouldn¡¯t be able to get his hands on him either? What if he could make the and Celestials burn the bridge?[1] Due to Chang-Sun¡¯s continuous interference, the and Celestials couldn¡¯t be on worse terms right now. Moreover, the Celestials, who had beenying low all this time, recently began toe into conflict with those two . The and Celestials were rumored to be looking for a chance to take action as well. Depending on the members¡¯ next move, they could put the entire in chaos. They refused to miss this chance. Qi Gong believed that now was the golden opportunity to turn the tide. Thew of causality prevented the members from directly invading Earth, but they could at least circumvent thew. Besides, they currently happened to have a good ally by their side. ¡°I¡¯ll repeat that in my mind again and again and bring a victory to you and the .¡± Lie Si bowed deeper, then turned in the opposite direction. Lie Si walked downstairs, his eyes looking upon quite a number of soldiers standing in a perfect formation. They were the old Ninth Corps, and he had decided to be with them until the end. Among the Ninth Corps soldiers standing in the front was a foreign being that didn¡¯t blend in. It was a Gray Elf with gray skin, pointy ears, and a serious look. Kali had left Chang-Sun and headed to where Durga was with Gyeo-Ul, so she shouldn¡¯t be here. Nevertheless, she stood in formation as if she was meant to be there. * * * For a moment, Chang-Sun really wasn¡¯t sure what Pabilsag was talking about. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ looks at a certain Celestial with contempt.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ turns her head to the side with her face reddened.] [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ snorts in excitement, clenching his fists.] [The Celestial¡¯ Sky and Earth¡¯s Connecting Wing¡¯ covers his face with his hands but amusedly takes a peek through his index and middle fingers.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ looks at her daughter with disdain.] ¡­ J?rmungandr, Minerva, the other Numen, Tiamat¡­ messages from numerous Celestials started to flow in. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ tilts her head in confusion, asking everyone what¡¯s wrong.] ]. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ asks the Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ about how in the world they are supposed to react. He adds that he admires her courage to say such a thing with so many people around.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ is confused about what the Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ is saying.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ tilts his head in confusion.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ tilts her head in confusion.] The conversation between Pabilsag and J?rmungandr swiftly reached an impasse. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ tilts his head in confusion, feeling the conversation just circling around.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ asks the Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ if she does not know what her words mean.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ innocently tilts her head.] Pabilsag didn¡¯t seem to understand the question at all. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ shakes his head in disbelief.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ angrily asks the Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ what is wrong and tells him that he should at least tell her about it!] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ cannot turn her head back, her face still reddened.] [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ snorts in excitement.] ¡­ Thinking the conversation would never get anywhere at this rate, Chang-Sun looked in Tiamat¡¯s direction. [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ heaves a sigh, unsure if her daughter is innocent or stupid.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ angrily asks her mother to tell her what is wrong!] [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ gives her too-innocent daughter a private sex education.] The messages abruptly stopped popping up for a moment. After a while¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ still does not understand.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ has difficultyprehending the lesson. ] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ realizes something, and her face turns grim.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ gradually bes pale.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ looks down with her trembling lips.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ meets your eyes.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ screams, pulling out her hair.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ springs up from her seat and punches the air in embarrassment, adding that she was just suggesting hanging out in a dream!] ¡­ Trying to sort out Chang-Sun¡¯s misunderstandings, Pabilsag continuously sent messages, but Chang-Sun felt as if answering her would just make things weirder. Hence, he just awkwardly scratched his temple. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ despairingly says that she is not that type of person.] Pabilsag remained silent for quite some time, seemingly in great shock. * * * [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ springs up from her seat again!] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ yells that she thinks she can somehow help you with what you are trying to do right now!] ¡­ After swimming in despair for a while, Pabilsag chose to forget about what she did. It looked as if she could fix her mistake no matter how she responded. ¡®She can help me?¡¯?Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes widened. He could not feel any time flow in this ce, which didn¡¯t even look like space, so how could Pabilsag help him? [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ sarcastically says that she will be the one helping you, not her daughter.] [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ pretends not to hear her mother.] It seemed both Pabilsag and Tiamat were trying to help him. ¡®Is this about helping me with Fulgurator?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Celestials like Tiamat would have noticed that Chang-Sun had run into his limit by now. That was how hard Fulgurator¡ªthe sixth chapter of the Secret Darkness Techniques¡ªwas to master. However, that was not due to Chang-Sun¡¯sck of knowledge but rather because of the very deep secret harbored. Hence, even if it took some time, Chang-Sun decided to increase his physical level several times instead bypleting the rune sentences to master Fulgurator. However, Tiamat and Pabilsag believed that even that would not be enough, so they suggested that he should master it while he was trapped in this ce created by [Space Severance]. [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ silently observes you.] Chang-Sun furtively nced in Mephistopheles¡¯ direction to figure out what he thought about the idea, but he didn¡¯t seem to care at all. Chang-Sun took that as a sign that if he really wanted to be Mephistopheles¡¯ disciple, he should fully decrypt [Prti¡¯s Spellbook] and master the Secret Darkness Techniques even if he had to receive somebody else¡¯s help to do it. Chang-Sun turned to Tiamat and Pabilsag and nodded, deciding it would be best to get a good use out of his time since he could not get out of here anyway. [The Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯ has sent you an invitation to her divine ground.] [Will you ept the invitation?] ¡¸An invitation from both Tiamat and Pabilsag?¡¹ ¡¸¡­ That¡¯s pretty remarkable.¡¹ Armand and Dria were quite surprised. Tiamat and Pabilsag were known to rarely socialize with others, so their invitation indicated how much they adored Chang-Sun. Tiamat¡¯s affection for Chang-Sun was great enough to surprise Armand, who had been staying by Chang-Sun¡¯s side. Since Chang-Sun was Tiamat¡¯s ally, she probably wanted to help him make good use of his time. Sensing Pabilsag and Tiamat¡¯s good intentions, he was about to ept the invitation, but before he could¡­ Ding! Ding! [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ has sent you an invitation!] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ has sent you an invitation!] [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ has sent you an invitation!] ¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± ¡¸¡­?¡¹ ¡¸¡­?¡¹ Chang-Sun, Armand, and Dria¡¯s eyes widened when a very long streak of messages popped up before them so quickly that they wondered if the system itself was going to break down. [You have received a total of 216,229 invitations.] Many Celestials showed interest in Chang-Sun during the apostle battle, but he didn¡¯t expect to receive this many invitations! The number of viewers during the apostle battle was a little less than two hundred thousand. Considering only a part of those viewers sent invitations, the number of Celestials watching him right now seemed to have drastically increased again. Moreover, most Celestials were so supreme that their own apostles rarely met them in person. Hence, the number of invitations Chang-Sun received could be seen as an indication of how fervently they wanted to have him. [Many deities are showing interest in you.] [Many stars are intrigued by you.] They probably sent out invitations because they thought this was their chance to talk with Chang-Sun in person. Chang-Sun had nned this in advance, so he was quite content with the current situation. However, he was still rendered speechless. [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ has sent you an invitation!] Bel-Marduk had noticed who Chang-Sun really was, so Chang-Sun certainly did not expect him to send an invitation as well, yet here it was. 1. Burn the bridge as in the idiomatic expression. ?? Chapter 273: Star, the U.S. (8)

Chapter 273: Star, the U.S. (8)

Unsure what Bel-Marduk¡¯s n was, Chang-Sun just quietly looked at his invitation. Bel-Marduk definitely seemed to have figured out who Chang-Sun was, yet he still sent him an invitation. ¡®Well, he has always been like this,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Chang-Sun was the most hostile around Bel-Marduk among the Zodiacs. Although it was partially because Bel-Marduk was the leader of the and Zodiacs, the biggest reason was that Chang-Sun found it difficult to determine what his goal was. That was also why Chang-Sun was momentarily tempted by the invitation. If he epted it, headed to Bel-Marduk¡¯s divine ground, and activated the [Execution Sword] as soon as he met him, perhaps he would finally learn what was going on inside his head. Chang-Sun shook his head.?¡®That would be too naive of me.¡¯? He could gamble like he had done with the Emperor¡¯s Seat, but he decided not to. Back then, he was fighting in Minerva¡¯s divine ground. He would end up in Bel-Marduk¡¯s if he epted this invitation, which was no different from throwing him in the center of enemy territory naked. Although Chang-Sun bulldozed through many things, he didn¡¯t want to take such a risk now. ¡®Even if I get a chance to use the [Execution Sword], I doubt it¡¯ll be enough to capture him.¡¯? Chang-Sun knew Bel-Marduk was strong, but he had no idea how powerful the Celestial exactly was. The [Execution Sword] was simply a tool that temporarily returned Chang-Sun¡¯s lost Divine ss. Considering he failed to defeat ¡®Scorpio¡¯ Antares, who couldn¡¯t even hold his head high before Bel-Marduk, it would be impossible for him to capture Bel-Marduk even as the ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ ¡®I should do more than regain my original power. I have to aim higher¡­ I should at least reach the level of the Nine Heavens.¡¯ In that regard, Pabilsag¡¯s invitation was very useful. Although Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure what Tiamat was trying to teach him, ignoring Bel-Marduk¡¯s petty provocation and heading to Pabilsag¡¯s divine ground would be ideal since it meant he could receive Tiamat¡¯s help too. [The Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯ asks if you are really not going to ept his invitation.] However, Bel-Marduk knew Chang-Sun quite well. He knew Chang-Sun would respond if he hurt his pride, so he provoked Chang-Sun by asking if he would really let such a tasty prey go when it was already right in front of him. Would the notorious ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ really do that? With a slightly annoyed look, Chang-Sun looked at the invitation. Tap! [You have rejected the invitation from the Celestial ¡®Taurus¡¯!] The answer Chang-Sun sent frustrated him, and a new message immediately popped up right after, making it seem as if Bel-Marduk was waiting for that response. Ignoring Bel-Marduk, Chang-Sun closed his eyes. [You have epted the invitation from the Celestial ¡®A Good Season to Hunt¡¯!] Woosh! He could hear the sound of the world around him distorting. * * * [You have entered the Divine Ground ¡®Hunter Base¡¯!] Chang-Sun opened his eyes again, finding himself in a jungle spread on a low hill. The forest was so dense that he couldn¡¯t even get a clear view of the sky, and the ground mainly consisted of mud and swamp. Chang-Sun felt different animals hiding all around him, many of which seemed stronger than most monsters. Chang-Sun initially thought that he was in a hunting ground, a haven for those who liked to hunt, but something soon caught his attention. Beyond or above the endless sea of trees, something colossal stood, yet Chang-Sun also felt as if it was right in front of him, ignoring the principle of perspective. He wondered if it was a cliff because he couldn¡¯t detect any presence. After observing it for a while, Chang-Sun realized that he was mistaken. It wasn¡¯t that there was no presence. Rather, it was just so tremendous and vast like air that he couldn¡¯t detect it properly. ¡®... Can one¡¯s presence be this big?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. He was quite surprised thest time he met her, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling shocked again. That was how overwhelming Tiamat¡¯s presence was. What Chang-Sun had thought to be a wall opened, revealing a reptilian eye. It looked around for a moment, then stopped right at Chang-Sun. When her eyelid curved, Chang-Sun thought she seemed to be smiling. ¡ºMy beauty is certainly enough to captivate anyone, and I¡¯m proud of that, but I can¡¯t help feeling bashful if you stare at me like that.¡» ¡°¡­ I-is that so?¡± Chang-Sun uncharacteristically stammered, unsure how to answer. He found Tiamat to be difficult to deal with in many ways. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ grunts after looking at the Evil Dragon in the primordial¡­] [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ was about toin for rejecting his invitation but bes shocked after looking at the other¡­] [The Celestial ¡®Antlered Animal King¡¯ says that she seems to have gotten way bigger than¡­] [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ bes surprised¡­] ¡­ ¡ºTo have a proper conversation with you, my dear, I have to do something about those uninvited guests first,¡» Tiamat said quietly. Clink! [The protection in the Divine Ground ¡®Hunter Base¡¯ has been reinforced!] [The Channelings from outsiders have temporarily been disconnected.] The divine ground¡¯s barrier was reinforced, and all the Channelings were closed, making Chang-Sun marvel once again. They were in Pabilsag¡¯s divine ground, not Tiamat¡¯s. She was Pabilsag¡¯s mother, but this ce still wasn¡¯t her territory. Nevertheless, she managed to do all those. Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom what level one had to reach to do that. ¡°Mom, please stop. We didn¡¯t call him here to chitchat,¡± Pabilsag, who had her hair tied in a ponytail, grumbled upon showing up from Tiamat¡¯s shadow. Pabilsag was armed to the teeth. She had a bow hung over her left shoulder, various kinds of daggers attached to her belt, a shield on her back, and two swords underneath that shield. She had all sorts of weapons around her thighs and ankles too. In some ways, her attire looked cumbersome to move around, but her set of weapons suited her sharp eyes and tanned skin quite well. She looked like an agile hunter who could hunt anything. Nevertheless, unlike the time Pabilsag sent Chang-Sun the invitation, it didn¡¯t seem like they were going to train. It was like¡­ ¡®... War. They¡¯re going through a war¡­¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, looking back and forth between Pabilsag and Tiamat. ¡ºYou¡¯re certainly clever. You already noticed it just by looking at us.¡» Tiamat chuckled, finding Chang-Sun adorable. Tiamat¡¯sughter was so loud that the divine ground shook, making it seem as if it would crumble down any minute. ¡°Mom!¡± Pabilsag frowned a little. ¡ºFine, fine.¡» ¡°Did the start a war?¡± Chang-Sun asked. A pool of light covered Tiamat. Paah! Shortly afterward, an adorable girl with snow-white cheeksnded on top of Pabilsag¡¯s head. Wearing a frilly princess dress, Tiamat rode on Pabilsag¡¯s shoulders in the form of a six-year-old child. ¡°They took action as soon as you returned to Earth. It was as if they were waiting for that moment,¡± Tiamat dignifiedly said, but her too-adorable appearance betrayed her. Embarrassed by her mother, Pabilsag covered her face with her hands and quietly sighed. However, Tiamat paid no attention to her daughter and just nonchntly continued, ¡°The Celestials are starting to snoop around my , so my children quickly responded. However, it turns out the Celestials have also been acting suspiciously.¡± Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes shone. It was very sudden for the and the to be making a move now. The conflict between them had recently intensified, so if they were taking different actions, that could only mean one thing. ¡°The two have reached some sort of agreement,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°Who knows? It can be a treaty or an implied contract. We¡¯re already on bad terms with the damned ¡®Taurus¡¯ in the first ce, so this isn¡¯t surprising. The problem is¡­¡± ¡°The . The Celestials probably know that I¡¯ll be fighting Heoju someday.¡± Tiamat nodded. ¡°They have been taking concerning measures on Earth. They are certainly up to something.¡± Chang-Sun momentarily thought about it. He already knew that Heoju was the scout of the for their Earth invasion. Hence, he had been nning to take out Heoju and snatch the power that he had been trying to obtain. However, the Celestials backing Heoju were also making a move now, which meant they were preparing something big to capture Chang-Sun. ¡°We had to inform and warn you about this, so we invited you here under the guise of training. Many beings are paying attention to you now, and even more will be watching you in the future. Many of them will also try to sabotage you out of jealousy,¡± Tiamat said. She was basically telling Chang-Sun to be careful because his full-scale war against the would start earlier than he anticipated. His goal of bing the only Celestial on Earth shouldn¡¯t be taken lightly. For some reason, Chang-Sun already knew what Tiamat would tell him next. ¡°You¡¯re the ¡¯s ally and my potential husband, so it¡¯s preposterous of me to let those barbaric animals gang up on you. There seems to be a need to elerate the speed of your growth. Why don¡¯t you hear my offer out?¡± Tiamat gave Chang-Sun a dignified yet adorable grin. * * * ¡®As long as he¡¯s trapped here, he won¡¯t be able to do anything!¡¯ Francois Prti was certain about his victory. Francois could trap his target in the space he created with [Space Severance] for fifteen minutes at most, but that was based on the real world¡¯s flow of time, which was extremely different from the the flow of time inside the space. Even Francois didn¡¯t know the exact difference. Francois acquired this Authority only recently, so his research on it was still verycking. Moreover, this Authority had an unfathomable depth that even Francois couldn¡¯t grasp as an Elder Lich. However, based on the several experiments he had conducted, the severity of one¡¯s time perception distortion was closely rted to their resolve. The stronger one¡¯s resolve was, the more distorted their perception of time became and more aggravating the mental deterioration was. It was a year at the minimum, and five years at the maximum. Spending that much time in a world of nothingness was bound to drive anyone crazy. ¡®Even if he holds out by training, he¡¯s bound to reach a limit in one or two months.¡¯? Francois didn¡¯t bother measuring how strong Chang-Sun¡¯s resolve was because those with weak determination could never be so powerful. ¡®He¡¯ll spend at least five years inside the space¡­ Unless he¡¯s a Celestial, he¡¯s bound to go crazy. No, even if he¡¯s a Celestial, he¡¯ll self-destruct once he spends a long enough time trapped alone in such a narrow space.¡¯ Grinning, Francois looked at the countdown. Although Chang-Sun¡¯s summons were still raising hell, more monsters had been summoned to restrict their movements. [00:00:52] With less than a minute left, Francois smirked. ¡®Come to think of it, my Guardian is weirdly obsessed with Lee Chang-Sun. He would probably love it if I offer him Lee Chang-Sun, who has probably gone insane!¡¯ [10 seconds remain until your Authority deactivates.] ¡­ [3.] [2.] [1.] [The Authority ¡®Space Severance¡¯ has been deactivated!] Woosh! ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± Francois beamed as he looked at where Chang-Sun would appear. He activated all the magic spells he had prepared in advance to subdue Chang-Sun in case a part of his mind remained stable, which was highly unlikely. The floor, wall, ceiling¡­ dozens ofrge and small magic circles simultaneously shone. Pzzz¨D! The space wobbled, and Chang-Sun gradually appeared. ¡®How is he? He has probably mentally copsed, so he won¡¯t be able to make any rational judgment,¡¯ Francois thought, looking forward to seeing Chang-Sun¡¯s nk eyes¡­ However, he felt a shiver run down his spine instead. Chang-Sun didn¡¯t really look any different from before. He was still emotionless, and ck lightning energy still circled around him as navy-blue mes zed up in his eyes. The only difference was¡­ the illegible runes engraved on him not stretched from his right shoulder to the back of his right hand. It was now a paragraph, not a sentence. On top of that, the Inferno Sights in his eyes seemed deeper than before. ¡®¡­ He got stronger!¡¯? [Initiating a magic bombardment!] Paah! Boom, boom, boom¨D! Instinctively feeling that something went wrong, Francoisunched dozens of magic spells on Chang-Sun. [The Authority ¡®False Belief¡¯ has been activated, nullifying all magic attacks!] The runes covering Chang-Sun¡¯s upper body concurrently shone and canceled Francois¡¯ magic bombardment. Shortly after, Chang-Sun swung [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], splitting the space and releasing his extremely condensed lighting energy like a Dragon Breath. Rumble! [A Dragon Breath has been fired!] Chapter 274: Star, the U.S. (9)

Chapter 274: Star, the U.S. (9)

Tiamat and Pabilsag¡¯s lesson in ¡®Hunter Base¡¯ was very simple. ? ¡°It¡¯s not easy controlling your lightning energy, is it?¡± Tiamat asked. ? Tiamat knew exactly where Chang-Sun was having trouble right now. ? ¡°Well, it¡¯s bound to be. Lightning energy is the fastest, most destructive, and most violent power in the world, so it¡¯s only natural that a mortal cannot freely use it. Yours is even mixed with , so if you¡¯re trying to use your energy and an Element Ruler at the same time and surpass said Element Ruler¡¯s level¡­ Hahaha!¡± ? No, Tiamat seemed to be looking at a much bigger picture, even noticing that Chang-Sun¡¯s final goal was rted to something more fundamental than fire or lightning. ? ¡°So I¡¯ll teach you how to use [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth].¡± ? When Chang-Sun asked what she meant, she concisely responded, ¡°A [Dragon Breath] is a set of pure elements that have been condensed over and over again, making it extremely destructive. You have already used [Dragon Breath] using [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], haven¡¯t you?¡± ? Chang-Sun finally understood what Tiamat was trying to do. [Dragon Breath] and Fulgurator had something inmon: they both used the maximum power of a pure element. That was also what she meant when she spoke of surpassing an Element Ruler¡¯s level. If Chang-Sun could master the usage of Dragon Breath, he would naturally master Fulgurator too.? ¡®I might even be able to use a [Dragon Breath] mixed with Atra Fulmen energy,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. [Fiery Lightning Bolt] was already very powerful in itself, but what if he could make it as destructive as [Dragon Breath]? Chang-Sun had no reason to turn down Tiamat¡¯s considerate offer. ]. ? ¡°How do I start?¡± Chang-Sun asked.? ? He immediately grabbed [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]. ? ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll be ying hide-and-seek with my youngest. ¡±? ? Tiamat¡¯s answer was very iprehensible. * * * ¡®Hunter Base¡¯ was reduced to ruins and filled with a burning smell by the time Chang-Sun left. Sitting on a pile of rubbles, Tiamat burst intoughter. ¡°Bwahaha! That kid is seriously amazing. It was worth the effort.¡± Herughter was hearty and loud, which didn¡¯t match her current petite form. Pabilsag pouted and grumbled as she looked at Tiamat. ¡°I did all the heavy lifting.¡± ¡°Do you think giving advice is easy? I have to constantly check the difference between your and his levels and review everything to determine if I missed anything. Do you have any idea how much effort and work it requi¡ª!¡± ¡°You just used your [Primordial Ocean]!¡± Pabilsag shouted. Tiamat¡¯s Divine Name was ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon,¡¯ but she originated from the Mother Terra Celestial, a being from the beginning of time whom almost no one remembered now. The Mother Terra Celestial was one of the Elder Celestials and was also known as the source of all lives and evolutions. Tiamat¡¯s [Primordial Ocean] was a Trait based on her origin. It allowed her to take a peek at the potential of all lives that hade from the primordial source of life. In other words, mortals couldn¡¯t stop Tiamat from learning about their potential. She could even see the weaknesses that one wanted to hide, so all the beings who gained immortality through and were afraid of getting on Tiamat¡¯s bad side. Thanks to her Trait, Tiamat learned just how great the potential Chang-Sun, whom Pabilsag obsessed over, possessed. Although Tiamat approached Chang-Sun half-jokingly and half-curiously back then, she was deeply interested in him right now. It was also thanks to her Trait that she figured out the best way to train Chang-Sun and teach him how to use [Dragon Breath]. The result of that was the hide-and-seek session that Chang-Sun and Pabilsag had just participated in. True to her Divine Name, which had ¡®Hunt¡¯ in it, Pabilsag was very agile, making it impossible for anyone with average speed and power to capture her. Taking those into consideration, Tiamat asked Chang-Sun to do two things: not to move an inch from where he was standing, and to capture Pabilsag using only his Atra Fulmen energy. Despite how fast Chang-Sun¡¯s Atra Fulmen bolt was, however, it couldn¡¯t capture Pabilsag¡ªnot even by a long shot. To be as fast as Pabilsag, Chang-Sun first had to study lightning and in depth, which was the start of the research on Atra Fulmen, the mix of the two elements. ¡°Did it take him four years?¡± Tiamat chuckled, stroking her chin. ¡°No, it didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Three years, eight months, sixteen days, and twenty-one hours,¡± Pabilsag answered. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. It¡¯s three months and fifteen days shorter than four years, Mom,¡± Pabilsag said, still pouting. Tiamat looked at her youngest daughter in disbelief, then shook her head as she muttered, ¡°You¡¯re so hung up on a boy that you¡¯re taking it out on your mother. My daughter is still immature.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who had eyes on him first!¡± ¡°I told you, my daughter.¡± Crossing her arms, Tiamat proudly said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who was the first or who has a justifiable cause. The true victor is the one who obtains what they want in the end.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah, sure. Sure, sure.¡± Pabilsag nodded, not paying attention to Tiamat. Her lesson on being a true leader was about to start. Pabilsag had actually heard it so many times that she could recite it in her sleep. As she idly nodded, she solidified her resolve to have Chang-Sun in the end, bing the final victor as her mother said. Pabilsag looked down at the back of her right hand, which a lightning bolt had wounded. It had quite an impressive shape, looking like a cobweb with a ck burn wound in the center. Although it was healing quite quickly, Pabilsag couldn¡¯t take her eyes off it because it was the first wound Chang-Sun left on her. ¡°One year to understand what [Dragon Breath] is, one year to use it freely, and one year to catch up to your speed. Hahaha! I¡¯m aware that he¡¯s a demigod now, but he still learned everything unbelievably quickly!¡± Tiamat eximed. The [Dragon Breath] that Chang-Sun learned was by no means ordinary. [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth]¡­ it had taken Chang-Sun around three years to understand and use Tiamat¡¯s [Dragon Breath]. In other words, in the blink of a Celestial¡¯s eye, he surpassed his human limitations, the reached the level of Dragons, and acquired the real [Dragon Breath]. It was nothingpared to Tiamat¡¯s real [Dragon Breath] right now, but if he kept growing stronger at this rate¡­ Chang-Sun¡¯s [Dragon Breath] could beparable to hers someday. The hide-and-seek session was the reason why ¡®Hunter Base¡¯ was a mess right now. ¡®He also spent thest eight months traveling from divine ground to divine ground with the invitations he received.¡¯ Tiamat smirked. ¡®He didn¡¯t speak a word about what happened on the other divine grounds, though.¡¯ He was truly wicked and arrogant. Even though he was under Tiamat and her daughter¡¯s protection, he freely contacted the other Celestials and kept the agreements he made with them secret from her and her daughter. That showed how certain Chang-Sun was that Tiamat and Pabilsag couldn¡¯t abandon him and how much he believed that they wouldn¡¯t doubt him. ¡°He¡¯s more than qualified to be my husband with that kind of gut. Yes, he¡¯s more than enough.¡± Tiamat turned around with her hands sped behind her back. Rumble. The ground shook, and everything soon returned to its original state. The ruined divine ground quickly recovering made for a marvelous, majestic, and auspicious sight even for Pabilsag. Tiamat was surely part of the Mother Terra Celestial, the mother of all lives. ¡°The ¡­ The ... Everyone seems to be up to some cute schemes, but I can¡¯t just let those happen. They¡¯ll freak out the moment they see my dear. Hohoho!¡± Tiamat giggled, looking forward to seeing what would happen in the near future. * * * Pure elements were the elements¡¯ purest form. Since they hadn¡¯t been mixed with anything and they were in their original forms, utilizing them was very tricky. They often exploded whenever anyone tried to control them, so using them required an extreme level of concentration. On top of that, [Dragon Breath], the highly-concentrated form of a pure element¡­ was like an exclusive privilege for Dragons. No established rule prohibited a person of another race from using it, but it had so many requirements before it could be used. First of all, one had to have a body sturdy enough to handle [Dragon Breath], which meant they had to have a high ss. One¡¯s understanding and control of the element also had to be exceptional enough to acquire a rted divine rank. Those two requirements alone were already difficult to meet, but they were just the beginning. A mechanism and trigger for [Dragon Breath] also had to be invented, and to use it more than once, a mana-cooling device was also required¡­ There were so many other requisites to using [Dragon Breath] that most Celestials didn¡¯t even dare try acquiring it despite how tempter they were. To top it all off, if they failed to acquire [Dragon Breath], they would also lose their control over the other elements, further preventing them frompleting it. That was why it remained the Dragons¡¯ trademark. However, it was different for Chang-Sun. He had already used [Dragon Breath] through [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], and Tiamat and Pabilsag had helped him train. Hence, he could quickly make up for his shorings. On top of that, he had alsopleted [False Belief]. Chang-Sun was actually grateful to Francois Prti for trapping him in a space created using [Space Severance]. Ever since Chang-Sun had returned to Earth, he hadn¡¯t had enough time to train privately. Fortunately, while Chang-Sun had been pondering on how he should master Fulgurator, Francois had given him the priceless free time he needed to focus on working out his problem. Rumble¨D! Chang-Sun swung [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] horizontally. Although he didn¡¯t fully unlock the sword using [Peter¡¯s Key], a clearyer of [Dragon Breath] still enveloped it. On top of that, theyer was aplex blend of , lightning energy, and demonic energy. Mixed with highly concentrated Atra Fulmen, Chang-Sun¡¯s [Dragon Breath] ripped the floor, shattered the room, and struck Francois. ¡°Eeeeeek!¡± Francois shrieked. Booom! Francois quickly teleported right before the [Dragon Breath] hit him, but he calcted the magic form of teleportation on the spot instead of preparing it in advance. The coordinates he had set had a high risk of shifting, which would result in him ending up lost in an empty space. With deep expertise in teleportation, Francois normally would never take such a risk, but he couldn¡¯t afford to care about it right now. If the [Dragon Breath] hit him, he would be shredded down to his soul. Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! Narrowly avoiding the [Dragon Breath] and escaping death by an inch, he nkly watched the room copse. ¡°I-impossible!¡± he murmured. [A part of the Instance Dungeon ¡®Abandoned Building in Chicago¡¯ has copsed!] The part of the room where Francois had been standing hadn¡¯t just been crushed¡ªit had been pulverized. Cracks spread all over the wall, revealing a view of Chicago. A Dungeon was destroyed! Francois¡¯ teeth chatter in fear. He had lived for a very long time, but he had never heard about anything like this. [Self-restoration in progress!] [Self-restoration has failed for an unknown reason.] [Attempting self-restoration again.] [Self-restoration has failed for an unknown reason.] ¡­ [The Instance Dungeon has failed to restore itself.] [Cause: Infection.] Instead of being repaired, the cracks over the Dungeon were spreading farther, following the soot that Chang-Sun¡¯s attack had left. Francois was even more terrified now. This Dungeon was made using the Authority that he acquired through the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]¡ªbooks based on the hidden techniques of the Quirinale, the n of the Elder Celestial known as the wonder of wonders. As a demigod, it was impossible for Francois to fully understand the depth of the cryptical books, so this Instance Dungeon was iplete. Nevertheless, he believed it was asplete and sturdy as most Dungeons. ¡®It copsed? How in the world¡­?¡¯ Francois couldn¡¯t stop shivering¡­ His head turned nk the moment he witnesses power that far surpassed hisprehension. In contrast, Chang-Sun just calmly read the message that popped up before him. [Dragon Breath] An Authority acquired through the training with the Celestials ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ and ¡®A Good Season to Hunt.¡¯ Using an Element Ruler¡¯s pure element, a Dragon Breath can be fired. ¡¤ Skill level: 1 ¡¤ Type: Authority ¡¤ Effect: Element Domination. Damage Amplification. Impact Infection. It was Chang-Sun¡¯s first time using the technique in the real world sincepleting his training, but he didn¡¯t like it. The grip on his sword felt a little loose when heunched it. ¡°I still have a long way to go,¡± Chang-Sun murmured. ¡°¡­ A long¡­ way to go?¡± Francois became more terrified. If Chang-Sun had a long way to go, then how powerful could he be once he had unlocked his full potential? ¡°Hey.¡± Chang-Sun looked at the stunned Francois. Like a moth stuck to a cobweb, Francois felt helpless even though he could see the spider striding toward him. A magic spell? An Authority? Francois couldn¡¯t find any solution. Not even the fact that he was an Elder Lich was much help to him. ¡°Are you not going to answer me?¡± Chang-Sun frowned, not liking Francois¡¯ response. Francois instinctively straightened his posture and loudly answered, ¡°Y-yes, sir!¡± His survival instincts kicked in before his rational judgment. ¡°Do that again,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°Excuse me¡­?¡± ¡°Use what you used on me just now, again.¡± ¡°Wh-what¡­?¡± Francois stammered. Due to the neverending conversation, Chang-Sun¡¯s face crumpled in annoyance. ¡°Do you take after Heoju¡¯s stupidity because you¡¯re his subordinate? Use the technique you used to trap me, again. I want to practice.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Keep me trapped until I tell you to stop. If you give up or be too tired to maintain the space, you¡¯re dead meat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Authority [Space Severance] took up eighty percent of Francois¡¯ mana and stamina, yet he had to use it non-stop? Using it once or twice more would not just deplete his mana. It would be enough to desate his soul. However, he had to somehow do it anyway to survive¡­ Feeling his imminent, grim future, Francois¡¯ cheeks became hollow. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ shakes his head in disbelief, saying that out of all the people the Elder Lich could mess with, he chose you.] Chapter 275: Star, the U.S. (10)

Chapter 275: Star, the U.S. (10)

¡°Kill¡­ me¡­!¡± Looking at the mummy panting on the ground beside his feet, Chang-Sun concisely assessed, ¡°You¡¯re weak.¡± The mummy¡ªno, Francois Prti had so many things he wanted to say. Chang-Sun nonchntly instructed Francois to use [Space Severance] on him, but using it was by no means easy. Francois had to establish the space he would materialize in his mind first, infuse his mana into the space, and anchor the space down using an Authority¡­ He felt as if both his body and soul shriveled up every time he used it. That was why Francois had only activated [Space Severance] a few times so far. He believed that he should gain a deeper understanding of the Authority first before constantly using it, so he only ever used it in times of emergency. However, Chang-Sun had made Francois activate [Space Severance] eleven times already. Eleven times! Whenever it deactivated, Chang-Sun would feel as if something wascking, so Francois would activate it again before he could take a break. It depleted Francois¡¯ mana first, ruining his magic organ, then it depleted the vital force in the life vessel that he had previously stored to serve as his extra set of life. It also exhausted his spiritual energy and destroyed his ss, drying up his soul and causing him to lose his rank as an Elder Lich. As an Elder Lich, Francois felt as if he could do anything, but his Elder Lich abilities were gone now. He wasn¡¯t even as strong as an ordinary Lich anymore. In fact, he was now weaker than a skeleton mage as indicated by his skin and bone state. Ghoul? Zombie? Francois received a message telling him that he was reduced to such a state, but he couldn¡¯t even remember it due to hisck of energy. The only desire Francois had now was to escape from this hell. He had already given up on running away long ago. How in the world was he supposed to run away from a monster who became twenty percent stronger every time [Space Severance] was activated? Death was the only way to escape from the man who was far more malevolent than a devil, which was damningly ironic, considering Francois turned into a Lich due to his hideous desire to live forever. ¡®Four years¡­ He repeated four years eleven times! How! How is he even human?!¡¯ Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t hear Francois¡¯ internal screaming, though. ¡°Lead a proper life next time.¡± Chang-Sun held up his right foot high and smashed Francois¡¯ head. Smasssh! * * * [You have killed the Boss Monster!] [The Dungeon Quest has beenpleted.] [Compiling the final ranking.] [Dungeon Ranking] First ce: Lee Chang-Sun ¡­ [You have absorbed a part of the that the Boss Monsters possessed.] [As a reward, you have acquired a part of the information about the Quirinale, the forgotten ancient knowledge.] ¡­ [The Dungeon is closing.] [5.] [4.] ¡®¡­It really is Ithaca¡¯s power.¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s face darkened after scrolling through the list of rewards. He already knew about the Quirinale. Among the Elder Celestials¡¯ many ns, the Quirinale was the one that controlled space. Chang-Sun seemed to have acquired the ability along with Ithaca¡¯s when he eliminated Francois. However, he wasn¡¯t sure how to use it, maybe because he did not have enough . [1.] [0.] [The Dungeon is nowpletely closed.] [Great work, everyone.] The magic barrier over the building waspletely lifted, and all the monsters disappeared, leaving behind a ruined building that could break down any minute. ¡°¡­ Gosh.¡± Executive Director Oh Shi-Hwan let out a very long sigh. He seemed so tired that he looked as if he aged decades. Seo Jeong-Gwon had persuaded him to swear his loyalty to Chang-Sun, who killed Francois so easily that it still shocked him greatly. Francois anyway was one of the Thirteen Great Elders of the White Tiger n¡¯s Council of Elders. He was also respected by the members of the Jaynix Company, one of the Five Great ns. Having already gone through , he was about to to be a Celestial, and he even called himself a Transcended Demon due to his im that he would soon surpass his limit as a demonic being. However, Francois was far from a Transcended Demon. He talked big, but he couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch on Chang-Sun. That was how big the difference was between their levels. ¡°Oh Shi-Hwan.¡± Executive Director Oh came to his senses when he heard Chang-Sun call for him. Jeong-Gwon, who was standing beside Executive Director Oh, snapped back to reality as well. Getting a glimpse of Chang-Sun¡¯s power in person left their minds nk. They stood in awe of Chang-Sun. The strong desire to be as powerful as him grew inside Jeong-Gwon¡¯s heart. ¡°You know what to do from now on, right?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll make all the necessary preparations with Jeong-Gwon,¡± Executive Director Oh replied. Chang-Sun was already too busy tracking down Heoju, who was probably up to something, so he left it to Executive Director Oh to prepare for a smooth takeover of the White Tiger n, which would soon fall apart. ¡®... Director Gwon Hyo-Hae isn¡¯t far from here,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. He had already received all the information that he needed from Jeong-Gwon. Kali¡¯s priests had set up camp around the Rocky Mountains as a gueri army, but upon receiving news about ¡®Doomsday City,¡¯ many of them hade to Chicago. To exterminate them, Director Gwon had set up a trap, so Chang-Sun had to scratch his original n to prioritize clearing ¡®Doomsday City.¡¯ The moment the operation was put in motion, Kali¡¯s remaining priests on Earth would surely get killed. If that happened, Chang-Sun would be too ashamed to face Kali, who had asked him for their safety, again. Hence, Chang-Sun decided to save them and make sure everyone was safe first. Afterward, he would take over the White Tiger n while minimizing the damages he dealt to it. ¡®Director Gwon was Executive Director Oh¡¯s biggest obstacle. If Executive Director Oh still fails to seize control of the White Tiger n with Director Gwon out of the picture, I will have to choose a different pawn.¡¯? This was the first andst chance Chang-Sun was giving to Executive Director Oh. Without saying anything else, Chang-Sun left the site. Paaah¡­! When a gust of wind blew, his many subordinates disappeared as well. ¡°¡­ Phew!¡± ¡°I feel like I just got back from the grave.¡± Executive Director Oh and Jeong-Gwon let out a sigh of relief when the pressure on their shoulders disappeared. Everything that happened seemed so surreal that they felt as if they were dreaming. However, the thick, burning smell in the building that was making Executive Director Oh¡¯s heart race evidenced that they weren¡¯t. ¡®...The other end of the?Channeling?has really changed to a different person,¡¯?Executive Director Oh realized. To survive, Executive Director Oh had to change the White Tiger n¡¯s owner to Chang-Sun Using any means necessary. No, he wanted more than just his survival. He wished to be in a position of power once more! Executive Director Oh¡¯s desire to survive changed to an ambition for a higher seat. He no longer wished to remain as the second-inmand or a pawn that assisted Munseong. Chang-Sun would have Earth all to himself, and on that, Executive Director Oh wanted a seat that no one would dare covet. His first task¡­ would be recovering themand of the Future Strategy Department. Executive Director Oh¡¯s eyes turned cold, and¡­ ¡°E-Executive Director Oh! P-please h-hear me out¡ª!¡± ¡­ turned his head to Department Head Shim Geon-Ho, who had gone pale while trying toe up with an excuse. After eliminating all the other Ghost Soldiers, Jin captured Geon-Ho alive and left him with Executive Director Oh. He didn¡¯t leave Geon-Ho in good shape, though. Covered with frost, his limbs dangled as if they would break off and drop to the floor any minute. Half of his face had also been ruined. ¡°I-I-I w-was trying to fool Di-Director Gwon! Y-yes! Yes! Director Gwon! This was my tr-trap to fool Director Gwon! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll recognize my loyalty¡ª!¡± ¡°Department Head Shim.¡± Executive Director Oh looked at his old so-called right-hand man with cold eyes. ¡°You were just a hound, so if you wanted to bite off your master¡¯s neck, you should have done it right. You wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this mess otherwise.¡± ¡°W-w-wait¡ª!¡± ¡°Enjoy death befitting a poorly-skilled hound,¡± Executive Director Oh said quietly, his small shadow suddenly growing bigger and attacking Geon-Ho. ¡°Arrggggh!¡± Geon-Ho¡¯s scream echoed throughout the abandoned building. * * * [Your ownership percentage of the Order ¡®White Tiger¡¯ has increased!] [Current ownership percentage: 19%] ¡­ * * * After wrapping up the whole Executive Director Oh situation, Chang-Sun immediately hunted down Director Gwon. At the same time¡­ ¡°¡­ The 72nd Branch has been killed.¡± The report made the ¡®Ninth Branch,¡¯ Kali¡¯s priest andmander of the gueri army on Earth, slowly open his eyes. The Ninth Branch didn¡¯t look really any different from the other Branches, but none of hisrades disrespected his authority or talked back. That was how serious the title of Ninth Branch was. Kali had thousands of priests, and those who were assigned single digits had spent a very long time with her. The closer the Branches were to the root, Kali, the stronger they were and the more respect theymanded. The Ninth Branch, whom the other Branch siblings call Nain, had the title of a cardinal for a good reason, but he had actually been feeling a lot of regrets nowadays. ¡®Am I really walking down the right path?¡¯?Nain wondered. Albeit with difficulty, he managed to raise a gueri army by bringing in Kali¡¯s priests who were scattered all over the universe. Gathering four hundred twenty-one Gray Elves in one ce wasn¡¯t easy. Nevertheless, after learning about the Celestials¡¯ schemes, the Branches then began waging a war against them on Earth. Nain¡¯s gueri army actually yielded the greatest results among the numerous past resistance armies. However, they couldn¡¯t do any more than that. ¡®We now have over a hundred casualties¡­ Over thirty percent of us have already been sacrificed.¡¯? The casualties they suffered were technically worse. Three of their toons had been exterminated, and four of their two-digit numbered Branches, the bishops, had been killed. That was no different from half of the gueri army being annihted. ¡®Yet we still failed to enter the Dungeon.¡¯? R¡¯lyeh, the Source that the Celestials were desperately trying to get their hands on, could also be viewed as the center of the universe. The Branches had been trying to stop the Celestials from getting their hands on it using any means necessary, but the White Tiger n members kept ferociously fending off the Branches that were trying to head to ¡®Doomsday City¡¯. ¡®White Cowl Tiger''s Fang Gwon Hyo-Hae¡­ Unless we take him and the Council of Elders out¡­¡¯ However, the White Tiger n and Jaynix Company were closing in on the Branches more and more each day, driving them into a corner. At this rate, they would likely discover the Branches¡¯ hideout soon. Nain¡¯s agony deepened, his eyes fixed in one direction. Noticing Nain¡¯s state, the 102nd Branch stopped reporting and worriedly said, ¡°9th Branch, after we came to Earth, I heard many epigrams, but there is one proverb I like in particr.¡± ¡°A proverb? What is it?¡± ¡°The enemy of my enemy is my friend.¡± Nain didn¡¯t answer. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, 9th Branch, but it wouldn¡¯t be toote to worry about the future once we havepleted our goal, would it?¡± the 102nd Branch asked. Nain was actually pondering a very simple question¡ªthe future of the resistance army. Several days ago, Nain and the other resistance army soldiers met a team of emissaries that introduced themselves to be from a mysterious group called . ording to the emissaries, they created their own organization due to the differences in their opinions with the Celestials. They also offered to work together with the Branches in clearing ¡®Doomsday City,¡¯ iming that many of Kali¡¯s priests were already with them. In fact, one of the emissaries was Kali¡¯s Branch, just like the resistance soldiers. Ever since the meeting, the resistance army soldiers began to be torn. If those emissaries just offered to work together, the Branches would have turned it down without giving it a second thought. Even though the members had parted ways with the Celestials, the executives had still done something unforgivable to Kali. However, one of the Branches was part of the emissary team, which meant the members were trustworthy to a certain extent. Besides, the resistance army soldiers were reaching their limits now. Nevertheless, Nain was hesitant about working with the . He feared that they would take over the entire resistance army. No would refuse to have Kali¡¯s priests, the Himavat Ascetics, on their side. However, since the had already merged with big and small organizations made by Kali¡¯s priests, they would have most of Kali¡¯s legacy the moment Nain and the other resistance soldiers joined them as well. ¡®In that scenario, we won¡¯t be able to prioritize our initial goal anymore. We won¡¯t even be able to dream about our goddess¡¯ resurrection,¡¯?Nain thought. Or worse¡­ ¡®¡­ They might try to hold her hostage after she is resurrected.¡¯ Although Kali¡¯s ordinary priests weren¡¯t aware of this, Nain was her cardinal, so he knew that although it wasn¡¯t the case for other Celestials, Kali could freely resurrect through cuttings because she was a World Tree. Hence, Nain actually considered bing Kali¡¯s new main body himself, but he had been assisting Kali for a long time. He had to meet the requirement of acquiring Kali¡¯s Divinity to do that, but he didn¡¯t even dare try because bing Kali herself felt like sphemy to him. Unlike him, however, the members would see Kali as a tool, so they would definitely try to resurrect her. Since he doubted the members more than he trusted them, he really couldn¡¯t ept their offer. However, contrary to his opinion, many of the resistance army soldiers were starting to talk about reviewing the alliance offer of the in a positive light to ovee their limits. Even the 102nd Branch, Nain¡¯s aide, was actively expressing their opinion, further deepening his agony. No matter how high Nain¡¯s authority was, he couldn¡¯t suppress his siblings out of intuition alone. ¡®¡­ Is Twilight really not on thisnd?¡¯?Nain wondered bitterly, recalling Kali¡¯s instruction to wait for ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ who would return someday. After a moment, he heaved a very long sigh. Aside from stopping the Celestials, he also came to Earth to track down ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ However, his search for him had yielded no great results yet. Now, Nain wasn¡¯t even sure anymore if he and the other Branches simply didn¡¯t try hard enough or if the return of ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ was just Kali¡¯s groundless hope. Still, he faintly hoped that the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ could make miracles if he did return. ¡°9th Branch,¡± The 102nd Branch called Nain, who had been staying silent. Nain broke away from his thoughts. Even in this minute, their enemies were closing in on them, so he couldn¡¯t afford to contemte for too long. ¡°Phew¡­! When exactly will the next emissaries arrive?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be here in three hours, so around nine in the evening based on Earth time. We have toe to a decision before that,¡± 102nd Branch urged. ¡°The previous emissaries said they¡¯ll bring more of our siblings, right?¡± The emissaries actually said that they were going to bring a surprise, but Nain didn¡¯t know what it was exactly. Hence, he just assumed that the present would be the other Branches. ¡°Let¡¯s make a decision after meeting them. If many of our siblings are really with them and they¡¯re good enough to discuss the restoration of Himavat¡­ then we¡¯ll join them.¡± The 102nd Branch brightened up. ¡°You made the right decision. If the goddess was here, she would have been hap¡ª!¡± Boom, boom, boom! However, before the 102nd Branch could finish its sentence, explosions went off all around them, shaking the ground hard. Woosh¨D! A strong, heated gust of wind struck the Branches¡¯ hideout. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?!¡± Nain sprang up from his seat in surprise. As he did, a message popped up before him. [An invasion of the n ¡®White Tiger¡¯ has started!] Chapter 276: Star, the Revival Plan (1)

Chapter 276: Star, the Revival n (1)

¡°We¡¯re done here. Let¡¯s head back.¡± Tiamat pointed in a certain direction while riding on Pabilsag¡¯s shoulders. Feeling dumbstruck because of her mother, Pabilsag said, ¡°I think you cane down now. You¡¯re heavy.¡± ¡°My, my! You always ride on your mother¡¯s back, you know. You¡¯re as big as a horse now. It¡¯s making my back so sore.¡± Tiamat dramatically pounded her back with her tiny fist. Although that only dumbfounded her further, Pabilsag didn¡¯t say anything else on the matter since she would just end up losing anyway. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t hide her discontentment, pounting hard as she opened up a portal. Bel-Marduk and the other Celestials started to take action, and the Celestials were scheming on Earth. Celestials like Pabilsag and Tiamat would be in trouble if they cooped up in one ce. ¡°My youngest is sulking ag¡ª!¡± Tiamat stopped midsentence and suddenly turned her head in another direction, detecting someone with an aura that felt familiar and foreign at the same time. The individual was opening the divine ground by force. The presence of the being was enormous. Pabilsag tensed up and prepared to grab the bow hung over her shoulders, instinctively feeling that she was far too weak to deal with this great Celestial. After all, their divine ss was as high as a Ruling Celestial¡¯s. [The Celestial ¡®Tsunami Bringer¡¯ has descended!] Paaah! A blue ocean wave dropped down from the sky. It then spread into ripples. Thud! The Celestial emitted formidable spiritual pressure as hended on the center of the divine ground, trampling over the space. Neptune, the Celestial of ocean and one of ¡¯ three Ruling Celestials, raised his head. With sharp eyes, he looked at Tiamat, who was riding on Pabilsag¡¯s shoulders, and said, ¡ºTiamat, I would like to have a talk with you!¡» His loud voice echoed like a rough ocean wave. Whenever a Celestial spoke in their divine voice using their divine power, their remarks were recorded in Idea, so they had to choose their words carefully. Tiamat¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Neptune was respectfully expressing his desire to talk with her, which showed her that he wasn¡¯t here with hostile intentions. After a short while, her eyes changed into a Dragon¡¯s¡ªa clear indication that her [Magical Dragon Eyes] were opening up. Tiamat responded, ¡ºYou¡¯re arrogant, Neptune. Don¡¯t you know whose ground you¡¯re standing on and who the owner of the is? You¡¯re the Ruling Celestial of , so how can you be this rude?¡» Neptune looked at Pabilsag, making her flinch. Nevertheless, she stared back at Neptune, trying not to cower in front of him. Among her siblings, Pabilsag took after Tiamat¡¯s guts the most. ¡ºI¡¯lle backter to formally express my apology, but I hope you¡¯ll give me an answer to my request.¡» Neptune was prideful, so he was actually making a great concession right now. Adorably crossing her arms, Tiamat asked, ¡ºFine, let¡¯s talk. What do you want to talk about?¡» ¡ºYou and I share nothing inmon, so there is obviously only one possible topic of conversation for us, isn¡¯t there?¡» Tiamat¡¯s eyes turned sharp.¡ºAre you talking about Lee Chang-Sun?¡» ¡ºTo be precise, I¡¯m talking about the soul who may be Odin or Twilight.¡» ¡ºSo?¡» ¡ºAre you aware of the fact that I sent him an invitation and he epted?¡» Neptune asked. ¡ºRoughly.¡» ¡ºMy invitation wasn¡¯t the only one he epted. Over two hundred ten thousand Celestials sent him an invitation, and he challenged every single one of them, saying he wanted toplete his [Dragon Breath].¡» Grinning a little, Tiamat thought, ¡®I was wondering why he was busily running all over the ce. Haha! So it was toplete [Dragon Breath]!¡¯ After spending eight months traveling from divine ground to divine ground, Chang-Sun made Francois Prti use the unique technique [Space Severance] on him again. Wondering Chang-Sun¡¯s reasons, Tiamat and Pabilsag could only tilt their heads in confusion, but they finally understood now. He wanted toplete [Dragon Breath], the Authority Tiamat had taught him, to master Fulgurator and the rest of [Prti¡¯s Spellbook]. ¡®Wait, he epted quite a lot of invitations and asked just as many Celestials to spar with him. How much stronger has Chang-Sun be?¡¯?Tiamat wondered. Chang-Sun became quite powerful in just a year, so if he spent way more time fighting Celestials, Tiamat couldn¡¯t begin to fathom how high his level was now. ¡®Seriously¡­ everything about him is extraordinary.¡¯ He focused on nothing but training for a very long time. Tiamat felt as if she could already hear screaming from Earth. In fact, she pitied Heoju, Chang-Sun¡¯s first target. Maybe¡­ ¡®... He has already finished his .¡¯?Tiamat would have smiled if not for the circumstances. ¡ºI¡¯m not sure if you know this, but I¡¯m quite busy. So let¡¯s keep this simple,¡» Tiamat answered nonchntly, keeping her emotions hidden. ¡ºWe need to have an in-depth talk about him, but since you seem busy, can I bring your daughter with me as your representative? Many are waiting for you two toe,¡» Neptune hurriedly said. Tiamat¡¯s response made him feel quite anxious. The Celestials who sent their invitations to Chang-Sun gathered up to talk about him? Thinking she couldn¡¯t think lightly of this, Tiamat looked at her youngest daughter, and with a heavy heart, Pabilsag nodded. Tiamat had a feeling that this meeting could turn into something serious. ¡®There is no way that sly snake just returned after his sparring sessions,¡¯?Tiamat thought, instinctively realizing that Chang-Sun was the one who made the Celestials have a meeting. Although she didn¡¯t know what he talked about with those Celestials since he hadn¡¯t told her or Pabilsag about it, she knew that this was Chang-Sun¡¯s surprise event for her and her daughter. For some reason, she was looking forward to being in this meeting. At the same time, Tiamat was disappointed. Like what she told Neptune, she had to leave to deal with Bel-Marduk, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to attend the meeting. ¡®I¡¯ll break off your horn for this, Bel-Marduk.¡¯ Tiamat showed a faint and menacing smile. Nodding, she allowed Pabilsag to leave with Neptune. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s hear about that agenda first.¡± * * * On the outskirts of the South Side in Chicago, the United States¡­ The hideout of Kali¡¯s priests were located on the outskirts of the South Side, which was a slum. There used to be nothing around it, but it was now engulfed in fire due to the explosions all over the ce. [The Instance Dungeon ¡®Gray Elf Base¡¯ is on fire!] ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± ¡°Everything is burning!¡± ¡°We should somehow put it out¡ªanother fireball iing!¡± ¡°Runnn!!!¡± The sturdy magic barrier of their hideout crumbled down as ck smoke spread into the sky from the burning Parasitic Tree. When the Parasitic Tree took root in Earth¡¯s soil, the Gray Elves installed houses on its branches. However, the tree and houses now only served as firewood that made the fire bigger. Tap, tap. ¡°It¡¯s very noisy,¡± Director Gwon Hyo-Hae calmly mumbled, dusting off the ashes on his shoulders. The subordinate beside Director Gwon bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This seemed to be the only way to knock down their barrier.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Director Gwon clicked his tongue in discontentment. He hated noisy environments. ¡°Won¡¯t the Councile after us for this?¡± ¡°You probably don¡¯t have to worry about that part. The people from the Jaynix Company said that they¡¯ll distract the Council¡ª!¡± The subordinate stopped speaking when Director Gwon red at him. Realizing his mistake, he straightened up as he answered, ¡°The Jaynix Company will deal with the Council and FBI! They¡¯ll raid this ce only after we¡¯re done with our business here!¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯s better to make this look like one person is behind this, is it not?¡± Director Gwon asked, implying that they should frame Chang-Sun for everything that they were doing. ¡°I¡¯ll make the necessary arrangements to make sure the Council and FBI agents reach that conclusion in their investigation,¡± the subordinate said firmly. Finding the subordinate¡¯s answer satisfactory, Director Gwon moved away. Tap! At that moment, a Gray Elf leaped out from Director Gwon¡¯s side and swung their sword. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± The Gray Elf was covered in soot, having survived the explosion albeit with difficulty. Nevertheless, although their attack was quite sharp¡­ ¡°You¡¯re bugging me.¡± Director Gwon scoffed as he turned toward the Gray Elf. A long, single-edged saber appeared in Director Gwon¡¯s empty hand. He instantly chopped off the head of the Gray Elf that wasing at him. sh! Ssh¨D! Tap. Tap. Letting the Gray Elf¡¯s blood stter all over him, Director Gwon slowly headed inside, his ghost energy leaving a distorted image of a tiger. [The Hohwan Mama has spread all over the ce!] * * * ¡°Arrrgggh!¡± ¡°W-we should s-stop them¡ªurgh!¡± ¡°Kekeke, they can¡¯t even stop my simple attack, so how can they stop anything?¡± ¡°It¡¯scking. Toocking. The feeling of ripping their limbs iscking in so many ways!¡± Rumble¡­! Thud! A demonic being mumbled to himself, seemingly not having any fun, as a giant branch dropped down from the sky. Although the branch was sturdy enough for a dozen adult men to stand on it, the fire still burned it all up. Gray Elf corpses littered the area, evidencing the brutality of the massacre that took ce here. However, the Fire Demon, Maniac Demon, and Sword Demon¡ªthe culprits behind this hell¡ªdidn¡¯t look impressed. Collectively known as the Three Demon Heads, the three White Tiger n Council great elders were already notorious demonic beings that the Council had red-coded and wanted to apprehend using any means necessary before they even joined the White Tiger n. ¡°You people will rot in hell¡ª!¡± One of the Gray Elves red at the demonic beings, bleeding as they fell to the ground. ¡°Kekeke! We probably will, but we won¡¯t be the ones dying here today.¡± The Maniac Demonughed coldly and put his hand on the head of the Gray Elf, thetter¡¯s lips trembling. The Maniac Demon continued, ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Smack! The Maniac Demon tightened his grip only a little, yet he still shattered the Gray Elf¡¯s head so easily that it was as if it was a watermelon. Shaking off the flesh on his hand, the Maniac Demon burst intoughter. ¡°Hahahaha! Let¡¯s kill. Kill! Let¡¯s get to the Source quickly!¡± The Fire Demon indiscriminately unleashed explosions, and the Maniac Demon went after the Gray Elves who were fleeing in fear, shredding them to death one after another. The two demonic beings were responsible for half of this massacre. Meanwhile, the Sword Demon just quietly walked several feet away from the two demonic beings. If anyone saw him right now, they would think the Sword Demon was just on a strollpared to the other two demonic beings. Paah, paah, paah! Swoosh¨D! Ghost Soldiers and Gildals were locked inbat all over the ce, but the Three Demon Heads were the ones leading their advance. Since the Three Demon Heads were away from their group, they were in danger in some ways. In fact, many of the Gray Elves targeted them, but the three demonic beings seemed to be enjoying the situation. Instead of going through the trouble of tracking down the Gray Elves one by one, they were voluntarilying to the Three Demon Heads to be killed instead. Ssh! Ssh! Puddles of the Gray Elves¡¯ blood trailed behind the Three Demon Heads. Looking at them, some of the Gray Elves trembled in fury. ¡°How¡­ How did they discover¡ª!¡± Even though the White Tiger n and Jaynix Company were closing in on the Gray Elves, they believed that it would take a long time before they could find this ce. ¡®Unless there is a mole among the siblings¡ª!¡¯?Nain unwittingly gasped, cutting his train of thought, when the Maniac Demon stopped fighting the Gray Elves and turned his head toward him. When their eyes met, the demonic being ominously smirked. Paah¨D! The Maniac Demon darted toward Nain. Three Gray Elves tried to stop him, but they burst like fireworks instead. In no time, he reached Nain. ¡°Hahaha! There you are! I think I can have fun with you!¡± The Maniac Demon smiled hideously as he curled up his fingers into hooks and swung his hand. Five red rays shed from his fingertips and whizzed toward Nain¡¯s head. He had just activated [Blood ws]¡ªthe Skill responsible for his notoriety in the past. The moment the Maniac Demon¡¯s fingernails emitted blood red light, he gained teh ability to tear through anything in his way. To make matters worse, the Hohwan Mama also multiplied its damage several times. Nain had lost most of his power when his Guardian died. No matter how great a martial artist he was, he had a limit in dealing with the Maniac Demon. aaang! Nevertheless, Nain still tried to deflect the demonic being¡¯s attack. He summoned a wooden staff from the ground, quickly grabbed it, and sessfully parried away the Maniac Demon¡¯s right [Blood ws]. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re certainly quite skilled!¡± the Maniac Demon yelled in delight. Swoosh¨D! Unfortunately, Nain did not notice the Maniac Demon¡¯s left [Blood ws], which were flying toward his nape. ¡®No!¡¯ Nain tried to change his grip on the wooden staff in surprise, but the Maniac Demon was quicker. ¡°Ninth Branch!¡± The 102nd Branch, who was beside Nain, hurriedly swung a wooden sword they summoned at the Maniac Demon¡¯s waist just as thetter¡¯s red fingernails were about to reach Nain¡¯s nape. ¡°Get out of my way, vermin!¡± the Maniac Demon cursed and turned his torso midway. Swinging his arm in an arc, the Maniac Demon¡¯s [Blood ws] shattered the 102nd Branch¡¯s wooden sword and pierced their left chest. Stab! ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Nain, get out of here¡ª!¡± Boom! Before they could finish speaking, the 102nd Branch burst into pieces, ripped by the blood light from the Maniac Demon¡¯s [Blood ws]. The Maniac Demon was now glowing as blood-red as his [Blood ws]. Grinning as wide as he could, he howled like a hungry beast. ¡°No¡ª!¡± Nain shouted in surprise. ¡°You don¡¯t have a shield anymore, so stop being a nuisance and just die already!¡± the Maniac Demon roared coldly as he pounced at Nain. The light he emitted was blindingly bright, and each ray of the light was as sharp as a spearhead. ¡®My goddess.¡¯ Nain tightened his grip on the wooden spear, gritting his teeth. Although the 102nd Branch told Nain to run away, he didn¡¯t even consider the option. Too many of his siblings were killed, and where was he even supposed to go? Even if Nain managed to sessfully flee, these people would tenaciously hunt him down using any means necessary. ¡®Please grant your ipetent follower power.¡¯? Hence, he decided to fight back instead even if this ce ended up being his grave. ¡®Fight back. Don¡¯t retreat,¡¯ [1] Nain recited Kali¡¯s teaching, then thought of ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ whose return Kali told him to wait for. Nain had met ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ in person before during thetter¡¯s stay by Kali¡¯s side. While sparring with Kali, the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ lost over and over again, but he never failed to stand back up, his spear still in hand. After trying for years, ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ finally achieved victory. Although Nain was Kali¡¯s priest, he became a fan of ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ at the time. Right now, he could vividly picture those moments. ¡®Twilight, be my witness.¡¯? Woosh, woosh, woosh. Remembering the determination of ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ Nain pierced his wooden staff deep into the ground to stand firm, then fiercely spun his wooden staff. Just before Nain¡¯s wooden staff and the Maniac Demon¡¯s [Blood ws] could sh, Nain saw a man who reminded him of ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ From the sky, the man folded his radiant wings andnded between the two. Booom! [¡®¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡¯ has descended!] ¡°¡­ He resembles Kali¡¯s kiddo whom I saw before,¡± the man muttered quietly under his breath, looking at Nain. Chang-Sun had arrived. 1. The raw was ????(ÅR‘ðŸoÍË). This is from Se Sok O Gye. They are the five codes of the Hwarang, the warrior group that existed during the Si dynasty. ?? Chapter 277: Star, the Revival Plan (2)

Chapter 277: Star, the Revival n (2)

[You are currently in the ¡®Iplete Exuviation¡¯ state!] [Complete your .] [Achieve .] [Regain your Divine ss.] ¡­¡­ [The Scenario Quest (Complete Exuviation) is ongoing!] [Complete Exuviation] ¡¤ Type: Scenario. ¡¤ Description: You are close topleting your , which would allow you to surpass your limits as a demigod and be a Celestial. Divinity, Faith, ... You have fulfilled all the requirements. However, you still have one w: You already had a Divine Name in the past but lost it when you plummeted. Restore your Divine Name toplete your and regain your Divine ss, which in turn will lift all your restrictions and let you spread your new wings of freedom. ¡¤ Requirements: ¡ª ¡¤ Time limit: ¡ª ¡¤ Objectives: 1. Recover the letters for ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö. 2. Complete your . 3. Restore your Divine ss. Chang-Sun had [Space Severance] used on him eleven times so he could ept every single invitation from the Celestials. In doing so, he didn¡¯t justplete [Dragon Breath] but even drastically increased his ss. Right now, he was on the verge of bing a Celestial. ¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö. Although it was censored, it was obvious that it was referring to ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ For such a long time, Chang-Sun had been waiting for the day to regain this name. Something else in the scenario quest description caught his attention. If all the restrictions on Chang-Sun would be lifted, that meant he would be released from the Divine Steel shackles, which had been suffocatingly tying his soul down! He couldn¡¯t help feeling surprised because he hadn¡¯t heard anything from Thanatos, but he was certain. ¡®... It¡¯s the King of the Underworld¡¯s gift,¡¯? Badump! Badump! Maybe it was because he regained a part of his Divine ss or ran into an enemy. Although Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure what the exact reason was, his [Ferocious Heart] was racing. Badump¡­! * * * ¡®Kiddo?¡¯ Nain¡¯s eyes widened. The voice that he heard some time ago seemed to echo in his ears for some reason. ¡°You look like Kali, but your personality is nothing like her. You¡¯re like her back when she was still a child.¡± The only person who had ever called Nain kiddo was ¡®Divine Twilight.¡¯ He said that Nain resembled Kali during her younger days. His remark didn¡¯t really mean anything, though, and Nain never ran into him again afterward. However, he left such a strong impression on Nain that thetter could still clearly remember it. Now, however, Nain heard the name only ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ had ever called him from the man standing in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re¡­!¡± Nain muttered in surprise. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the detailster. Find cover for now.¡± Chang-Sun smiled coldly as he looked at the Maniac Demon, who was ring at him from a distance. Chang-Sun¡¯s smile bared his fangs, resembling the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ that Nain had met before. [The ¡®Changgwi Cave¡¯ has been opened!] A horrible space-distorting sound resounded from above Chang-Sun. Craak¨D! Cracks spread in the sky, exuding gray energy. Kieeehhhh! An awful ghost wail ominously echoed. Remaining vignt against Chang-Sun, who suddenly stood in his way, the Maniac Demon instinctively raised his head. mes had still been circling around the Fire Demon and the Sword Demon had been watching hisrades fight with his arms crossed when they, too, turned their heads to look at the cracks in the sky. The White Tiger n¡¯s Ghost Soldiers, Kali¡¯s priests, and everyone else stopped fighting and looked toward it as well. Something inauspicious wasing down! Soon, the ghost wails and gray energy blended with each other and transformed into pale Changgwis, whonded on the ground. Click, click. The Changgwis appeared as they put on their masks, causing a storm that swept over the ground and contained the fire that engulfed the Parasitic Tree! ¡°Jin,¡± Chang-Sun called out. ¡¸As youmand.¡¹ Jin Prezia drew up his mana, realizing what Chang-Sun wanted. [Your Subordinate ¡®Jin Prezia¡¯ has activated the Skill ¡®Snowstorm¡¯!] Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! The Frost Undead¡¯s cold energy mixed with a gale, instantly covering the entire base of Kali¡¯s priests. The immensely powerful gale and frost pouring down from the sky immediately extinguished the raging mes. ¡°Th-the fire has been extinguished!¡± ¡°How in the world¡­?¡± ¡°W-we¡¯re saved!¡± Trees were most vulnerable to fire, which meant the Gray Elves were helpless against the mes that the Fire Demon created. That was also why what Jin did surprised them. ¡°Oh, my¡­!¡± Nain was especially shocked. The Gray Elves lost most of their powers when Kali died, leaving them defenseless against the Fire Demon¡¯s mes. Moreover, Jin showed such a high level of power that Nain wasn¡¯t sure if he could defeat him even if he regained all his power. However, that also made Nain feel more sure about his conjecture. The word ¡®kiddo¡¯ and Chang-Sun¡¯s censored Divine Name were enough for him to know who the man really was! ¡®My goddess¡­!¡¯?Nain thought. Kali¡¯sst words to the Branches were to trust ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ and wait for his return. Proving Kali right, he actually showed up. ¡°Take them out,¡± Chang-Sunmanded, and the Undead Army immediately pulled out their weapons. The ghost wails grew louder. ¡°Stop them!¡± the Fire Demon yelled, realizing things were progressing the White Tiger n members had originally nned. Trying to revive the fire somehow, the Fire Demon drew up his mana. However, the ice storm kept putting it all out, making him realize that he could not take it lightly. Finally realizing the magnitude of the problem, the Ghost Soldiers threw themselves at the Changgwis flying down from the sky and shed with them in the air. ng, ng, ng! Woosh, woosh, woosh¨D! [The Changgwi Cave and the Hohwan Mama are colliding!] The ghost energy of Chang-Sun¡¯s Changgwis and the Ghost Soldiers fought tirelessly to emerge superior to the other. ¡°I¡¯m not sure who you are exactly.¡± The Maniac Demon stretched. Crack, crack. Whenever the Maniac Demon¡¯s joints cracked, the blood-red light his eyes emitted became brighter. Madness also filled his eyes, showing that he was ready to rip Chang-Sun to shreds. The collision earlier made him realize that Chang-Sun was a force to be reckoned with, so he decided to take this battle seriously. ¡°You do know that the price for stopping our parade is death, don¡¯t you?¡± the Maniac Demon asked, warning him that he would not be given a swift death. However, Chang-Sun just chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re scared.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°Only a terrified pup would bark to hide their fear.¡± ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± The Maniac Demon¡¯s expression crumpled up. Although he sought refuge in the White Tiger n Council of Elders to avoid the Council¡¯s pursuit, he was proud of his title. He would never let this kind of humiliation slide. Paah¨D! Filled with the desire to shred Chang-Sun to death, the Maniac Demon charged at Chang-Sun. ¡°Die¡ª!¡± However, before the Maniac Demon could even finish speaking, a lightning bolt sted his head off. sh! Ssh¨D! The Maniac Demon still looked angry, not knowing how he died. The inertia brought his headless corpse forward a little more before rolling on the ground. Ooong, ooooong! The [Yuchang Sword] in Chang-Sun¡¯s right hand shook as if it was asking him if this was it. It seemed that the sword¡¯s sacred light, which had merged with Chang-Sun¡¯s , was looking for its next target. ¡°Maniac Demon!¡± the Fire Demon screamed, btedly realizing hisrade had been killed while he was trying to ignite a fire again. Witnessing what just happened, the Fire Demon decided that it was better to focus his fire on one spot to create a bigger explosion instead of spreading it to burn up the Parasitic Tree. Wooosh! The Fire Demon used the Skill [Firestorm], causing his me to circle around him and create a vortex. He believed it would be enough to block the attack that killed the Maniac Demon¡ª Rumble¨D! However, in the same way that the Maniac Demon didn¡¯t get to finish speaking, the Fire Demon¡¯s train of thought was interrupted when [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], the demonic energy of which was infused with Chang-Sun¡¯s [ck Mountain King¡¯s w], cut through [Firestorm] and the Fire Demon¡¯s waist. sh! Boom, boom, boom¨D! Falling unconscious, the Fire Demon lost control of his fire and was engulfed in his own [Firestorm]. Having lost its centrifugal force, the mes scattered all over the ce, reducing the nearby area to ruins. Paah¨D! The Sword Demon, who only stood by and watched his tworades get killed, flew at Chang-Sun. He was smiling so widely that he seemed to be having fun right now. * * * ¡°Who is Lee Chang-Sun?¡± Hearing the news about Chang-Sun doing a fine job in Europe, the Sword Demon could not help but wonder how skilled Chang-Sun really was, so he asked Jaegal Hyeon-Ryong about it. However, Hyeon-Ryong just threw the question back at him. The Hyeon-Ryong that the Sword Demon knew was sharp and always emotionless. Nevertheless, he beamed while answering the question about Chang-Sun. He looked as if he was happily standing in front of a row of tasty snacks and pondering which one he should eat first. Hyeon-Ryong clearly found something good about Chang-Sun, and that was enough to make the Sword Demon¡¯s cold heart flutter. Badump! ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯re looking for someone who will lead you to a new path, aren¡¯t you?¡± Hyeon-Ryong quietly chuckled when he saw the Sword Demon¡¯s rosy cheeks. He was the only one who knew the Sword Demon¡¯s issue in the Council of Elders. Although the public called the Sword Demon, Maniac Demon, and Fire Demon the Three Demon Heads, the Sword Demon actually never considered the other two demonic beings as his realrades. They only hung around him and showed off using his name as they pleased. The Sword Demon had never been interested in worldly affairs in the first ce. There was only one thing that he wanted¨Dswordcraft. During his childhood, the Sword Demon would hold a wooden sword with only one desire in mind¡ªwield a proper metal sword and go through actualbat. That was why he was thrilled when Dungeons and Gates opened up. He thought that the time to demonstrate everything he learned so far finally came. However, his happiness onlysted several years. He faded away for a very simple reason: the animalistic monsters weren¡¯t enough to satisfy his desire. Since he wished to reach a higher level in swordcraft, simple and mindless hunting didn¡¯t help him much. That was why the Sword Demon decided to target his fellow yers instead. yers gained new abilities through the System and their Guardians¡¯ blessings, so the Sword Demon thought that fighting them would make him feel more thrilled and ultimately give him something more supreme. The Celestials had something that mortals couldn¡¯t easily get, so the yers who learned from them were bound to have something like that as well. In the end, hemitted murder, which was taboo in the sect he used to be in, and became a hunted criminal. Getting rid of every nuisance in his way turned him into one of the Nine Evils, the most notorious demonic beings. However, the Sword Demon remained unimpressed by the turn of events. Remorse? He had no such thing. He exterminated his previous sect and killed many of the Council¡¯s bounty hunters. However, none of them inspired him into upgrading his swordcraft. They only bored him. Fortunately, the Sword Demon met Munseong, who was filled with greed and ambition. Munseong was also an exceptional swordsman, so the Sword Demon thought that it would be great to work with him. Hence, he took Munseong¡¯s offer and joined the White Tiger n¡¯s Council of Elders. However, Munseong no longer inspired the Sword Demon now. The Sword Demon could have a constructive discussion about swordcraft with him back when thetter was young, but he was now bewitched by some sort of weird power and lost his honor as a swordsman. That was when the Sword Demon heard about Chang-Sun, the new recruit who was making remarkable aplishments and quickly earning his spot in the White Tiger n. What caught the Sword Demon¡¯s attention, however, was his martial arts skills, specifically his exceptional swordsmanship. Chang-Sun was the epitome ofbat, so the Sword Demon asked Hyeon-Ryong about him out of curiosity. Unexpectedly, he heard a very positive assessment about Chang-Sun. ¡°Well, that child might be able to help you in some way. Even I think he¡¯s very handy with his swords.¡± Badump! Hyeon-Ryong¡¯s remark made the Sword Demon¡¯s heart pound. ¡°It isn¡¯t just with swords. Spears, axes, whips, fists¡­ I¡¯m really not sure if there¡¯s any weapon out there that he doesn¡¯t know how to use.¡± Badump, badump! ¡°But let me warn you. Meeting him to find what you¡¯re looking for in him without first devising a good n could break you.¡± Badump, badump, badump! Hyeon-Ryong told the Sword Demon to be careful, which was what the Sword Demon always wanted to hear! Hyeon-Ryong was the only one in the Council of Elders whom the Sword Demon acknowledged for his skills. That man recognizing Chang-Sun¡¯s talents meant that Chang-Sun was as strong as him, not just an ordinary rookie. That was why the Sword Demon did not head to ¡®Doomsday City.¡¯ Thinking he would finally get to meet Chang-Sun, he decided to join Director Gwon Hyo-Hae¡¯s operation instead. In the end, he finally got what he wanted. ¡®... It¡¯s said that many ascetics gather up in the?sacred mountain Himavat, so I thought Kali¡¯s priests would have something special.¡¯ However, it turned out that there was nothing much to them. ¡®I hope you can satisfy me!¡¯ ng! The Sword Demon fiercely swung his sword toward Chang-Sun¡¯s nape, but his attack was blocked, and his sword was deflected away. ¡®That was a great first exchange!¡¯ The Sword Demon¡¯s smile gradually deepened. Swoosh, woosh, swoosh¨D! He quickly swung his sword in an arc multiple times. ng, ng, ng! In a sh, the Sword Demon and Chang-Sun traded dozens of blows. ¡®Yes! It¡¯s him!¡¯ The Sword Demon beamed now, baring his fangs. The numbing feeling in his palms, his menacing eyes¡­ Chang-Sun was certainly cut from the same cloth as the Sword Demon. Paaaah¨D! At that moment, about thirty swordfighters among the Ghost Soldiers approached them. The Sword Demon toon was made up of the Sword Demon¡¯s subordinates, whom he personally trained. The attack formations that he used with his subordinates were very effective inunching a destructive attack like a pack of rampaging beasts. The Sword Demon wasn¡¯t ashamed to fight together with his toon. In fact, he found it only natural. The Sword Demon toon was practically his other self, so if Chang-Sun was more skilled than him, then it was only proper that he fought alongside his other self. He wanted to see Chang-Sun¡¯s skills. To achieve that desire, he had to drive Chang-Sun to his limits first. Seemingly figuring out the Sword Demon¡¯s n, Chang-Sun tightened the grips on his swords. aang! With the echo of a metallic sound, the Sword Demon was pushed a couple of steps back. Chang-Sun had stuck the [Yuchang Sword] to the ground and sheathed [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] back. Click! At the same time, Chang-Sun turned his leather belt in the opposite direction and moved [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] to his left. The moment Chang-Sun grabbed its handle and slightly leaned forward, his lightning energy created a circle around him. Paaah¡­! Pzzz, pzzz! The Lightning sparks flying up from the circle changed from purple to ck. With Atra Fulmen activated, Chang-Sun¡¯s gray hair fluttered hard. [The sixth chapter of ¡®Prti¡¯s Spellbook¡¯ has been opened.] [Fulgurator has been activated!] Chang-Sun tried to master the Secret Darkness Techniques by going through [Space Severance] eleven times. As a result, he made quite satisfying progress, evenpletely learning Fulgurator. That also meant that he was close to fully understanding thest chapter of [Prti¡¯s Spellbook]. [A ¡®Dragon Breath¡¯ has been fired!] aang! Using battojutsu, Chang-Sun drew a diagonal line with [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], which was imbued with a high concentration of Atra Fulmen energy, and unleashed a perfected [Dragon Breath]¡ªthe Dragons¡¯ trademark. Rumble¨D! Boom! Boom, boom! Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! The Sword Demon and his toon soldierspletely evaporated, leaving not even a trace. Despite the Sword Demon¡¯s big talk about wanting to witness Chang-Sun¡¯s sword skills to the fullest, his death was quite futile. Lightning sparks flew everywhere as big and small [Fiery Lightning Bolts] struck the ground, wiping out the remaining Ghost Soldiers. ¡°They¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°All dead¡­¡± Nain and the other Gray Elves were extremely shocked. Chang-Sun singlehandedly killed their enemies, who were strong enough to put them in danger and stop them from fighting back. Moreover, those weren¡¯t even the only aftereffects of the [Dragon Breath]. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Hmm? W-wait, is that¡­?¡± Among the several [Fiery Lightning bolts] was an unusually big one. It didn¡¯t disappear upon impact either. Rather, it traveled across the ground and charged forward. Unfortunately, the Parasitic Tree, the Gray Elves¡¯ temporary Divine Tree, was in its way. Like a sharp razer cutting through paper, the Atra Fulmen bolt cut the tree in half to get past it. sh! Boom¨D! Rumble¡­! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Parasitic Tree copsed, rendering Nain and the other Gray Elves speechless. Their mouths opened and closed like goldfish. Chang-Sun¡¯s forehead got slightly sweaty. Chapter 278: Star, the Revival Plan (3)

Chapter 278: Star, the Revival n (3)

Paaah¨D! ¡®What in the world¡­!¡¯ Director Gwon Hyo-Hae panted hard, but he couldn¡¯t afford to catch his breath due to the shock that jumbled up his thoughts. Until a moment ago, he was wiping out the Gray Elves with ease, but everything turned into a mess when Chang-Sun suddenly showed up. Who could have thought that he would eliminate all three elders from the Council of Elders in one strike and exterminate the entire Sword Demon toon on his own? The White Tiger n members in this ce had been exterminated. That word was often vaguely used to describe high casualties or few survivors scattering as a form of a strategic retreat. However, that wasn¡¯t the case right now. The White Tiger n got annihted. The Ghost Soldiers that Director Gwon had brought, the Gildals¡­ All of their secret forces had been killed. That was why Director Gwon ran in the opposite direction before Chang-Sun¡¯s [Dragon Breath] struck him. The thought of saving his face and honor never crossed his mind, which was currently filled with the desire to survive no matter what. The reason he became a demonic being in the first ce was to survive in the world of yers, the main principle of which was thew of the jungle. However¡­ [An unidentified group has appeared!] While running, Director Gwon saw a sh of light before him, and a group of about a hundred people appeared. They weren¡¯t Lee Chang-Sun¡¯s mysterious summons, but was there anyone else who was likely to show up here? Director Gwon considered the possibility of them being affiliated with the Jaynix Company, but he had never met any of them before. ¡®Whoever they may be¡­ I¡¯ll get them out of my way!¡¯ Director Gwon stopped trying to identify them. He decided to kill anyone who stood in his way right now. To get as far away from Chang-Sun as possible, Director Gwon didn¡¯t have any time to makeplicated judgments. Schwing¨D! Paah! However, before he could draw his sword, something suddenly flickered in front of him again. Smack! Director Gwon dropped to the ground with a hole in his forehead. ¡®¡­ A Gray Elf?¡¯ was hisst thought. As his train of thought stopped, Kali appeared where he had been running. ¡°Hmm! It seems something happened while we were away. Now that it has turned out this way, we should save and subjugate them.¡± Lie Si and the Ninth Corps¡ªthe ¡ªshowed up on Earth. * * * Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! The Parasitic Tree¡ªthe tree that served as the Gray Elves¡¯ temporary Divine Tree¡ªlet out clouds of dust when it copsed. Nain and the other Gray Elves were half out of their minds. Chang-Sun watched them for a moment, then quietly hung [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] on his belt, furtively turning his head to avoid eye contact with them. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ quietly chuckles, saying you are also great at feigning innocence.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ quietly looks away from you.] [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ughs heartily, finding this really wild!] [The Celestial ¡®Sky and Earth¡¯s Connecting Wing¡¯ advises you to collect the Parasitic Tree fragments since they are versatile materials.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Devil¡¯ bes lost in thought because your personality reminds him of someone.] The Celestials watching Chang-Sun through their Channelings were shouting with joy. Although they all made him feel ufortable, one particr Celestial made his head ache. [The Celestial ¡®Madness Infuser¡¯ is yelling in delight!] [The Celestial ¡®Madness Infuser¡¯ is yelling in delight!] [The Celestial ¡®Madness Infuser¡¯ is yelling in delight!] ¡­ ¡®¡­ What is up with him?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. ¡®Madness Infuser¡¯ Bhus, one of the Numen, was popr for his love of madness, euphoria, and alcohol. He and Chang-Sun shared nothing inmon, but if Chang-Sun had to think of one, it would be that he was on good terms with Bhus¡¯ siblings¡ªMinerva, Mars, and Mercury. For some reason, he had a feeling that Bhus was also not normal. ¡®Well, they¡¯re Jupiter¡¯s children, so except for Minerva, it may be more strange for them to be normal.¡¯ [The Celestial ¡®Madness Infuser¡¯ is yelling in delight!] ¡­ Bhus was practically spamming Chang-Sun, so he pushed Bhus¡¯ messages out of his sight. ¡°¡­ We cannot use this ce as our hideout anymore, so this might be for the better,¡± Nain quietly mumbled after sorting out his thoughts. He walked toward the Parasitic Divine Tree. The other Gray Elves looked at Nain. Chang-Sun also observed him. ¡°In nature, lightning bolts asionally strike jujube trees, making them extremely sturdy.¡± Nain looked down at the part of the Parasitic Divine Tree that the lightning bolt had scorched. He then smashed it with his wooden staff. Crash! ¡°The spot where a lightning bolt has hit it would burst and crack, but the electricity that permeated into the tree would instantly evaporate the water inside it, shrinking the tree. A jujube tree is already sturdy by nature, but it bes even more durable during the process. In addition, its inside which turned pitch ck holds lightning energy, so it¡¯s very effective in defeating evil spirits and keeping away weak monsters.¡± Nain cut out the burned part and brushed away the dust. Nain trimmed away a rtively tiny part of the tree. Since the Parasitic Tree was enormous, the part he cut out was still quite big. ¡°Of course, Parasitic Trees are iparably better than jujube trees. That¡¯s why I believe turning this into an artifact will be a great help to you in defeating the White Tiger n soldiers with ghost energy.¡± Nain approached Chang-Sun, then politely held out his hands with his palms open. ¡°This is the only thing we can offer you right now. Just like this Divine Tree protected us, it will now protect Twi¡ª!¡± ¡°Chang-Sun,¡± Chang-Sun interrupted. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Call me Chang-Sun.¡± Nain was quick-witted enough to immediately understand the meaning behind Chang-Sun¡¯s request. Considering his Divine Name was still censored, Chang-Sun wished to continue hiding his true identity for now. It seemed he required more time to reveal it. ¡°¡­ We wish for your protection, Sir Chang-Sun.¡± Nain bowed, going down on one knee like a royal subject rendering a tribute to his king. After exchanging nces, the other Gray Elves followed Nain¡¯s example. Through their link, they learned who Chang-Sun really was. He was Twilight, the person whom Kali always talked about and earned the Gray Elves¡¯ respect in the past. The ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ made a strong impression not only on Nain but on all the other Gray Elves in the area. Even though he always lost to Kali in the past, he never failed to stand up and challenge her again. That ignited a me of inspiration among many of the ascetics. [The Ninth Branch and other Branches have asked to be your Subordinates!] A hundred Gray Elves¡ªthe guardian ascetics of Himavat¡ªbowed their heads to him, creating a solemn and majestic sight. [These Branches are poor beings who have lost all their powers and Authorities due to the death of their Guardian.] [Taking them under your wings will give you a higher reputation in .] [Caution! epting beings who have lost their Guardian as your Subordinates will turn their enemies and allies into yours.] [Caution! Many people are after the Ninth Branch and other Branches. epting their request means having to provide them with protection. Failure to protect them will result in severe penalties.] This was different from when the Elfin Root became Chang-Sun¡¯s Subordinate. After all, the Elfin was just one Gray Elf, and he killed it first before turning it into his Subordinate. As an Undead, the Elfin then converted its belief. Chang-Sun would be taking in a group of about a hundred people, which meant that he would have to fill in for Kali in every aspect, including all her rtionships and the danger the Branches were in due to their revival campaign. Nevertheless, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t care. Even though he was a pathetic friend, Kali gave up everything for him, so it was only natural for him to take all her duties. However, just as he was about to nod and allow the Branches to change their beliefs and be his Subordinates¡­ ¡°I¡¯m right in front of you, my foolish subjects. Why are you trying to stray from the right path?¡± A voice that Nain and the Gray Elves were too familiar with loudly echoed in the sky. It belonged to someone who could never be here today, so the Gray Elves had buried the memory deep in their minds. ¡°¡­ No way.¡± Nain¡¯s eyes grew as wide as saucers when he turned toward it. ¡°Everyone, get back!¡± Chang-Sun yelled sharply as he spread his Jigwi¡¯s wings. Pzzzz! Made up of Atra Fulmen energy, the wings instantly turned into a protective barrier over the Gray Elves, shielding them from the attacks raining down from the sky. Boom, boom, boom! Rumble¨D! ¡°What in the world¡ª!¡± Nain and the others were taken aback. They were well aware of whose Authority was used for these attacks. It was Kali¡¯s [Destruction Anchor], which spread a strong wave of destruction upon impact! a Paah¡­! The moment [Destruction Anchor] and the Jigwi¡¯s wings shed, a gigantic cloud of dust rose, but it soon dissipated due to the ensuing gale. Amid the fight, Chang-Sun activated Fulgurator and unleashed his Atra Fulmen energy to the maximum output. Realizing whom Chang-Sun was fighting, Nain and the Gray Elves couldn¡¯t help gasping in shock. ¡°Goddess!¡± ¡°Our Guardian¡­! She¡¯s alive!¡± They thought Kali died, but she was right in front of them! Although she was not as intimidating or lethal as she was in her prime, her eyes were still as sharp, and she still moved the same. Nain and the others who were about to follow Chang-Sun as Kali instructed were now having a hard time wrapping their heads around the situation. aang! Amid the chaos, Chang-Sun stayed calm even though Kali, who was supposed to be at Durga with Baek Gyeo-Ul, appeared and started attacking him. After deflecting Kali¡¯s knife-hand strike with his Nameless Spear, Chang-Sun thrust the spear to push Kali away. Whirl! Kali concluded that she couldn¡¯t defeat Chang-Sun in terms of physical strength, so she somersaulted high in the air, quietlynding on the ground. Meanwhile, Nain and the Gray Elves trembled because her artistic movement, techniques, martial arts skills¡­ everything about her was exactly the same. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± ¡°Our goddess is truly¡­!¡± The Gray Elves eximed in awe. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ widens his eyes due to the sudden turn of the event!] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ is confused because she is unsure of what is happening!] Looking at the Gray Elves, Kali solemnly reproached them, ¡°I, Kali, your siblings¡¯ master and mother, am right here, so how can you choose to follow someone else? I cared and nurtured you with all my heart until my death!¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡ª!¡± ¡°Ninth Branch. You¡¯re one of the first I created. As my ninth child, you should understand me best. How could you have such a treacherous idea?¡± Kali asked. Nain couldn¡¯t bring himself to answer the question. Although he was just following Kali¡¯sst wish to be Chang-Sun¡¯s Subordinate, he still dered that he was changing Guardians while she was right in front of them. Nain basically betrayed Kali, an act that should never be done within a sect or a religious order. Since it was the same for the other Gray Elves, they bewilderedly looked back and forth between Nain, Kali, and Chang-Sun. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! Behind Kali, other Gray Elvesnded. Nain knew them quite well. After all, he was supposed to meet them tonight, and they were still his siblings even though they were with the . ¡°What are you all doing?! Our Guardian has returned, so why aren¡¯t you all paying your respects?¡± Having confirmed that the real Kali was standing before them, Nain and the others hurriedly tried to bow. There was no knowing why Kali joined the when she resurrected, but it was their duty as her priests to follow her regardless of her reasons. However, Nain and the Branches couldn¡¯t bow. An invisible power held them back. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. The one over there is an impostor,¡± Chang-Sun said. Navy blue fires lit up in Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes, looking at the Celestials behind Kali and the Gray Elves. [The ¡®Star Counter¡¯ looks at you¡­] [The ¡®Evil Spirit Executioner¡¯ looks at you¡­] [The ¡®Mysterious Man Wrapped in Silk-Wrapping Cloth¡¯¡­] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®Silk and Jewelry-Wrapped General¡¯ crumples up his face as he looks at you.] A list of members of the Ninth Corps popped up before Chang-Sun, finding Lie Si, a very familiar Divine Name, at the bottom of it. Lie Si was the divine general of the that Chang-Sun ran into in , and he was ring at Chang-Sun right now. ¡°Who are you to say I¡¯m a fake¡ª!¡± Kali red at Chang-Sun in anger. ¡°There are two reasons for my im,¡± Chang-Sun interrupted as he smirked. ¡°The first is that you don¡¯t recognize me.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°And the second reason¡­¡± Chang-Sun paused. He exuded another energy. [Living Tree, your dormant Divinity, is awakening!] Paah¡­! At that moment, Nain and the other Gray Elves saw an image that wasn¡¯t really an illusion. Living Tree was the Attribute of Kali¡¯s Divinity, so they felt as if the real Kali showed up behind Chang-Sun. She had a World Tree around her, and she had her eyes closed. ¡°The real Kali is with me right now,¡± Chang-Sun continued. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± [The power of the old Celestial ¡®Goddess of Massacre and Destruction¡¯ is awakening!] The image of the real Kali opened her eyes. Chapter 279: Star, the Revival Plan (4)

Chapter 279: Star, the Revival n (4)

[Your Subordinate ¡®Kali¡¯ is controlling her image!] ¡ºI had no idea.¡» The ¡®Goddess of Destruction and Massacre,¡¯ who destroyed and recreated many of her antagonizing civilizations in the past, showed up. When Kali¡¯s gigantic image behind Chang-Sun red at the fake Kali, she unwittingly took a step back. Even though the fake Kali had the same kind of Divinity, the real Kali¡¯s Divinity was far more overwhelming. ¡®This was why they tried to rescue the enved Gray Elves from ,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. The moment the fake Kali showed up, Chang-Sun immediately realized how the members got her. The fake Kali wasn¡¯tpletely fake. She probably even thought of herself as the real Kali too. Kali had a characteristic that prevented her from being wiped out from existence even if she died. As long as a certain amount of her Divinity was gathered, she could freely resurrect through cuttings since she was a Divine Tree. The members seemed to have realized that and tried to use it to their advantage. They gathered scattered Gray Elves, found one who could use their Divinity among them, and used them to resurrect Kali and revive her ruined . As a result, the members gained a great ally who could solve theirck of manpower. Judging from the number of the Gray Elves present, they seemed to have achieved quite the sess. Now, they nned to use the same method to recruit Nain and the other resistance fighters. However, they didn¡¯t think that Chang-Sun would revive another Kali, much less that she would possess far greater divine power than their Kali! ¡ºI didn¡¯t know my enemies were up to such a cute scheme. Hahaha, I didn¡¯t see thising.¡» The moment the image of Kali behind Chang-Sun spoke, Nain and the others turned pale and bowed, going down on one knee. ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°Mother¡­.!¡± ¡°I see Mother!¡± Nain and the resistance fighters were now certain. The image of Kali that Chang-Sun summoned from within him was the real Kali¡ªthe one whom they had desperately been looking for! ¡ºI¡¯m sorry. Despite the hardships all of you went through, I still got here toote. Everything is my fault,¡» the real Kali apologized. ¡°Not at all!¡± ¡°Why would you say such a thing?!¡± ¡ºAs always, all of you are very sweet. You¡¯re my children, but you¡¯re truly sweet.¡» She grinned, then quietly turned to look at Nain. ¡ºMy ninth child.¡» ¡°M-Mother!¡± Nain¡¯s lips trembled profusely. Nain bowed deeply, unable to calm down. He wasn¡¯t sure how the real Kali would reproach him or how angry she was with him. Maybe she would expel him for momentarily wavering when the fake Kali appeared because his faith wasn¡¯t deep enough. Regardless of the punishment he would be given, he nned to ept it withoutints and ask for her forgiveness afterward. ¡ºYou¡¯ve gone through a lot and done a great job, my child,¡»Kali said, contrary to Nain¡¯s expectations. Drip! Nain¡¯s heart, which he had to keep frozen all this time, finally melted. Drip! Drip! At that moment, every hardship and tribtion that Nain had gone through shed before his eyes. He ran away from the and Celestials¡¯ ceaseless pursuit, gathered his scattered siblings despite the difficulty, and even managed to raise a resistance army. He and the resistance fighters fought numerous battles only to do poorly and ultimately lose. Eventually, he reached Earth and went through several more difficulties. He overcame all hardships and tribtions under the belief that doing so was his duty to his mother. Nevertheless, he seemed to have be mentally exhausted without realizing it. Kali knew and acknowledged all of Nain¡¯s efforts. Although Nain didn¡¯t receive any rewards, her acknowledgment was enough for him. ¡°¡­ I just did what I was supposed to do.¡± ¡ºNothing in this world is done without reason. You could have given up, but you didn¡¯t. Instead, you made all the necessary sacrifices. That¡¯s the reason we got to meet again,¡» Kali gently soothed him. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who made sacrifices. Without the devotion and sacrifice of all my siblings here today, I couldn¡¯t have gotten this far.¡± Kali¡¯s smile deepened. She couldn¡¯t be more proud of Nain for standing up for his siblings until now. She always looked solemn, so even her priests had rarely seen herpassionate and merciful smile. ¡ºIs that so? Great job, everyone.¡» Kali looked at the others. ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such a thing.¡± ¡°It was a very meaningful time for all of us. I believed our deceased siblings would think the same.¡± ¡ºThank you for saying that. Then let me change the subject. My Branches, children, and subordinates¡­ I want to ask you a question.¡» Kali¡¯s tone abruptly became more serious, removing any trace of happiness. Her smile disappeared as well when she looked at the fake Kali and her followers. The fake Kali took a couple of steps backward again. The other Gray Elves¡¯ faces darkened. ¡ºThey¡¯re trying to distort my teaching. What do you think I should do about them?¡» the real Kali asked. Nain stood up from the ground. His eyes resembled the real Kali, who was a warrior, ascetic, and the symbol of Himavat. The Gray Elves who stood up after Nain were no different. ¡°They should be punished,¡± Nain quietly answered. ¡ºThey¡¯re also my children.¡» ¡°We¡¯ll wee back those who realize their mistakes and ask to be punished. As shepherds, we have to lead lost sheep down the right path. However, if they still can¡¯te to their senses¡­ they¡¯ll have to be cut off.¡± A growing tree with too many branches would have its growth speed hindered because it wouldn¡¯t be able to efficiently distribute nutrients. Hence, Nain nned to wear the yoke and pord the tree. ¡º¡­ Is that so?¡» Kali took a step back, realizing that Nain was far too determined to be convinced otherwise. Paah! Light spread out from Nain and the Gray Elves, momentarily circled around Chang-Sun, and seeped into him. His Divinity increased, causing his sacred light to thicken. They wanted to be Kali¡¯s Subordinates once again, who were currently Chang-Sun¡¯s. The conversion that the fake Kali¡¯s appearance stopped finally resumed. ¡ºCome, my children.¡» [You have epted them as your Subordinates.] [The Ninth Branch and other Branches now belong to a new Order.] [The Order ¡®Himavat¡¯ has been rebuilt!] [Your Divinity(Attribute: Living Tree) has been enhanced!] ¡­ [The level of your Subordinate ¡®Kali¡¯ has increased.] ¡­ Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! Kali¡¯s power-up was equivalent to Chang-Sun¡¯s. nk, nk¨D! A couple of the Divine Steel shackles on his soul got removed. ¡®Only fourteen shackles remaining,¡¯?Chang-Sun felt the spiritual power in his soul surging. [Your ss has increased.] [You have gained the right to reim some of your revoked Divine Name¡¯s letters.]] [You have reimed two letters.] [¡®N¡¯, ¡®E¡¯] [The ¡®¡ö¡öne ¡ö¡ö¡¯ is revealing his ss!] Pzzzzz! The Atra Fulmen sparks around Chang-Sun agglomerated and took the shape of a giant fiend¡¯s foreboding and horrifying upper body and head. Chang-Sun called this form the Fiendish Killer. ¡°My friend¡¯s children are also like my children. After all, they¡¯re basically my nephews and nieces. That¡¯s enough reason¡­¡± Chang-Sun unleashed his full power. ¡°... for me to save you.¡± Paaah! Chang-Sun turned into a ck ray of light and darted forward. Nain and the other resistance fighters quickly followed his lead. [The ¡®¡ö¡öne ¡ö¡ö¡¯ is about to write a new !] * * * ¡®The n has gone awry!¡¯ Bai Sha, the man designated to lead the fake Kali and her Gray Elves, realized that their operation was quickly turning south. They didn¡¯t expect that another group would make another Kali¡ªno, they did consider the possibility before. Considering the members found out about it, they thought that other organizations could as well. Nevertheless, they brought quite a number of the Gray Elves together, allowing them to resurrect Kali with quite arge amount of Divinity. Hence, they believed that their Kali could overwhelm the other Kali. . When two beings with the same Divinity fought, the one with more Divinity overwhelmed and could absorb the other¡¯s. For that reason, the members wished another Kali would show up even though it was unlikely. However, although they got their wish, they found themselves in danger instead because their Kali had less Divinity. They went through so many hardships to bring the Gray Elves together, but they were about to lose all of them and Kali¡¯s Divinity! Bai Sha decided to order everyone to retreat immediately. [The Celestial ¡®Silk-and-Jewelry-Wrapped General¡¯ angrily asks you what you think you are doing. He orders you to get the Gray Elves!] ¡®What?the he¡ª!¡¯ Bai Sha had to try really hard to hold himself back from cussing out loud. As ordered by Lie Si, the Ninth Corpsmander, Bai Sha had to hold his ground. Disobeying an order was such a serious offense in the that it was punishable by death. The was a made in a bacsh against Richardus, who killed their father, so they had to impose that militaryw. Something else bugged Bai Sha the most, however. Before Chang-Sun flew toward him, Chang-Sun released his ss, causing a mysterious message to pop up. ¡®¡ö¡öne ¡ö¡ö¡­? W-wait, no way,¡¯?Bai Sha thought. The members had different theories about Chang-Sun¡¯s identity, but they all shared one thing inmon: they acknowledged that he was extraordinary! The theory that Chang-Sun was the special secret weapon of the prevailed, however, and it was the rumor that quietly spread among the high-ranking Celestials as well. That was why they could not help but wonder who he truly was. Chang-Sun was initially thought to be ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ but that was swiftly dismissed. Everyone knew that ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ was put through the . Nobody could survive being sentenced to execution through that process, so they naturally believed that he was annihted. However, now that the people knew the wasn¡¯t as fair as they thought, the executives couldn¡¯t help but consider the possibility. Bai Sha just saw a Divine Name that shouldn¡¯t be showing up anymore. Although most of the letters were censored, the name closely reminded him of someone in many ways! Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t keep analyzing the situation. [The Skills ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s First w¡¯ and ¡®ck Mountain King¡¯s Second w¡¯ have been activated, crossing each other.] [The Authority ¡®Dragon Breath¡¯ has been activated!] Rumble¨D! Chang-Sun crossed the [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth], their divine and demonic energies mixing with the Atra Fulmen bolts that he was unleashing in the form of [Dragon Breath]. [The Skill ¡®Fiery Lightning Bolt¡¯ has been activated,unching multiple attacks!] soldiers were blown away every time the sky lit up. Meanwhile, Nain, the other resistance fighters, and Chang-Sun¡¯s summons caught up to the soldiers and raised hell. Bai Sha gritted his teeth. ¡®Shit! I would have joined the other division if I knew things would turn out this way¡ª!¡¯ Due to thew of causality, Celestials were restricted in the , so the Ninth Corps soldiers created two divisions. Lie Si and the first division soldiers headed to ¡®Doomsday City¡¯ to stop the Celestials¡¯ n of getting to the Source. Meanwhile, Bai Sha and the second division soldiers focused on contacting and recruiting Nain and his resistance army. Afterward, they nned to head to ¡®Doomsday City¡¯ as well. Their main army was with the first division, and all Lie Si and the others could do was watch them through their Channelings. In other words, Bai Sha and the second division soldiers were bound to fall here. sh! Looking at the [Fiery Lightning Bolt] charging toward him, Bai Sha closed his eyes. ¡®If that man is really ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯... If he came back from the grave after taking the King of the Underworld¡¯s hand, then Lie Si, Heoju¡­ Everyone is going to die.¡¯ The future of the members and Celestials would be the same as what Bai Sha was looking at right now: pitch-ck darkness. ¡°Thank you for your donation. I¡¯ll be taking Kali¡¯s Divinity now,¡± Chang-Sun said with a sneer. That was thest thing Bai Sha heard. Booom! * * * [Retrieving the Divinity of the old Celestial ¡®Goddess of Massacre and Destruction.¡¯] [The level of your Subordinate ¡®Kali¡¯ has increased.] ¡­ [A new is being written!] Chapter 280: Star, the Revival Plan (5)

Chapter 280: Star, the Revival n (5)

was vast. The universe alone was sorge that even Celestials had not ventured to most parts of it. That was why even the great Celestials, like the Ruling and Creator Celestials, only heard about other Celestials that were in different . However, they still knew about each other¡¯s existences because of thew of causality and the system that bound them together. Many Celestials didn¡¯t care about what was going on in the other , and Pabilsag was one of them. Unless they were trying to hinder her work, Pabilsag paid zero attention to other people and didn¡¯t take an interest in other . Nevertheless, the room Pabilsag was transported to after epting Neptune¡¯s invitation was filled with the great Celestials that even she heard about. They were all from different factions, , and had distinct Divine Ranks. However, they shared one thing inmon: they were all interested in Chang-Sun enough to send him an invitation to their divine ground. Cernunnos, Serket, and¡­ Pabilsag saw a man with sharp, serpent-like eyes sitting far from her. ¡®Even J?rmungandr is here.¡¯? When she met his eyes¡­ [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ grins and waves his invisible tail at you!] She felt as if a rattlesnake¡¯s tail popped up behind the man and swayed from side to side. Ding, ding! ¡°Everyone, please say hello to Tiamat¡¯s daughter. She is here today on Tiamat¡¯s behalf,¡± Neptune introduced Pabilsag. Releasing their Divine sses without hesitation, about a hundred Celestials looked at Pabilsag with discontent. ¡°Hmmm¡­!¡± ¡°Is this her way of saying that she¡¯s one of the Nine Heavens?¡± ¡°Or maybe she believes she shouldn¡¯t act rashly as one of the Mother Terra Celestial¡¯s representatives.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I would have understood if she sent Bashmu instead since he¡¯s basically the leader of . Tsk!¡± They all seemed to believe that Pabilsag wasn¡¯t qualified enough to have a seat at the table, which enraged Pabilsag enough to raise one of her eyebrows. After looking at the Celestials with vicious eyes, Pabilsag slowly turned away. ¡°Hmm? Where are you going?¡± Neptune asked. Pabilsag¡¯s cold smile deepened. ¡°It seems I¡¯m not wee here. If you were any fewer, I would already have left an arrow hole in each of your heads. Unfortunately, I¡¯m greatly outnumbered. The best I can do in this situation is leave the room.¡± Neptune¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor, but he could not help but admire her guts as well for talking so casually about leaving a hole in the great Celestials¡¯ heads even though there were so many of them. The great Celestials naturally became hostile. Unfazed, Pabilsag gave a stronger warning, ¡°Ah, keep in mind that I have memorized the faces of everyone who insulted me. After all, such an act can be interpreted as dishonoring my mother. I hope you prepare yourselves.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± At that moment, the great Celestials¡¯ faces darkened. Although Tiamat was gentle and generous around Chang-Sun, she was a notorious Celestial other were terrified of. She was the Evil Dragon and the Demonic Celestial who could bring wherever she went. The Retribution Fire of Destruction could strike every location and civilization she visited, and she could do the same to . She often fought with ¡®Taurus¡¯ as well, whom everyone was reluctant to fight against, and even recently started a full-scale war against him. She was also very prideful, making her famous for never forgiving anyone who disgraced her. If the Celestials joined in as well, things could be really dangerous. Since the Celestials¡¯ only goal was to intimidate Pabilsag, her warning was terrible news. Neptune quickly put a stop to the situation. ¡°Oh, no! I apologize on their behalf, Faraway Heaven¡¯s youngest daughter. Will you forgive us?¡± He even bowed as he apologized, making Pabilsag¡¯s eyes slightly widen. She was also well aware of how prideful Neptune was, but he was willing to go this far. ¡°I rarely behave this way, which probably surprises you, but I hope this shows just how important this meeting is.¡± ¡°¡­ I guess I have no choice,¡± Pabilsag quietly replied. Despite how reckless Pabilsag usually was, she couldn¡¯t keep acting insolent now that Neptune made a lot ofpromises for her. Maybe because she was still trying to protect her pride, she pompously held up her head and sat where Neptune pointed, which happened to be next to Selket. Pabilsag met Selket¡¯s eyes as she took her seat. Still awfully shy for a great Celestial, Selket hurriedly lowered her head. Most of her face was covered with her hood, but her face was slightly red and her hands nervously trembled on herp. [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ is feeling very nervous. She is not sure how she should give her gift to you!] ¡°¡­ A gift?¡± Pabilsag murmured nkly upon reading the unexpected message. Selket¡¯s face became redder than a tomato for failing to realize that a message of her state would be delivered. [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ mumbles that she has good cosmetics.] ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know much about makeup. I¡¯ve actually never tried using them before.¡± Pabilsag awkwardly scratched the back of her head. At that moment, Selket swiftly raised her head, her reddened face filled with disbelief. [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ asks you how is that possible when you are so beautiful! She adds that it is a crime to let your looks go to waste!] Pabilsag vacantly blinked. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ pretty?¡± Selket fervently nodded. [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ says you are asking the obvious!] ¡°... Seriously?¡± ¡°Definitely!¡± Selket spoke for the first time. Pabilsag was stunned. As the goddess of hunting, she ran wild and did everything she ever wanted, so it was her first time hearing this kind ofpliment. Selket stared at Pabilsag with sparkling eyes for a moment but eventually realized what she was doing. She quickly lowered her hood. [The Celestial ¡®gue Monarch¡¯ says that her cosmetic is very effective in healing your battle wounds too!] Pabilsag swiftly grabbed Selket¡¯s hands, surprising Selket. Pabilsag leaned toward her with sparkling eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s be friends!¡± Pabilsag said in delight. ¡­ Selket had trouble keeping eye contact, so it took a long time for her to nod. ¡ºConsidering the importance of this meeting¡¯s agendas, let¡¯s begin immediately,¡» Neptune said using his divine voice, catching everyone¡¯s attention. ¡ºThe agendas are¡­ As you may already know, they¡¯ve been proposed by Lee Chang-Sun, the human who gathered us. The first agenda is the establishment of the Anti and Alliance¡­ The Alliance for short. The second agenda is¡­¡» Neptune¡¯s eyes became sharp. ¡º... the revival of , the old . Does anyone have an opinion on this?¡» The and were showing signs of starting their operations in earnest. Meanwhile, another movement was also about to begin in secret from the other side of . * * * [Outside Channelings have been terminated by force!] ¡°¡­ Themunication has been cut.¡± Lie Si slightly frowned as he ran. Fo Fan, the Ninth Corps vicemander, turned grim. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡± The Ninth Corps¡¯ second division consisted of weak soldiers, but they were still the children of ¡®Tian Shi Yuan.¡¯ Above all, they also had Kali on their side, so it was hard to believe that a human could defeat them. ¡°He isn¡¯t human.¡± Lie Si shook his head. ¡°Excuse me¡­? What?¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t a half-wit demigod. He¡¯s about to be a Celestial, and he¡¯s skilled enough to defeat most low-ranking Celestials.¡± ¡°Impossible! How can a human¡ª!¡± Fo Fan shouted. He was also aware of how Chang-Sun hindered the operation in , but he believed that Chang-Sun only managed to do that because three Celestials were helping him. Besides, it was hard to ept that a mortal equally fought with Bai Sha, Kali, and the others. It went against everything Fo Fan knew. ¡°That¡¯s because he isn¡¯t human,¡± Lie Si said. ¡°Are you saying that he really is the ¡¯s secret weapon?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Fo Fan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Anyhow, it seems safe to assume that the second division has been annihted and that we have lost Kali and the Gray Elves.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We did all the work, but someone else took the credit. We¡¯ve gone through quite the trouble to bring those disobedient creatures together.¡± Lie Si gritted his teeth. He put the most effort into the Kali Resurrection n, but the results of his hard work all disappeared overnight. Wanting to recruit Nain and his resistance fighters, Lie Si instructed Bai Sha to take most of the Gray Elves in the , but that turned out to be a mistake. Of course, they still had quite several Kalis and Gray Elves, so they could still proceed with their n. However, it was now confirmed that Chang-Sun was several steps ahead of them. They had to speed things up. ¡®I lost this time¡­ but just you wait. I¡¯ll soon take everything you have, just like I did before,¡¯?Lie Si thought. Lie Si firmly believed that Chang-Sun was ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ who was working as the secret weapon of the . He already defeated ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯ in the past, and he was confident that this time wouldn¡¯t be any different. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on our mission first. Nu Chuang told us to get the [Brilliant Azure Light], which is the only way to tamper with the Source,¡± Lie Simanded. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Lie Si gestured at his soldiers. Paah¨D! With Lie Si in the center, the Ninth Corps soldiers sprang forward to initiate their operation on clearing ¡®Doomsday City.¡¯ The [Brilliant Azure Light] was one of the [Tricolored Brilliant Light], which Chang-Sun was after. * * * Taking out Bai Sha made it easy to bring the Gray Elves back to the Himavat n. The moment Chang-Sun cut off the fake Kali¡¯s head and absorbed her Divinity, the Gray Elves no longer had a reason to stay with the . It only took Chang-Sun¡¯s three strikes to take out the second division of the Ninth Corps and bring all the Gray Elves back together. [The Divine Dignity of the ¡®¡ö¡öne ¡ö¡ö¡¯ is overwhelming the battlefield!] The phrase ¡®Divine Dignity¡¯ was printed on the System, which meant Chang-Sun already finished his and was reaching the level of a Celestial. [The seed of your divine power is undting in your ¡®Ferocious Heart.¡¯] [Redefine your own divine power and convert all your mana into divine power.] Chang-Sun faintly smiled as he looked at the seed of his divine power in the corner of his [Ferocious Heart]. It didn¡¯t take long for him to notice that the seed was exuding divine power that was very simr to the one he used as the ¡®Divine Twilight,¡¯ but¡­ ¡®...That is not enough,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t just going to restore his divine power to the level he reached in the past. Since he had more talents and powers than before, his new divine power should be stronger. ¡®I should kill Heoju, collect all [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan], and be the only Celestial on Earth.¡¯? -wise, the civilization named Earth was nothing out of the ordinary, but numerous secrets were hidden on the other side of it. Once Chang-Sun took charge of what and called Source, his Divine Rank would far surpass the level of ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯. ¡®I¡¯ll also be Mephistopheles¡¯ disciple and get closer to bing the .¡¯? Chang-Sun looked down at the Gray Elves who prostrated before him to swear their loyalty. [The ¡®Himavat¡¯ ascetics swear their loyalty to you!] He had his Undead Army soldiers by his side as his guards. [The ¡®Changgwi Cave¡¯ Army soldiers are guarding you!] ¡®Tiamat and Neptune have probably met by now.¡¯ Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply. Everything was going ording to n. [The ¡®Lightning-Struck Jujube Tree Fragment¡¯ that the Order ¡®Himavat¡¯ has given you lets out a long howl!] Pzzz, pzzzz! The part of the Parasitic Tree that Nain and his resistance fighters gave him trembled faintly. * * * While Chang-Sun was trapped in the space created by [Space Severance], he epted numerous invitations and went from divine ground to divine ground to practice his [Dragon Breath]. However, he did that to progress the n he came up with Thanatos as well. ¡°Form a force that would oppose and when the timees? How?¡± Chang-Sun asked.? Chapter 281: Star, Doomsday City (1)

Chapter 281: Star, Doomsday City (1)

The establishment of the Alliance was part of the n Chang-Sun had made with Thanatos. ? ¡°Your identity is bound to be discovered someday, isn¡¯t it?¡± Thanatos remarked, leaning against his chair. ¡°I guess so,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°So we should prepare for that day,¡± Thanatos said. ¡°How exactly?¡± Chang-Sun asked.? ¡°While the Celestials are busy guessing your real identity, I¡¯m going to start a rumor about the ,¡± Thanatos replied. ¡°You told me thest time that it was to create confusion and put them on alert,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°Once I do that, the in and will probably respond in some way,¡± Thanatos exined. ¡°Respond?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Yeah, they have no choice but to react in some way,¡± Thanatos replied. ? Thanatos¡¯ smile looked evil for some reason. In a way, he resembled a mischievous kid nning a prank, but at the same time, he also looked like a viin who was about to bring the world to ruin.? ? ¡°Last time, I said that , especially the ones in and , were from entirely different worldlines,¡± Thanatos said.? ¡°Yeah, you also mentioned that their target is the that exists in every worldline,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡°There is one more thing they want. It¡¯s the Source, but they call it R¡¯lyeh,¡± Thanatos exined. ¡°R''lyeh? What is that?¡± Chang-Sun asked, tilting his head in confusion.? ¡°It¡¯s the body or the shell of the , who is currently in a very deep sleep. It can also be seen as the root of this world made up of a ¡®dream¡¯. Well, there are many interpretations, but it¡¯s technically the center of this worldline,¡± Thanatos continued. ¡°¡­Such a thing is on Earth?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°That¡¯s also the reason why the Earth you lived on is the center of this universe and world. Based on the treaty formed between and the , R¡¯lyeh is under the management of the , but the and Celestials are circumventing the treaty. Using their followers, they¡¯ve been approaching R¡¯lyeh little by little in secret¡­ and they¡¯re almost there,¡± Thanatos said, raising a brow ¡°¡­Thus they¡¯re bound to be surprised if they hear the news of the taking action?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ? Thanatos¡¯ expression brightened and he pped his knee. ? ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it! Those guys will react strongly for sure. In that case, the other that have been staying vignt against them are also going to respond,¡± Thanatos said.? ¡°And I should use those and bring them together?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°By that time, there will be a number of Celestials paying attention and showing interest in you for sure, so make a deal with them. You¡¯re free to use your name, or the title of an reaper,¡± Thanatos replied. ¡°Aren¡¯t you giving me too much of a free pass? I might end up making an agreement that practically makes the a ve of ,¡± Chang-Sun said, raising a brow ¡°Hahaha! Don¡¯t worry about it. is going to be in chaos, so I don¡¯t think the Celestials are still going to be powerful enough to enforce the deal. Besides¡­¡± Thanatos trailed off. ? Thanatos did not seem to believe that even if the Alliance was sessfully established, it would function properly. The Celestials of were already busy fighting among themselves, so Thanatos foresaw that it would be difficult for the alliance to defeat and , which moved like one organism.? However, the existence of the Alliance would create a big difference¡­ Thanatos believed that as long as the Alliance could create chaos in , it would be enough. The deal Chang-Sun made with the Celestials? Thanatos could take care of it after everything was over. In order to enforce a contract, one needed to have sufficient power, after all. Of course, Thanatos did not appear to be worrying about the possibility of the alliance not causing as much chaos as he hoped; he smiled enigmatically as he looked at Chang-Sun. ? ¡°I think I should do at least this much to boss around the ¡®Divine Twilight¡¯, to avoid any issues in the future,¡± Thanatos said with a chuckle. When the rumor rted to the first began to spread around and many invitations arrived before Chang-Sun, he had realized that it was the time to create the Alliance. However, contrary to the n suggested by Thanatos, he chose not to use his title as an reaper.? ¡®It¡¯s better for the rumor rted to the to keep circting, to leave a?Doubtful Shade[1]?in . If I shed light on the rumor, it¡¯ll be half as effective.¡¯ A Doubtful Shade, was a kind of doubt in one¡¯s heart that fed on dark emotions. Such emotions that only spection could foster would make one¡¯s doubt into a ghost that aggravated thos samee emotions in turn.? Chang-Sun wished for the to be the Doubtful Shade of . A series of chaotic events would strike , so if Chang-Sun kept sowing doubt and distrust among the Celestials of , the presence of the would be more threatening. The would be the mastermind behind the curtain that would be unwise to antagonize. For that reason, Chang-Sun used a different title when he met and proposed a deal to the Celestials. ? ¡°I¡¯m here as the king of . I¡¯m going to rebuild ... and walk the same path Bes did. If necessary, I¡¯m also willing to handle .¡± Chang-Sun emphasized the fact that he was the heir of Surtr, the previous king of . Although the had be extinct in the past, Bes had left a huge impact on thatsted until the present. He also did not hide the fact that he was Odin¡¯s reincarnation. Bes¡¯s heir and Odin¡¯s reincarnation¡­ Who could be more desirable than him? ¡°I would like to propose a deal in that regard.¡±? That was why the revival of had be the second agenda in the meeting about the Alliance¡¯s establishment. Chang-Sun joining the Alliance as the representative of and was already meaningful in many ways. Of course, Chang-Sun¡¯s forces were insignificant at present, but no one believed they would remain that way. Even the great Celestials had to admit how quickly Chang-Sun was getting stronger, so Neptune and the other Celestials were no doubt in the middle of a fierce discussion. No matter what conclusion the Celestials reached in the meeting, Chang-Sun would not suffer a loss; any conclusion was fine as long as he could hinder the operations of and . He just had to sit back and wait for the oue of the meeting. ¡®I¡¯m going to start knocking down , so if the Alliance buys me enough to snap a ¡®spear¡¯ off ...¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. * * * [Will you use your reward, a ¡®Teleport Scroll¡¯?] Chang-Sun pulled out the scroll he had acquired after the fake Kali¡¯s death. The coordinates on this [Teleport Scroll] were¡­ ¡®...I knew it. It¡¯s ¡®Doomsday City¡¯,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, smiling in contentment after using [Mana Scan] to analyze the coordinates. With the scroll, it would be easy to get to ¡®Doomsday City¡¯. ¡®It¡¯s cumbersome to deal with everything out there and get to the Gate, so this is for the best.¡¯ [The Authority ¡®Monster Excursion¡¯ has been activated, observing the outside in detail!] After taking a look around, Chang-Sun discovered that Director Gwon Hyo-Hae and the White Tiger n¡¯s Ghost Soldiers were not the only ones here. It seemed that a cleanup party had been scheduled to arrive. Members of the Jaynix Company, the United States¡¯ biggest n that had partnered up with the White Tiger n, were surrounding the area. However, they were not the only ones. Several ns that were rted to the Illinois State Government, the FBI, and the Council¡­ Many people from various organizations had arrived to form a siege party. Chang-Sun focused his mana on his senses, bing able to clearly hear their conversations. Some of them were¡­ ¨DIs he really here? ¨DYes, sir! It seems that way. ¨DUrgh¡­ Shit! How are we supposed to arrest someone who defeated the Immortal Overlord? Typical. The feds always do this! ¨DS-Sir, they can hear you. ¨DLet them hear! Fuck! They were the yers who had been summoned because of the Illinois emergency order. They were reluctant to fight directly against Chang-Sun. ¨DIs the Tyrant really responsible for the terror attacks? ¨DThat is what they say. ¨DBut there isn¡¯t any evidence that supports the im. Ah, fuck! Did they all get bribed or something?? ¨DWhat would it change even if they did? Anyway, I hope this goes off without a hich. I¡¯m supposed to meet Selena tonight! ¨DAh, those freaking higher-ups¡­ ¨DMaybe it¡¯s because of Peter. ¨DPeter? He kisses our bureau director¡¯s ass so hard that it¡¯s gotta be covered in rashes. Seriously. ¨DUgh! In any case, I want this to end quickly. Why did he have to show up in Illinois, out of all the states¡­ ¨DYeah, let¡¯s see how it turns out. If it gets too dangerous, we can let him go. We can put out a warrant on him and make the guys at Interpol handle itter. They were from the Counter-yer Special Bureau of the FBI, but they had a lot ofints about their superiors for some reason. ¨DHow many people are here right now? ¨DExcluding our guys, there are a total of 472 people. In addition to that, three special units are on standby. They¡¯ll be going in right away once the signal is given.? ¨DEven the Tyrant won¡¯t be able to walk out of this unscathed, now that the FBI has decided to take the matter into their own hands. The Blood Overlord was driven off to South America in the end because he was scared of the US government. They¡¯re experts in hunting down yers, so this ce is going to be the Tyrant¡¯s grave. In that case, our Jaynix Company will earn a big boost to our reputation, which should allow us to keep the White Tiger n guys¡¯ egos in check.? ¨DYeah, you¡¯re right. ¨DThere¡¯s still no telling what will happen, so brace yourselves. ¨DYes, sir! ¨DNo matter how great he is, we have to get him here so he can¡¯t escape. Here, no matter what¡­! Most of them were reluctant to sh directly against Chang-Sun, but the Jaynix employees were making their move very actively. Nominally, they were the formal partner of the White Tiger n. However, due to Munseong¡¯s and Chang-Sun¡¯s brilliant performances, the Jaynix Company had lost a lot of ground, practically bing a White Tiger n subsidiary. From their perspective, it was a golden opportunity to turn the tide. If they could take down Chang-Sun, their reputation would definitely soar to new heights. ¡®It seems they¡¯re going to try to frame me as a demonic being to eliminate me,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, chuckling. The White Tiger n and Jaynix Company¡¯s trap was a wild goose chase; Chang-Sun found the whole situation absurd. Now that he had begun to restore his Divine ss, he was confident that he could take them out with ease, no matter how many of them were there. ¡®Of course, I¡¯d be giving them a perfect excuse to frame me as a demonic being.¡¯? Chang-Sun still had no desire tomit unnecessary murder. Although it was partly because he valued human lives, more importantly, it would do nothing to help him be the only Celestial on Earth. ¡®It would only make them resist harder.¡¯ That was why Chang-Sun had been wondering how to break through their siege. However, he had just gotten his hands on a [Teleport Scroll] that would lead him to ¡®Doomsday City¡¯. He initially considered activating the [Teleport Scroll] immediately, but he suddenly heard a somewhat familiar voice; he had not deactivated [Monster Excursion] yet. ¨DBut why isn¡¯t heing out? Is he really here? The voice belonged to Cha Ye-Eun. The moment Chang-Sun realized that, he came to a halt, although he could not be certain why. For some reason, he could hear her voice unusually clearly. ¨DSeonbae. ¨DWhat? ¨DDo you really think Mr. Lee Chang-Sun is behind these terror attacks? ¨DHm? ¨DWell, something is weird. We had four of these attacks just today¡­ To think one person could be behind those attacks¡­ It¡¯s as if someone¡­ ¨DSomeone fabricated this? ¨D¡­Yes.? ¨DYou¡¯re probably right. ¨D¡­Is it really fabricated? ¨DYup. ¨DThen why¡­?! ¨DIt¡¯s not totally out of left field.? ¨D¡­? ¨DCan¡¯t you tell? This whole thing is the White Tiger n and Jaynix Company¡¯s bullshit attempt to ostracize Lee Chang-Sun. ¨D¡­! Click! Chang-Sun heard the sound of Ye-Eun lighting her lighter while biting a cigarette. ¨DPhew¡­ The Bureau, Council, Illinois government¡­ Every single guy in this ce must have been bribed. ¨DA-Are you going to just l-leave them be? ¨DNo way. But it would be hard to attack them without any evidence. Let¡¯s wait and see how far they¡¯re willing to go with their bullshit, because this whole situation is reeking right now. Before I use my sword, I need to know the full extent of the problem to handle it right. Ye-Eun spoke with certainty, and Chang-Sun could imagine Jin Seok-Tae looking at her with respect. ¨DI knew it! ¨DWhat now? ¨DYou¡¯re our world¡¯s tsundere Saintess¡­! ¨D¡­Do you have a death wish? ¨DUrgh! Urrrggh! S-Still! How c-can you really sh-shove your revolver into my m-mouth!? ¨DTsk. Bummer. I ran out of bullets. ¨DDon¡¯t sound so disappointed over something like that! ¨DKeep talking if you want to end up with another air hole in the back of your head. ¨DI¡¯m sorry¡­ ¨DPhew, you¡¯ll seriously be the death of me. ¨DS-Still¡­ ¨DI warned you. If you continue that nonsense, I¡¯m really going to pull the trigger. Keep in mind that it¡¯s loaded now. ¨DI-I¡¯m just saying that you acted really cold to him at the airport¡­ But judging from your response just then, you sounded as if you trust Mr. Lee Chang-S¡­ Aaaaah! ¨DDie. Please. Bang, bang, bang! Chang-Sun could hear a series of gunshots this time. ¡®¡­She trusts me?¡¯?he murmured. Something else made Chang-Sun feel mixed emotions, and it was not just that Ye-Eun seemed to trust him. He remembered Ye-Eun coldly walking away at the airport, but her remarks sounded much warmer than before, and it felt strange. [The Celestial ¡®Primordial Evil Dragon¡¯ asks you if you dare to cheat in front of her, grinning.] After reading the message from Tiamat, Chang-Sun chuckled dumbfoundedly, then decided to focus on the present. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead first? We¡¯ll be right behind you,¡± Nain said. Chang-Sun tilted his head and asked, ¡°Right behind?¡± ¡°The outside world is filled with other humans, and the scroll you have is only for one person¡­!¡± Nain replied. ¡®I see. Well, there¡¯s no way they¡¯ll sit idly by when I¡¯m leaving to put a damper on the operations of ,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought with a chuckle, pulling out his ne bearing [Peter¡¯s Key]. Click! Chang-Sun smoothly inserted [Peter¡¯s Key] into the [Teleport Scroll] and twisted it. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Nain and the other Gray Elves eximed in surprise, their eyes widening. Whoosh! With an audible click, a pool of blue light spread out from the [Teleport Scroll] before disappearing. [The restriction on the ¡®Teleport Scroll¡¯ has been lifted, summoning a portal to the set coordinates!] The pool of blue light grew bigger and bigger, eventually bing a portal. The writing above it caught the attention of Nain and the other Gray Elves. [Entrance to ¡®Doomsday City¡¯.] ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The unexpected turn of events made the Gray Elves¡¯ jaws practically drop to the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Chang-Sun said as he casually walked toward the portal. After exchanging nces, Nain and the other Gray Elves nodded and followed Chang-Sun. [The ¡®¡ö¡öne ¡ö¡ö¡¯ and the Order ¡®Himavat¡¯ have entered the Dungeon ¡®Doomsday City¡¯!] 1. The raw is ????(ÒÉÐÄ°µ¹í). It¡¯s an ancient idiom. ?? Chapter 282: Star, Doomsday City (2)

Chapter 282: Star, Doomsday City (2)

James Smith was the vice president of the Jaynix Company, while Peter Mason was the regional manager at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Meanwhile, Sophia Allen was the Counter-Terrorism Bureau director of the United States branch of the Council. Now, they were all gathered in one ce. Although they were all big shots in their respective organizations, they stood quietly with sharp gazes. ¡°¡­The Tyrant must be ssified as one of the Nine Evils.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I already finished talking with Interpol. Once we officially file a request, Interpol will put out a Red Notice on the Tyrant. Considering his ability, ssifying him as one of the Nine Evils is essential, but the problem is¡­¡± Peter began confidently, but he stopped and nced in another direction. James and Sophia also looked in the same direction, toward Cha Ye-Eun, who had a cigarette in her mouth as she talked to Jin Seok-Tae. ¡°...whether or not we can do it without the Iron Witch noticing,¡± Peter continued. ¡°Hmm!¡± ¡°Phew¡­!¡± James and Sophia¡¯s expressions also darkened, and Peter gritted his teeth. Until a few hours prior, their n to designate Chang-Sun as a demonic being had been going smoothly. The Jaynix Company was the biggest n in the US. The n was technically the biggest among the Five Great ns, so they had ties to many people in American politics, including the White House. As such, it had not been difficult to frame Chang-Sun as the main culprit behind the serial terror attacks that had turned Chicago upside down. The FBI and the United States branch of the Council could just make an announcement that they had conducted a joint investigation and traced the attacks back to Chang-Sun. However, they had run into a problem after Ye-Eun arrived. Although she did not say much, her presence alone was enough to pressure the others, as her status in the Council was indescribably high. On top of that, she clearly appeared to be investigating something, so it was hard for the three to not show any reaction. ¡®Why did she have to show up right now?!¡¯ ¡®Shit, we can¡¯t do anything in this case.¡¯ ¡®We already spent a lot of money¡­ If she manages to find our trail, it¡¯s all over!¡¯? Up until the present, Ye-Eun had been behind the termination of several people from their jobs. Even if the three wanted to silence her for good, she was a Duke-ss yer, so they were unsure of their victory. They had the option of recruiting her to their side, but they were terrified of the consequences if they failed. ¡°In the end, our only option is¡­¡± Sophia began, breaking the long silence. She was the only woman among the three and was technically Ye-Eun¡¯s superior, but she was displeased by the way she felt pressured by Ye-Eun. She concluded after a moment, ¡°...to pray the Tyrant gets out of there as soon as possible.¡± James and Peter nodded in agreement. If Chang-Sun attempted to break through their siege before Ye-Eun found something, it would cause some casualties, ensuring their n would work out. ¡°If we send in our units¡­!¡± ¡°No, that would be the worst choice. It¡¯ll give the media an excuse to write articles aboutw enforcement brutality, and we won¡¯t be able to find a justification to brand him as one of the Nine Evils.¡± ¡°Shit! You¡¯re basically saying we have no other option than sitting on our hands!¡± ¡°We already received a report about how the White Tiger n members were annihted, and we¡¯ve waited until now, so let¡¯s hold on a little more. Even if he¡¯s the famous Tyrant, he can¡¯t hold out there forever,¡± James said. The other two had no choice but to nod in agreement. ¡®Chang-Sun. Let¡¯s wait, if only until Chang-Sunes out.¡¯ They continued to wish desperately that Chang-Sun would emerge, although he had long since left for ¡®Doomsday City¡¯ using a portal. For a long time, they would keep waiting for a future that would nevere true. * * * [You have entered the Dungeon ¡®Doomsday City¡¯!] As Chang-Sun looked up, the pool of light disappeared, revealing a gray sky. An eerie city made entirely of gray concrete sprawled before his eyes. It looked as if no one had been there for a long time. Its asphalt roads were covered in cracks where weeds grew, leaving them extremely uneven and messy. Buildingsrge and small lined the wide roads, but their windows were all broken and the window frames were rusty. It was a wonder that they had not yet crumbled. In the distance, across the city, there was a big river with a bridge leading across it; however, the bridge was already broken, no longer able to serve its purpose. Whoosh¡­! No one appeared to be present in the ghost city. It resembled a scene out of a post-apocalyptic movie, but¡­ ¡®¡­It somehow looks familiar,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. It was definitely his first time entering this Dungeon, but he had a strong sense of deja vu. The buildings, roads, location¡­ He had a feeling he had seen them all from somewhere, but the problem was that he was unable to remember where. ¡®It¡¯s not Arcadia. There¡¯s nothing like this there.¡¯ Although Arcadia¡¯s civilization was advanced as Earth¡¯s, it had developed through magic rather than technology. As a result, the scenery in Arcadia was totally different due to the different ways the people of both worlds had made advancements and built their cultures. ¡®Where could I have possibly seen this sight?¡¯ Nevertheless, the question continued to bother Chang-Sun, convincing him he had to find out why. Suddenly, however, his eyes narrowed. . [Commencing the Dungeon Quest!] The message that announced the Dungeon Quest¡¯s start appeared before Chang-Sun. [Quest Theme: Search.] [¡®Doomsday City¡¯ is a city on a that once had a magnificent civilization. However, the very scale of their civilization led to division, and they faced doom in the end. The air is filled with poison, and smog covers the sky. No living creature can survive more than 72 hours in this ce, and to this day, poison continues to seep out from a certain location.] [The city is made up of four sectors¡ªA, B, C, and D. Each sector has distinct characteristics. Search all these sectors to find and solve the problems that make this city deadly.] [Toplete the quest, every participant has been granted ess to the , , and .] Chang-Sun inhaled briefly, and felt his cells stinging due to the invisible poison, which was clearly the same one mentioned in the Dungeon Quest description. It was a poison among poisons, which had led an entire city¡ªno, civilization¡ªto . [Warning! The unknown poison hidden in the air has entered your system through your lungs. The poison has been found to be lethal. Exit the area quickly and attempt to detoxify yourself.] [You are about to enter the ¡®Poisoned¡¯ state.] [Attempt to detoxify yourself within 72 hours. If you fail, you might die.] ¡­ [The Effect ¡®Hundred Toxin Immunity¡¯ has been applied, building immunity to the poison!] [The poison has been neutralized.] ¡­ [The amount of time you can stay in the Dungeon has increased significantly.] [96 hours.] [120 hours.] ¡­ [720 hours.] ¡­ It took a while, but Chang-Sun quickly eliminated the poison using [Hundred Toxin Immunity]. ¡°Are¡­ you okay?¡± Nain asked. Seeing how cautiously Nain approached him, Chang-Sun chuckled inadvertently. It seemed that Nain and the other Gray Elves were having trouble breathing. As they had been born from a Divine Tree, their talentsy in purification, but nevertheless, the air in the city was just too poisonous, causing them pain. ¡®Well, that must be why I had a time limit of 72 hours even though my level is almost 100.¡¯ This Dungeon was clearly so dangerous that an ordinary person would have to leave in less than half a day, let alone one whole day. That was likely why the United States had failed to clear the Dungeon for a long time, as the lethality of the poison in the air alone was quite problematic. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ says it is very unpleasant!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says that the poison filling up this Dungeon isparable to his own, giving him mixed emotions.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ asks the Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ if the poison in the air is demonic poison.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ answers that the poison is simr but different, shaking his head.] ¡®A poison that even Celestials don¡¯t understand in detail, huh?¡¯ Chang-Sun had a rough idea as to what it was, but that was not his main priority. Thus, he decided to focus on something else. He had toplete two tasks in ¡®Doomsday City¡¯. One was to stop Heoju, and the other was¡­ ¡®...Get the [Tricolored Brilliant Light], one of the ingredients to bing the ,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought quickly. ¡®The [Tricolored Brilliant Light] is made up of distinctponents. If I get theponents in the wrong order, I¡¯ll die.¡¯ Sixth Elder had died and ended up in the abyss of the before he could even put up a fight for a reason. ¡®I guess I need to get the [Vermilion Brilliant Light] first.¡¯ The [Tricolored Brilliant Light] was made up of distinct vermillion, jade, and azure lights. Among those colors, vermilion symbolized fire. ¡°You said you¡¯d change your fire into lightning energy, didn¡¯t you? Then make your fire asrge as possible,¡± Sixth Elder said. Sixth Elder had rmended that Chang-Sun acquire [Tricolored Brilliant Light] in the order of vermilion, azure, and jade. ¡°Azure and jade are the ones that change properties, so why not those?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°The strength of fire is proportional to the intensity of light. Once the intensity is fixed, it¡¯s hard to increase it afterward. Light stinks,¡± Sixth Elder said. ¡°Hmm,¡± Chang-Sun mused. ¡°Besides, the strength of fire is proportional to the stamina of one¡¯s soul¡­ so if you start with the property change, kek! You get what I mean,¡± Sixth Elder continued, making a choking noise. In other words, Chang-Sun had to get the [Vermilion Brilliant Light] first in order to upgrade his power safely, but he could not get to work right away. ¡°Hmm!¡± Heoju, or the [Vermilion Brilliant Light].... Chang-Sun had not decided which one to prioritize. On one hand, he wanted to attack Heoju first. However, Heoju knew that Chang-Sun wasing after him, and was undoubtedly making every possible preparation. As Chang-Suncked information about Heoju¡¯s actions, he could not rush in and attack Heoju without a good n. Even Executive Director Oh did not know what Heoju was doing. ¡®The guys must be sharpening their axes,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, his gaze turning sharp. ¡®If only I could figure out Heoju¡¯s location¡­¡¯ At that moment, however¡­ ¡°Heoju is in Sector D,¡± Nain suddenly said, looking much better than before. Chang-Sun had shared his Divinity with Nain and the other Gray Elves some time beforehand. Through that Divinity, they had gotten used to the air in the city. Chang-Sun had definitely not expected to hear such a thing; his eyes widened as he asked, ¡°How do you know that?¡± Nain smiled enigmatically and replied, ¡°Have you forgotten that we¡¯ve been fighting against the White Tiger n and for a while?¡± ¡°¡­Did you receive intel from someone or something?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Many of my siblings made sacrifices to find out this information. Heoju is in Sector D Building 14-231. The Source¡¯s vein has been found there, and the excavation process is in progress.¡± ¡°Then it must be correct,¡± Chang-Sun said, nodding. ¡°Thank you,¡± Nain said with all his heart, bowing deeply. As the Gray Elves had risked their lives to acquire the information, he had been worried about wasting it, but those fears wereid to rest. ¡®My siblings, your sacrifices weren¡¯t meaningless¡­!¡¯ Nain thought, trying not to reveal his reddening eyes. Still, he was grateful to Chang-Sun for trusting the Gray Elves¡¯ ability without a single doubt. Meanwhile, Chang-Sun¡¯s gaze became colder as he thought, ¡®Sector D, huh? The [Vermilion Brilliant Light] is in the outskirts, Sector A Building 72-843. It¡¯s on the way to Sector D.¡¯ This Dungeon was a circr space that was divided into four sectors, which meant Sector A and D were right next to each other. ¡®This is for the best. Instead of getting affected by a power I¡¯m not used to by getting azure or jade first, I¡¯ll follow the n and make my fire stronger, then quickly take out Heoju.¡¯ As it was on the way, it would be a good idea to get the [Vermilion Brilliant Light] first. On top of that, the Gray Elves had been monitoring the White Tiger n, so Chang-Sun could prepare for any possible traps. ¡®I wonder what Atra Fulmen will be like after upgrading it with the [Vermilion Brilliant Light],¡¯?Chang-Sun thought with a faint smile, taking a look around. Perhaps it would be different if he moved alone, but what would be the best way for this many people to get to where the [Vermilion Brilliant Light] was as fast as possible? While trying to figure out the answer, Chang-Sun observed the surroundings. A car showroom in the distance caught his eye. * * * Vroom! [A ¡®Ferrari 488 Spider installed with a mana engine¡¯ is traveling down the road!] Dozens of sports cars crossed the ruined roads in a pack. Their engines roared loudly, the sound spreading to every corner of the quiet, ruined city. Chang-Sun held the wheel at the front of the pack, wearing sunsses. ¡®It¡¯s nice,¡¯ he thought. He had glimpsed Ye-Eun¡¯s sports car in the past, and after seeing hers, he had wanted to drive one himself¡­ He felt that the sensation of wind blowing across his face was quite nice, and Nain and the other Gray Elves were right behind him. Although they tried to maintain theirposure, their cheeks were all rosy, making him smile inadvertently. As the scenery quickly passed by, however, Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes and thought, ¡®Come to think of it, this is¡­¡® He was finally able to tell why he had felt a sense of deja vu after arriving at ¡®Doomsday City¡¯. Of course he was bound to be familiar with it. Beyond the hazy smog, he saw a tall, sharp building. It was Lotte World Tower 2 in Jamsil, the first ce he had arrived at as soon as he returned from Arcadia. ¡®It¡¯s Seoul,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, frowning slightly. Chapter 283: Star, Doomsday City (3)

Chapter 283: Star, Doomsday City (3)

Chang-Sun and the Gray Elves drove their cars down Olympic Boulevard. The long river flowing beside them was definitely the Hangang River. The roads were all cracked like turtle shells, while all sorts of trash filled the Hangang River, making it look very different from the Seoul Chang-Sun remembered. However, ¡®Doomsday City¡¯ looked so simr to Seoul that anyone who had spent time in Seoul would instantly recognize it. ¡®What happened?¡¯ That was what Chang-Sun could not help but wonder. ording to the Dungeon Quest description, this was the city of a civilization that had faced its doom, which meant that it had actually existed. ¡®The other worldline that crumbled¡­ Is this Seoul from that parallel universe?¡¯ Chang-Sun had a feeling that he was right. There were numerous worldlines in the universes, so it would not be odd to find one that was simr to the one Chang-Sun was in. Thus, there were naturally worldlines that had met such an end. In that case, however, there was another question to ask. ¡®...Why did Earth fall into ruins in this worldline?¡¯ Thoughts swirled chaotically in Chang-Sun¡¯s mind. * * * Beep. ¡ºWe have control over this area, sir.¡» Beep. Beep. ¡ºGroup 2 has cleared the target.¡» Beep. ¡ºGroups 3 and 4 have also cleared the target.¡» The radio rang continuously with all-clear reports, indicating that the groups hadpleted their goals without difficulty. Branch Manager Lee Sang-Su became anxious, however. Munseong, the Council of Elders, and the entire Raid Department members had headed to ¡®Doomsday City¡¯. Thus, the White Tiger n¡¯s headquarters in Chicago was left open for the taking. Director Gwon Hyo-Hae had not entered the Dungeon, so he was supposed to be leading them. However, he had abruptly gone radio silent, leaving the remaining members of the headquarters helpless against Executive Director Oh Shi Hwan¡¯s attack. ¡°Do you really think you can walk out of this unscathed, Executive Director Oh?!¡± Sang-Su shouted, threatening Executive Director Oh in an attempt to stop him. Executive Director Oh, however, was not even listening. He just sat in the chair that had once been Sang-Su¡¯s and quietly waited to hear the result. At that moment, the door to Sang-Su¡¯s office opened wide, and Seo Jeong-Gwon walked in, his eyes filled with a ferocious gaze. The sight of him covered in blood was more menacing than ever, ¡°We sessfully subdued everyone,¡± Jeong-Gwon reported. ¡°Casualties?¡± Executive Director Oh asked. ¡°Zero. The child named Woo Hye-Bin, who was with Lee Chang¡ªno, him¡ªdid a remarkable job,¡± Jeong-Gwon said with a shrug. ¡®Him¡¯ was the term Jeong-Gwon had to use; as Chang-Sun was a human deity, mortals did not dare to speak of his name and Divine Name. Meanwhile, Sang-Su turned pale. Jeong-Gwon¡¯s report meant that he, a few of the Future Strategy Department agents, the Raid Team 2 members, and the Team L members hadpletely taken over the Chicago Branch. The White Tiger n¡¯s members were scattered all over Korea, the United States, and the rest of the world. The Chicago branch was in charge of leading them, so many of the n¡¯s executive members were assigned to it. As a result, control of the entire White Tiger n was basically in Executive Director Oh¡¯s hands. In other words, Executive Director Oh¡¯s coup had seeded, but it was only possible because he had been in charge of the White Tiger n¡¯s affairs for over twenty years. The White Tiger n had recently be the leader of the the Five Great ns, the best ns in the world. However, the ownership of the number one n in the world had suddenly changed. Just as expected¡­ [The Guardian of the Order ¡®White Tiger n¡¯ is changing!] [The Faith ratio of ¡®¡ö¡öne ¡ö¡ö¡¯: 47%] [The Faith ratio of the Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯: 53%] ¡°¡­Hup!¡± Sang-Su gasped as he read the messages that appeared in front of him. The White Tiger n¡¯s Guardian was changing. Although ns were simr to mercenary groups, they were supposed to have the characteristics of a religious order on some level. Thus, the messages came as a great shock to Sang-Su; they were beyond his wildest imaginations. However, Executive Director Oh seemed to take it in stride. He berated Jeong-Gwon, yelling, ¡°When did I ask about our casualties?! You should be reporting any casualties in the Chicago branch, such as whether any of the executive members are injured or dead!¡± Jeong-Gwon¡¯s neck shrank back, like a tortoise retreating into its shell. Although he wanted to snap back at Executive Director Oh and say that one had to ask a question properly to receive the right answer, Executive Director Oh¡¯s gaze was very sharp at that moment, making him feel that it was unwise. Whenever his cousin¡¯s eyes looked like that, it was always better toy low. ¡°Umm, that¡¯s¡­!¡± Jeong-Gwon trailed off. The problem was that he was not particrly good at making systematic reports, so he just smacked his lips, unable to say anything. Executive Director Oh raised a brow. Just then, Moon Yi-Byeol showed up beside Jeong-Gwon and bowed at Executive Director Oh. Yi-Byeol answered on Jeong-Gwon¡¯s behalf. ¡¸Among the branch employees, twelve employees have died, and six were wounded. Four of them are critically injured, so they¡¯re currently receiving treatment. The nine directors in the branch were secured before our operationmenced, so they¡¯re unharmed. We isted Director Hong, who was in charge of managing the Ghost Soldiers, from the group and are monitoring him.¡¹ After bing a Changgwi, Yi-Byeol¡¯s face was pale, but her identity was intact¡ªno, her ego had only be stronger due to her previous Traits as a Ghost Soldier. Executive Director Oh finally nodded in contentment, making Jeong-Gwon smack his lips again. Executive Director Oh pointed at Jeong-Gwon with his chin and said, ¡°I assume that idiot is responsible for the dead and critically injured.¡± Yi-Byeol nced at Jeong-Gwon, who quickly shook his head. Executive Director Oh had given them instructions in advance to subdue the branch employees with minimal casualties, but Jeong-Gwon had forgotten about them when they attacked the branch in his excitement. Yi-Byeol looked at her superior with contempt for a moment. She soon let out a sigh and answered. ¡¸He ordered me to say he¡¯s not responsible, so as his subordinate, I¡¯ll say he¡¯s not responsible.¡¹ ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Jeong-Gwon called out to Yi-Byeol in surprise, but she paid him no heed. Executive Director Oh clicked his tongue, making Jeong-Gwon act like a tortoise again. It was always unpleasant to hear that sound, but fortunately, Executive Director Oh did not say anything further. Instead, he looked to the side and said, ¡°Branch Manager Lee.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Executive Director Oh,¡± Branch Manager Lee replied. ¡°What do you think? I don¡¯t think you have to worry much now. In addition, my side is taking the lead in the Faith ratio,¡± Executive Director Oh continued. Sang-Su bit his lower lip, unable to say anything else. [The Faith ratio of ¡®¡ö¡öne ¡ö¡ö¡¯: 48%] [The Faith ratio of the Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯: 52%] The other Guardian¡¯s Faith ratio had increased by one percent in mere minutes. ¡®¡ö¡öne ¡ö¡ö¡¯. The Divine Name was censored¡­ Who in the world was this Guardian? The new Guardian had made the people before Sang-Su convert to new beliefs and offer up their Faith. On top of that, the Guardian had infiltrated the White Tiger n very quickly¡­ How could they have done such a thing? Sang-Su could not help but feel pessimistic about the White Tiger n¡¯s future. Although Heoju¡¯s Faith ratio was higher, it would notst long now that Executive Director Oh and Jeong-Gwon had seized control of the executive board. That meant change was just on the horizon. That was why it took Sang-Su a long time to break his silence and begin, ¡°¡­Can I ask you a question?¡± He could not possibly fail to realize which side was winning at this rate. ¡°By all means,¡± Executive Director Oh replied. ¡°Who is this new Guardian of yours?¡± Sang-Su asked. ¡°Who is the Guardian, huh?¡± Executive Director Oh repeated. ¡°You spent all your life serving the n leader, so changing sides this easily¡­ must mean that you have a good reason,¡± Sang-Su said. After pondering the question for a moment, Executive Director Oh quietly chuckled and replied, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°¡­What kind of an answer is that?¡± Sang-Su asked. ¡°I genuinely don¡¯t know what kind of person he is, or if he¡¯s really a god. In my eyes, he sometimes looks more like a devil,¡± Executive Director Oh answered. ¡°¡­?¡± Sang-Su frowned, thinking Executive Director Oh was mocking him. Noticing Sang-Su¡¯s expression, Executive Director Oh waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I was actually also forced to convert in order to survive. I only got this far because I rode on a charging tiger, but I can tell you one thing for certain.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°They¡¯re someone you should never defy,¡± Executive Director Oh said gravely. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Just as you said, I spent my entire life serving the n leader. Even while the n leader was in seclusion for over three decades, I remained loyal and led this n,¡± Executive Director Oh said as he leaned closer to Sang-Su. ¡°But¡­¡± Sang-Su began. ¡°But I chose my Guardian because I know that no one else, human or Guardian, can bepared to them,¡± Executive Director Oh said, his gaze turning sharp. ¡°Branch Manager Lee, don¡¯t agonize anymore and join my side. You know how much I adore you, don¡¯t you?¡± Sang-Su looked up at the ceiling instead of answering, but he was looking at someone who was not present right now. Executive Director Oh could tell who he was looking at. ¡°n leader¡­¡± Sang-Su began. That person was Munseong, the White Tiger n leader who was now more poprly known by his title of Sword Overlord. ¡°¡­Your disloyal and foolish subordinate has failed to follow you down the path you¡¯re walking down until the end, so please don¡¯t forgive me, and¡­¡± However, Munseong was not just an ordinary superior or n leader to the people who had been with the White Tiger n for a long time. He was their king, the one who led and protected them. ¡°...Fulfill your great cause,¡± Sang-Su finished as he shut his eyes tightly, and¡­ Thump¨D! Drip! The sound of something being destroyed filled the room, and blood dripped out from Sang-Su¡¯s nose and ears. His powerless corpse soon copsed to the side. Sang-Su had voluntarily reversed his mana cirction and destroyed his heart to kill himself. ¡°¡­The main principle that drives the twenty-first century is rationality, so did you really think what you said made sense?¡± Executive Director Oh remarked as he clicked his tongue again, looking down at Sang-Su¡¯s rapidly cooling corpse. He continued, ¡°You were even a demonic being, no less.¡± His expression was very different from the discontented look he had given Jeong-Gwon. ¡°But that¡¯s the scary part about the White Tiger n.¡± It was impossible to tell whether he was muttering to himself, or talking to Jeong-Gwon and Yi-Byeol. ¡°I might also have ended up like that if I hadn¡¯t met my Guardian, despairing in the fact that the king stopped turning back to watch us.¡± Perhaps it was both. ¡°The¡­ king¡­ made us feel that way,¡± Executive Director Oh finished bitterly. There was one thing the public did not know about the White Tiger n. It was a major n filled with united and loyal employees, but it had never been because of Executive Director Oh, the man in charge of the n¡¯s affairs, or Heoju, their Guardian. It was because their leader was Munseong. Although barely anyone remembered it, Munseong had caused a sensation when he first appeared in the world. ¡®It wasn¡¯t just a sensation. Many people turned into his fanatics,¡¯ Executive Director Oh thought. He could still picture it vividly as he closed his eyes. He had been quite young, drowning in a pool of despair. That was when he had met his salvation. ¡°You¡¯re Oh Shi-Hwan, right?¡± Executive Director Oh recalled Munseong¡¯s voice from back then. When they had first met, Munseong had held out his hand and spoken to him. ¡°I heard you¡¯re handy with a sword. Can I see just how good you are?¡± At the time, the sword had been everything to Executive Director Oh. Due to his small physique, he had been looked down upon, so the only thing the human named Oh Shi-Hwan could rely on was the sword. As the world had turned upside down after the appearance of Dungeons and Gates, he had thought it was the only way to prove himself. That was when he had first met Munseong. With his back against the sun, Munseong had beamed as he observed Executive Director Oh with a gaze as sharp as a sword. Executive Director Oh had fought Munseong and lost, then volunteered to be Munseong¡¯s loyal subordinate. The only reason was that he liked being with Munseong, and had felt that he could do anything if he followed Munseong, the Sword Sky Tiger. Executive Director Oh had believed that he could shred this annoying world apart someday if he became one of the Sword Sky Tiger¡¯s ws or fangs. All those who had volunteered to be Munseong¡¯s ws and fangs hade from simr backgrounds. Having been raised in a troubled family, Jeong-Gwon had always caused trouble. Meanwhile, Director Gwon Hyo-Hae had been an orphan who handed out advertising brochures for brothels in the criminal underworld to make a living. The other Raid Team leaders, Future Strategy Department key members, and the Council of Elders¡­ All of them had been criticized by others for bing demonic beings, but each of them had experienced their own tragedies. They had been abandoned by the world, leaving them with nowhere to settle down and giving them no choice but to wander for a long time. After going through many difficulties, however, they had finally found their home, the White Tiger n. ¡°Shi-Hwan, you asked me about the world I dreamed of before, right?¡± Munseong suddenly asked. ¡°¡­Come on, I asked you when I was drunk, so please don¡¯t mention it again. I was teased a lot for it,¡± Executive Director Oh said. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m serious. I hadn¡¯t actually given it much thought, but I¡¯ve recently been mulling it over,¡± Munseong said with sparkling eyes. If Executive Director Oh could meet with Munseong again, there was a question he wanted to ask. ¡°As you already know, our guys are all low-lives. We¡¯re doing a good job hiding it right now, but people could find out at any moment. It¡¯s like walking on a tightrope. If we fall, we¡¯re going skydiving.¡± Did Munseong remember the conversation he had with Executive Director Oh? ¡°It¡¯s really dangerous, but I think I¡¯ll probably continue doing this. If I don¡¯t protect them, they¡¯ll have no one to help them.¡± Before going into seclusion to cultivate, Munseong had told Executive Director Oh about his hope and promise, swearing an oath. ¡°So¡­¡± So¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going to be a wall that will continue to protect them. That means I have to be such a strong wall that no one will dare to climb over me, don¡¯t I? I really have a long way to go, a long way.¡± Did Munseong¡¯s hope, promise, and oath remain the same? Ding! [The Guardian of the Order ¡®White Tiger ¡® is changing!] [The Faith ratio of ¡®¡ö¡öne ¡ö¡ö¡¯: 49%] [The Faith ratio of the Celestial ¡®Cmity Tiger¡¯: 51%] Chapter 284: Star, Doomsday City (4)

Chapter 284: Star, Doomsday City (4)

[The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ tilts her head in confusion, finding the city¡¯s scenery strangely familiar.] ¡®The more I look, the more it feels like my Seoul,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought, wondering if this city truly was Seoul from a parallel universe. [The Effect ¡®Hundred Toxin Immunity¡¯ is at work!] [Mastery of the Effect ¡®Hundred Toxin Immunity¡¯ is increasing.] [Mastery of the Effect ¡®Hundred Toxin Immunity¡¯ is increasing.] ¡­ [Your Order ¡®Himavat¡¯ is sharing the Effect ¡®Hundred Toxin Immunity¡¯!] [Your Divinity (Attribute: Living Tree) is affecting the Effect ¡®Hundred Toxin Immunity¡¯.] [The Effect ¡®Hundred Toxin Immunity¡¯ is attempting to change.] ¡­ [Hundred Toxin Immunity] was developing little by little. Because it had already been quite advanced from the beginning, Chang-Sun had not made much progress with it. However, it appeared that the poisonous air in ''Doomsday City'' presented a good challenge for it. ¡®¡­Maybe it will upgrade here.¡¯ While he thought about the possibilities, Chang-Sun drove into the old abandoned factoryplex located in Seongsu. ¡®Come to think of it, this ce is also¡­¡¯ Chang-Sun was familiar with this ce too, because Choi Bu-Yong¡¯s forge was in the vicinity. The Sangsu in the real world was filled with many artifact workshops, making the air nearby hot. In addition, there was always a lot of foot traffic. However, in ¡®Doomsday City¡¯, only rusty abandoned factories and buildings filled Sangsu. ¡®I¡¯m familiar with this ce,¡¯?Chang-Sun repeated in his mind, bing even more sure. The problem was that he was feeling much too familiar with the ce, in spite of some differences. Even if this ce was from a parallel universe that was simr to his own, the urbanyout and streets were just too simr. And¡­ ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± Nain said as he suddenly came to a stop. Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t help but chuckle dumbfoundedly before asking, ¡°It¡¯s here?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s here, but is there any problem?¡± Nain asked, looking at Chang-Sun worriedly; he found Chang-Sun¡¯s reaction odd.. ¡®It¡¯s the same,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, gaping. A building that looked exactly the same as Bu-Yong¡¯s forge was standing before him. Even the narrow alleys beside the building and the abandoned buildings on each side were identical. ¡®The sign is also the same.¡¯ It was almost as if Chang-Sun¡¯s Earth had faced extinction, all the living beings had died, and ten years had passed. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ gapes in surprise, wondering how the world can be this simr.] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ observes the details, adding that not everything is identical.] There was one difference, however. ¡®There¡¯s a chimney, and smoke ising out from it.¡¯ ck smoke was flowing out of a triple-wall chimney on the abandoned factory¡¯s roof, which was far bigger than the one Chang-Sun had seen in Bu-Yong¡¯s forge. It was obviously one of the main causes behind the poisonous air of ¡®Doomsday City¡¯. ¡®Heated air is alsoing out.¡¯ Through the gaps around the metal door, Chang-Sun could see red light. ng, ng. Mechanical sounds also echoed through the air, suggesting that machines were at work, although the building looked abandoned. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Chang-Sun muttered while shaking his head, putting aside the doubts emerging from deep in his heart. He mmed the car door shut and straightened out his clothes. Then, without hesitation, he opened the door to the abandoned factory and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡®...I¡¯ll be able to figure out the details once I go in.¡¯ Creak! The metal door¡¯s hinges were very rusty, making it difficult to open. However, when Chang-Sun exerted force, the door was practically ripped open. A message appeared before him. Ding¡­! [You have entered the ¡®Vermilion Room¡¯!] An intense gust of heated wind blew over Chang-Sun, but he was able to handle it due to the high resistance to heat he had gained after awakening to and Atra Fulmen. In contrast Nain and the other Gray Elves reflexively took a few steps backward, overwhelmed by the heat. [Fire Toxin is zing!] [The Effect ¡®Hundred Toxin Immunity¡¯ is purifying the toxin!] [The level of the Effect ¡®Hundred Toxin Immunity¡¯ has increased.] ¡­ Chang-Sun looked around inside therge factory and saw several rolling conveyor belts. In front of the conveyor belts, metal humanoids assembled, packaged, and put some unknown objects in boxes. Strangely, however, the humanoids took them back out of the boxes, unpackaged them, and disassembled them again. ¡°What¡­?¡± Nain eximed, his eyes widening as he witnessed thee bizarre sight. Beeeep. Beep. In response to the outsiders abruptly appearing, all the humanoids stopped what they were doing and turned their heads in Chang-Sun¡¯s direction. A loud siren red, and mechanical voices emerged from what appeared to be their mouths. ¡°The appearance of 112 new entities that are not affiliated with the Choi-Lee Forge has been confirmed. ¡± ¡°Checking the 112 entities¡¯ serial numbers.¡± ¡°Unidentifiable.¡± ¡°All 112 entities have been confirmed to becking serial numbers.¡± ¡°Serial numbers unidentifiable.¡± ¡°Attempting to ssify again¡­¡± ¡°Vital signs detected.¡± ¡°All entities appear to be part of the extinct human race or a human-like species.¡± ¡°One entity has been confirmed to be a human.¡± ¡°111 entities have been confirmed to be Elves.¡± ¡°All 112 entities have been assessed as trespassers.¡± ¡°Evaluating punishment methods.¡± The humanoids quickly exchanged signals, reaching the conclusion that Chang-Sun and the Gray Elves were from different races and were illegal unauthorized guests. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ clicks his tongue, saying that those humanoids seem to be based on an amateurish system.] The word ¡®trespassers¡¯ bothered Chang-Sun. Just as expected¡­ re! A warning siren loudly activated, and a red light on the ceiling flickered. ¡ºWarning!¡» ¡ºWarning! Trespassers are in the area! The identification and ssification of all 112 entities has beenpleted!¡» ¡ºReactivating the warning system!¡» ¡ºInitiating trespasser elimination!¡» ¡ºAll working machines are instructed to get to safety!¡» ¡ºActivating safety protocol level 1!¡» The humanoids quickly moved in the opposite direction from where Chang-Sun had entered. At the same time, hundreds ofser turrets emerged from the ceiling, pointing at Chang-Sun and the others. [The AI central control system of the ¡®Vermillion Room¡¯ has located the trespassers.] [Initiatingbat.] [Subdue the central control AI.] Zinnnnng! As theser turrets began to fire, Chang-Sun yelled, ¡°Get into position!¡± Nain and the other Gray Elves quickly moved deeper into the factory. Laser beams rained down on them, seemingly making their decision a suicidal choice. However, they moved without hesitation, as they had made a n with Chang-Sun in advance before they arrived. ¡°On my signal, we¡¯ll take over the factory first. Our goal is to upy this ce, not destroy it,¡± Chang-Sun said.? If it were from a novel, ¡®Doomsday City¡¯ would be considered a post-apocalyptic, futuristic location of the sortmonly found in science fiction. That meant the method needed to clear the Dungeon was very different from usual. ¡°When you¡¯re trying to acquire the [Brilliant Vermilion Light], don¡¯t smash everything that looks like a monster,¡± Sixth Elder advised.? ¡°Why?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Well, every single one of them is freaking annoying to kill,¡± Sixth Elder said. ¡°¡­?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head in confusion.? ¡°The ¡®Vermillion Room¡¯ and the abandoned factories each have separate control systems. The AI control systems are very advanced, so if they feel like things are getting out of their control, their first choice will be self-detonation. And¡­ the explosions they create are quite something.¡± It would be quite tricky to deal with the machines that operated under a control system¡¯smand, so Sixth Elder had warned Chang-Sun to be careful about them. That meant Chang-Sun could not just subdue the humanoid monsters on the spot. The moment the control system in the ¡®Vermilion Room¡¯ assessed that the situation was out of control, it would self-detonate immediately. ¡°Then what am I supposed to do?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°I told you that the control system was the problem, right? Think about what that means for a moment,¡± Sixth Elder said. ¡°¡­If I seize themand of the control system, it should be easier to clear the Dungeon Quests?¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°Hehehe, that¡¯s right. If you can take over the control system, you¡¯ll have the entire ¡®Vermilion Room¡¯ at your disposal,¡± Sixth Elder said, giggling mischievously. ¡°That means you¡¯ll be able to freely utilize that damned [Vermilion Brilliant Light]. Do you get it now?¡± Nain and the Gray Elves appeared to be moving to upy the area, but they were merely decoys to confuse the control system. While all theser turrets were pointed at the Gray Elves¡­ Pzzzzzz! ¡­Chang-Sun was transforming his energy into Atra Fulmen energy. [The sixth chapter of ¡®Prti¡¯s Spellbook¡¯ has opened!] [Fulgurator has been applied.] Rumble¨D! With an ear-splitting thunderp, Chang-Sun fired his Atra Fulmen bolts, striking ces all over the factory. The beams fired by the turrets were deflected, the turrets were pulverized, and the main gears in the conveyor belts exploded simultaneously. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ tells you to be careful!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ tilts his head in confusion, asking you whether it is okay to smash everything like that.] Chang-Sun¡¯s Atra Fulmen energy had the light attribute, which meant everything was quite literally over in a sh. However, that was not the end of it. ¡ºWarning! The trespassers¡¯ threat level has been increased to Level 4!¡» ¡ºStanding by to activate the self-det¡­¡» ¡ºDet-¡ª¡» ¡ºDet-¡ª¡» ¡ºDet-¡ª¡» The mechanical voice that had been calling out warnings about Chang-Sun and the others stopped midway, repeating the same syble over and over. In the end, the voice dissolved into mechanical noise. Pzzz, pzzzz. [Your has permeated the AI central control system of the ¡®Vermillion Room¡¯!] [Your is acting as a virus, attacking the AI central control system¡¯s security.] ¡­ [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ is surprised to know that can be used like this, chuckling. He adds that you are indeed a sly snake.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ cheers for you!] ¡® can work like poison,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. When various kinds of toxins umted inside a person¡¯s body, it would eventually lead to their ruin. In a simr vein, could just as badly affect an AI machine. ¡®With this¡­¡¯ Pzzzzz¨D! One end of Chang-Sun¡¯s mouth curled upward as he thought, ¡®I can buy enough time.¡¯ ¡º¡­A virus has been detected.¡» ¡ºA virus has been detected. Activating the antivirus system¡­¡» ¡ºAttempting to secure the control instation¡­¡» Paaah¨D! Spreading his Jigwi wings wide, Chang-Sun flew across the center of the factory. At the same time, he shattered the remaining turrets and overloaded the intact mechanical instations by using his lightning energy to make them malfunction. He waspletely unstoppable. The important part of the ¡®Vermillion Room¡¯ was the [Vermilion Brilliant Light], and the difficulty level of this room was not particrly high. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ advises you that it is a high priority to take over the system, as it has beenpletely shut down.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ quickly observes the surroundings.] ¡®The AI control system¡­¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, Inferno Sight zing in his eyes. He saw aputer beside a conveyor belt in the corner of the factory. Although it looked no different from the otherputers in the area, he knew very well that it was a front. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ prepares a bucket of popcorn.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ can feel her palms getting sweaty!] ¡®...is here!¡¯ Tap! Chang-Sun reached theputer, which was right at the location the Sixth Elder had told him about. He would normally have had to go through quite a lot of trouble to reach it, but his was very effective at buying him time. ¡ºThe trespassers¡¯ threat level has been increased to Level 6¡­¡» Just as expected, theputer monitor quickly turned on again, showing a blue screen. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ is waiting anxiously for his popcorn to be ready!] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ clenches her fists!] Iprehensible coding terms filled the screen. The mouse pointer flickered between < and >. ¡ºWarning!¡» ¡ºWarning!¡» ¡ºThe trespassers¡¯ threat level has been increased to Level 7¡­!¡» ¡ºActivating the self-detonation system¡­!¡» ¡°When you sessfully get to the AI control system, enter the password. You¡¯ll have full control of the AI,¡± Sixth Elder exined. ¡°The password is basically the master key?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Sixth Elder replied. ¡°What is the password?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°The password is¡­¡± Sixth Elder exined. ¡®Wait,¡¯[1]?Chang-Sun recalled. Tap, tap, tap! He was unsure what the AI was waiting for, but he figured he had no need to care about that at the moment. Without hesitation, he typed in the four letters and pressed Enter. The blue screen was soon reced by a new screen. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ squints nervously!] ¡®Did it work?¡¯?Chang-Sun thought as he looked up. If something had gone wrong, the factory would soon self-detonate. In that case, Chang-Sun would need to find a method to protect the Gray Elves and a new way to obtain the [Vermilion Brilliant Light]. Gulp¨D! Chang-Sun unwittingly swallowed his saliva, feeling slightly nervous. [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ looks in the same direction as you, nervously biting her lower lip!] Beeeeeeeeep. A horrible, ear-splitting noise rang out. ¡°Even if not for the [Vermilion Brilliant Light], it would be best to take over the AI control system,¡± Sixth Elder advised.? ¡°Is there another reason?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°It was originally one of the main AI of the city before that civilization met and the city became ¡®Doomsday City¡¯. You have to have such an AI by your side to make clearing the Dungeon easier.¡± ¡°Wait, then is the [Tricolored Brilliant Light]...?¡± Chang-Sun trailed off in disbelief.? ¡°Hehehe, you¡¯re right. the [Tricolored Brilliant Light] is basically the main power source of ¡®Doomsday CIty¡¯,¡± Sixth Elder replied. After the city had faced , the AI had beenpromised and inflicted with aputer virus. The Sixth Elder called the AI¡­ ¡°Wait.¡± Beep, beep, beep. Symbols appeared on the screen. ¨X?¨T¨[ ¨X¨[ ¨^¨[¨X¨a¨U¨U ?¨T¨j¨j¨j¨T? ¨X¨a¨^¨[? ¨^¨g¨U¨U¨U¨d¨g ¨^¨T?¨a ¨^¨T¨m¨T¨m?¨m¨T¨a The symbols spelled out ¡®I Love¡¯. A mechanical noise rang out once again. Beeep¨D! ¡ºAh, ah. Can you hear me?¡» It sounded like a middle-aged man with a baritone voice. ¡ºI never thought I would wake up again¡­ Thank you for waking me up from my long sleep.¡» 1. This is in the raw. The password is literally ¡®wait¡¯. ?? Chapter 285: Star, Doomsday City (5)

Chapter 285: Star, Doomsday City (5)

Theputer screen had been reced by another screen, disying the image of a middle-aged man¡¯s face. Chang-Sun prepared to detonate his Atra Fulmen energy, suspecting that the AI could be attempting to deceive him before resuming the attack. Looking at the screen, he slowly asked, ¡°Are you the AI control system for this ce?¡± ¡ºYou sound very stern. Can''t we exchange more friendly greetings than that? ¡» ¡°I don¡¯t really want to have that kind of conversation with you,¡± Chang-Sun said, raising a brow. ¡ºAww! That¡¯s a bummer, because I want to be friends with you.¡» The middle-aged man smiled and introduced himself. ¡ºNow that things have turned out this way, let me introduce myself first. Nice to meet you. My name is Wait. I was one of the three AI control systems that protected Neo Seoul. I was programmed to be a middle-aged man in his forties for a reason. The one who created us¡­¡» Wait¡¯s exnation continued for so long that Chang-Sun felt it would never end. ¡°Oh, yeah. You need to be careful after you wake up,¡± Sixth Elder added. ¡°Why? Is the AI hostile to humans?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not that,¡± Sixth Elder said. ¡°Then?¡± Chang-Sun tilted his head in confusion.? ¡°He talks a lot,¡± Sixth Elder replied. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°He talks a hell of a lot. It¡¯s annoying. He¡¯s a freak when ites to talking,¡± Sixth Elder added, shaking his head in disbelief.? After remembering Sixth Elder¡¯s warning, Chang-Sun became a little irritated as he thought, ¡®He did say the AI would be a chatterbox upon finally meeting another person after such a long time, and he was right.¡¯ Sixth Elder had told Chang-Sun to be careful, because his ears could go numb if he continued to listen to the AI. A too-talkative artificial intelligence¡­ Sixth Elder had grumbled, saying he was unsure why such an unnecessary function had been installed in the AI when a machine was supposed to prioritize efficiency. Chang-Sun had heard about it in advance, but it was still baffling. ¡º¡­So the woman the manager dated at the time was an elementary school teacher in a small ind vige. The manager fell in love with her simplicity, so he gave up on heading to Seoul and settled down in the vige. After that, he devised each AI¡¯s personality based on the things he agonized about¡­¡» Nain had not expected the situation to turn out in such a way. Baffled, he turned to look at Chang-Sun and said, ¡°¡­He¡¯s a talkative one.¡± ¡°Yeah, he is,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡°Is he experiencing a system error or something?¡± Nain asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Chang-Sun replied, shaking his head. In any event, Sixth Elder had told Chang-Sun what to do if Wait was in chatter mode, so it seemed there was no need to listen to Wait¡¯s story any further. Tap! Chang-Sun typed a few letters, and a password input window suddenly popped up over Wait¡¯s face. ¡º¡­Mmmm? I¡¯m telling you a very important story, so what are you doing? That input window is¡­¡» ¡°From what I heard, I can reset the system using the master key,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡ºWooow, you seem to have a lot of knowledge about my control system¡­!¡» ¡°If I format you, I think I should be able to stop listening to this boring exnation. What do you think?¡± Chang-Sun continued. Wait immediately stopped talking. ¡º¡­!¡» Looking at Wait, Chang-Sun growled, ¡°Stop giving me useless exnations and answer my questions, or I¡¯m really going to shut you down.¡± ¡º¡­You¡¯re cruel.¡» ¡°I can¡¯t let people¡¯s ears go numb, can I?¡± Chang-Sun retorted. Wait grumbled intively in response. ¡ºIt¡¯s been 300 years since Ist met a master, but he¡¯s one tough cookie. It¡¯s sad, sad. ¡» Of course, Chang-Sun did not even blink in response, but he noticed how Wait called him a master. Wait recognized Chang-Sun as his director because Chang-Sun had entered the master key, asking for orders. ¡ºSo, my master. What is your first order for me?¡» ¡°I¡¯m in the ¡®Vermillion Room¡¯, so it¡¯s obvious,¡± Chang-Sun said, firmly stating, ¡°I want the [Vermilion Brilliant Light].¡± ¡º¡­My master really knows a lot about me and the other AI, huh? Then it¡¯ll be easier to exin.¡» With a serious look, Wait began to exin. ¡ºYou already know that the [Vermilion Brilliant Light] was one of the three main power sources of Neo Seoul, don¡¯t you?¡» ¡°Roughly,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡ºThe [Vermilion Brilliant Light] you mentioned is the power source I¡¯ve been protecting. In fact, it¡¯s located on this factory¡¯s underground floor.¡» Wait narrowed his eyes before continuing. ¡ºI, the control system, woke up, but the problem is that I haven¡¯t recovered full control yet. Long before this city faced extinction, this city had been suffering due to a virus.¡» ¡ºThe remainder of the virus still remains everywhere in the city.¡» ¡ºAnd part of the virus also infiltrated the power system. In order to regain full control, I need an antivirus program to eliminate the virus.¡» Wait¡¯s tone turned serious. ¡ºCan you get me that antivirus program? Then I¡¯ll be d to give you the [Vermillion Brilliant Light] and finally get out of this ce for good, master.¡» Ding! At that moment, Chang-Sun heard a notification sound. [A Hidden Quest (Last Keeper¡¯s Final Favor) has been created!] [Last Keeper¡¯s Final Favor] ¡¤ Type: Hidden ¡¤ Description: The AI control system named Wait has been protecting Neo Seoul alone for a long time. Now, almost no one remembers the city, but Wait still desperately wants to bring new hope to the city. He believes that it is his calling, given by his father and developer. However, a missing antivirus program is necessary to grant Wait¡¯s favor. Recover the antivirus program and give Wait a new power. ¡¤ Time limit: Period of your stay. ¡¤ Prerequisite: Bing the master of Wait, the AI control system. ¡¤ Objectives: 1. Recover the antivirus program that is hidden somewhere. 2. Eliminate the virus using the antivirus program. ¡¤ Quest Reward: Acquiring the ¡®Vermilion Brilliant Light¡¯. ¡¤ Quest Failure Penalty: ??? Chang-Sun focused on the word ¡®recover¡¯ in the quest description, thinking, ¡®Something is odd.¡¯ Sixth Elder had also mentioned the antivirus program, saying that it was essential in restoring the AI control system to its full potential. However, he had clearly exined that the deceased developer had hidden the antivirus program so Chang-Sun would need to find it. In contrast to Sixth Elder¡¯s exnation, the quest description sounded more like Chang-Sun had to retrieve something that had been stolen by someone. [You have epted the Hidden Quest!] Nevertheless, Chang-Sun was not about to turn it down, so after epting the quest, he asked Wait about its exact meaning. ¡ºThe antivirus program was stolen by someone.¡» ¡°What? Who?¡± Chang-Sun asked, instantly on high alert. He narrowed his eyes, thinking, ¡®Even if the person knew the antivirus program¡¯s location, it couldn¡¯t easily be stolen. They would have to pass the tests left by the developer.¡¯ The genius developer had created three AI control systems and power sources that were collectively called the [Tricolored Brilliant Light], but when he had seen Neo Seoul being corroded by the virus, he had devised an antivirus program right before he died. The AI control systems and power sources were almost omnipotent, so if the antivirus program ended up in an unworthy person¡¯s hands, they could be used for nefarious purposes. Thus. the developer had put a restriction on his antivirus program. That restriction took the form of the tests. Since the test taker had to pass a variety of tests all over the city, their difficulty was quite high. And yet, someone had already passed all the tests and acquired the antivirus program? Who could have done that? ¡®Is the person from¡­ the White Tiger n?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. Of course, the first suspects were Heoju and Munseong, or the people involved with them. As they were scheming something here in ¡®Doomsday City¡¯, it was more than possible. ¡®It¡¯s going to be a problem if that¡¯s the case. If that¡¯s true, there¡¯s a high chance that the other two AI control systems and power sources are in their hands.¡¯ Having control over the city was very important. With control, Chang-Sun could monitor the other yers¡¯ every move during his stay in this Dungeon through the CCTVs and devices that were installed all over the city. ¡®If necessary, I could also use the satellites orbiting beyond the sky to attack.¡¯? Of course, the satellites were under many restrictions, so it would not be easy to gain ess. However, it would be much easier with the antivirus program. In many ways, the news was very rming for Chang-Sun. He asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± If Wait mentioned people who were involved with Munseong and Heoju, Chang-Sun would have toe up with a new n, as well as a n to retrieve the antivirus from them. ¡ºAntoine,¡» The name Wait mentioned was very familiar to Chang-Sun too. He eximed, ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡ºIt was a nutjob named Antoine.¡» Chang-Sun¡¯s face crumpled, because there was no way he would not know who Antoine was. It was Sixth Elder¡¯s name. ¡®Wait, was he trying to tease me¡­?¡¯?Chang-Sun wondered. While acquiring the [Tricolored Brilliant Light], Sixth Elder had caused one of the power sources to overload by ident and died. However, what would it mean if he had caused an explosion while using the antivirus program? That would mean the antivirus program had already disappeared in the explosion. ¡®That bastard!¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, massaging his temple with his index finger. Among the Ten Elders, Sixth Elder was the most ill-tempered one, so perhaps he had been trying to make Chang-Sun feel the same way as when he had failed. ¡®If there is no antivirus program in the first ce, what should I do?¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. If the antivirus program did not exist in this world anymore, thatpletely changed his ns for getting the [Tricolored Brilliant Light] and gaining control of ¡®Doomsday City¡¯. ¡º¡­Judging from your expression, something is wrong.¡» Wait offered up a guess. In response, Chang-Sun quietly let out a sigh and concisely exined the situation he was in with an annoyed look. ¡ºHmm, so Antoine is already dead¡­? I thought it would never happen, even if the world was doomed, but if that¡¯s true¡­ it¡¯s a big problem.¡» Wait realized how dire the situation was. ¡ºWell, our second option is creating a new antivirus program¡­¡» Chang-Sun quickly looked up and asked, ¡°Is that possible?¡± ¡ºMmm, theoretically.¡» ¡°Theoretically?¡± ¡ºThe code that makes up the antivirus program is stored in my database.¡» ¡°Then what¡¯s stopping you?¡± ¡ºI can¡¯t get the necessary material. The antivirus may be a program, but it also has a physical form.¡» ¡°What material?¡± Chang-Sun asked. He had a feeling that he would somehow be able to solve the problem. After bing the king of , he had gained the ability to use the window. Although he rarely used it, he would be able to obtain most materials with ease. ¡ºI admit that you¡¯re remarkable, master, but you won¡¯t be able to get this one. Even the great Celestials couldn¡¯t get their hands on it even if they wanted to.¡» Wait smacked his lips. ¡°Something even the great Celestials can¡¯t get their hands on¡­?¡± Chang-Sun thought, narrowing his eyes. Wait nodded in response. ¡ºIt¡¯s called [Li¡¯s Fragment]. A rumor has it that it¡¯s a soul fragment left by the ...!¡» At that moment, a memory shed through Chang-Sun¡¯s mind. He pulled out something from the [King¡¯s Treasury] and held it up in front of Wait, asking, ¡°Are you talking about this, by any chance?¡± [You have pulled out ¡®Li¡¯s Fragment¡¯!] Paah! A red jewel fragment floated atop Chang Sun¡¯s palm, emitting faint light. ¡ºH-H-How in the world did¡­!¡» Wait suddenly seemed to be freaking out. ¡®Is this thing that great? When I read the description, it didn¡¯t say much,¡¯?Chang-Sun thought. [Li¡¯s Fragment] An unidentifiable object. A secret is hidden in the object, but there is no telling how great it is. ]. ¡¤ Type: Ingredient. ¡¤ Effect: Unknown. After meeting Odin in the and learning Gnosis, Chang-Sun had acquired [Li¡¯s Fragment]. At the time, he had been busy saving the Elfin, so he had not been able to inspect the item properly. On top of that, he had been unable to detect anything from the item afterward, so he had stashed it away in the corner of his [King¡¯s Treasury]. ¡®But this is a soul fragment of the ?¡¯ The ¡­ It was Chang-Sun¡¯s n to be the great absolute being¡¯s incarnation and avatar, so he could not help but wonder after hearing Wait¡¯s remark. Someone like Wait would not purposely give him wrong information, so even if Wait¡¯s answer turned out to be untrue, the information would be valuable in some ways. ¡°Is this item that remarkable?¡± Chang-Sun asked. ¡ºIt¡¯s not something you can put into words¡­! That¡¯s also the raw material of the [Tricolored Brilliant Light]!¡» ¡°¡­It¡¯s that important?¡± ¡ºHa, hahaha. You have something this splendid, but you have no idea what it is. I may have met a very ridiculous master.¡» Wait shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Then how can I give this to you?¡± Chang-Sun asked as he held [Li¡¯s Fragment] closer to Wait. ¡º¡­Can I really use this?¡» Wait became noticeably excited. Still, he cautiously nced at Chang-Sun, worrying about whether he could really use this valuable treasure. ¡°Use it,¡± Chang-Sun said decisively. ¡ºIf you say so, master.¡» Wait answered, his voice filled with bliss. * * * [¡®Antivirus program¡¯ creation has started!] [Please wait a moment.] Whirr¨D! ng, ng! The conveyor belts began to turn busily; the antivirus manufacturing process had begun. Although Chang-Sun wondered why building aputer program would cause such amotion, he did not give it much thought, as he had been told the antivirus program was also a tangible item. Once he received the result, his question would automatically be answered. ¡ºHuh¡­ The day I could see this in person really came before I could be shut down. Li, Li¡­!¡» Wait¡¯s voice was still filled with rapture. ¡°Who in the world is Li?¡± Chang-Sun asked, feeling genuinely curious. ¡ºYou don¡¯t know who Li is?¡» ¡°That¡¯s why I asked the question.¡± ¡ºHow can someone like you not know who Li is?¡» Wait¡¯s jaw practically dropped to the floor. He could not understand Chang-Sun. From his perspective, Chang-Sun was on his way to bing a Celestial, and the final goal of everyone who was aiming to achieve was Li. So how could Chang-Sun react like that? ¡°Is that strange?¡± Chang-Sun asked. Wait seemed bewildered as he responded. ¡ºOf course! You don¡¯t know Li¡¯s great journey¡­!¡» ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m not the only one that doesn¡¯t know,¡± Chang-Sun replied. ¡ºWhat?¡» Wait looked upward just as Chang-Sun did. Many of the Celestials who had been watching Chang-Sun reacted the same way. [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ says that he is smart, but even he is not sure who Li is.] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ asks her siblings if they know who Li is.] [The Celestial ¡®Sky and Earth¡¯s Connecting Wing¡¯ shakes his head, smiling bitterly.] [The Celestial ¡®War-Loving Fighting Deity¡¯ guffaws, saying that Li must be nothing.] ¡­ ¡º¡­How?¡» Wait¡¯s voice trembled. Perhaps he could understand Chang-Sun¡¯s case, but he had a hard time wrapping his mind around the situation upon finding out that even the Celestials in did not know who Li was. ¡ºWas something distorted in the worldline you came from, master¡­? An error¡­? But the wavelength is¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem as if the observation was wrong¡­ What in the world happened¡­?!¡» Wait muttered iprehensibly for a long time. Then he let out a sigh. ¡ºIt appears that every record regarding Li was erased in your worldline, or was otherwise forgotten. Under normal circumstances, you would know who Li is for sure.¡» ¡°So who is Li?¡± Chang-Sun asked again. ¡ºLi is¡­¡» ¡°Li is?¡± Chang-Sun repeated. ¡ºLi is¡­!¡» Wait was just about to answer. [An unseen presence beyond thew is attempting to interfere by force!] [The Celestial ¡®World-Encircling Serpent¡¯ bes surprised¡­!] [The Celestial ¡®Twilight-Piercing Owl¡¯ hurriedly turns in a certain direction due to the sudden abnormal phenomenon¡­!] ¡­ [Unable to receive any messages.] [The entire system has shut down.] Pzzzz, pzzzzz¨D! With a noise, the world around Chang-Sun distorted by force, ripping him away from Wait, the Dungeon, and everything else. [The Celestial ¡®Abyss-Chasing Great Evil¡¯ is very displeased about the uninvited guest¡¯s sudden intrusion!] After that message, Chang-Sun stopped being able to receive even Mephistopheles¡¯ messages anymore. Whoosh! The world around Chang-Sun changed, and he ended up in¡­ a library that was filled with endless books. [You have entered the Changgong Library!] ¡®What?¡¯ Chang-Sun thought as he looked around in surprise, unsure what in the world had happened. Soon, he saw a man with impressive-looking golden eyes looking down at him from the second-floor balustrade. The man eximed, ¡°What? Who in the world is this guy?¡± Chapter 286: Star, Doomsday City (6)

Chapter 286: Star, Doomsday City (6)

Chang-Sun tensed up, because the man with golden eyes had a ss that was on another level entirely. It was not merely high; it was iparably higher than his own. Chang-Sun had met many great Celestials and knew the and Celestials. However, he could not think of anyone with a level that was remotely close to that of the man with golden eyes. ¡®...He isn¡¯t just a deity,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. The man looked ordinary. Judging from the thick book he was holding, it seemed that he had been organizing books. His ck hair was disheveled, and he hadrge, dark bags under his eyes, making him look scruffy. The man was the spitting image of someone who had been working all-nighters for days, unable to go home. In contrast to his appearance, however, there was something overwhelming about him. Idea, thew of the world, surrounded him. Despite that, Chang-Sun had never seen or heard about such a being. ¡®Who in the world is he¡­?¡¯ Everything about this ce felt foreign to Chang-Sun. He did not even know what [Li¡¯s Fragment] was yet, but he had entered the ¡®Changgong Library¡¯ using the item. The man seemed to be this ce¡¯s librarian; Chang-Sun needed some clues to think of potential countermeasures, but it was difficult even for him. However, the man suddenly looked up at the sky and eximed with a frown, ¡°So you want me to fix the way I speak? It¡¯s not like me? Hey! Why do you think I¡¯m this mess¡­! What? I remind you of my brother? You gotta be kidding me. There are things you should and shouldn¡¯t say! How can you insult me like¡­!¡± It seemed the man was talking with someone, and he looked noticeably annoyed; perhaps it was because the person he was talking to was saying unpleasant things. ¡°So twins¡­! I really should quit this job¡­ Fine, fine! Stopughing like that! Come on!¡± the man said, heaving a very long sigh. ¡°Phew!¡± He set down the book on the balustrade and massaged his temple with his index finger, seemingly trying to clear the fog in his head. When the man opened his eyes again, Chang-Sun flinched in surprise. Until that moment, the man¡¯s eyes had been filled with fatigue, annoyance, and lethargy. However, the man now looked strong, with eyes that were so deep that they almost seemed as if they would swallow everything in the world. Even up until that moment, Chang-Sun could not say anything. Pah! [The ¡®Coordination Machine Eyes¡¯ have been opened!] The man looked straight into Chang-Sun¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Your name is Lee Chang-Sun, and you¡¯re from Worldline 801. You¡¯re quite close to an Original.¡± Chang-Sun froze. His mana stopped circting, and [Yuchang Sword] and [Tiamat¡¯s Snaggletooth] also froze. Although he wanted to resist, he had a strong feeling that it would be unwise. ¡°Your Divine Name is¡­ ¡®¡ö¡öne ¡ö¡ö¡¯? It¡¯s broken, but you still got here? I can feel a trace of the King of the Underworld on you¡­ and the did quite a number on you,¡± the man said, rattling off details about Chang-Sun. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Your Authority is Inverted Pentagram? They¡¯re pretty systematic. You have the [ck Mountain King¡¯s ws]? Whoa, this Skill is very tricky to use, but you use it very well. You¡¯re a very skilled fighter, and¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huh? You have quite a lot of Karma in your soul.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡° and ... You were born with a harsh destiny. It must be very nerve-wracking.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even if you start over and over, you¡¯re destined to desperately fight life and death battles. That¡¯s why you¡¯re a fiend¡­ There are people who became twisted after trying to defy the weight of the destinies the world gave them, so they were named fiends. But you immersed yourself in it all the way down to your soul.¡± Chang-Sun could sense deep wisdom in the man¡¯s voice. The man was reading every single detail of his destiny, and he usually hated it when people did that. For some reason, however, it was different this time. The man sounded as if he was consoling Chang-Sun, who was covered in scars¡­ [¡®Deus Ex Machina¡¯ reviews your story with his knowledge!] ¡®He¡¯s ?¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, widening his eyes. If the message that had just appeared was true, the man before him was a being so great, Chang-Sun could not even dare to hold his head high before him. The expanded universes and brought knowledge and wisdom to each civilization to develop conscious beings, while the embodied the universes themselves, giving conscious beings space to act in. Although it seemed at first nce as if light and darkness would fight, they did not; rather, they meshed with each other, making up thews of universes and worlds. However, the and were just entities in charge of ¡®stages¡¯ and ¡®characters¡¯. They did not provide those characters with rules to guide them in leading their lives. That was why there was an entity beside the two dualistic powers that adjusted those rules as the asion demanded. That entity¡¯s name was , also known as the Machine God. Each world and universe was one giant machine for , and if necessary, he could adjust the springs and gears that made up the universe and world as its Mediator. Chang-Sun had never thought he would meet such a being. His eyes shone as he thought, ¡®Maybe this is my chance¡­!¡¯ was the third greatest entity after and . As the two other beings were inactive at the moment, was the Supreme Celestial¡ªno, the Emperor that ruled over all the universes. No matter how Celestials achieved , they were unable to ovee Wordlines¡¯ restrictionspletely, but in contrast to them, Emperors were known to haveplete freedom! Thus, if Chang-Sun could ignite the interest of and be acquainted with him, perhaps he would be able to get closer to ; that was the goal he intended to achieve no matter what. ¡°¡­That¡¯s why you¡¯re a fiend. You seem to have many connections to odd people too. Mephisto¡­? You know him too? Ha! Well, it looks as if it isn¡¯t strange of you to end up here.¡± The man, who was also known as , Machine God, and Mediator, no longer looked fatigued. He had the air of an absolute being that oversaw all creation. looked at Chang-Sun and said, ¡°Anyway¡­ The child who ended up here with no reason. The child who has a very strong wish. Is there something you want from me?¡± [ looks at you!] [You are currently a visitor of the ¡®Changgong Library¡¯.] [You have been given Grade 3 clearance for the ¡®Changgong Library¡¯.] [Follow the librarian¡¯s instructions on how to use the ¡®Changgong Library¡¯.] ¡°I¡­¡± Chang-Sun began. ¡°Before you say anything, there is one thing you have to keep in mind,¡± said with a mischievous smile, interrupting Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun had a feeling that he was seeing the Machine God¡¯s true self. ¡°You¡¯d better think carefully before you speak your wish,¡± continued. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just the librarian of this ce, so I have limits when ites to helping you with your wish. And this will be your only chance to use this library,¡± added. Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes. Although had said it jokingly, it was genuine advice, and a warning for Chang-Sun to choose with caution. That suggested just how remarkable the ¡®Changgong Library¡¯ was. ¡®Come to think of it, I¡¯ve heard about this,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought as he took a look around again. Bookcases filled with booksrge and small lined the library, extending infinitely into the distance. It was impossible to determine the size of the library. ¡®...Beyond Idea, thew of nature, there is an archive that keeps the records of every incident in all universes and Worldlines.¡¯ It was known as the ¡®Akashic Records¡¯ or ¡®Void Records¡¯, but there had been many arguments even among Celestials regarding whether or not the ce existed. Supposing that the Akashic Record really kept records of all the universes as well as the universe Celestials ruled, that meant acquiring omniscience was possible. In addition, Celestials would be able to study other knowledge beyond their Divine Ranks. On top of that, they could obtain the Emerald Tablet, which contained the secrets of the worlds. Acquiringplete gnosis was every Celestial¡¯s dream! In other words, they would be able to ovee their limits as Celestials. Of course, there was no way such a convenient ce would exist. Thus, people had always ignored the rumors of the Akashic Records¡­ Chang-Sun had been unsure whether he would be able to get there even if the ce was real, but here he was. [You have been given Grade 3 clearance for the ¡®Changgong Library¡¯.] Following the advice of , Chang-Sun did not answer and merely looked at the message floating in front of him. The part about Grade 3 clearance especially caught his attention. ¡®It means there is someone more powerful,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought. had said that this library was not his, and that he was just a librarian. In other words, there was a being above him. A librarian who was above this librarian¡­ That had to mean that there was a top-rank librarian, or a head librarian. ¡®...The grade of clearance granted is probably decided based on the visitor¡¯s ss,¡¯ Chang-Sun thought, contemting whether or not he actually needed to use this ce right now. ¡®If I gather gnosis here, I¡¯ll definitely get way stronger, but I can only do it within my Grade 3 clearance. There will be a limit.¡¯ On top of that, gathering gnosis would be very time-consuming. As the fight against Heoju was imminent and Chang-Sun needed to retrieve Ithaca¡¯s legacy, he could not afford to waste time, so ¡­ ¡®I can only use this ce after I finish my preparations, not now.¡¯ Once he defeated Heoju, retrieved all of Ithaca¡¯s legacy,pleted , obtained [Blood Lightning], and passed all of Mephistopheles¡¯ tests¡­ He would be able to regain hisplete Divine Name of ''Divine Twilight,'' instead of his current iplete name of ''¡ö¡öne ¡ö¡ö.'' After that, if he returned to this ce after acquiring clues about the ... ¡®I¡¯ll be able to get so much more,¡¯ he thought, his gaze turning sharp. ¡°Sir,¡± Chang-Sun began. Instead of getting straight to the point, he politely referred to as ¡®sir¡¯ first, thinking it would be best to show respect to the librarian. He continued, ¡°I would like to save this opportunity for the future.¡±. curled up one end of his mouth and said, ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡± [You did not use your clearance!] ¡°Very clever,¡± added. After hearing that response, Chang-Sun realized that he had given the right answer. ¡°The guys who usually end up here are too preupied with taking the treasures in front of them to satisfy their greed without thinking far enough ahead. Then they regret itter and throw a tantrum about why they weren¡¯t given more time¡­ Lots of people are obnoxious, but you can look at the bigger picture, can¡¯t you?¡± remarked with a smile. It was Chang-Sun¡¯s n to returnter with a higher clearance by earning more achievements. Thus, he intended to ask to preserve his clearance and send him back to where he had been. ¡°But¡­¡± trailed off. Chang-Sun somehow felt nervous. He had answered correctly, and it seemed that also agreed. Why did he have a bad feeling about this? ¡°...it looks as if your other selves have different thoughts,¡± said, raising a brow. Chang-Sun was about to ask what meant, but just then¡­ ¡®What in the world¡­?¡¯ ¡­he suddenly felt a horrible headache, as if someone had hit him in the back of the head with a blunt weapon. ¡°Urgh!¡± Chang-Sun groaned. [Your ¡®Gnostic Eye¡¯ has been forced open!] The vision in one of his eyes distorted, as if it were malfunctioning. The space within his eye warped and shattered, overloading it. The pain was so horrible that it felt as if his eye would pop out. An abnormal change was taking ce against Chang-Sun¡¯s will. [Your ¡®Gnostic Eye¡¯ is guiding you!] Amid the distorted space, blue streams of energy branched out and reached a variety of books. ¨DLook at that book. Reading it will make you stronger. After finishing these books, you¡¯ll be able to aplish what you want. Everything you¡ªno, I want is over there¡­! ¨DThis ce is the fountainhead of all knowledge, the spring where knowledge gathers¡­ This ce is where you... I belong¡­ ¨DWhat do you mean?! I¡­! Chang-Sun felt light-headed due to the numerous voices echoing in his head. Something else seemed about to escape from deep in his subconsciousness. Badump! From the innermost depths of Chang-Sun¡¯s subconsciousness, Odin, whom he had met some time before, was looking at him. Badump, badump! Numerous beings beside Odin were reaching out their hands to get to Chang-Sun¡¯s consciousness; Chang-Sun¡¯s past lives were trying to emerge. Badump, badump, badump! Chapter 287: Star, a Futile Dream (1)

Chapter 287: Star, a Futile Dream (1)

Chang-Sun¡¯s head hurt so much that he felt as if his brain would explode soon. ¨DMe! ¨DMe! Me! ¨DGet lost! Gnosis! Gnosis is mine! ¨DMe too¡­! ¨DI¡­! Too many voices were echoing in Chang-Sun¡¯s head. It was as if numerous souls swam out of the deep ocean inside Chang-Sun¡¯s soul and reached out their hands as they screamed. ¡®Did I really go through samsara this many times?¡¯ Chang-Sun wondered. What he found even more terrifying was the fact that many more of Chang-Sun¡¯s past lives were probably talking right now but were just getting muffled by the others. No, Chang-Sun could actually hear even the muffled ones. [The sixth chapter of ¡®Prti¡¯s Spellbook¡¯ has been opened.] [Fulgurator has been applied!] Pzzzzz! Chang-Sun quickly utilized one of the Secret Darkness Techniques. He would lose himself amidst his past lives¡¯ screams at this rate. To prevent that, he had to draw up his mana by force. In the process, Chang-Sun¡¯s Atra Fulmen lightning bolts spread all over the library, unleashing gales. Struck by the lightning bolts, the bookcases shattered and dropped books to the floor. The gales swept some of the books away and flung them elsewhere. giggled as he watched what Chang-Sun was going through with interest. However, when Chang-Sun swiftly turned the library into a mess, turned pale. ¡°Hey! What are you doing?! Organizing them ording to the right categories takes a really long time¡ª!¡± Screaming, reached out his hand to Chang-Sun, but it was toote. When Fulgurator didn¡¯t work, Chang-Sun immediately resorted to the seventh chapter of [Prti¡¯s Spellbook]. [The seventh chapter of ¡®Prti¡¯s Spellbook¡¯ has been opened.] [C?lo Fulgente has been applied, causing your lightning power to surround you!] C?lo Fulgente meant ¡°sky,¡± which originated from a phrase[1] in the famous book Tao Te Ching[2]. The phrase meant that heaven¡¯s looked crude because it was big and wide, yet nothing could pass through it. In the same way, Caelo Fulgente meant ¡°lightning web spread over the world.¡± Numerous lightning bolts circled around Chang-Sun and chaotically danced, He turned into the pivot to attract the electromaic force, which was trying to endlessly stretch out, into one ce. ¡°Horrible¡± was the only word that could urately describe its destructiveness. Everything around Chang-Sun was destroyed in an instant. Rumbleee¨D! Wooosh! Chang-Sun wasn¡¯t sure if it was thanks to the havoc he was causing, but he managed to pull himself together and hold onto himself as his past lives tried to devour his consciousness. ¨DJust as expected. ¨DHe¡¯s not easy to deal with. ¨DThen¡­ ¨DWe should change the stage. With Chang-Sun sessfully holding out, his past lives seemingly began trying a different method. ¡®What in the world are they trying to do?!¡¯ Chang-Sun gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. He tried to shout at them, but¡­ Paah! ¡­ he soon felt as if he was getting sucked into another ce. At the same time, he lost consciousness, his eyes turning vacant. Thump! Chang-Sun helplessly fell to the ground. Losing its pivot, therge amount of lightning energy that he drew up spread in every direction. Rumble, rumble, rumble! Boom boom, boom¨D! Swoosh¡­ [Row D Sector 711 has been demolished!] [Sector 712 has beenpletely demolished.] [50% of Sector 713 has been demolished.] [45% of Sector 714 has been burned down.] ¡­ The ¡®Changgong Library¡¯ was reduced to ruins before could do something about it. Looking at the library¡¯s state¡­ he turnedpletely pale. ¡º... Hey, Jeong-Woo?¡» The attendant had been working as the librarian for a very long time to help and used to always talk gibberish. However, the attendant had to tiptoe around right now, unable to make fun of him. ¡°¡­ Sons of bitches,¡± muttered under his breath. The librarian, who now had to work all-nighters, grew furious. ¡°I¡¯ll kill them.¡± Wrath zed up ¡¯s eyes. Pulling his hair out, he screamed, ¡°I¡¯ll kill them all!¡± ¡º¡­ He¡¯s lost it. He haspletely lost it. His temper will act up again.¡» Someone in the shadow shook their head and grinned. ¡ºWell, I don¡¯t mind. This will be fun to watch. Hehehe!¡» * * * Beep¨D! Beeep. Noises echoed all around Chang-Sun. [You have entered an unidentified ce¡­] Beep¨D! The message was restored from corruption. [The system has failed to activate¡­] [An update needs¡­] [Using an Administrator privilege¡­.] Beep. Beep¡­. [Restoring¡­] The messages repeated several times before a new kind of message popped up. [The emergency system has been activated.] [A part of the data is updating to ensure smooth progressA n update for a part of the data is updating smoothly.proceeding for smooth progress.] ¡­ [Updateplete.] [Your view has been brightened up!] Chang-Sun opened his eyes after all the system restoration messages. With the world around him turning, he instinctively knew that he was not suffering from curses or bad status effects but rather experiencing the aftereffects of teleportation. [You are in your subconscious realm!] [The Channelings to the outside world have been terminated, preventing smoothmunication with Celestials.] [Escape this ce.] [Caution! A subconscious realm ispletely different from a mind pce. You will lose yourself if you stay in your subconscious realm for too long, making it impossible to return to reality.] [Caution! You are currently alone in this realm, but many people are after you.] [Warning! Leave your subconscious realm quickly.] [Warning! Quickly restore the system to its original state.] Chang-Sun¡¯s first impression of his subconscious realm was a wastnd. The ck in that stretched endlessly was as cracked up as a tortoise shell. Dust danced along with the dry winds that brushed past the ground. Chang-Sun couldn¡¯t see a single hill. ¡®This is my subconscious realm?¡¯ Chang-Sun gritted his teeth. ¡®They¡¯re hellbent on taking over my body.¡¯ Chang-Sun immediately concluded that Odin and his other past lives dragged him into this ce. ¡®I¡¯m already busy trying to acquire [Brilliant Vermillion Light]. I have to go back to reality as soon as possible.¡¯ Chang-Sun had no time to lose. He was going after Heoju, so he could not afford to waste time in his subconscious realm. Hence, despite how furious he was about his past lives putting him through this, he had to prioritizeing up with a way to escape. [A Sudden Quest(Escape the Labyrinth) has been created!] [Escape the Labyrinth] ¡¤ Type: Sudden. ¡¤ Description: Your past lives have long since existed in your subconscious realm as tiny memory fragments. However, as you got stronger, they regained their identities little by little. When you started umting gnosis through your ¡®Gnostic Eye,¡¯ the speed of their recovery increased. Their goal right now is to rise again using the gnosis you umted. Your discovery of the ¡®Changgong Library,¡¯ a ce with piles of gnosis, only further fueled their desire. Your past life fragments wish that you will gather a lot of gnosis in the ¡®Changgong Library.¡¯ If you are unwilling to grant their wish, they are ready to drag you down and bury you in your subconscious realm. Break away from them and return to reality. Failure will trap you in your subconscious realm forever, causing you to lose control of your body. Chapter 288: Star, a Futile Dream (2)

Chapter 288: Star, a Futile Dream (2)

As Chang-Sun and the Undead Army walked across the vast wastnd, some of the cavalry scouting ahead returned and yelled,¡¸We found something in that direction!¡¹ Beyond the heat haze where the scouts pointed was a giant, tall castle with extremely thick walls. Menacingly tall spires towered behind the walls, seemingly about to stab the sky. Since it was the only building in this barrennd, it wouldn¡¯t have been wrong to think that Chang-Sun¡¯s past reincarnations were inside it. However, Chang-Sun firmly shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s a mirage.¡± Sinmara tilted her head in confusion. ¡¸How do you know it¡¯s a mirage?¡¹ Chang-Sun tapped his right eye with his index finger. His [Gnostic Eye] was wide open. ¡¸¡­ You¡¯re using that again. Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡¹ Sinmara asked, worry evident in her eyes. Sinmara always had a strange feeling toward Chang-Sun¡¯s [Gnostic Eye]. Her prophetic eyes let her see people¡¯s past, present, and future, but it also taught her that getting the right answer always came with a price. Hence, she couldn¡¯t help but be wary of the [Gnostic Eye], which showed Chang-Sun the ¡®path.¡¯ Agreeing with Sinmara, Chang-Sun had refrained from using the [Gnostic Eye] for a while. After some time, they discovered that Odin and his other past reincarnations rebuilt their identities through it, proving Sinmara right. Despite her opposition to using it, though, Chang-Sun didn¡¯t seem to care about the risks. ¡°We¡¯re in my subconscious realm, so I doubt using the [Gnostic Eye] to see inside it will make much of a difference,¡± Chang-Sun said. ¡¸Hmm! You do have a point.¡¹ Sinmara nodded in agreement. The [Gnostic Eye] shone the brightest when he tried to figure out the gnosis in the outside world. Hence, there should be no problem in using it to observe his subconsciousness. ¡°There are many mirages here, and the castle over there is one of them. They¡¯re all bullshit attempts to tire me out.¡± Chang-Sun was well aware that the castle mirage was created using Odin¡¯s rune magic. ¡¸I see. Their goal would definitely be to exhaust you¡­ Can you see which way we should go to get to the real one?¡¹ Sinmara squinted, looking around the wastnd. Chang-Sun nodded, then pointed forward. They were on the right path, but the region ahead looked more deste than the nearby areas. Anyone would feel scared and worried that they would get lost and stranded if they headed to the region. However, Chang-Sun was certain. ¡°It¡¯s that way.¡± * * * Chang-Sun was right. After a day of travel, he and his army found a castle that looked exactly the same as the mirage. ¡¸It¡¯s freaking big.¡¹ Jin Prezia clicked his tongue, having realized that he could only see the top of the castle wall if he leaned ny degrees backward. ¡¸Well, it only makes me want to conquer it more.¡¹ The sight didn¡¯t dispirit him at all, however. He was the type to feel even more motivated to ovee challenges when they were seemingly impossible. Holding up the [Frost King¡¯s Greatsword] high, Jin yelled, ¡¸Everyone, prepare for¡ª!¡¹ Thump! Creaaak! However, Before Jin could finish speaking, the sound of a pulley turning suddenly echoed. At the same time, the castle¡¯s drawbridge was lowered over the enormous moat around the castle. Thud¡­! The ground shook, and clouds of dust rose. The front gate was so big that Chang-Sun and the Undead Army, which was made up of about a hundred soldiers, could enter at the same time. The wide-open gate seemed to be encouraging them toe inside, evidencing that his past reincarnations were confident that their castle would be impregnable even in siege warfare. ¡¸Ha! Those bastards!¡¹ Jin¡¯s eyes turned cold, thinking that Chang-Sun¡¯s past reincarnations were mocking them. He was so angry that he began to bear his fangs through his crooked smile. ¡¸They think we¡¯re suckers, master. What should we do?¡¹ Jin looked back at Chang-Sun, his eyes filled with determination to defy Chang-Sun if he stopped Jin from fighting them. ¡°They sent us an invitation. It is only proper that we ept it,¡± Chang-Sun answered calmly. ¡¸I know, right?¡¹ Jin grinned. Sinmara held out her hand to stop Chang-Sun. ¡¸There is no knowing what kind of traps they set up, yet you¡¯re still going? This is as dangerous as invading a divine ground, so please reconsider, master.¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying, Sinmara?! You aren¡¯t seriously suggesting that we tuck our tails between our legs, are you?¡¹ Jin growled. Sinmara¡¯s eyes were still fixed on Chang-Sun as she repeated, ¡¸Please reconsider, master.¡¹ ¡¸Hey! Sinmara!¡¹ Jin strode toward Sinmara. He seemed about to pounce at her. No longer able to ignore Jin at this point, she turned toward him. ¡¸Go on.¡¹ ¡¸Why in the world would you even propose that? Our enemies are right over there, so why should we waste any more time? You¡¯re the one who said that staying here for too long is dangerous!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ ¡¸If so¡ª!¡¹ Jin frowned. ¡¸Even so, there is nothing more foolish than entering the castle without any preparation even though we¡¯re well aware that the enemies are lying in wait in there for us with traps.¡¹ Sinmara pointed at the gate. Jin and Sinmara were both warriors and fighters, so their personalities seemed simr. However, they were actually very different from each other. Jin was so belligerent and daring that he seemed reckless. Moreover, his desire to win was strong enough for him to prefer taking the bull by the horns and volunteering to be a vanguard in battles. As Chang-Sun¡¯s sword, he was supposed to destroy every obstacle in his master¡¯s way. Jin was more of a fearless hero. On the other hand, Sinmara was the best warrior in , but unlike Jin, she was also their chief priest, someone who predicted the future of their . She was a lot less daring than Jin and focused more on protecting people, which was why she served as Chang-Sun¡¯s shield. Sinmara was more of a wise hero. For those reasons, although they were usually great partners, their opinions often differed when it came to situations like this. ¡°Sinmara.¡± Chang-Sun looked at the Giant with emotionless eyes. ¡°Protect me.¡± ¡¸¡­ Yes, master.¡¹ ¡°Jin, clear the path,¡± Chang-Sunmanded. ¡¸dly! Everyone, follow me!¡¹ Brightening up, Jin signaled his horse to go forward with his heel. Sinmara no longer objected. No matter what she thought, the great king of had the final say. Hence, she stayed close to Chang-Sun instead to prepare for ambushes and arrows flying out of nowhere. Jin and his cavalry corps crossed the drawbridge first to clear the path. Chang-Sun, Sinmara, and her warrior corps followed behind them. The castle consisted of threeyers of outer bailey and fouryers of inner bailey. It was cramped with buildings and narrow streets inside, making pedestrians feel as if they were wandering in a tightbyrinth. Due to the possibility of an ambushing from the top of the high castle walls, the Undead Army was filled with tension and put under suffocating pressure. On the other hand, Chang-Sun was quite impressed with the castle¡¯s structural design because it was very effective in psychologically pressuring invaders. When they reached the innermost area of the inner bailey, they were met with a wide, open space, which was theplete opposite of thebyrinth they just got out of. In the center of the huge yard was an impressive golden tree that was so big that it cast a shadow over the entire yard. Thud! The moment Chang-Sun wandered when his past reincarnations would show up, the inner bailey¡¯s main gate, which Chang-Sun and his army just passed through, was shut close Swoosh¨D! The left gate of the inner bailey opened wide, and a loud war cry echoed from within it. Woosh! A knight wearing blue armor that seemed to be made from the best-quality sapphires rode his horse into the courtyard and shouted, ¡°I, Amida, fourth great-grandson of the great Tigris¡¯ sixth daughter, stand here today with my brave army!¡± A unit of a hundred cavalry appeared behind Amida, chanting his name. ¡°Amida!¡± ¡°Amida! Amida!¡± ¡°Amida!!¡± All of them were chanting their leader¡¯s name. [The Blue Battalion has appeared!] ¡¸It¡¯s finally starting. They¡¯ll fight and trap us here!¡¹ ¡¸Everyone, stand by!¡¹ Jin immediately mobilized his subordinates. At the same time, Sinmara stayed close to Chang-Sun, thinking he would be their main target. However, Chang-Suns didn¡¯t allow them to respond. ¡°All of you, hold your positions!¡± Jin and Sinmara looked at Chang-Sun, wondering why he would issue such amand. Gesturing at the Blue Battalion with his chin, Chang-Sun exined, ¡°Check where they¡¯re looking at. We¡¯re not their target.¡± ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸How¡­?¡¹ Jin and Sinmara followed the Blue Battalion¡¯s gaze. As they did, they heard a battle cry from the opposite side. Rumble! ¡° I, Tracillin, spearman and pdin of the Morte Family and the lord¡¯s second knight, havee! Who dares taste my axe? Is it you?¡± [The Red Battalion has appeared!] ¡°Tracillin! Tracillin!¡± The Red Battalion looked like the pr opposite of the Blue Battalion. Wearing ruby-red leather armor, the Red Battalion seemed more agile and sharper than their opponent. They had helmets with pointed deer-like horns andrge and lethal weapons like halberds and maces. Woosh, woosh, woosh¡­! The two battalion¡¯s fighting spirits collided in the air, causing the ground to quake. All the soldiers were so fierce that it would not be an exaggeration to call them divine warriors. ¡¸Who are they? Wait, are they all your past reincarnations or something?¡¹ Jin looked back at Chang-Sun for answers. Chang-Sun shook his head, having not even the slightest idea about who they were either. However, he was certain that the two forces weren¡¯t interested in Chang-Sun and his army! Crow¨D! At that moment, a rooster with a goldenb and feathers climbed on top of the golden tree, tilted its head toward the sky, and crowed. [¡®Gullinkambi¡¯ has signaled the start of the battle!] As soon as the two armies were given the go signal¡­ [The Blue and Red Battalions are shing!]